I was in this lounge during a 45-minute layover in MXP. The shower room was also one of these self-contained bathrooms, and they lounge attendant would have provided you with a shower kit (with some nice Italian gender-appropriate grooming products) if you showed her your trans-oceanic itinerary.

I have been asked by several fellow FlyerTalkers to celebrate my 1,000th post by continuing my trip report, so I decided to oblige. How coincidental that my 1,000th post was posted at exactly 10:00 in the evening Mountain Daylight Time. Honestly, it was not intentional!

1,000 posts. I did not realize I wrote so much in six months since de-lurkerizing myself. Where have they all gone???

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I sure wish I would have known that information then, sowalsky. You also reminded me that I forgot to say that this was the lounge in the International terminal, as there is more than one Alitalia lounge in Malpensa Airport. Thank you.

I would like for other FlyerTalkers to contribute and add information to this trip report like sowalsky did for the sake of helping even one person who intends to use the information in this trip report for that person�s own travel itinerary and plans. Also, please alert me if any of the information which I have imparted here is in error.

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Day 3 Part II

The pale yet intense yellow of the limestone islands of Malta contrasted with the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, as what was mostly cloudy skies gave way quickly to partly cloudy skies with bright sunshine upon our descent into Malta. There were a few speckles of green dotted here and there on the Maltese islands, I noticed from the air as the airplane was landing, but what immediately struck me is how there were expanses of what appeared to be uninhabited land, all of a sudden juxtaposed with densely crowded cities. There was no real evidence of �suburbs� � Malta had either what appeared to be barren land or densely-populated cities. We landed at Malta International Airport in Luqa. Every time I saw the name Luqa, the 1987 song Luka by Suzanne Vega kept playing over and over and over again in my head.

We deplaned using a portable outdoor staircase onto the seemingly barren tarmac. The late afternoon sun was shining intensely, making the air and ground feel hotter than they actually were as I walked across the tarmac with everybody else from the airplane on our way to the terminal.

Walking into the terminal (no, there is definitely no airport lounge here!), I saw three booth stations (the top half was glass, the bottom half wood) occupied by Maltese customs officials at the end of a large yet spartan area. I waited for the few people on line in front of me until I was next, when I was informed that I had to fill out a customs form. Why did we not fill one of these out on the airplane?, I wondered. There was no sign indicating that a form had to be filled out, nor was it obvious where � or what � the forms were. It turns out that these forms were little bits of paper a little larger than the size of one�s hand. They were clearly (or, should I say, not so clearly) photocopies of a copy of whatever the original form looked like. On this form, which was annoying to fill out, were at least four questions (not their exact wording) varying the nationality: �What nationality are you?�, �What country were you born in?�, �What country do you currently reside in?�, and I forgot what the fourth question was in which I answered United States. Once the form was completed, I had to wait in line again.

After I was finished with customs, whose agents were courteous but not what I would call friendly, I went downstairs and left the customs area with nothing to declare. Between the advertisements and the various services available on the lower level, there was a lot more color. I rented a car with Hertz, so I proceed to the Hertz booth. The agent behind the counter claimed my reservation was cancelled, but made a new one for me, which took quite a bit of time. This was a minor annoyance, but I got the same low rate of 26.70 Maltese liri, or approximately US$74.75, for four days � at least, it was low until the 5.00 Maltese liri airport fee, 7.60 Maltese liri (or approximately US$21.25) fuel charge, and the 15% VAT 5.90 Maltese liri (tax, I guess) skyrocketed the rate to 45.20 Maltese liri, or approximately US$126.56 which, at approximately US$31.64 per day, is still a decent rate. I declined on purchasing insurance, and my Georgia driver�s license was sufficient documentation to drive in Malta. According to printed Hertz literature, it is Maltese law that a half-tank of fuel be in the vehicle and the customer is to be charged for that fuel. By American standards, fuel is not cheap virtually anywhere else, especially on Malta. I asked for a car in which nobody had smoked, which seemed to be no problem. I was even advised that I had gotten an upgraded car at no additional charge, which was a pleasant surprise.

I then proceeded to go to one of the two banks right across from the Hertz booth in the terminal to exchange $40.00 in travelers� cheques. I received 13.96 Maltese liri in return. Next time, I will use an automated teller machine, not that that would have helped much due to the abysmal exchange rate, thanks to the already-weakened United States dollar, which kept weakening by the day. Every time I have traveled internationally, I always went when the exchange rate was more favorable to Americans. However, I kept saying to myself, �The Concorde was worth it!�

It was a long walk out of the terminal to the car park and then through the entire car park. I arrived at my transportation for the next four days. �This is an upgrade?!?�, I thought. It was a red four-door Opel Corsa 1.2 hatchback with black interior (oh, this will be ideal for the hot sun, I thought), and it clearly was not new nor was it completely clean. Fine, I can live with this car for the next four days. Good thing I am experienced in driving several manual transmission vehicles in Australia and New Zealand, because Malta is one of the countries where one drives on the left side of the road. As I drove it out of the car park and onto the road, I could feel how sluggish the acceleration � or lack thereof � was on this car. It was then I decided to refer to this �car� as the goat.

