We had booked a week here 'all inclusive' to have a period of respite and to be quiet if we needed it. It is very quiet here, just right for the time of year. Very easy to travel to Gozo on the ferry...well worth the trip. Buses are easy to catch (right next to the hotel) and will take you to most places on the island. A lot of road works going on so be prepared for a bouncy ride.
The accomodation in the hotel is OK. The room cleaning was a little haphazard though and the tiled floors are cold in winter. The beds were also ok but twin beds are not our idea of holiday comfort!
Mealtimes could also be chaos. Sometimes easy to find a seat, sometimes not. At one breakfast we had to go away for 20 mins and return later for a table! The food at breakfast could have been a lot better, more imaginative and food etc more quickly replenished. Again on one occasion I had to wait 5 mins for cups.
Dinners were fine, the fish especially was good.
In the evenings in both bars we constantly found there were not enough chairs although there was plenty of space to add more.
If you're out and about try the pastizzi (flaky pastry pies with ricotta or peas) a hot and very cheap lunch.
Favourite places: Gozo, Mdina, Valletta.

I have just returned from a week at the Riviera - having previously visited and had a wonderful stay. Since November the hotel has been under new ownership who seem keen to encourage 'all inclusive' visitors. However, these guests seem to think that 'all inclusive' means to the exclusion of all other guests - hogging the dining room at meal times, the bar from opening to closing, the seating area and the computer facility.

The staff are doing a remarkable job keeping up with the constant demands of these guests and remaining in good humour.

The saving grace is the Spa - Crystal and her team provide a professional, caring service and if I could pick them up and move them to another hotel I would - the treatments were among the best I have had anywhere in the world.

I hope the new owners start to listen to repeat visitors and their loyal staff and get this hotel back on track. I have never stayed in a four star hotel that does not provide shampoo, etc in the room.

The road works are all over Malta so not much can be done to avoid them.

Just back from 2 weeks at The Riviera. I do not understand the negative comments at all. After booking a last minute deal we were delighted with the hotel,room and area. It is a little remote..
perfect for walking and a quiet break. For 12 euros you can buy a weeks bus ticket and travel all over the island. The bus stop is next to hotel...no problem! Staff were fantastic, friendly and helpful. Special thanks to Mary on reception and Karen in the lobby bar.
If you want a wild night life, go to Buggiba or Sleima. If you are looking to get away from it all, The Riviera is perfect. The ferry to Gozo is 15mins walk from the hotel, buses are frequent and the coastal walks stunning. I would definitely go back for a winters break.

The hotel upon booking looks amazing, the ewbsite portrays a fantastic environment. In reality it is dirty, unkept and there are construction sites 360 degrees around the hotel. The staff however, personality wise, were fantastic. I would especially like to thank the General Manager, duty managers and receptionists for their outstanding work. First of all as an all inclusive customer you know the food isn't going to be the best but you at least expect clean dishes and glasses to eat and drink from. At the bar on more than one occasion I was given dirty glasses. Glasses that looked like they hadn't even been rinsed. On the second to last night we did have an unwelcome guest in our room in the shape of a rat. However I am fully aware that it would have come from the surrounding building sites rather than the hotel itself. The staff dealt with this issue superbly and compensated us for our issue. The indoor swimming pool, in use during the winter was filthy. The hotel supplies over shoes to enter the area but this isn't enforced thus resulting in everyman and his dog wandering in with filthy shoes thus the floor looks and is filthy. Plus the English staff at the Elysium Spa were extremely unhelpful, ignored us and most of the time weren't even there. Unfortunately this resulted in one of the worst holidays I have ever been on. You do get a lot for your money if you discount all the issues I have brought up.