AX ODYCY
AX ODYCY is a large four-star all-inclusive resort on the Qawra seafront at St Paul's Bay, on the north-east coast of Malta. Families come for the on-site water park and panoramic lido, a spread of buffet and à la carte restaurants and bars, and a seafront promenade and the Malta National Aquarium within walking distance.
On this page
Is it worth it?
The quick read before the detail: who ODYCY suits, what it doesn't do and the facts to skim first.
AX ODYCY is one of the largest all-inclusive resorts in Qawra, on the north-east coast of Malta, with 600 rooms in a single seafront building that was redeveloped from the older Suncrest hotel. The main draw is water. There's a panoramic lido and a water park with slides on site, plus a children's paddle pool and a heated indoor family pool, and that's what most families come for, because Qawra Bay is rocky rather than sandy and there's no beach at the door. It's a big, busy resort with a spread of buffet and à la carte restaurants and several bars, so it suits a family that wants plenty going on and is happy to swap the sand for the pools. If you want a quiet base, or a sandy beach a few steps from your room, you'll be happier at a different Malta resort.
Best for
You want a big all-inclusive with a proper water park and lido on site, varied restaurants and bars, and you're happy swapping a sandy beach for the pools.
Maybe not for
You want a sandy beach on the doorstep, a small, quiet resort or drop-off care for a baby or toddler.
Best ages
Children old enough for the water park and the five-and-up Kids Club get the most from it. Younger ones are welcome, but they stay with you throughout.
What stands out
The on-site water park and panoramic lido, the resort's main draw and the thing that sets it apart from nearby hotels without one.
What to check
The outdoor water park runs April to October only, and cots and highchairs aren't confirmed on the official site.
Where is it?
On the Qawra seafront at St Paul's Bay on Malta's north-east coast, next to Bugibba, about 19 miles (30 km) from the airport.
Quick facts for families
What the resort is like
Where ODYCY sits, how one big building holds it all and what that means for getting around with a pushchair.
AX ODYCY is a four-star all-inclusive resort at Qawra Coast Road, Qawra SPB 1902, on the Qawra seafront in the St Paul's Bay area on the north-east coast of Malta, right next to the neighbouring resort town of Bugibba. It sits directly on Qawra Bay, so the upper floors have sea views. The resort is a recent redevelopment of a long-standing hotel on this spot, formerly the AX Seashells Resort at Suncrest and, before that, the Suncrest Hotel, so older reviews and booking listings may still carry those names. It's worth not confusing it with AX Sunny Coast, a separate apart-hotel from the same company at a neighbouring Qawra address.
Unlike the low-rise, spread-out resorts common in Greece or Spain, ODYCY is a single large building of at least eleven floors, with most of its restaurants, bars and facilities inside it and the lido at seafront level. The two buffet restaurants and Trattoria Riccardo sit on the lower floors. Reception and the Sidestreet lounge bar are on the ground floor, with guest rooms on the middle floors above. Up top, the adults-only Medusa Sky Bar is on the tenth floor and the Minoa restaurant and its rooftop pool on the eleventh. At 600 rooms it's a large resort, and some guest reviews describe it as busy and full of energy rather than quiet.
An interconnecting tunnel links the hotel building to the lido, the water park and Trattoria Riccardo, which the resort describes as all-weather access between the rooms and the poolside. Whether that route avoids crossing the coast road, and whether it takes a pushchair, isn't stated on the official site, so if moving between your room and the pool with a buggy matters, it's worth asking the hotel. There's guest parking on site and a 24-hour front desk. AX Hotels says several of its properties have adapted rooms and facilities, though it doesn't confirm accessible room availability at ODYCY in particular, so ask directly if you need one. For the island as a whole, its beaches, getting around and when to go, see our Malta guide.
Every restaurant and bar
The two buffets, the speciality restaurants, the bars, which are adults-only and how the all-inclusive board works across them.
Almost all of the eating and drinking is inside the resort, and the all-inclusive board covers the buffets, the 24-hour café and the bars, with two of the à la carte restaurants included once each on a longer stay. There are two main buffet restaurants, three speciality restaurants, a 24-hour café and a set of bars, two of them adults-only.
