The best hotels in Malta
Offering fascinating history, an incredible dining scene and gorgeous sandy beaches to swoon over, Malta has something to tempt travellers at any time of the year. While family-friendly all-inclusive resorts dominate its azure coast, you don’t have to venture too far to find design-centric properties or luxury boltholes that couples will love.
The capital, Valletta, is particularly good for those grand palazzos and baroque mansions transformed into boutique hotels with just a clutch of rooms. But there are similar gems to discover across the island. Where to start? These are our picks of some of the best hotels in Malta.
César Guerrero FotografíaCugó Gran Macina
Senglea, or I-Isla as it’s also known, is one of the Three Cities opposite Valletta. It’s here that Cugó Gran Macina has given a new lease of life to the centuries-old fortifications, originally built during the 16th century by the Knights of St John, by absorbing part of it into its structure. Much is made of this marriage of old and new. It’s most obvious from the rooftop lap pool and solarium, where imposing battlements of the fortifications offer a striking contrast to the sweeping marina views below, but you’ll also spot it in the interiors where high vaulted ceilings add to the historic feel of an otherwise modern building. There’s another reason to choose this all-suite property: the rooms here are enormous.
Even the smallest suite, at 36 sqm, is bigger than many you’ll find across the water in Valletta. And they’re elegantly furnished, too; camel beige, oak brown and steely grey provide a muted, modern palette that blends in fabulously with the exposed stone walls. Most only have walk-in showers, though, rather than baths. Meals are served at The Little Bastion, the Mediterranean restaurant that opened in 2023. Expect dishes like sirloin steak with oyster mushrooms and coffee jus, as well as pork belly with smoked apple puree and spiced lentils.
Address: Grand Harbour Triq il-31 ta' Marzu Senglea, ISL 1040, Malta
Iniala Harbour House
Occupying four grand properties facing Valletta’s majestic Grand Harbour, Iniala Harbour House is home to a bevy of gorgeously put-together suites featuring sun-soaked terraces or plunge pools. Most are located in The Harbour House, a restored 19th-century palazzo that forms the main hotel. An interconnecting building houses the Grand Residences, where extravagant one- or two-bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchens or kitchenettes lend themselves to hosting slightly bigger groups. Then, a couple of doors down, you’ll find the Hideaway House, available for hire as a single home with butler service and contemporary suites geared towards couples over at Iniala Modern.
It’s easy to cocoon in your suite and gaze at the postcard-pretty Three Cities on the other side of the harbour, but you’ll want to book a table at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant ION Harbour by Simon Rogan for dinner. The tasting menu is inspired by traditional flavours and ingredients from Malta and features dishes such as stuffed rabbit with jubilee sweetcorn, served with a sauce infused with lovage stems. Elsewhere, in the historic vault, you’ll find a small tranquil spa with a plunge pool and sauna.
Address: 10 St.Barbara Bastion, Il-Belt Valletta VLT 1961, Malta
Ramon PortelliThe Phoenicia Malta
Guarding the gates to Valletta is the imposing frame of The Phoenicia Malta. It has all the hallmarks of a classic five-star hotel: the sweeping entrance, the expansive lounge for afternoon tea, and of course, the uber-efficient Les Clefs d'Or concierge. But this 75-year-old hotel is no grand dame stuck in the past – there are plenty of modern touches too. Take the main restaurant, Contessa, where a retractable glass roof was installed in 2023. This addition turns the space into a conservatory in winter and an open-air terrace in summer. Southern Mediterranean dishes, such as its signature spaghettata pasta with garlicky gamberi rossi prawns, are served as a sharing plate while cocktails are stirred table-side by way of its chic drinks trolley.
Meanwhile, the rooms are delightfully bright and airy. Many have balconies overlooking the harbour, the carefully tended gardens or into Valletta, and all come with complimentary minibars stocked with soft drinks. Make time to explore those gardens – you’ll find an infinity pool at the end. There’s also a subterranean spa with a small lap pool where you can see a section of Valletta’s 16th-century bastion walls.
