Accommodation and Meals During Your Study Holiday in Malta

Accommodation and meal arrangements vary depending on the programme chosen. Summer Camp inMalta and Summer Club inMalta take place at Campus inMalta, where students live in real student residences, organised into small groups, with their own kitchen and living area. Breakfast and lunch also become opportunities to share everyday life: students take part in preparing them together with the Group Leaders, while dinner is prepared and served by the kitchen staff. Experience inMalta, on the other hand, includes accommodation at the Salini Resort, a 4-star superior hotel by the sea. In this case, the experience is fully hotel-based: students stay in rooms at the resort and have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the on-site restaurant, with buffet service. The third option is accommodation with a host family, available for students aged 14 to 17. Students share the family’s everyday life, have breakfast and dinner at home and receive a packed lunch during the day. Three very different options, designed to offer different levels of comfort, shared living and independence.

Summer Camp and Summer Club: living at Campus inMalta

Summer Camp inMalta and Summer Club inMalta include accommodation at Campus inMalta, a modern student residence complex opened in 2022 and mainly used by university students throughout the academic year. It is not a hotel: the rooms, common areas and facilities have been specifically designed for student life. inMalta organises its students into groups of 17, together with 2 Group Leaders. Each group occupies one floor and has its own kitchen/living area, used every day for preparing and eating meals. The rooms are air-conditioned and have private bathrooms, wardrobes, desks and storage space for personal belongings. Students normally stay in twin rooms; a limited number of triple rooms are also available and, during certain periods and at an additional cost, single rooms may also be available.

Twin rooms at the Campus

Most Summer Camp and Summer Club students stay in twin rooms. The rooms have wardrobes and desks with drawers and shelves, and inMalta has equipped them with additional items that are not normally part of the standard Campus facilities. We provide clothes rails and hangers where necessary, a hairdryer in each room, electrical plug adapters, USB sockets and charging cables for smartphones. Each student also receives their own personal tableware and an inMalta water bottle to use throughout their stay. Clothes drying racks are available in the common areas.

Triple and single rooms

Triple rooms are available in very limited numbers. They are considerably larger than standard twin rooms and have two wardrobes, a clothes rail and a bathroom also suitable for students with disabilities. On each floor, these rooms are located opposite the kitchen/living area. A limited number of single rooms are also available. These rooms are smaller but have a larger bed than the standard single beds. The large shared kitchen/living area on the same floor provides students with additional space where they can spend time outside their room. Single rooms are available only during certain weeks and in very limited numbers.

Common areas at the Campus

Each group of 17 students has a large kitchen/living area on the same floor as their rooms. This space plays an important role in everyday Summer Camp and Summer Club life: students have breakfast here, prepare and eat some of their meals, spend time together and take part in managing small everyday tasks. The Campus also has a swimming pool with sun loungers and green areas where students can spend their free time. Another important social area is the large central Campus square, used by students of different nationalities. Here there is a 24-hour reception, restaurants, cafés, shops and numerous services. These include Starbucks, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Café Cuba, Amami and other venues; on the lower level there is also a large Welbee’s supermarket, together with other shops and services. Malta University Language School is also located within the square, in Block O, meaning that both the school and accommodation are part of the same Campus.

The Summer Camp and Summer Club kitchen

One of the most distinctive features of Summer Camp and Summer Club is the way meals are organised. Each group has its own kitchen/living area: breakfast and lunch are organised within each group’s kitchen, with students taking part in the preparation alongside the Group Leaders. Dinner, on the other hand, is prepared by inMalta’s kitchen staff and chefs and served to the students. Over time, inMalta has added extra equipment to the kitchens beyond the standard Campus facilities, specifically to make meal preparation easier and faster for larger groups and to provide greater comfort and a more exclusive service. Each group is also divided into two teams to make lunch preparation easier. Each team has the equipment it needs, including a hob, oven, refrigerator, microwave, kettle and cooking utensils. Groceries are purchased and paid for by the organisation, and the food supplies are restocked weekly or whenever necessary.