Deck and Keel are the two international buffet restaurants and the heart of the all-inclusive board, both family-friendly with a broad choice for a young or fussy eater. Deck, on the ground floor, serves breakfast from 05:30 to 10:00, lunch 12:30 to 14:30, an afternoon snack 16:00 to 17:00 (16:30 to 17:30 on Sundays) and dinner 18:00 to 21:30. Keel, one floor down, runs breakfast 08:00 to 11:00, lunch 12:30 to 15:00 and dinner 18:30 to 21:30. Between them the buffets cover most of the day, which helps when a toddler's mealtimes don't match the clock.
Trattoria Riccardo is the Italian restaurant on the lower floor, with a wood-fired oven, pizza and pasta, a gluten-free pizza option and a children's menu. It also has a bright, Little Italy-themed play area for children aged four to twelve, which makes it one of the easier rooms to bring young children to. It's open daily from 12:00 to 22:30 and takes bookings through the hotel. On all-inclusive stays of seven nights or more, one visit is included free; otherwise it's charged.
Cheeky Monkey Gastropub is a burgers-and-cocktails gastropub on Qawra Coast Road, part of a Maltese brand that runs semi-independently from the hotel, serving burgers, snacks, pasta and cocktails with a daily Happy Hour from 16:00 to 19:00. Like Trattoria Riccardo, it's included free once on all-inclusive stays of seven nights or more.
Minoa is the rooftop à la carte restaurant on the eleventh floor, serving Mediterranean fusion dishes at dinner from Wednesday to Saturday, 18:30 to 22:30, with sea views. It's adults-only, for guests aged sixteen and over, and needs a reservation. It's open to guests, though whether a meal here is part of the all-inclusive board or charged as an extra isn't clear from the official information, so check when you book if you're planning an evening there.
Espresso is a 24-hour grab-and-go café inside the hotel for light bites, coffee and drinks at any hour, included in the board, which is useful for an early feed or a late arrival.
The bars are led by the Sidestreet Lounge Bar, the lobby lounge on the ground floor, open 17:00 to 23:00 for cocktails and premium drinks and included in the board. Mamacita is a Latino-themed bar with daily Happy Hours and beginner salsa sessions on Wednesdays, also included for drinks, though its general opening hours aren't published. Two rooftop venues are adults-only: the Medusa Sky Bar on the tenth floor, a cocktail lounge with meze open 20:30 to 01:30, which sits outside the all-inclusive board, and the Minoa Deck on the eleventh floor, the rooftop pool terrace where Mediterranean dishes are served for lunch, which is included. There's also ice cream service around the restaurants and lido bars through the season.
How dining and booking work
The two buffets, Espresso and the bars are your everyday all-inclusive options and don't need booking, though the buffets can be on a reservation-request basis at busy times. Trattoria Riccardo and Minoa take reservations through the hotel, so if you want the free Trattoria visit on a longer stay, or an evening at Minoa, arrange the table once you know your dates. The restaurants can cater for food intolerances and special diets if you tell them in advance.
Rooms and suites
Every room type with its official size, then the pools and the rocky shore that shape a stay here.
There are ten room and suite categories, from a 20 m² Comfort Room up to a 91 m² Executive Suite, most with a sea, partial-sea or land view. The table below is the full line-up with the official sizes, how many each sleeps and the view; the guidance after it is which suit a family with a baby or toddler.
| Room | Size | Sleeps | View |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comfort Room | 20 m² | 3 | Land, partial sea or sea |
| Deluxe Room | 20 m² | 2 | Land, partial sea or sea |
| Family Room | 27 m² | 4 | Land or sea |
| Deluxe Family Room | 27 m² | 4 (sofa bed) | Land |
| Quadruple Room | 27 m² | 4 | Sea |
| Deluxe Quadruple Room | 27 m² | 4 | Sea |
| Junior Suite | 27 m² | 2 | Sea |
| Deluxe Suite with Hot Tub | 27 m² | 2 | Sea |
| Executive Suite with Hot Tub | 91 m² | 4 (sofa bed) | Sea |
| Presidential Suite with Hot Tub | Not published | 4 | Sea |
For a family, the rooms that sleep four are the Family Room and Deluxe Family Room, the Quadruple and Deluxe Quadruple, all at 27 m². The Family Room comes with a land or sea view; the Deluxe Family Room adds a sofa bed and is land-view; the two Quadruple rooms are sea-view. The Comfort Room at 20 m² sleeps three and is the smallest room that takes a family, while the Deluxe Room, also 20 m², sleeps two and suits a couple, or a couple with a baby if the hotel can add a cot. The official pages give each room's size, occupancy and view but not its internal layout, so if you need a separate bedroom to close on a sleeping baby, confirm the layout with the hotel before you book rather than assume one.
