Fortified harbour landmark
An Art Deco grand dame where midday tea and manicured garden paths give way to cinematic harbour views.
“After a multimillion-dollar refresh, this architectural art-deco beauty... is Valletta’s grande dame of hotels.”
Where it shines
Remarkable
Twice-daily housekeeping and attentive concierges attending to garden-view and harbour rooms.
Remarkable
Art Deco limestone landmark opened in 1947, incorporating sixteenth-century fortress bastions.
Remarkable
Afternoon high tea in Palm Court Lounge, sustaining decades of Maltese state rituals.
What they say
One Michelin Key
Michelin
Forbes Four-Star
Forbes Travel Guide
2026
UK Readers' Choice Awards – Rest of Europe
Condé Nast Traveler
2025
Also in AFAR.
The new edition of The Phoenicia Malta combines top-flight luxury with no small amount of stylistic distinction, and a standard of service that’s substantially above and beyond the norm.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Set right outside Valletta City Gate and Triton Fountain, the hotel offers quiet garden grounds minutes from the capital's historic Baroque streets.
The rooms
Hand-painted Maltese tiles and Mediterranean tones accent airy bedrooms, where private balconies look across the fortress bastions and harbour.
The pools
Bring a swimsuit.
An outdoor infinity pool perches along the sixteenth-century bastions, and a heated pool rests beneath subterranean limestone walls.
The spa and gym
A salt-brick sauna and thermal suite sit within the subterranean spa, alongside a bright strength and cardio gym.
Dogs stay too.
The Club Bar
Classic cocktails and live evening music fill this wood-panelled den, which opens onto a terrace overlooking the harbour.
The Phoenicia combines historic elegance with modern sophistication. Built in 1939, the five-star stay sits on 7.5 acres just outside the entrance to Valletta’s old town, within easy walking distance of the city’s top sites.
At the table
Contessa serves Southern Mediterranean seafood inside a sunlit glass conservatory and out on garden terraces beneath the ramparts.
How it began
Commissioned by Lord and Lady Strickland in the 1930s, this limestone landmark survived wartime bombing before welcoming its first guests in 1947.
Good to know
Stay here
The Phoenicia Malta
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Malta
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.