I drove the goat north on route 1, the main highway in Malta, to St. Julians. After driving through several traffic circles and intersections, this road became a divided limited-access highway. I learned quickly that the drivers on Malta are absolutely nuts, and even though I started second-guessing about not purchasing insurance, this native New Yorker relied on my years of experience driving in Manhattan, which definitely helped. Add to the mix faint markings in the roadway � if there even were any markings in the roadway � and confusing road signs which, when they existed, did not display the clearest or the most obvious messages, and driving becomes a volatile experience in Malta. I have not even taken into account off-ramps where one had to exit immediately, the haphazard street grid nor the narrow streets of the cities! Driving is definitely not for the faint-of-heart in Malta, so unless you are truly confident about your driving skills, I would instead recommend using their bus system, whose service is frequent and very inexpensive (about .15 Maltese liri per ride, or about US$.40) on their novelty antiquated buses, colored school-bus yellow with a white roof and pillars. Also, English and Maltese are the two official languages of Malta, so it is easy to ask the bus driver for assistance. It was difficult finding two buses that were actually the same model. Some of these buses, which are a part of the character and personality of Malta, bellowed and coughed black smoke into the air � a very unpleasant experience when one drives behind one of these prehistoric behemoths while the windows and vents are open.

After arriving in St. Julians, I needed to shift the car into reverse at one point but could not. Even though the goat was small enough to push back by myself if necessary, I was determined to figure out how to shift into reverse. The shifter indicated that reverse is where first gear is. After several minutes, I finally figured it out: under the knob of the shifter was a small ring that had to be pushed up while shifting into reverse. I had never operated a vehicle in which reverse had to be shifted in that manner. Good thing I figured it out on the side of a quiet street.

It was difficult due to poor signage, but I finally found the Hilton Malta, where I was staying for three nights. On my way to the Hilton, I passed the Westin Dragonara where I will stay during my last night in Malta. The Westin is basically around the corner from the Hilton.

Because I stayed at the Hilton Malta significantly longer than either of the Courtyards by Marriott in which I stayed so far, I intend to post a separate trip about this hotel in the Hilton forum on FlyerTalk for the benefit of Hilton HHonors members. Please let me know whether I should do this, or just incorporate it into this mammoth trip report.

Other than anything related to the Hilton Malta which I intend to discuss in my Hilton Malta report, I went out to a restaurant later that evening a few blocks from the Hilton called The Avenue. The air was filled with cigarette smoke and the atmosphere was crowded and noisy, but the food was good and the people were friendly. I had salmon for dinner. Not long after dinner was over, I returned to the hotel and went to sleep.

Congratulations on your 1000th post. Best of all, you have given me a good and rare insight into Malta, and how to get there! Keep those Tripreports coming. They are just great.

Thank you, obscure2k! And congratulations right back to you on your 2,000th post!

Thought I did not notice, did you???...

Great report so far. I love Malta. I spent three days there three years ago and just fell in love with the country. I very much want to go back.

BTW, there is a lounge at Malta's airport. It is the Valletta Lounge operated by Air Malta. I was able to use it traveling outbound in Club Europe on British Airways (GB Airlines, to be exact).

Thank you for the correction, PresRDC. I did not know that � not that it would have helped me as I arrived into Malta (although Air Malta was a code-share on my Alitalia flight) and wanted to get to my hotel, but now anyone who is of elite status with Malta in their travel plans now has an extra piece of invaluable information.

PresRDC, would you please share with us your experience with that lounge?

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I forgot to mention earlier in this trip report that I never did try out the entertainment system on either the Alitalia or Concorde flights. None of the flights had any movies scheduled, and I suppose I was too pre-occupied with Concorde itself and eating on both Alitalia flights to listen to the audio entertainment.

Also, I want to apologize for not posting the next segment of my trip report as quickly as I would have liked. I am simultaneously transferring the video of my entire trip onto my computer so that I may create customized DVDs from the videotapes. I then refer to the video on my computer, which is much faster than referring to the original videotapes, for accurate information on this trip report. I have finally copied the video portion of my trip about which I intend to write next, so now I have it available to refer to as I write the next segment.

