The Hostelz.com Review
Given that in Malta accommodation is quite expensive and there are not many hostels around, NSTS Campus Residence & Hostel is a fairly good choice. In general, the people there are more than friendly and helpful and the facilities of the residence are pretty ok. Keep in mind though, that NSTS’s main purpose is to accommodate students, thus, it's not the typical hostel you might expect.
The Location
NSTS’s location is not what one would characterize as great. However, this is not really a serious problem, because Malta is small and the transportation is adequate. The hostel is located in the area of Msida, a few minutes' walking distance away from the University of Malta. Just in the University roundabout there are a couple of bus stops. From there you can easily move around the island (for most destinations, though, you first have to go to Valetta). Around the hostel you can find a supermarket and a couple of grocery stores within seven minutes' walking distance. You won't find any bars or restaurants, though.
Rooms and Bathrooms
NSTS is meant to accommodate students of the University and its apartments are built to serve this purpose. In general, the apartments are spacious and consist of two rooms with two to four beds each and a couple of desks, one spacious bathroom/toilet, one kitchen, and one living room with a dining area. There is always a balcony as well. All of the apartments offer wireless internet. Of the two rooms, one is quite small in most of the situations, without access to the balcony.
Beds are fine and sheets and towels are included. The kitchen is fully equipped with new utensils and there is also a big fridge with freezer. However, in the apartments there are no lockers and no A/C, which is quite a disadvantage during the hot Maltese summer. Remember also that Malta has the British type of sockets.
Cleanliness is an issue. A lot of residents are students who rent rooms for quite long periods and they are responsible for cleaning their apartment. Thus, if you share the apartment with such long-term residents, it is questionable if the common areas of the apartment will be tidy and clean. In our case, our apartment was a mess the first day. The second day the students with whom we were sharing it left, the hostel’s staff cleaned perfectly and we kept it clean for the rest of our stay.
Common Spaces
In the basement, you can find the small restaurant where the breakfast is served. The breakfast, which is included in the price, is a quite standard buffet where you can have bread, butter, jam, honey, cheese, ham (a few types), donuts, cereals, coffee/juices/milk/tea. On the backside of the building lies the swimming pool with tables and deck chairs. You can swim until 6 p.m.
Next to the swimming pool you can find the PC room. There are free-to-use computers with internet. In the same room there are also a couple of vending machines where you can buy cold beverages and coffee/tea at any time. Finally, the staff can help you to book trips and cruises and they offer information about the island. You can also book taxi to and from the airport if needed.
Summary
Overall NSTS hostel is a quite recommended place to stay but maybe not the priority. It can be clean (depending on the other residents), the facilities are good, there is kitchen, and the staff are awesome -- they ll do everything to help you. It can be also crazy fun in there because of the students residing in it (this can be a pitfall as well though). The location is not that good but not troublesome neither. Its biggest disadvantage, however, it is that is quite overpriced; it's not bad but you can definitely find a room in a hotel with same price or a bit cheaper and in better location.
The Location
NSTS’s location is not what one would characterize as great. However, this is not really a serious problem, because Malta is small and the transportation is adequate. The hostel is located in the area of Msida, a few minutes' walking distance away from the University of Malta. Just in the University roundabout there are a couple of bus stops. From there you can easily move around the island (for most destinations, though, you first have to go to Valetta). Around the hostel you can find a supermarket and a couple of grocery stores within seven minutes' walking distance. You won't find any bars or restaurants, though.
Rooms and Bathrooms
NSTS is meant to accommodate students of the University and its apartments are built to serve this purpose. In general, the apartments are spacious and consist of two rooms with two to four beds each and a couple of desks, one spacious bathroom/toilet, one kitchen, and one living room with a dining area. There is always a balcony as well. All of the apartments offer wireless internet. Of the two rooms, one is quite small in most of the situations, without access to the balcony.
Beds are fine and sheets and towels are included. The kitchen is fully equipped with new utensils and there is also a big fridge with freezer. However, in the apartments there are no lockers and no A/C, which is quite a disadvantage during the hot Maltese summer. Remember also that Malta has the British type of sockets.
Cleanliness is an issue. A lot of residents are students who rent rooms for quite long periods and they are responsible for cleaning their apartment. Thus, if you share the apartment with such long-term residents, it is questionable if the common areas of the apartment will be tidy and clean. In our case, our apartment was a mess the first day. The second day the students with whom we were sharing it left, the hostel’s staff cleaned perfectly and we kept it clean for the rest of our stay.
Common Spaces
In the basement, you can find the small restaurant where the breakfast is served. The breakfast, which is included in the price, is a quite standard buffet where you can have bread, butter, jam, honey, cheese, ham (a few types), donuts, cereals, coffee/juices/milk/tea. On the backside of the building lies the swimming pool with tables and deck chairs. You can swim until 6 p.m.
Next to the swimming pool you can find the PC room. There are free-to-use computers with internet. In the same room there are also a couple of vending machines where you can buy cold beverages and coffee/tea at any time. Finally, the staff can help you to book trips and cruises and they offer information about the island. You can also book taxi to and from the airport if needed.
Summary
Overall NSTS hostel is a quite recommended place to stay but maybe not the priority. It can be clean (depending on the other residents), the facilities are good, there is kitchen, and the staff are awesome -- they ll do everything to help you. It can be also crazy fun in there because of the students residing in it (this can be a pitfall as well though). The location is not that good but not troublesome neither. Its biggest disadvantage, however, it is that is quite overpriced; it's not bad but you can definitely find a room in a hotel with same price or a bit cheaper and in better location.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
August 2010
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