The Best Cheap Hotels in Valletta, Malta

A five-minute walk to the main bus station, from which you can ride across the island for a couple of Euros, this cosy guesthouse has a shabby-chic aesthetic. Leather-bound books and vintage clocks add character to the lobby, while rooms have simple white bedding, colour-blocked bedspreads and cushions in lavender or teal, plus canvas wall art. It’s not fancy, but rooms with multiple double beds, or doubles mixed with twins, make it unbeatable value for families and groups of mates.

Sitting in your private hot tub on a secluded roof terrace in one of The Barrister’s premier suites, you won’t believe the rates at this friendly old town hotel. Owner Mark keeps a close eye on everything to make sure your stay is faultless, while you get to recline in sharply designed, contemporary rooms with fabric headboards, marble countertops and industrial-feel light fixtures. It’s a short stroll to the best restaurants and bars, so you won’t have to splurge on taxis, either.

With scarlet-painted balconies and window frames overlooking a leafy stone courtyard, there’s a picturesque tranquility to this simple, historic hotel. Sandwiched between top sights St John’s Co-Cathedral and Upper Barrakka Gardens, the location is spot-on; and value-lovers will adore the character of its artfully cluttered, stone-walled rooms. Some have colourful chandeliers or upcycled bedside tables, others feature canopied four-posters or vintage floor tiles. Fling open your curtains in most to find brilliant views of centuries-old façades and belltowers.

A short walk from Valletta’s waterfront, in the pretty Floriana neighbourhood, 23 Boutique serves up style for a steal. From the moment you enter its honeycomb façade with its glossy teal-painted door and window frames, design details draw the eye. Wrought iron, exposed-stone arches and Spanish-tiled floors, there are circular mirrors and bowl-style sinks, too. Cloud-like mattresses and a continental breakfast belie this hotel’s bargain rates.

A minute’s walk from the ferry-served Sliema waterfront, this pared-back B&B has all the essentials. Minimalist white, black and pine rooms have seemingly floating beds on wooden platforms, slatted wood screens and potted snake plants; the smart reception doubles as a breakfast room with an outdoor cafe terrace that’s great for a morning coffee. A 24-hour front desk with an approachable team means help is at hand whenever you need it.

Fringing Sliema’s marina, Pebbles is an affordable guesthouse with a bit of a party spirit. As well as its own in-house cocktail lounge and Asian-fusion restaurant, MedAsia, guests get access to a ‘beach club’ of loungers set around a pool on a rocky promontory, with fringed parasols, crocheted hammocks and a drinks service on tap. Back at base, rooms are light, bright and no-frills; some family-sized and with balconies and kitchenettes.

A half-hour walk from Valletta’s old town, in neighbouring Sliema, this bohemian hostel has the face of a picture-book inn, complete with protruding Maltese balcony. Inside, pretty Mediterranean floor tiles lead you to hallways muralled with birds and lotuses; bare-bones rooms sleeping between one and six have metal-framed single or bunk beds, old-fashioned sinks and smart desks built from breeze blocks. A ramshackle rooftop is a great place to socialise with your fellow backpackers and shoestring adventurers.

A five-minute walk from the iconic belltowers of St John’s Co-Cathedral, in the heart of the old town, Paolina gives a wow-factor welcome with its powder-blue doors, ornately painted hallways and marble floors. Follow the red carpet upstairs to find simple but characterful rooms with pretty floor tiles or embroidered carpets, plus super-modern, immaculate tiled bathrooms. One lucky occupant of a mega-suite gets a sprawling terrace with a drinks area, loungers and alfresco Jacuzzi.

Cream and taupe rooms have been tastefully done up at this affordable boutique hotel, surrounded on all sides by the historic, tumbling rooftops of Valletta’s old town. A handful even have lovely sea views. In your downtime, the hotel’s no-frills rooftop plunge pool is the place to cool off; or set off on foot to discover the nearby city walls, Hastings Garden and countless intricately detailed churches.