At the top end, the suites come with a hot tub and a sea view. The Junior Suite and Deluxe Suite are 27 m² and sleep two; the Executive Suite is a much larger 91 m² and sleeps four with a sofa bed; and the Presidential Suite sleeps four, though its size isn't published. A hot tub is an adult feature, so with a toddler in the room treat it as open water and keep it covered or supervised. Every room has centralised air conditioning, and there's free Wi-Fi throughout the resort.
Pools and water features
The water complex is the reason most families choose ODYCY, and it sits at seafront level. The outdoor panoramic lido is the main pool area, with separate zones for adults, families and children. Within it are a water park with slides and Cheeky Monkey Waters, a secure children's paddle pool for younger swimmers. These outdoor areas run from April to October, daily 09:00 to 18:00. Depths and dimensions aren't published, and whether the paddle pool is heated isn't stated, so for a shoulder-season trip in April or October it's worth asking.
There's an adults-only rooftop pool, the Minoa Deck on the eleventh floor, open 08:00 to 20:00 and included in the board. Indoors, a heated family pool is open all year, daily 06:00 to 21:00. This last one matters for timing, because the outdoor lido and water park don't open until April, a month after the all-inclusive board starts in March, so a March stay leaves the heated indoor pool as the only place to swim.
The beach and seafront
There's no sandy beach at AX ODYCY. Qawra Bay is rocky, pebbled coastline, and while there are some rocky points to get into the sea near the hotel, this isn't a beach where a baby or toddler can paddle on gentle sand. This is the single biggest thing to weigh up if beach days with young children are the point of your holiday, and it's why the on-site lido and water park matter so much here. The Qawra and Bugibba seafront promenade runs right along the front, flat and paved, and is an easy walk with a pushchair for an evening stroll.
For a proper sandy beach you'll need the car. The nearest are Mellieha Bay at about fifteen to twenty minutes, Golden Bay at about twenty and Paradise Bay at about twenty-five, all approximate drives. The interconnecting tunnel links the hotel to the lido and water park with all-weather access, though as above it's not confirmed whether it takes a pushchair.
Babies and toddlers
What's here for the youngest guests, the baby basics that aren't confirmed officially, and everything else that fills a family day.
The most important thing to know is that the Kids Club is not a crèche for babies or toddlers. Children aged five to twelve can attend on their own, but under-fives must be with a parent or guardian at all times, so at those ages it's a place to play together rather than supervised childcare. The club runs three sessions a day, 10:00 to 12:30, 15:00 to 17:00 and 20:00 to 21:30, with crafts, games and sports led by the resort's animators. The cost and the staff-to-child ratios aren't stated on the official site.
Babysitting and in-room childcare aren't confirmed anywhere official either, so if you want an evening to yourselves, ask the hotel whether it can arrange it. The Little Italy play area at Trattoria Riccardo, for ages four to twelve, and the children's paddle pool are the confirmed spaces for younger children on site.
A few baby basics aren't spelled out on the official pages, so confirm them when you book. Cots aren't listed; one family-travel site reports free cots on request, but that isn't confirmed on the official site, so ask the hotel to note one for you. Highchairs are likely, given the children's menus at Trattoria Riccardo, but aren't officially confirmed, and there's no mention of baby food, weaning provision, indoor soft-play or baby-changing facilities, so check the ones you'll rely on. For nappies, formula and a Calpol equivalent, the pharmacies and supermarkets in Bugibba, a short walk away, carry the usual supplies.
On and around the resortThings to do
Beyond the pools, the resort has a fitness centre with cardio and strength equipment, open daily 06:00 to 21:00, and watersports from the seafront in season, roughly May to October, daily 09:00 to 18:00 and weather permitting, covering jet skiing, kayaking and windsurfing. Scuba diving is offered, and there's cycling with bike storage on site. Entertainment centres on the daily Kids Club programme, the Wednesday salsa sessions at Mamacita and seasonal events through the year. A general adult daytime entertainment programme isn't confirmed, so if that matters, check what's running for your dates.