Thank you, everybody, for your patience and supportive comments thus far. They have been much better than I anticipated, especially this being my first FlyerTalk trip report, and they are what keep me writing this trip report!

Please compare Hilton with the Westin on this web site.

I stayed at the Westin Dragonara. In my opinion the Hilton is the nicer of the 2. But I loved the Westin's Beach Club.

I also preferred Gozo. I agree with u about the Alitalia crews. Rather reserved and aloof. But polite.

I know this is late in the post, but thanks so much for thinking of me and Peter while on the Concorde to inquire about the clocks! I am sorry you didn't get any souveniers, but I didn't even get a certificate! It was still an amazing experience, and I am extremely fortunate that I was able to fly on both AF and BA's Concorde's. That's one thing that DL has been great for, getting enough miles to fly on AF's Concorde!

Your trip report is fantastic so far, and I also like the "installments" method. Keeps us coming back for more!

I am very glad to know that you were able to fly Concorde before she was retired end of May. Such a sad day, but the memories of flying Concorde will always be with me! At least I know which planes I flew on, and can go visit them in the museums. How many people can point to a plane in a museum and say that you have actually been FLYING in that particular plane? Found out that I was lucky enough to fly on F-BTSD, the record breaking Concorde.

Can't wait to hear about your return flight!

My pleasure, travelchick72 � I just wish I could have been of more service to you and Peter. Nevertheless, I tried but, as I said, I did not even get to purchase any souvenirs for myself.

Thank you for your wonderful comments!

Thank you for your input, Bretteee. Here it is:

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The following post attempts to detail my stays at the Hilton Malta and Westin Dragonara, respectively, with a final comparison analysis at the end of this post. Please let me know if you believe whether or not I omitted any pertinent details or if you have any questions which I will attempt to answer to the best of my knowledge.

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Hilton Malta
Day 3 Check-in in the late afternoon
Day 6 Check-out just before noon

The directions on the Hilton Internet web site to get to the Hilton Malta in St. Julian�s were good up until entering the St. Julian�s area of Malta, where no specific further directions were given. The map was totally useless as well. Although Malta is small enough to eventually find where one wants to go, I wanted to be at the hotel as soon as possible to relax and unwind after flying from Paris to Malta with a connection at Malpensa Airport in Milan. I have always had a good sense of direction and only made one wrong turn on the south end of the St. Andrews area on my way to the hotel. Once off the main road, I maneuvered through several narrow streets as I kept my eye on where the Mediterranean Sea was. I then made a left turn and found the Hilton Malta.

The Hilton Malta is actually located in the Portomaso section of St. Julian�s, which is under development with an abundance of new construction of luxury apartment buildings and shopping, as well as a brand-new conference center and office complex that had opened in April 2003. Please see the description at the Internet web site of the Hilton Malta for more details.

The street ends as a circle in front of the Hilton Malta. As I stepped out of the car in the No Parking zone, I informed the officer patrolling outside that I was checking in. I stepped into the modern building into the vast expanse of the lobby, which was spacious and open. There were plenty of windows ushering in the intense Maltese sunlight, which drenched portions of the lobby with its radiance that starkly contrasted with the dark shaded areas of the lobby. The hotel appeared to be so clean and modern that it appeared as though it was a new hotel. I turned left and walked to the front desk, where they greeted me. I was informed that I was to report to the Executive Lounge on the 9th floor in order to check in. They then gave me an access card to use when parking in the underground garage, which was free for hotel guests. Across from the front desk was a little table that had individually-wrapped mints in a dish and a large clear plastic container which dispensed a pale-orange tropical drink. Glasses were also available on the table. A sign warned that the drink was to be consumed by new guests only who are checking in for the first time. This was only one of many strict policies of this property.

Once I squeezed the goat (the name I gave to the rented red Opel Corsa 1.2 which I was driving, devoid of hubcaps) into one of the miniscule parking spaces several levels down, I took the garage elevator up to ground level and walked a few minutes outside back to the hotel lobby. I helped myself to a glass of the tropical drink, which was refreshing and good but nothing spectacular or outstanding, as it tasted more sweet than flavorful. After taking the elevator to the 9th floor, I turned left and then right into the Executive Lounge. I must admit, I have never had to bypass the lobby to check in at the Executive Lounge.

Immediately past the double French doors of wood and glass to the Executive Lounge was a large desk on the right, where I sat to check in with the staff member seated behind the desk. While she was very polite and cordial throughout the check-in process, I almost felt as though I was being interviewed for a job as she questioned me and briefed me to the strict rules of the Executive Lounge. This process was quite foreign to me, as I had never experienced a hotel check-in like this in my previous yet extensive travel experience.

