Preluna Hotel and Spa

The Preluna Hotel & Spa is particularly popular with vacationing families, though not all guests bring the kids along. The resort was built in the late 1960s, but recent renovations have given it a sleek and simple look, with lots of white accented by bright colors and sunshine. Throughout the bars, lobby, and other common spaces, the feel is beachy and light, with tile floors, ample blond wood, and a simple, breezy look. However, the decor lacks charm and local color and feels a little bit generic, but it's nonetheless sunny, modern, and cheerful. 

The Preluna Hotel and Spa is located on Sliema’s beautiful seafront promenade, a short walk from the center of the lively village. The promenade is a good spot for a waterfront stroll, with plenty of shops and restaurants. Point Shopping Mall and the Bisazza Street Commercial Center are a 10-minute walk from the hotel, and the Mediterranean Conference Center is under a 20-minute drive away. The ferry to Valletta is a five-minute walk from the hotel; the boat ride takes 15 minutes. The Malta International Airport in Luqua is a 20-minute drive.

Rooms at the Preluna Hotel and Spa are cheery, spotless, and simple, with views of Sliema or the Mediterranean. The decor is plain, with colored prints on white walls, simple light-wood furniture, and blackout curtains. All come with air-conditioning as well as flat-screen TVs with satellite channels. Bathrooms are modern and white, with shower/tub combos. Most rooms have two twins pushed together to form doubles. Standard Rooms are small and don’t have balconies, but offer good value for guests who plan to spend most of their trip outside of their rooms. Superior Rooms are spacious and have picture windows and furnished balconies; those with sea views are spectacular and worth the extra fee. 

Preluna Hotel and Spa features a private beach with a large saltwater swimming pool and neighboring kids’ pool, although the outdoor pools are only open during the summer months and are available to the general public. There is, however, a pretty indoor pool lined with sea-blue mosaics and flanked by a pair of large hot tubs. There's an additional hot tub on the seventh floor, alongside a nine-hole mini-golf course. Other activities include billiards, snorkeling, fitness classes, and a variety of water sports. There's even a full PADI-certified dive center at the resort, which offers guests a free trial dive in the hotel’s pool. 

The fitness center is spacious and bright, with plenty of weight and cardio equipment. The Feelgood Spa has a sauna and two treatment rooms with a variety of massage and beauty treatments, but it closes for maintenance for a week each August. There's also a hair salon for guests who want to glam it up for a night on the town or in the nearby casinos.

Other on-site features include a large gift shop in the lobby stocked with beach supplies, snacks, souvenirs, and maps. Car rentals are also available in the lobby, and there's free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. 

The Preluna has three restaurants, all of which serve high-quality, fresh food. Triton -- the buffet restaurant -- has teal banquettes and wood tables that are spaced far enough apart for private conversation. Mareluna is a fine-dining Italian restaurant with a shabby-chic vibe, with linen tablecloths and elegant table settings. Sakura serves Japanese food -- including sushi -- in a minimal, Asian-inflected dining room, but the plasma TVs short circuit the fine dining atmosphere. Every week the resort stages a special Flavours of Malta evening with local dancing, wines, food, and aspects of Maltese culture. The Preluna's crown jewel is its Skyroom Penthouse lounge -- thirteen floors above street level -- which offers panoramic views and live entertainment each evening. There is also a large lobby bar, but it can get crowded in the evenings.