Breakfast at the Campus

Breakfast is eaten in each group’s kitchen/living area. The food supplies include whole, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, plant-based alternatives such as soya and almond milk, biscuits, cereals, rusks, jams, butter, hazelnut spread, honey, yoghurt, fresh fruit, juices, tea, espresso coffee and toasted sandwiches with cold cuts. Specific foods and products are also available when dietary requirements such as gluten-free or lactose-free diets have been communicated. The kitchens are equipped so that students can also prepare smoothies, pancakes and waffles. inMalta has added appliances such as an espresso coffee machine, milk frother, kettle, toaster, sandwich toaster, blender, ice crusher, pancake pan, waffle maker and slush machine. Students can therefore organise their own breakfast, choosing from the different options available in the kitchen on their floor.

Lunch at the Campus: cooking together

Lunch is one of the most distinctive aspects of the Summer Camp and Summer Club experience. Students take an active part in preparing lunch together with the Group Leaders. Each group is divided into two teams of 8 or 9 students, making kitchen organisation easier. The menu is mainly Mediterranean and focuses particularly on pasta dishes and simple meals that can be prepared together as a group. During the stay, students may prepare dishes such as pasta with tomato sauce, pesto, carbonara, amatriciana or tuna; risotto; cold pasta and rice salads; couscous with vegetables or with chicken and vegetables; piadine and wraps. Ingredients are purchased by the organisation and food supplies are regularly restocked. Students are not left to cook on their own: Group Leaders take part in the preparation and coordinate the teams. After lunch, each team washes the pots and pans used for cooking, while each student washes and dries their own tableware and takes it back to their room. Lunch is normally eaten between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm.

Dinner at the Campus

Dinner follows a different format. It is not prepared directly by the students: the kitchen staff prepare dinner for the groups, with a varied menu throughout the week. The menu is planned at the beginning of the season and may be adapted according to dietary requirements and requests from the groups. It includes a rotation of meat, chicken, fish, pasta dishes, side dishes and vegetarian options. The aim is to provide simple food suitable for young people, with a strong Mediterranean influence, while also offering opportunities during the stay to discover Maltese cuisine. Dinner is normally eaten between 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm.

Water and personal tableware at the Campus

Each floor has an unlimited supply of free purified drinking water. On arrival, students receive an inMalta water bottle which they can refill and keep in the refrigerator, as well as take with them to lessons, activities and excursions. Each student also has their own tableware: a dinner plate, soup plate, bowl, mug, glass and cutlery. Before meals, each student brings what they need to the kitchen; afterwards, they wash and dry their own tableware and take it back to their room. This small daily responsibility is part of the specific organisation of Summer Camp and Summer Club.

Experience inMalta: accommodation at the Salini Resort

Experience inMalta follows a completely different format. Students stay at the Salini Resort, a 4-star superior hotel located by the sea in Salina Bay, approximately ten minutes from St. Julian’s. One area of the complex is used for students, and their rooms, the European School of English classrooms and the restaurant are all located within the same building. The resort also has outdoor areas and swimming pools, one of which is reserved for student use. Experience inMalta therefore offers a more traditional hotel-style experience: there are no kitchens to manage, no daily journeys to school and no packed lunches.

Experience inMalta rooms

Experience inMalta students stay in rooms at the Salini Resort. The accommodation provided within the packages is in air-conditioned quadruple rooms. Salini is a 4-star superior hotel, and the rooms used are part of the same complex where the entire experience takes place. One of the most important aspects is therefore not only the standard of the rooms, but also the convenience of the location: once lessons are over, students are already in the same building where they are staying; after a meal, they can return to their room, reach the outdoor areas or get ready for their next activity without needing to travel by bus.

Experience inMalta: all meals at the restaurant

Experience inMalta includes full board, with breakfast, lunch and dinner always served at the restaurant within the complex. The Vecchia Napoli restaurant prepares buffet meals every day. Students enter using their own ID card and independently choose what they want to eat and drink and where they want to sit. Meal times are organised around lessons and activities. As a general guide, the restaurant is open for breakfast from 7:00 am to 9:00 am, for lunch from 12:15 pm to 12:45 pm and for dinner from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. The buffet format allows students to choose from a variety of hot and cold dishes and eat according to their own preferences. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options are also available when requested at the time of enrolment.

