The Westin Dragonara Resort: A Family-Friendly Review
Malta has been sitting on my bucket list for years – one of those pre-kids plans I kept meaning to make happen, and never quite did. Back when it was just me, my husband, and a carry-on, I’d happily hole up in an Airbnb. But now, travelling with my own two tiny travellers, I’ve learned to properly appreciate the beauty of resort ease. And on a pintsized island like Malta – where family-friendly hotel options are surprisingly few – finding somewhere that ticks the boxes feels like striking gold. Enter The Westin Dragonara Resort (which, by the way, came very highly recommended by so many of you). So, in the spirit of thorough “research”, I packed the bags, rallied my bestie and goddaughter, and the six of us – with three very opinionated critics aged 2, 4 and 7 – hopped on a plane over February half term to put it properly to the test. What follows is the full, no-filter rundown containing everything you’d want to know before booking it yourself
Words by Frankie Collinson
Published: 22nd February 2026 | Last updated: 18th August 2026
Your most asked questions, answered
What is The Westin Dragonara Resort, and what is all the hype about?
The Westin Dragonara Resort might not (yet) have the glossy hype of some of the big-name family favourites we often talk about, but honestly? That under-the-radar charm – both of the hotel and of Malta itself – is exactly what makes it feel so special. This is the yes-you-can-have-it-all holiday many of you have been searching for. For families craving city wanders, boat trips, layers of history and culture, and the ease of relaxed resort living – all without eye-watering price tags – Malta really should be on your radar
Perched on its own little peninsula in St Julian’s, The Westin Dragonara may not be boutique or dripping in “soul”, but what it offers instead is space, practicality and a brilliant location. Multiple heated pools, a Kids Club, sweeping sea views in every direction and restaurants you can stroll to without a second thought. It’s not loudly labelled “family-first”, yet the warmth of the staff says otherwise – welcoming, accommodating and genuinely some of the friendliest we’ve ever had the pleasure to encounter
What’s included for families?
A Kids Club 3+, with a strict children and staff only policy
A playground open to all
Highchairs, children’s menus and colouring in at all restaurants
Baby change in all toilets (a small point but one that not all family hotels cover!)
What’s the dining set up?
The resort serves up a culinary line-up that feels indulgent but never intimidating, with plenty of flexibility for families in tow. Guests can book B&B or half board (which I recommend)
ORVM Lounge & Piano Bar Sophisticated but easygoing. By day it’s perfect for coffee or a light bite with panoramic sea views; by night, it shifts into cocktail-and-conversation mode with live piano adding a little extra polish. Open all day, it’s surprisingly child-friendly, and means early dinner times are always possible
Terrace Restaurant The go-to for generous buffet breakfasts and dinner spreads (during peak seasons). Expect live cooking stations, Mediterranean favourites and enough choice to keep even the pickiest eaters content
Palio’s Trattoria Relaxed, family-friendly and reliably delicious. Rustic Italian classics – think handmade pasta, fresh seafood and proper pizza
Quadro Restaurant Refined Mediterranean cuisine, beautifully presented plates and a terrace that’s hard to beat for sunset dinners. For this option half board works as a credit towards your meal
The Boathouse Lounge, Wine & Tapas For when the babysitting’s sorted (or the children are 13+) this waterfront restaurant is only open 2 months of the year
Where is The Westin Dragonara?
Set on its own private peninsula in lively St Julian’s, The Westin Dragonara Resort manages to feel wonderfully tucked away while still being brilliantly connected. It’s around 20 minutes from Malta International Airport, making arrivals (and departures) refreshingly painless, and meaning transfer days don’t have to solely consist of planes and cars. We tag teamed a visit to the Aquarium the day we landed and the local beach the morning we left
A short stroll brings you into the heart of St Julian’s, where you’ll find a huge choice of restaurants, bars and waterfront hangouts. It’s lively, great for dinner (if you fancy a change of scene) – though not somewhere you’d dedicate significant time to sightsee. For a quick dip beyond the hotel’s own swimming decks, there’s also a small sandy beach about five minutes away
The real advantage? Malta’s heavy-hitting sights are all within easy reach. From the honeyed streets of Valletta to the silent city charm of Mdina, most of the island’s highlights sit 15–30 minutes away. Getting around is simple too – both Bolt and Uber operate smoothly across the island
When is best to visit?
