"I really struggled to work out if this hotel should be awarded four or five stars. In short the hotel is located right at the harbour, just 20-30 Mts from the airport (depending on traffic ) and has a fantastic view. It really is a perfect location just two minutes walk from the ferry to Valetta and easy accessible for most points of Malta, and the restaurants all around. The biggest challenge and root of my "4 or 5" struggle, is that this hotel is literally an old fortress. This makes it more than unique and is truly stunning. I loved it. Rooms are well sized, well appointed and leave you feeling well cared for. But a fortress - by definition - does not have many windows. And that is the challenge I have - rooms are simply dark and not well lit, exacerbated by the fact that windows are either small, or off to the side at the back end of the room. This is not the fault of the hotel - but its designers appeared to be not interested in complementing what little natural light does exist....or little fresh air as a result. Shame. In fact the first room we stayed in ( Fortress suite) had only one window which opened out into a tunnel with no daylight at all (see photos), and thus no fresh air either. Not good for my expected €1100 invoice at the end of my stay! To be fair to the hotel after I complained, especially that I felt misled based on the promotional pictures in the website (which appears to show daylight in all rooms) and lack of advice to potential customers, I was upgraded to a grand Harbour suite. This had a window (1 window over 3 rooms) off to the side. At least I could look out and see daylight and get fresh air, so was grateful for their effort. What does this mean for guests? If you're looking for a unique architectural building to stay and do not need well lit hotel rooms with window, daylight and fresh air (in some rooms) this is a perfect place to stay. However, if you are someone preferring fresh air, lots of light, then this may not be the perfect stay, or you need to pay for an upgrade above the standard Fortress Suite.... Finally, I should compliment the hotel for excellent service, a good restaurant (but narrow menu) and be aware that parking is for free nearby but in the Summer may be tough to find a spot. Ooh, and breakfast at €25 per person is quite expensive. Overall, a great place to stay just consider what you book if you need daylight."

"We have been going for a weekend break on a yearly basis to Cugo Gran Macina for the past few years with family. We absolutely love this hotel. The views of Birgu, Valletta and the Grand Harbor are amazing and we never get tired of walking around the area and taking it all in. As for the hotel, the rooms are extremely spacious and very nicely finished. Most of them are set on two levels, with the main bed being nestled close to the vaulted ceilings of the Macina. The staff is very efficient and polite and always accomodate all of our many requests. Finally, breakfast provides various a la carte options, all of which are very well prepared and tasty."

"A beautiful hotel in the heart of Malta overlooking the Marina. Lovely staff who were very helpful and extremely hospitable. The restaurant is excellent and the breakfast is top quality. Thank you"

"So I am not going to lie about it 🙃 Staff is super friendly and I was offered a drink of choice at check-in on a Sunday afternoon in winter. However... be aware that if you book the Fortress "suite" and unless you book the entire suite with 2 bookings, you will find yourself in a windowless room (nicely designed and decorated) with centuries old walls and a small dormer window on the ceiling. And the room smells like a windowless room with centuries old walls - hence the room diffuser, prominently placed. If you are claustrophobic or have watched medieval TV series where people sleep in walled-in towers, then this may not be for you. Depending on what you are looking for. Otherwise, room 213 has a connecting door (uuuurgh) which apparently is separated from the "closed door" of the adjacent room by a corridor. Boo spooky 👻 🤪. I didn't specify in my Expedia booking that I don't want connecting doors so that was my bad. The alternative would have been an upgrade at 60 Euros per night. So, to sum it up and when I scroll through the 5 star reviews here, the hotel IS unique, staff ARE friendly and well trained, the location IS Superb, but to well-traveled and spoiled reviewers like me, this is more a 3.5-4 stars than a 5."