Time offSpa and wellbeing
There's an AX ODYCY Spa with a treatment menu of massages and facials. Its opening hours are listed as coming soon on the official site, which suggests it may not be fully open yet, so if a spa treatment is part of the plan, confirm it's running and book directly with the hotel before you travel.
Beyond the resortThe area and days out
ODYCY sits in the middle of Qawra and Bugibba, a walkable stretch of seafront with bars, restaurants, supermarkets, souvenir shops and boat-trip operators along the promenade. The Malta National Aquarium is a short walk along the Qawra waterfront and makes an easy morning out with young children.
The rest of the island is within reach, helped by good bus links from Qawra to Valletta, Mdina, Mellieha and the Gozo ferry. Mdina, the walled Silent City, is about fifteen to twenty minutes by car and suits a morning visit. Valletta, the UNESCO-listed capital, is about 19 miles (30 km) away, forty minutes to an hour by bus or car, with the Grand Master's Palace, gardens and museums. Boat trips to the Blue Lagoon on Comino leave from the Bugibba and Qawra seafront in season, and Popeye Village, the film-set attraction, is a drive or organised excursion away. For a full day out, Gozo is reachable by the ferry from Cirkewwa, about thirty to forty minutes' drive from Qawra and then a 25-minute crossing. For more on the island, see our Malta guide.
Loves and gripes
What families rate and what they flag, how it compares with the other Malta all-inclusives, the journey in, the weather by month and the practical bits.
AX ODYCY rates well across the review sites. Recent scores sit at 4 out of 5 on TripAdvisor from around 3,000 reviews, 9.1 out of 10 on Booking.com, 4.7 out of 5 on Google from more than 1,700 reviews, and 9.2 out of 10 on Expedia, where it's still listed under its former name. It's also been named the best all-inclusive family hotel in Malta by the family-travel site Baby Breaks and the best Qawra family hotel by The Travel Mum. Below is the balance of what families rate and what they flag, drawn from our research rather than a stay of our own. The busy feel and the slower service at peak times come from only a handful of reviews rather than a broad pattern, so weigh those as flags to check rather than a settled verdict.
What families love
- The on-site water park, lido and children's paddle pool.
- A fresh, modern feel, with rooms and public areas kept clean.
- The convenient seafront spot, with the promenade, shops and aquarium close by.
- A wide choice of restaurants and bars for an all-inclusive.
Common gripes
- It's lively and busy, not a quiet resort.
- Service can slow at the busiest weeks, with longer waits.
- No sandy beach at the hotel.
- The outdoor water complex is closed outside April to October.
How it compares
The obvious comparisons are the other big Maltese all-inclusives. db Seabank, up at Mellieha, has the beach ODYCY lacks, sitting close to the sand at Mellieha Bay, along with Malta's largest lagoon pool, while ODYCY has the water park, the rooftop Minoa restaurant and more variety in its food and drink. db San Antonio, also in the St Paul's Bay area, has a pirate-ship children's pool that younger toddlers often love, while ODYCY is the larger, more recently redeveloped resort with more places to eat. The Radisson Blu at Golden Bay has direct access to a sandy beach, which ODYCY can't match, though ODYCY tends to be better value all-inclusive with more water play on site. Paradise Bay, at the northern tip, is smaller and quieter with its own Blue Flag beach, where ODYCY wins on the range of restaurants, the water park and sheer size. In short, if a sandy beach is the priority, Seabank, the Radisson or Paradise Bay have the edge; if it's on-site water play and dining variety, ODYCY leads.
The journey inGetting there and when to go
Malta International Airport is about 19 miles (30 km) from Qawra, roughly thirty to forty-five minutes by road depending on traffic. There's no automatic shuttle: airport transfers can be arranged on request through the hotel for an extra cost, so book one in advance if you want it, or take a taxi. Once you're there, the bus network from Qawra reaches Valletta, Mdina, Mellieha and the Gozo ferry, so you can get around without hiring a car.