I looked further into the Executive Lounge. It was fairly long and spacious, taking up the space of approximately 3 or 4 typical hotel rooms. Immediately near the desk where I was being questioned and apprised of standard information, rules and procedures was a comfortable large sofa and loveseat with a few chairs surrounding a large coffee table positioned and decorated in order to promote conversation. There were also bookshelves with assorted books behind the desk. Further in were tall but small square tables, each covered with at least two linen tablecloths complete with place settings, linen napkins and a small vase of fresh flowers. On the right side was a long area where the food and beverages were displayed, but there was little food at this hour, as this was mainly for drinks. Further in were more couches, tables and bookshelves with more assorted books and magazines, as well as a television. The lounge, decorated largely with darker colors and plenty of multi-patterned and multi-colored fabrics for a rich (yet not stuffy) appearance, was elegantly appointed and appeared to be (and is, I eventually discovered) rather comfortable. On the left was the entrance to a long balcony with three small tables with chairs, which overlooked the rest of the Hilton property and the Mediterranean Sea. Wow, I would love to have a view like this, I thought to myself.

After I received my plastic key card, I then proceeded to the elevator to the 7th floor to get to my new home for the next three days.

Once I walked the distance from the elevator to almost the end of the corridor, I opened the smooth, polished wooden door to my room. General details of the accommodations and amenities about my room can be found at the Hilton Internet web site.

I noticed the bathroom on the right and the coffee area on my left as I walked into the room. The doors to the bathroom and closets were made of polished wood with louvres. Upon walking into the well-lit bathroom, one is greeted by the earthtones of the marble counter with the cream-colored sink in the center. Above the vanity was a huge mirror that covered the wall, with a short fluorescent light fixture on each side at face level. On the left side on the vanity, in a decorative square dish, was a packet of body lotion by Essential Oil, a long plastic tube of clear blue shower gel by Essential Oil, a bottle of Gilchrist & Soames shampoo (all three items were tucked in the pocket formed by a folded washcloth), a round bar of soap in cellophane packaging, and a shower cap encased in a small clear plastic tube. On the right side of the vanity was simply two overturned (but spotlessly clean) glasses on paper doilies with a small plastic bottle of light blue mouthwash (�dental rinse�, as it is known) and, in front of that, a plain empty rectangular soap dish. Above the vanity was a small but powerful recessed spotlight. On the right side hanging on the wall was a reversible magnifying mirror. Near the mirror was a blow dryer unit mounted on the wall.

On the left side of the bathroom was a typical bathtub stocked with a standard amount of towels. The tub had a removable shower head with handle docked in its position where the shower head would normally be. The tile was white, save for a decorative blue, white and gold narrow tile border design that encircled the bathroom near the ceiling as well as near the blue-tiled floor. There was a telephone on the wall by the toilet, and there was a picture on the wall. What I found interesting about the toilet is that a tiled wall with a narrow removable marble counter was built to hide the tank, leaving only the handle visible.

There were two closets which framed the mirrored coffee area. One closet had a wardrobe area with shelves. On one of the shelves was a sewing kit in a tube sitting on top of a plastic Hilton bag. At the bottom of the shelves was a safe, which I never used. The other closet was a wardrobe with a robe hanging, an iron and an ironing board.

The coffee area had two cups upside-down on saucers with metal spoons, with a creamer, a jar with the coffee and tea inside (all made of white ceramic), and the white modern-design coffee pot itself. Underneath the coffee area, behind enclosed polished wooden doors, was a well-stocked mini-bar. I do not drink coffee or tea, so I did not sample anything from the coffee area. I never consumed anything out of the mini-bar.

The room itself was spacious, although not much larger than a typical American hotel room. The area where large luggage would be placed had a cubbyhole underneath it that contained a pair of white terry-cloth Hilton open-toed slippers. Next to that was a wooden dresser with a Philips television (which was equipped with its own alarm clock) on top, which was turned on. The message on the television screen read, �Welcome. Dear Mr. (Canarsie), It is a pleasure to welcome you in Hilton Hotel Malta.� I thought that was a nice touch.

There were two twin beds whose headboards were made of wood and decorative black wrought iron. On each bed were white comforters with two throw pillows, each with a dark-pink-and-white design (which matched the carpet) surrounded with a green ruffled fringe. There was a picture of a Maltese city next to the bed near the wall. In between the beds was a standard night stand with a lamp, telephone and digital alarm clock. Next to the other bed was a small round table (on which were a few pieces of various literature) with two wooden chairs that had a blue cushion on each chair. Near this sitting area was another Maltese picture hanging on the wall and a white floor lamp.