Breakfast with Experience inMalta

Breakfast is international and includes both sweet and savoury options. The buffet may include scrambled or fried eggs, bacon, sausages, roast potatoes, tomatoes and beans; cold cuts and cheeses; different types of bread and cereals; milk and plant-based alternatives; yoghurt and fresh fruit; croissants, cakes, biscuits, rusks, jams, butter, honey and hazelnut spread. Juices, water, coffee, cappuccino, tea and hot chocolate are also available. The variety reflects the presence of students of different nationalities within the resort.

Lunch with Experience inMalta

Lunch is also served at the restaurant but is organised as a lighter and quicker meal than dinner, allowing it to fit around lesson times and leave more time for afternoon activities. Depending on the day, the programme may include beef or chicken burgers with fries, piadine, including vegetarian options, cordon bleu, salad and fruit. Drinks are included: in addition to still and sparkling water, soft drinks are also available. Lunch is normally eaten between 12:15 pm and 12:45 pm.

Dinner with Experience inMalta

Within the package offered, dinner is the main meal of the day. The buffet includes three first courses, at least one of which is rice-based; three main courses, at least one of which is fish; two hot side dishes and three cold side dishes, as well as bread, drinks, fruit and desserts. Dishes offered by the restaurant may include pasta with Bolognese sauce, risotto, lasagne, cannelloni, pasta with pesto or mushrooms; roast chicken, meat, cod and other fish dishes; roast potatoes, grilled vegetables, mashed potatoes and salads. The buffet also includes fruit and desserts such as cakes, tiramisu, cheesecake, ice cream and tarts. Dinner is served relatively early, according to the resort’s schedule, because students’ programmes continue with evening activities after the meal.

Homestay: living with a host family

Host family accommodation is also available for students aged 14 to 17. This is a very different option from both the Campus and the Salini Resort. Host families are licensed by the Malta Tourism Authority and must meet the requirements established for hosting students. Regulations allow a maximum of four students to be hosted at the same time. Students staying with the same family are normally of a similar age and share bedrooms and common areas of the home. Almost all host families accommodate three or four students in the same room; it is less common for a family to have several rooms specifically dedicated to students. The bathroom used by students is separate from the family’s bathroom, and the host family is responsible for cleaning it. Students can use the common areas of the home while respecting their hosts’ schedules, habits and house rules.

How the host family is selected

The placement takes several factors into account: distance from the school, the student’s age and gender, any requests to share a room with specific students, and specific dietary requirements. Shortly before arrival, students receive a host family profile containing information about their hosts, address, occupations, facilities available in the home, hobbies, any pets and some information about the family’s lifestyle and routines. Host families are normally located within walking distance of the school; when the distance is too great, the school may organise transport. The initially assigned host family may be changed before arrival if organisational requirements make this necessary.

Meals with host family accommodation

Full board with a host family is organised very differently from both the Campus and the Salini Resort. The host family prepares breakfast and dinner according to their own eating habits. There is therefore no single standard menu shared by all host families. On arrival, students can indicate foods they do not like and, where possible, hosts will try to take these preferences into account. Specific requirements such as vegetarian or gluten-free diets must instead be communicated at the time of booking. Lunch is eaten away from the host family and is always provided as a packed lunch, delivered at school and the same for all students. A typical day therefore involves having breakfast with the host family, leaving home to go to school, having lunch away from home, taking part in scheduled activities and returning to the host family in the late afternoon for dinner. After dinner, students may go out again to reach the designated meeting point for evening activities.

Three very different ways to experience a study holiday

Summer Camp and Summer Club offer a true campus experience: small groups of students live on the same floor with their Group Leaders, have their own kitchen/living area and actively participate in preparing breakfast and lunch, while dinner is prepared by the staff. Experience inMalta offers a more hotel-based option: the 4-star superior Salini Resort, air-conditioned rooms, swimming pool and three daily meals at the on-site restaurant with buffet service. The school, accommodation and restaurant are all located within the same complex. Homestay, finally, offers a completely different experience: a shared room with other students in a licensed host family home, use of the home’s common areas, breakfast and dinner prepared by the hosts and a packed lunch during the day. The difference between the programmes is therefore not simply where students sleep. The spaces in which they live, the way meals are organised and the level of participation and independence required in everyday life are all genuinely different.

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