VERY cool community, made instant friends and made overall experience of Malta more enjoyable! Slept like a baby too the whole time I was there which was a nice wee bonus.
I originally booked to stay at Evolve for a month and ended up staying 13 months! This was my first coliving experience and exceeded my expectations. It was exactly what I needed for moving to a new country without knowing anyone, and I would recommend this place to anyone else doing the same. The community is truly amazing. Everyone is so warm, friendly, and welcoming - within a week, it felt like I was part of a family. Some people stayed more long term like me, while others stayed just a month or two, which was a good mix. Many also returned because they enjoyed it so much the first time round. The vibe changes when people come and go but there was never a bad group. I've made lasting friendships and I really can't emphasize enough how incredible this experience has been because of the people. The location is great, mid way between Sliema and St Julians. You can walk 20ish minutes downhill to either if it's not the height of summer (note: uphill on the way back!). San Gwann is quiet and there are plenty of shops/cafes around, including supermarkets and grocery stores. There are several bus stops nearby. Bolt/Uber is good value and can even be cheaper than buses if you're in a big group. Cleaners clean the common areas 6 days a week, which is definitely necessary in a house of this size and with so many people. Personally, one thing I really appreciated was that I became a cat mom during my stay and Matt and Ola supported that. To give a well-rounded review, I also need to be honest about the negatives - nowhere is perfect. Things break a lot: dishwashers, laundry facilities, Internet, vaccuum cleaners, pool filter, jacuzzi, coffee machine, fireplace, air conditioners, electricity outages, rain through the windows... sometimes it felt like as soon as one thing is fixed, it sets something else off. This isn't Matt and Ola's fault - some of this is just how things in Malta are built and getting good labour to properly fix the issues is harder than you think, however it was frustrating over time. For internet, it's best to come with your own backup or get a good data package, just in case. Noise: the way the house is built means that noise really travels. The doors can slam and get really noisy, especially when it's windy. Also, beds so squeaky. So. Squeaky. Mosquitos: they love me; they also love the house. Winter is fine, but from May-November they are around. If you're prone to bites, make sure you keep your room windows and doors closed, especially early morning and evening/night, and pick up spray, burners, candles, plug-ins etc. Mosquito nets would be a great upgrade. Having experienced a full year, I can say that it's a very different experience in the winter vs summer but both were great and had their benefits. Summer was all about bbqs, pool dips, dancing on the roof, late night drinks etc. Winter was quieter with cozy movie nights, more shared meals, game nights, activities like lazer tag and escape rooms, and hiking on the weekends. Overall, I loved my stay at Evolve. I'll cherish the memories and friendships made, keep in touch, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
The community is amazing. I met a lot of wonderful people at the White house. The 1 month minimum rule is a very good idea because you have the time to really know your house mates and get a real bond. The house is gorgeous but the maintenance could be improved. I am sure that Matt and Ola will handle it better in the future.
I lived in Evolve for 10 months and I think it was a great place to stay and I would totally recommend it. It is located in kind of a residential area but still near to some city centers, it's also on the top of a valley so views from the house are great. You can walk 20 mins to reach the coast where you can swim and do snorkel or take a 5 mins bolt/uber. It has 15 rooms so you can imagine it's a huge house, with lots of shared areas and a big swimming pool which makes getting to know the people easy and natural so the community feeling is very strong here. The people from there are still really good friends. We spent lots of nights just by the pool and doing some barbacue, in the living room playing cards or in the balcony talking about random topics (balcony definitily best place from the house for summer nights). I would recommend also staying there longer than just a month, even though it's a small island there are a lot of activities specially during summer and this way you can also enjoy the house. I can summarize my experience at Evolve simply by saying that it was a year in which I stopped worrying about Sundays and Mondays since there was always a nice plan to do, outside or inside the house, and all of this, while working full time remotely
An awesome and welcoming community and the house is professionally cleaned every single day. If I came back to Malta I'd stay there again in a heartbeat.
I recommend Evolve 10/10. The house is stunning, but the community and experiences put together by the Evolve team there are what make it special. I spent 8 months with Evolve being my home base in Europe and it was truly amazing. Matt and Ola have done superb job creating a community of like minded hard working fun loving individuals who made it an experience like no other. I met some of the most amazing people and life long friends during my time there. The house has all the amenities. A swimming pool, pool, gym, ping pong, jacuzzi, co-work, etc., you are never bored. And you will meet a fantastic group of people to enjoy so much more of what Malta has to offer. Whether it is talking business, having skillshares, scuba diving, catamaran parties, or just kicking back having a bbq poolside at the house you will meet the best people to do everything with. I already have travels planned with some of the friends I made there in South East Asia before I will head back to Malta in April. Looking forward to being back, thanks again Matt and Ola for creating such an awesome place.