At the far end of the room was a wooden desk with a desk pad, a facsimile machine, a telephone, a lamp, and a pad of paper with a black Hilton pen on top. On the side of the desk was a mirror hanging on the wall. The multi-colored orange curtains, as well as a light white curtain, were drawn back to reveal glass doors with a view. I opened the sliding glass door to see what was outside.

As I was greeted outside by a cool, welcoming breeze that also seemed to greet my arrival into Malta, there was a small balcony with a terra-cotta tile floor and plain black wrought iron railing. There was also a heavy plastic white table and two chairs. Everything about my room was clean, nice and well-appointed but somewhat plain (which did not bother me at all), up until this point. I looked up, and there was the pi�ce de resistance: there was this incredible view of the hotel�s four (count �em!) swimming pools (one of them was for a beach club operated by Hilton), palm trees, fountain and � most of all � the Mediterranean Sea, brilliantly-colored with a deep azure blue with a few vessels slowly plying its surface in the distance. The weather was perfect. The view was incredible. The wish I made in the Executive Lounge moments ago was realized. The right side of my view included St. Julian�s Point on the Sliema side of Malta across St. Julian�s Bay, where large cranes looming over the city skyline indicated more construction. The coastline on which the Hilton touches the Mediterranean Sea was very rocky � not ideal or conducive for swimming, although I spotted some people fishing off that coast. I decide to go out to eat a few blocks from the hotel to a restaurant called The Avenue.

Upon my return to the room, I found the curtains drawn and the beds turned for the night. A soft thick robe was laid out at the end of each bed, and at the foot of each bed was a pair of slippers. The lamp on the night stand was on. On the floor on one side of each bed was a white-and-light-blue cloth mat which read Good Night when turned in one direction and Good Morning when turned in the opposite direction � a very nice touch to keep one�s feet from touching the floor.

I drew the curtains open and stepped out on the balcony to take in the refreshing evening air, and was instantly hypnotized by the palm trees drenched with light from their own spotlights while their crowns were fully draped with smaller white lights. The pools were bathed with an incredibly radiant, iridescent blue glow emanating into the cool night air. Blue and yellow lights from the casino at the Westin Dragonara hotel next door reflected off one of the inlets from the Mediterranean Sea. Faded flickering lights from distant sea vessels danced slowly along the horizon of the Mediterranean Sea. The city lights of St. Julian�s Point were plentiful and appeared festive from across the bay. Tired and satisfied, I retired to one of the comfortable twin beds where I had a pleasant night�s sleep. A minor annoyance: once during two of the three nights of my stay, the facsimile machine made a short series of noises, as if a fax were being transmitted. No fax was ever transmitted, and I am not sure why it did this, as it woke me up during the middle of the night. I went back to sleep, however.

The Executive Lounge serves a nice breakfast in the morning until 10:30, which includes an assortment of breads, fresh fruits, juices and other soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, yogurt, smoked salmon, and assorted breakfast pastries. I am not a breakfast person but I enjoyed this. If what the Executive Lounge served was not enough, one could go to the Oceana Restaurant one flight downstairs from the lobby and partake in a substantial buffet breakfast for no extra cost, but it was substantially more noisy and crowded than the Executive Lounge. The breakfast buffet in the large, sun-drenched Oceana Restaurant one flight of stairs down from the lobby included everything found in the Executive Lounge (with the exception of alcoholic beverages, of course) plus more!

The British influence is apparent in the afternoon, where the staff of the Executive Lounge serves an afternoon tea, complete with fresh assorted pastries. As I mentioned earlier, the Executive Lounge only serves a few light snacks with an assortment of soft drinks and alcoholic drinks in the evening. One of the strict rules of the Executive Lounge was that one could consume as much food or beverage from the Executive Lounge as desired, provided that the food and beverages remained in the Executive Lounge. Absolutely no food or beverages were to be consumed outside of the Executive Lounge area, such s in one�s room. I thought that this rule was a little excessive, but I respected the rules of the Executive Lounge. Also, whether in the Executive Lounge or behind the front desk, most of the staff was uniformed in a neat and proper manner in formal business attire.

The next day, after housekeeping maintained the room almost to perfection, my desk greeted me with a bottle of Maltese wine, a glass bottle of drinking water, four stemmed glasses, and a dish of snacks which included chocolates, assorted candy, and crunchy cheese twists, all placed on a red cloth napkin on the plate. Another plate like this, as well as another bottle of water, was awaiting my return the next day as well.

Other than eating the buffet breakfast in the Oceana Restaurant, I never ate in any of the Hilton restaurants during my entire stay for two reasons: they were too expensive, and I wanted to experience what it was like eating in authentic Maltese restaurants.

