Where to Find a Rooftop Pool in Malta: Inside Alavits Hotel

Malta’s swimming season runs long. By late September the crowds at Golden Bay and Għadira have thinned out, the water is still warm, and the afternoons are still bright enough to spend outdoors. This is the stretch of the year when a rooftop pool in Malta starts to make more sense than a beach day, because there is no drive, no parking hunt, and no packing up when the wind turns.

Alavits Hotel sits on Triq Sir Frederick C. Ponsonby in Gzira, a few streets back from the seafront and about fifteen minutes on foot from the Sliema ferry. Its rooftop holds both a swimming pool and Baia, the hotel’s rooftop pool bar. Here is what that actually gets you, and how to make the most of it.

What to Expect From the Rooftop Pool at Alavits Hotel

The pool sits on the roof, above the noise of the street and the traffic along the Gzira waterfront. That elevation is the whole point. Gzira and Sliema are dense, built-up neighbourhoods, and a rooftop pool in Malta gives you open sky and a horizon line that you simply do not get from a ground-floor courtyard.

Sun loungers are set around the water, and the space is designed for the way most guests actually use a hotel pool: a swim, a long stretch of reading, and a drink without having to change and go back downstairs. Pool opening hours vary by season, so check at reception when you arrive.

Baia, the Rooftop Pool Bar

Baia is the bar that shares the roof with the pool. It is what turns an afternoon swim into an evening, which is the real advantage of staying somewhere with the bar and the water on the same level. You order without leaving your lounger, and you stay on as the light goes.

Downstairs, breakfast is served at the hotel restaurant, and Sorriso Restaurant doubles as an event space for up to 150 people, which is useful if you are travelling with a group or running a small meeting alongside the trip. Service hours and menus for both are worth confirming directly.

The Best Time of Day and Year for a Rooftop Pool in Malta

In July and August, the middle of the day on an exposed roof is punishing. Locals swim early or late for a reason. Aim for before 11:00 or after 16:00, and use the shade in between. A rooftop pool in Malta is at its best in the shoulder months, roughly May into June and again through September and October, when the sun is generous rather than relentless.

Autumn 2026 is a good example. The island stays warm well past the end of the school holidays, rates drop once the peak season ends, and the rooftop is quieter. If you are weighing up when to come, our guide to day trips from Sliema pairs well with a pool-based trip, since most of the island is reachable and back within a day.

What Is Within Walking Distance

Gzira is a working neighbourhood rather than a resort strip, and that is part of its appeal. Turn left out of the hotel and you reach the seafront promenade along the Gzira waterfront, with the bridge across to Manoel Island and Fort Manoel in front of you. Walk one way and you follow the water toward the yacht marina at Ta’ Xbiex. Walk the other and you are into Sliema, with the ferry landing about fifteen minutes away on foot.

From that landing, the ferry crosses Marsamxett Harbour to Valletta in a matter of minutes, which is faster and far more pleasant than the bus at rush hour. Buses also run along the seafront in both directions toward Valletta and St Julian’s. For routes, fares and the Tallinja card, see our guide to getting around Malta.

Guests at Alavits Hotel also get special rates at Aqualuna Lido, which is the option to reach for when you want sea swimming and a sun deck rather than a pool.

Rooms With Their Own Outdoor Space

Alavits Hotel has four room types: a Standard Room, a Standard Room with Side Sea View, a Family Room, and a Junior Suite with a Terrace. The Junior Suite is the one to book if the outdoor theme appeals, since it adds a separate seating area and a private terrace on top of the rooftop pool access that every guest gets.

Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out is by 11:00, with earlier or later times available on request and subject to availability. A refundable deposit of €100 may be requested at check-in, by cash or card, and nearby ST Car Parks charge €2.50 per hour if you are driving.

Where to Stay for a Rooftop Pool in Malta

Alavits Hotel is the direct answer here, with the rooftop pool and Baia rooftop pool bar sharing the same level, plus special rates at Aqualuna Lido. Blubay Apartments also has a rooftop pool and is the pick if you want a kitchen and more room, since it is self-catering and is the only property in the portfolio that accepts pets, subject to prior approval. Bayview Hotel & Spa is the one to choose when the weather turns, because it has both an indoor and an outdoor pool alongside the Sea Salt Spa, a sauna and a jacuzzi, and it sits on the seafront around five minutes from the ferry. Valletta View Apartments trades a pool of its own for sea views toward the capital and free access to Aqualuna Lido. Azur Hotel has no pool on site at all, but guests get free access to Aqualuna Lido and there is a fitness centre in the building.

Book directly through the ST Hotels Malta site for the best available rates, and join the ST Insider loyalty scheme for member pricing on top.

A rooftop is a good base rather than a whole holiday, so plan a few days around it. Valletta is a short ferry ride away and rewards a slow morning on foot, which our piece on the history of Valletta sets up well.