For our most recent trip, we decided to cash in some SPG points for a stay at the 5 star Le Meridien St Julians Hotel & Spa in Malta.

While I highly value my SPG points, I think we made a good decision in using them for this redemption. Hotels on Malta tend to be pretty expensive so using some points seemed to be a good decision.

We spent 6 nights at the Le Meridien but only had to pay for 5. A room goes for 7,000 SPG points per night but thanks to the stay 5, pay 4 offer, our total came to 35,000 points. If we decided to pay for our stay with cash, the cost would’ve been $921.75.

(Due to the 5th night free offer, I wondered if it would’ve been better to stay elsewhere for our 6th night. Check out my post about this here.)

The Le Meridien St Julians is located about 15-20 minutes from the airport by taxi and costs 20€. You could take the public bus but that requires a transfer and could take a minimum of one hour. Getting around the island is relatively easy but you pretty much always need to head into Valletta, 25-30 minutes away to catch the other buses.

Overall we found St Julians to be a very nice area to stay. In terms of sights, there isn’t really anything around but it is more of a night-time area. There are lots of restaurants close by as well as (from what we heard) partying spots.

Now onto the hotel.

Upon check-in we were told that we were upgraded to a suite and also had access to the lounge. This got our stay off to a great start before even seeing our room!

When we entered the room we were impressed but didn’t feel like we were stepping into a suite. The room had a decent amount of space but it would best be described as long and narrow. It didn’t feel so new or modern and could probably use some updating.

The Bed:

The bed was actually two beds put together. We weren’t sure why it wasn’t a regular king or queen bed, then again we really didn’t care so much. There was plenty of space and the bed(s) were firm and comfortable. The pillows were also soft, just the way I like it.

The Bathroom:

When you first walk in the room there is a door on the immediate right. This is where the toilet is. That is the only thing in the small room besides a garbage can. Kim and I found it odd that there wasn’t a sink inside. After using the bathroom, you then need to walk around to another room to wash your hands. Talk about irritating.

The washroom was very large and included a sink, stall shower and relatively large tub (photo below). The tub came in really handy for giving Lucas a bath. The sink area and bath products were nice. The shower got the job done but definitely could’ve been better. The shower head is smack in the middle of the ceiling which makes it hard to adjust the temperature without getting soaked.

Other features of the room:

Extra Seating:

This chair and side table didn’t get much use for its intended purpose. However, the chair did make a great place to rest a backpack and lay out our clothes. Lucas made use of the table by playing with some of his little toys there.

The one time I did try sitting in the chair, I did find it to be pretty uncomfortable.

The Work Area:

The desk got lots of use and I did sit here to write quite a few blog posts. The chair was comfortable enough and the ledge above the table was a useful place to leave things we didn’t want Lucas getting his hands on. There were 2 power outlets to the right of the desk, taking two different types of plug adapters. The only problem we found was that these were the only two outlets to use for charging things in the room.

Entertainment Center:

And now for my favorite part of the room.

The Balcony:

Look at this view! We never got tired of heading out to the balcony to get a glimpse of the amazingly blue water. This was by far my favorite feature of the room and what made it feel like a true upgrade!

The Lounge:

Having lounge access was a great perk and added lots of additional savings in a relatively pricey country.

The lounge is accessible 24 hours per day and is (pretty much) always stocked with beverages- coffee, sodas, juices, water, milk and beer at times. We filled Lucas’ bottle a couple of times each day which saved us from needing to ever buy milk. We also took waters which saved us some money during our visit.

Breakfast is offered daily. Kim & Lucas went each morning,  I missed 2 of the days due to some travel business I had to take care of. 

Each day from 3-7pm light snacks are offered. We went 2-3 times and it was a nice touch with some decent finger foods.

Overall Thoughts:

Due to upgrades being made to the elevators, only 2 out of 4 were in use. This caused extremely long waits on many occasions. If we weren’t on the 11th floor and traveling with a stroller it could’ve been overlooked. However, this was a big problem for us and many other guests. We got into many conversation (with fellow guests) about this problem while we were stuck waiting on quite a few occasions.

When I look back at our stay at Le Meridien St Julians, I’m not so sure that I’d recommend it or not. Due to the elevator situation, it left a really bad impression.

I’d expect things to be much better once all of the upgrades are completed.

However, for 7,000 SPG points per night, I do think it was a good deal and great way for us to save a lot of money during this trip. If I was looking to pay for a room in this price range, I think I’d look elsewhere.

Find out more about Le Meridien St Julians here.