The property is not managed with the guest experience in mind. The house was dirty, cold, damp—not a family retreat. As 3 adult siblings living across the globe & Mum, we chose this house in MALTA as our family retreat for winter holidays. Charlotte, UK-based owner, sympathetic when I shared pictures of cleaning problems & forgave our electricity bill. Yet Ben, the property manager, dismissed my feedback at checkout: “Why are you complaining? You rented an expensive house. What else do you expect?”Hmm, a warm, lived-in family experience not a cold, Instagram-ready one. THE GOOD: Spacious, quiet and centrally located. Uber rides to Mdina, Valletta, Marsaxlokk, cost 12-15 take 12–15 min. Uber to airport is 12. Great views. Owner responsive, polite. THE BADCold and Damp: my morning routine was-- shivering, put on heat to keep Mum warm when she got up & run to the terrace to soak in the sun. Ironically, we came to Malta to escape the cold.Extra Electricity Costs: NOT disclosed upfront. Exceeding daily limits brings charges. THE UGLYCleanliness: Old, stained sheet, cobwebs. Bought cleaning supplies to scrub the toilets. Bring your own soap.Maintenance: No hot water in the kitchen, sluggish toilets worried us about overflow. Ben’s response: “Don’t flush paper.”I heard the excuses “tradespeople are on holiday” “I’ll raise your concerns with the cleaners” Responsibility rests with the hosts, not with the cleaners. Happily, Malta itself redeemed our vacation.