The all-inclusive board runs from March to October. The gentlest months for young children are May, June, September and early October, warm and mostly dry without the peak-summer heat. July and August are the hottest, up around 32°, and hard going in the middle of the day with little ones, though the sea is at its warmest. March and April are mild and good for sightseeing, but the sea is still cool and, in March, the outdoor water park hasn't opened.
Month by monthWeather
The figures below are long-term averages for Malta and cover the resort's March to October all-inclusive season.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days | Sea temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | 9.5° | 77 mm | 10 | 16° |
| February | 15.5° | 9° | 74 mm | 8 | 15° |
| March | 17.5° | 10° | 41 mm | 6 | 15° |
| April | 20° | 12.5° | 22 mm | 4 | 16° |
| May | 24.5° | 15.5° | 7 mm | 1 | 19° |
| June | 29° | 19.5° | 5 mm | 1 | 23° |
| July | 32° | 22° | 0 mm | 0 | 26° |
| August | 32° | 23° | 14 mm | 1 | 27° |
| September | 28.5° | 21° | 55 mm | 4 | 27° |
| October | 25° | 18° | 79 mm | 6 | 24° |
| November | 21° | 14.5° | 86 mm | 9 | 22° |
| December | 17.5° | 11° | 80 mm | 9 | 18° |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records. Sea temperature is the open-water figure, so a sheltered bay can feel a degree or two warmer.
Good to know
English is one of Malta's official languages and is widely spoken, and the currency is the euro. Plugs are the same three-pin type as the UK, at 230 volts, so you won't need an adaptor, and Malta is on Central European Time, an hour ahead of the UK.
As an EU country, Malta gives UK visitors with a valid GHIC access to public healthcare. The main public hospital, Mater Dei, is about twenty to twenty-five minutes away, there are private clinics in St Julian's and Sliema, and Bugibba has pharmacies for everyday needs. Malta is in the EU and the Schengen area, and UK visitors need a passport valid for the whole stay and can visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180. Entry rules can change, so check the current requirements on the GOV.UK Malta page before you book.
At the hotel itself there's a 24-hour front desk, an on-site gift shop and guest parking, and pets aren't allowed at AX Hotels properties.
Questions
The things families ask most, the official page worth a bookmark and when this guide was last refreshed.
Will the water park be open when we go?
The outdoor lido, water park and children's paddle pool run April to October only. If you book all-inclusive in March you'll have the board but only the heated indoor pool to swim in, so for outdoor water play pick April onwards.
Is the Kids Club a drop-off crèche for a toddler?
No. Only children aged five to twelve can attend on their own; under-fives must have a parent with them throughout, so there's no supervised care for a baby or toddler. For an evening to yourselves you'd need to ask the hotel about babysitting, which isn't confirmed on the official site.
Will there be a cot in the room?
The AX Hotels site doesn't list cots or highchairs, so nothing is guaranteed either way. Add a cot to your booking and confirm it directly with the hotel before you travel.
Do we get any à la carte meals on all-inclusive?
On stays of seven nights or more the board includes one free visit each to Trattoria Riccardo and Cheeky Monkey. Shorter stays are the two buffets, the 24-hour café and the bars. Book the Trattoria table through the hotel once your dates are set.
How do we get from the airport?
Malta International is about 19 miles (30 km) away, roughly thirty to forty-five minutes by road. There's no automatic shuttle, so arrange a transfer with the hotel or your operator before you travel, or take a taxi on the day.
Is the spa open?
The spa has a treatment menu of massages and facials, but its opening hours are still listed as coming soon, so confirm it's running for your dates before you count on a treatment.
When's the best time to go with young children?
May, June, September and early October give warm days without the mid-summer heat. July and August reach 32°, which is a lot for little ones in the middle of the day, though the sea is at its warmest.
Is it a quiet resort?
No. It's a large seafront hotel of 600 rooms, and some guest reviews describe it as lively rather than quiet, though that rests on only a handful of accounts. If you want a calm, low-key base, a smaller Malta resort would suit you better.
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Useful links
- AX ODYCY: the resort's own site for rooms, dining, the all-inclusive board and the water park.
- GOV.UK Malta travel advice: entry rules and safety updates before you travel.
- Malta with little ones: our guide to the island, its beaches and when to go.
Last updated 12 July 2026.