I received a notice that on the day of check-out, the hotel apologizes but cannot grant me a late check-out. I must check out no later than noon. This was fine with me as I did not ask for late check-out anyway. They called my room within an hour before checkout to make sure I was vacating the room. This slightly annoyed me, but I suppose the hotel was expecting to be totally full on my day of departure.

For this stay, I used the SE5 Executive Reward (50,000 Hilton HHonors points for three nights � no PointStretcher awards or other point-saving mechanism was available) at this Executive-class Hilton hotel. Considering that I planned my entire trip around Concorde, and the fact that the Diamond Desk at Hilton went out of their way to secure me a room for three nights at this sold-out property, it was well worth the 50,000 Hilton HHonors points.

I would definitely recommend this property if you plan to stay in Malta.

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Westin Dragonara
Day 6 Check-in in the evening
Day 7 Check-out just before noon

I was originally staying in Malta for three nights but, due to limited options of leaving Malta via boat (which I will detail in a future post in this travel report), I was staying a fourth night. I had already booked three award nights as a Hilton HHonors Diamond member, and it was difficult enough securing those three nights due to the fact that the hotel was sold out and they were able to get an award stay for me anyway. I appreciated that, but I still needed a place to stay on my fourth night in Malta. I decided upon the Westin Dragonara, for which I paid rather than used the points in my Starwood account. The Westin Dragonara is practically next door to the Hilton Malta in St. Julian�s. One enters through an arch that appears to be carved out of a fortress-like wall which seemed to �protect� the secluded Westin from the rest of the city. I originally secured a rate of 65.50 Maltese liri at Starwood�s own Internet web site, but then I canceled that reservation when I was able to book a rate of 49.50 Maltese liri (which was equivalent to about US$139.65 at that time) several weeks later, again at Starwood�s own Internet web site. The difference in the rate was that I would not get an upgraded room with lounge privileges at the lower rate. I could live without that, so I decided to forego paying for the room upgrade. I knew I had no chance of upgrading while I was at the Westin Dragonara, as I am a non-elite member of the Starwood Preferred Guest program.

When I arrived at the hotel, I lucked out with a convenient parking spot very close to the hotel�s front entrance. I waited in the lobby for 10 minutes before I was able to check in as there was a woman with her children ahead of me checking in. The woman behind the counter was friendly and polite. She asked if I wanted to include breakfast in my rate at an extra charge; I politely declined. As she finished checking me in, she announced to me that I had been upgraded to a junior suite. I was thrilled to hear that, as that announcement caught me by surprise! What an unexpectedly generous gesture! I truly appreciated it.

I took my luggage to the 6th floor via elevator from the lobby, which is on the 3rd floor. I entered the room and found an empty vestibule (large enough to be a small room of its own) with two wooden doors, on on each side.

The door on the left led one into a large yet sparsely-furnished room with a terrace. The room had a dark-blue couch, a small wooden table, two credenza-styled wooden dressers, a floor lamp, and two small windows, each with flimsy white curtains. The terrace had a flimsy white curtain, as well as a sturdier medium-blue curtain at its glass doors, and a white plastic table with two white plastic chairs. The railing was a slightly-decorative black wrought-iron railing. The view was not impressive, as I saw the rooftop of the lower portion of the Westin Dragonara, as well as a view of the buildings on the other side of St. George�s Bay.

Upon entering the main room where I will be sleeping, the room is nice and large. The bathroom, which is on the right, was almost identical in layout to the bathroom at the Hilton Malta, except the tub was on the right side of the bathroom and the toilet was on the left. The white tile surrounding the bathroom was interrupted by a narrow brown tile at chair-rail level. The floor consisted of brown tile, lighter than the brown of the narrow wall tile. The vanity had a multi-colored brown marble finish.

On the right side of the sink was a large black amenities �platter� which consisted of three rolled-up washcloths with a paper Westin band around them, two shower caps in thin Westin boxes, a small box of cotton buds (known as cotton swabs in the United States), a round bar of soap wrapped in black paper, a shoe cloth, a sewing kit in a clear plastic box, an emery board in its own box, a large translucent white plastic bottle each of body lotion, conditioner and blue dental rinse (known as mouthwash in the United States), and two different types of conditioning shampoo in different types of bottles. Between the amenities and the sink was a small white ceramic vase with two small fresh flowers, one orange and one hot pink. There was a large mirror above the sink on the wall, but not nearly as large as the one in the Hilton. On top of the counter behind the toilet was a pair of closed-toe Westin terrycloth slippers wrapped in a clear cellophane bag. Instead of a handle to flush the toilet like at the Hilton, there was a large rectangular cream-colored plastic button on the wall. Other than what I have mentioned here, the layout of this bathroom virtually mirrored the layout of the bathroom in my room at the Hilton Malta, and was similarly equipped.

