Home » Valletta - Malta's capital city » Where to stay in Valletta

Where to stay in Valletta: Which are the best areas?

I often get asked where to stay in Valletta, and whether it’s a good place in Malta to stay in the first place. I’ll try to cover both questions in this article to give you the info you need to continue your research.

Where should I stay in Valletta?

As you might already know, Valletta is pretty small, particularly for a capital city. You can basically walk across from one side to the other in a 10-minute walk. That makes the choice of hotels, apartments and other accommodation within the city’s walls limited, and expensive. Thankfully there are hotels just outside Valletta and you can also find apartments in Floriana, all within a short walking distance of Valletta’s city gate.

As such, I wouldn’t talk of there being one or two best places to stay, because really and truly it’s hard to go wrong and whoever runs a hotel or rents out apartments in the cities is unlikely to choose an ugly part of town.

Most parts of Valletta are full of character, and it’s a relatively safe place, with no particular dodgy areas. It’s more a matter of certain areas being a little less attractive than others, mostly in terms of cleanliness and sights.

FAQs

Is Valletta worth visiting?

Yes! Valletta is one of the must-see places in Malta. It’s full of history, interesting places to visit and good food on every corner. Read more here: Valletta, Malta’s capital city.

Is Valletta walkable?

Yes, it’s easy to get around Valletta on foot, it being one of the smallest capital cities in Europe. To give you an idea: It takes just 15 minutes to walk from one side to the other.

How far is Floriana from Valletta?

Floriana is just a 10-minute walk away from Valletta’s main entry point at City Gate. It’s a great option to stay, especially if you’re on a budget, with good Airbnb options around.

So, with that basic premise in mind, here’s what I suggest.

Less attractive parts of Valletta to stay

The Sliema-facing outer part of the city, also referred to as Il-Mandraġġ (which stems from Manderacchio, a small sheltered harbour for galleys, which was originally intended to be built on that side of Valletta)
The lower part of Valletta towards Fort St. Elmo on the North-East, seaward-facing part of town.

More attractive parts of Valletta to stay

Just off the centre, in all directions, just off the main street called Republic Street (or Triq ir-Repubblika in Maltese)
The South-facing part of Valletta, on the side of Grand Harbour
In the vicinity of the Upper Barrakka Gardens – a very characterful part of town.

What are some of the best places to stay in Valletta?

You can find a full list of recommendations here: Best Valletta Hotels, while Airbnb (more info below) offers self-catering options all over Valletta (and just outside the city in Floriana).

As for hotels, these are a few quick suggestions:

Casa Ellul

Barrakka Suites

Osborne Hotel

Phoenicia Hotel

Airbnbs in Valletta: My recommendations

Through Airbnb you can get access to some really amazing places, but cheap accommodation is a challenge to find there as well.

If you’re not on a tight budget, there’s a choice of stays with harbour views, with modernly refurbished apartments within ages-old buildings in the heart of town and few bad choices.

Here’s a selection of recommended places in Valletta, but there’s a lot more to choose from here: Airbnb Valletta: The 20 Best Apartments, Suites and Rooms

Should I stay in Valletta?

Whether or not Valletta is a good place to stay during your holiday in Malta depends on what your main goals are for spending time in Malta. This is my basic advice.

Staying in Valletta is a good idea if…

Culture and sightseeing are important to you, but you’re not particularly interested in hanging out at the beach. There are a lot of points of interest and things to do in Valletta, but there are no real beaches in Valletta (although you can reach some of Malta’s best beaches easily using public transport, which can take 1 to 1.5h to get to by bus from Valletta).
You’re looking for a place to serve as a base for exploring Malta, but you don’t want to drive. Valletta is the main terminus and connection point for public transport (buses) in Malta, plus you can reach places like Sliema, Gozo and Comino quite easily by sea, using ferries.

Staying in Valletta may not be the best idea if…

You’re looking to stay at a resort and don’t plan to do much sightseeing. Although the standard of accommodation in Valletta is of a high quality, you will only find a few resorts in the area and they’ll be pretty pricey. Consider places like St. Julian’s and Sliema, Buġibba, Qawra and St. Paul’s Bay, Mellieħa and potentially Gozo (Malta’s sister island) as alternatives.
Swimming at the beach is important on your holiday. Although there are a few places around Valletta where locals swim, none of these places are sandy beaches. Moreover, the waters around Valletta are harbours, so although the water isn’t contaminated, it’s not the cleanest either.
You’re travelling with young children. Although events are regularly organised I wouldn’t consider Valletta a great place to stay with young children, mostly because there’s little entertainment around for kids really and your most logical way of getting around in Valletta is going around on foot.

Looking for other places to stay in Malta?

Have a look at this article: Where to stay in Malta – What’s the best place for me?

Need a Malta guidebook?

Check out my two guidebooks full of local knowledge and my best recommendations for your trip, and up-to-date for 2023!

Malta & Gozo guide book
Valletta: An Insider’s Guide to Malta’s Capital

Take the hassle out of planning your trip to Malta and be an informed traveller!

Get my best Malta travel tips by email!

Get the best travel tips from Malta Uncovered delivered to you in bite-sized chunks by email. (Unsubscribe at any time!)

Was this article helpful? Share it with your friends!