If you’re looking to escape the relentless grey of the UK and you’re willing to risk it for a biscuit (i.e. accept that the weather may not deliver wall-to-wall sunshine), you can pick up some brilliantly cheap flights and the hotel rates are genuinely affordable in February. When you frame it as a city break with benefits – history, culture, excellent food, and heated pools with sea views – it’s an absolute gem for February half term. From Easter onwards, the sunshine becomes far more reliable, and by May you’re properly into vitamin D territory. If your priority is guaranteed warmth and longer, lazier pool days, that’s your window. Interestingly, when I was planning the trip, I spoke to a few local mums who all said the same thing: October half term is the sweet spot. The sea is still warm from summer, the sun is lingering, it’s significantly easier (and shorter) than going long haul for autumn sun, and it’s often warmer than much of mainland Europe
Rooms & Suites
A real find for big broods
The rooms at the Westin Dragonara are, quite frankly, some of the biggest I’ve seen at this price point. Unbelievable, actually. We were in a two-bedroom Luxury Bay Suite that was bigger than my first flat in London. The living room was gloriously enormous. They’d set up a double sofa bed and a camp bed in there and we still had space for our morning yoga practice. It’s larger than most standard hotel rooms I’ve stayed in and that’s before you even get to the two proper bedrooms. I was travelling with a friend, so we had one for each grown-up (or ideal if you’re travelling with grandparents!), each with its own bathroom (including one with a bath). There’s also a fully equipped kitchenette – and not the token kind. A proper coffee machine (priorities), fridge, microwave, hob, pots, pans. And the giant TVs? A revelation. I used to be the person who never spent any time in their hotel room. Now? When your children wake at 6am or need a reset before dinner, having a large, apartment-style space makes a world of difference. It’s not just somewhere to sleep – it’s somewhere to live for a few days. I had a little nose around some of the other room categories too. The One Bed Luxury Bay Suites are brilliant for families of five, with space for an extra cot if required. Some even come with private pool options
Childcare & Kids Entertainment
Supervised sessions
The Westin Dragonara isn’t a child-centric hotel but from the moment we arrived, every single member of staff greeted our children like honoured guests rather than small liabilities. And this is no small feat. My two-year-old is, in the most loving sense, absolutely feral. She refuses to wear shoes, has a strong desire to disrobe mid-restaurant, and moves at the speed and trajectory of someone who’s had three espressos. Not once did we feel self-conscious. No tight smiles. No raised eyebrows. Instead, the heaven-sent staff just stepped in to help entertain her (and offer me a coffee or cocktail!) Check-in sets the tone. The children were greeted with colouring books, and in the room waiting for them? ‘Westinu’ teddy bears. Really sweet. At mealtimes, it continued. Proper children’s menus – with colouring on the back. There’s also a kids’ club on site. It’s strictly 3+ and children-only, and sessions are chargeable. It’s not somewhere my little boy would personally want to spend all day, but we booked an hour (to hit the gym) and it was ideal: colouring, board games and a mini foosball table. For families who prefer to stick together, there’s a lovely outdoor playground you can use anytime, just outside
Wining & Dining
Foodie flexibility
We stayed at The Westin Dragonara on half board basis and it’s really good value. First up: the buffet breakfast. All the crowd-pleasers are there – eggs every which way, bacon, sausages, pancakes, waffles – plus a yoghurt and fruit bar, pastries, and rotating local specialties that changed daily. As a devout oat-milk drinker, I was fully prepared for disappointment… and found dairy-free options without issue. We visited in February (low season), so three restaurants were open. Palio’s, the Italian just across the road from the main building, was our unexpected star. The staff were genuinely lovely and the food was far better than “hotel Italian” has any right to be. You get three courses on half board and the salads alone were worth writing home about. The children’s menu reads traditionally – nuggets, pizza, pasta – but don’t be fooled. The “chicken nuggets” were actually fresh chicken fillet in panko breadcrumbs. I stole a few off my son’s plate and the “chips” were proper potato wedges. My daughter squealed when her margarita pizza arrived shaped like Mickey Mouse. Dessert deserves its own paragraph. An excellent pistachio cheesecake, apple crumble, and a chocolate pudding between us
The lobby bar – right by reception – might not sound thrilling, but don’t overlook it. The food is actually really good. Surprisingly excellent salads, poke bowls, grilled meats with potatoes, plus the usual pizzas and burgers, alongside traditional Maltese dishes such as rabbit ravioli, octopus pasta, cheeselets and sausage bruschetta. There was live piano music two of the three nights we ate here. And perhaps my favourite practical detail: the bar is open all day. Which means you can feed children whenever you need to. We embraced several blissfully early 6pm dinners, which worked perfectly for us. There’s also a more refined fine-dining option where half board works as a meal credit. We didn’t manage to try it, but in high season – particularly Easter and summer – more restaurants open, including the main buffet transforming into a dinner spread and, for a couple of summer months a tapas bar right on the water. In short, half board at The Westin Dragonara takes the mental load off. It’s flexible, generous, and genuinely good
Swimming pools
An outdoor pool pleasure
Let’s talk pools. Because if you’re anything like us, the pool can make or break a trip. The outdoor pools open at 8am – which, when you have children who treat sunrise as a starting gun, is deeply appreciated. The Westin Dragonara is the only five-star hotel on the island with a heated outdoor pool. There’s a huge ocean-facing one, plus two jacuzzis kids are allowed in, and a small children’s pool. All heated to around 30°C. We visited during February half term and yes, stepping out of the water required mild bravery. But inside it? Bliss. We had quite bad wind on one of the days, and it was a bit too nippy for me, but on our second day we were in the water for hours. There’s also an indoor spa pool with sauna and steam room, and – crucially – families can use it until 7pm. During the summer, there’s The Reef Club Pool, (not heated), along with direct sea access and a small sandy cove. Which gives you genuinely flexible swimming options, whatever the weather decides to do. It makes The Westin Dragonara a brilliant shout for Easter and October half terms and those in-between months when you want sunshine without the peak-season chaos. In short: if your children measure holiday success in pool hours (mine do), you’re very well covered here
What to do locally?