Opposite the bathroom on the right side as one enters the main room is the coffee area, which is of a medium-toned wood, almost yellowish in color. The two white coffee mugs and four glasses were upside-down on their own paper doilies on a black plastic tray with a small black coffee pot, two pale yellow plastic swizzle sticks and a packet of Cadbury Instant Break Chocolate, and the tray was inside the cabinet itself. On the shelf of the cabinet itself was a white coffee maker on the right side; four thin packets of Nescafe coffee (two red packets, two black packets), Twinings English Breakfast tea, sugar and two small sealed cups of creamer in a white tray in the middle; and dry mini-bar goods (including an Agfa LeBox disposable camera) on the left side. The mini-bar refrigerator itself was in a separate cabinet below to the left of the black tray with the glasses and coffee mugs. There was a mirror with a plain brown frame above the coffee area, and below it was a small nightlight thatcan be plugged in if needed. On the right of the coffee area was a wardrobe closet with sliding yellowish-wooden doors.

I walked into the main part of the main room. On the right side of the room was a wooden dresser with six drawers (three on each side) and a large door in the middle. On top of it was a burnt-orange lamp with a cream-colored lamp shade, a �literature center� stocked with brochures and applications, and a television. Beyond that was a desk with two wooden chairs with orange cushions. On the desk was a telephone, a guest services guide and a thin metal lamp that had a look of cast iron on three curved legs.

On the left side of the room, I could not believe my eyes: there were two queen-sized Heavenly Beds! I was excited because I had heard so much about them but never slept in one! In addition to a minimum of six different pillows (more information about the Heavenly Bed at Westin Hotels can be found here), on each bed was a luxuriously thick folded white terry-cloth robe wrapped in a Westin-branded band made of thick coated-stock paper. Next to each robe was a pair of white closed-toed terry-cloth Westin slippers, wrapped in a clear thin cellophane bag. There was also a very nice welcome letter stating that it was their pleasure to welcome me as a valued guest, and also listing the complimentary amenities entitled to me during my stay. It was probably the best night�s sleep I have ever had in a hotel room!

There was a round wooden night stand between the two beds, and on it was a Philips alarm clock, a telephone and the same type of lamp that was on the desk. Beyond the beds was a dark-purple patterned fabric cloth chair and a wooden round coffee table. On the wall between the desk and the dresser were two non-descript white-matted pictures in plain frames. There were also two similar pictures hanging on the wall near one of the Heavenly Beds. Draw the thick blue-and-dark-yellow patterned curtains, as well as the thin white curtain, and the terrace to the main room is visible, with the same wrought-iron railing as the terrace outside the other room of the junior suite. On the terrace was a white plastic square table with two white plastic chairs. The view from this terrace was better than the view of the other terrace as it had a nice yet unspectacular view of the tennis courts and a view of the buildings on the other side of St. George�s Bay (though not as crowded a view as from the terrace in the other room of the suite), as well as a partial view of the Mediterranean Sea. I was able to watch the cloudy sunset in an array of hues consisting of purples, lavenders and powder blues.

It was too late to go to the Royal Beach Club Lounge (which is what the Executive Lounge at the Westin was called) that evening, so I decided to go there the next morning. I had to take the elevator down to the lobby level to take another elevator up to the lounge in the other building. Both buildings were attached by the lobby. The lounge was nice and had its own outdoor terrace which overlooked Sliema, though it was not as big or as nicely appointed as the lounge at the Hilton. There also was not as much food, but they had a very nice selection just the same. Their tasty selection included American-style bacon, assorted pastries, assorted dry cereals, assorted breads and rolls, assorted juices, including fresh orange juice, sparkling and regular water in glass bottles, and assorted fruits. I am not a breakfast person, but I was very satisfied. The lounge staff was not nearly as strict in adhering to its rules as the Executive Lounge at the Hilton Malta.

The Westin has three swimming pools. It also has pools of water one does not swim in that contain fountains, and one of them had a decorative brown-and-white concrete pedestrian bridge traversing it. The rugged shoreline, like the Hilton�s, was rocky and therefore difficult (but certainly not impossible) for swimming in the Mediterranean Sea.

I never ate in any of the restaurants at the Westin hotel during my one-night stay. I do not gamble, so I did not go to the casino, which is the only on in Malta. More information about other amenities in which I did not partake, such as the beach club and being able to scuba-dive without leaving the resort, can be found here.

I would definitely recommend this property if you plan to stay in Malta.

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Summary and Hotel Comparison:

Please keep in mind that any criticisms I offer here are strictly for comparison purposes. I was quite satisfied with both hotels and would recommend either one whenever in Malta.