Address: The Mall FRN1478, Floriana, Malta
Rosselli - AX Privilege
Set in one of the main thoroughfares in Valletta, this five-star hotel is perhaps best known for its pair of restaurants. The subterranean Under Grain has held a Michelin star for its fine dining menu, which features seasonal dishes such as agnolotti of confit Roscoff onions and preserved lemon, since the guide’s launch in 2020. You’ll find the Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded Grain Street at ground level, its casual dining outfit with an outdoor terrace and Mediterranean sharing plates.
While it’s easy for the restaurants to steal the limelight, the 25 rooms and suites here are not to be sniffed at. The design exudes modern Italian glamour, with clever use of monochrome and mood lighting accented with bronze fixtures and velvet upholstery. The Don Pietro executive suites, with their in-room saunas, will be particularly welcome in winter, not that Malta ever gets too chilly. The lobby areas, in contrast, are bright and airy.
On the rooftop, Rosselli has one more trick up its sleeve. Along with a plunge pool and terrace, there’s a summer season cocktail bar called Over Grain, which is the perfect place for sundowners or after-dinner drinks.
Address: 167 Merchants Street, Valletta VLT 1174, Malta
The Xara Palace
The only Relais & Châteaux property in Malta, Xara Palace is a wonderfully historic property in the walled city of Mdina. You may recognise this mediaeval enclave in the centre of the island from Game of Thrones – certainly, you’ll be able to stroll to the filming locations for a crowd-free visit before the first selfie stick-wielding tourists arrive in the morning. The hotel itself, transformed from a 17th-century palazzo with ornate baroque detailing on the exterior, is quite a sight to behold. Extravagant chandeliers hang from high ceilings, while below them are antiques tastefully arranged around more modern furnishings. The same elegant but understated design extends to the rooms, some of which take full advantage of Mdina’s higher elevation to offer panoramic views across Malta.
Also worth mentioning is deMondion, the hotel’s main restaurant, which was among the first to gain a Michelin star when the guide launched in Malta in 2020. While here, enjoy a modern Mediterranean menu featuring dishes like cannelloni with red prawn, sheep’s milk and squid ink, with a panoramic view of the island from its sheltered terrace.
Address: Misrah Il Kunsill Mdina, MDN 1050, Malta
Casa Ellul
A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, there are just nine suites at this boutique property in the heart of Valletta. The building had been a 19th century family home, and much has been done to keep the original architecture intact. It means when you step inside, you’ll get a glimpse into what a traditional Maltese home is like. You’ll see it in the decorative gate in front of the main entrance, the way the hall bisects its fine dining restaurant Risette - one of our chosen best restaurants in Valetta - the original tiles on the floor, the suntrap courtyard, and the balcony windows, known as galeriji, that overlook the streets below.
The suites, of varying sizes, are individually decorated. The design is thoroughly modern in soothing neutral tones, though the choice of furniture and those aforementioned tiles give it a vintage feel. Some are quieter with courtyard views, or you can choose street-facing ones with a view of the Carmelite Church opposite and ample people-watching opportunities via those balcony windows. The cream of the crop has to be Suite 7, a duplex on the fourth floor with its own private terrace where you can kick back in the Jacuzzi while enjoying panoramic city views.
Address: 81 Old Theatre Street, Il-Belt Valletta 1429, Malta
Etienne FarrellPalazzo Consiglia
Just steps from St Rocco’s church and within walking distance of many of Valletta’s other attractions, Palazzo Consiglia is another Maltese townhouse turned boutique hotel. There are 12 rooms of varying sizes here, plus a modest suite, and each one subscribes to a different design aesthetic. As such, you have rooms bearing names like Retromoda, with its 60s-style furniture, and Nautica, which uses blues, whites and greens to mirror the colours of the Maltese coast. Perhaps the prettiest of the lot is Romantica, which, apart from the elegant baroque furnishings and floral wallpaper, is the biggest room on the property.
What makes this hotel exceptionally special is the facilities – there’s much more than what you’d normally expect from a property of this size. The lobby leads into a courtyard lounge, where the retractable roof makes it a joyful space to spend time year-round. A buffet breakfast is served in the adjacent room, which was once the chapel. On the rooftop is a suntrap terrace where you’ll find loungers alongside a plunge pool, while the basement, lined with Malta’s emblematic limestone, is taken up by a tranquil spa with a steam room and a second plunge pool.
Address: 102 St.Ursula Street, Il-Belt Valletta VLT 1234, Malta