There is so much to do in Malta. We were there for five days and barely scratched the surface – and that was in February, which is about as off-season as it gets. In fact, it’s been one of the stormiest, windiest winters on record… and we still packed our days. We started in Valletta – all honeyed stone, cinematic staircases and those iconic coloured balconies. We explored The Grandmaster’s Palace, which houses one of the largest armoury collections in Europe (a surprise hit with the children and us). We also happened to there the week of the carnival – which is the closest to Rio I’ll get, and definitely one for all of our memory banks. We can’t rave enough about the Esplora Science Centre. Truly interactive, properly hands-on, the kind where children really can touch everything. There’s a planetarium, a brilliant outdoor playground overlooking the harbour, water play, climbing frames, a pirate ship, a tricycle track, life-size dinosaurs, a sandpit, racing car simulators, construction zone, even a Playmobil mini animation studio. It’s on the opposite side of the water to Valletta, so you can walk over towards the Three Cities and board one of the traditional boats across. The Three Cities shouldn’t be missed, we found the streets practically empty, and just as gorgeous as Valletta. Our captain was wonderfully relaxed about our small, excitable crew and charged just €40 for the whole boat. Private. For €40. I’m still not over it. He gave us a brief history of the sights as well – knights, fortresses and WW2 campaigns – my horrible-history-obsessed god daughter was in her element. We also visited Mdina, which was used as the set for Game of Thrones, and has a great playground out front (as well as plenty of museums inside the gates). If we’d had longer – and slightly more predictable weather – I would absolutely have added the Blue Lagoon and Gozo to our list. I’ve heard nothing but glowing things about both
A Family Friendly Itinerary
Day 1
📸 Spend the day exploring the picture perfect streets of Valetta
🏰 Wander Grandmaster’s Palace and check out one of Europe’s largest armouries
🎇 Catch the midday cannon fire at Upper Barrakka Gardens
🍽 Pizza on one of Valletta’s prettiest streets at San Paolo Naufrago
🍹 Rooftop cocktails at The Embassy Hotel with amazing city views
Day 2
🔬 @esploramalta is an epic science museum with hand-on exhibits and outdoor playground
🛶 Walk 20 mins to explore the historic Three Cities before sailing over to Valetta on a traditional boat
Day 3
🚶♀️Wander the winding streets of Mdina and Rabat
🍰 Treat yourselves to cake or the best soft serve ice cream (and a view) at Fontanella
🍕If you’re there for lunch head to Coogis
🛕Step back in time at the Tarxien Temples – older than Stonehenge and perfect for curious little archaeologists with the kids’ audio guide
🌿 Stroll through the free San Anton gardens filled with peacocks
🎨 Stop by Ta’ Qali Craft Village to watch glass blowing and shop handmade lace
Day 5
⛴ Take a ferry to Gozo for charming villages and slower vibes
🏰 Explore the Citadel in Victoria
🏖️ Visit Ramla Bay with its red sand beach
🧂Marvel at the salt pans at Xwenji
🌊 Swim in the Blue Lagoon on Comino
Our verdict
Having dreamed of Malta for years, I was still completely blown away by just how beautiful, accessible, and effortless the island is – the towns feel instantly charming, with a relaxed vibe that rivals anything we’ve seen in Italy or Croatia. And yes, some of those winding streets and dramatic cliffs are actual Game of Thrones backdrops (you might recognise King’s Landing, the Red Keep, Pentos) . We also loved visiting the Esplora Interactive Science Centre, which ranks as one of the best science museums we’ve ever been to, and our boat trip along the harbour was an absolute highlight. If you’re a family who likes to explore, but also needs a stay set up with facilities, this is definitely a holiday to seriously consider. It would be criminal to visit Malta as a fly-and-flop holiday – there’s so much to see and do, and it’s all incredibly easy to access. The Westin Dragonara ticks all the boxes for resort living: kids’ club, heated pools, flexible half-board dining – although it’s not a place I’d personally choose to check into and stay put for a week. But if you’re considering Malta for that type of holiday you’re kind of missing the point . Instead, it’s the ideal base to marry sightseeing with swimming and sunbathing. Most of the island’s top spots are just 15-30 minutes away, and getting around is a breeze with Uber or Bolt. The overall décor is more chain hotel than locally or design led, but the service from the staff – especially toward our unruly children – was up there with some of the best family-first hotels I’ve ever visited. After a morning spent wandering or sightseeing, it’s a treat to return to the resort, lounge by the pool, grab a bite to eat, and recharge in the huge rooms. We visited in February, so we didn’t get the full beach, Gozo or Blue Lagoon experience, but it just gives me another excuse to return in summer (or even October half term!) to enjoy Malta the full way. In short, The Westin Dragonara isn’t just a place to stay – it’s a gateway to Malta itself offering the perfect combination of laid-back resort life and access to everything this stunning island has to offer
The Westin Dragonara: Our Tiny Travelship Take