Staff
While not unfriendly, I found the staff of the Hilton Malta to be rather reserved, yet they were attentive to virtually every detail and fulfilled every reasonable request. They have a penchant to strictly follow every rule and policy with few occasional exceptions. They also successfully attempt to anticipate the needs of the customer. The staff at the Westin Dragonara was definitely friendlier and, while also quite attentive to the needs of the customer, they were not quite as attentive as the Hilton staff.

Accommodations
While the Westin was quite clean, the room at the Hilton, as well as the property itself, was one of the cleanest at which I have stayed in my years of travel. The view from my room at the Westin could not compare to the incredible view from my room at the Hilton. However, while the bed at the Hilton was indeed comfortable, the luxurious Heavenly Bed at the Westin clearly was far more comfortable than the bed at the Hilton. Also, my junior suite at the Westin was much larger than the room I had at the Hilton.

Executive Lounge
The Executive Lounge at the Hilton is larger, nicer, more spacious and better decorated than the one at the Westin. The Westin would have scored extra points for not being nearly as rigid to policies and rules when compared to the Hilton, but my room was not conveniently located to the lounge, rendering the lax rules virtually useless. Both lounges served only cocktails and other beverages, as well as a few snacks, at night.

Property
The pools and grounds at the Westin were very nice, but not quite as nice as the Hilton.

Location
While virtually next door to each other, I found the Westin slightly more convenient to the rest of St. Julian�s than the Hilton.

I cannot compare what I paid for each room because I paid in Hilton HHonors points for the Hilton Malta but I paid money for the Westin Dragonara. Both were well worth it. I also cannot compare restaurants as I did not eat in any of them at either hotel.

Even though the final results between the two properties were quite close, Hilton Malta has the overall edge.

I'm enjoying your report and eager to hear about you wire/ferry troubles. I've been through wire he-l-l before so I have a feeling I may know what's to come. I have friends who live in Malta - one's a pilot for Air Malta. They've refused to allow us to ever rent a car there - claim they'd be accessories to murder. One little tidbit about Malta: You may have noticed there aren't many birds around. The young boys there tend to shoot at just about anything that moves. As a result many types of migratory birds have learned to bypass Malta in their migrations. When they'd first moved there, my friends had a bird feeder near a window and were feeding one little bird. It didn't take long before there was a hole through the window and the little bird was gone.

When I saw this thread re-appear I got concerned why the FT community was following me to Malta in September. ;-)

One year ago we paid only $100 a night at the Westin Dragonara. The Hilton was $200 and there was no room available.

Our room at the Westin overlooked a small pool; nothing special but the room was large.

The Hilton is "heaven"; and the pools are gorgeous.

The only thing though is that you cannot swim in the Med from the Hilton.

The Westin guests have guest privileges at a Beach club next door from which it is very easy to swim in the med off a large rocky pier; however the sea was cold.

I would highly recommend Gozo nearby. The Kempinsky San Lawrence is a dream and we only paid $100 a night.

Another home run, Canarsie
It was well worth the wait. Your trip reports are fantastic. I did get a bit concerned, however, that you were going to make me wait until the next installment to find out whether your room at the Hilton had the view you were hoping for
Looking forward to the next installment.

[This message has been edited by obscure2k (edited 07-08-2003).]

Thank you for your comments, letiole. Not only will I detail the money wire (which is still unresolved) in a future post in this report, but wait until you hear about my limousine ride from Salerno to Sorrento...or did I even ride in a limousine?!?

The wacky details of both stories are to come...

Actually, I noticed plenty of birds at the Hilton in Malta. I can hear them on my video tape as well upon playback.

The exchange rate between the United States dollar and European currencies � including the Euro and Maltese liri � was terrible, especially considering that the dollar was reaching new lows while I was there. Were you upgraded at the Westin, just out of curiosity, Bretteee?

I forgot to mention in my last post that as I was checking out of the Westin the next morning, workers were bringing large framed pictures into the hallway to be hung. Perhaps the sparse look and feel of the hallways and the room may have been attributed to the possibility that the walls have recently been painted a pale Pepto-Bismol blue.

Yes, I know Pepto-Bismol only comes in pink; but if it came in blue, the color of the Pepto-Bismol would look like the shade of blue on the walls in the halls on my floor of the Westin.

Yes, you are correct, Bretteee � one can go swimming in the Mediterranean Sea from the Westin but not from the Hilton. While the Westin�s coastline was rather rugged and more accessible, the Hilton�s coastline with the Mediterranean Sea was far more rugged and far less accessible.

As far as Gozo goes (a little alliteration � hey, I did it again!), my experiences � including an excursion to the Blue Lagoon off Comino � will be coming up in a future post for this report.