Carisma Spa & Wellness

Carisma Spa & Wellness runs a spa inside the InterContinental hotel on St George's Bay, a few minutes from the nightlife of Paceville and the shops of St Julian's. It is one of eight Carisma venues across Malta, and you do not need a room at the hotel to use it. For a UK visitor, that makes it a convenient place to book a massage or a half-day of steam and pool time between the beach and dinner. On VisitMalta.co.uk the spa sits in our spas in Malta directory.

Facilities at the InterContinental spa

This venue has an indoor pool, a traditional Turkish bath, a steam room, a sauna and a salt room offering halotherapy, along with a relaxing area, rooms for couples' massage and a medical aesthetics suite. It opens daily from 9am to 8pm, including public holidays.

Carisma is the chain's name, and its roots go back to 1990, when it was founded on Turkish bathing traditions. It reached Malta in 2010 and now works with hotels in several countries. Therapists are trained by the French marine skincare brand Phytomer, which the spa uses across its treatments. If you are staying nearby, our page on hotels in Sliema and St Julian's covers the wider area, and our UK guide to where to stay in Malta compares the main resorts.

Hammam rituals

The Turkish bath is the signature of the chain. A hammam ritual lasts 55 minutes and combines hot water, a body exfoliation using either a traditional glove or sea salt, and a foam massage. A longer Hammam Deluxe runs for 75 minutes and adds a hydrating mask for face and body and a hair treatment.

Shorter options cover a single step, such as a sea salt exfoliation, a foam massage or a face and body mask, each with three hours in the spa facilities. Hammam treatments start from €59, and combined packages pair the ritual with a therapeutic or anti-stress massage over 80 to 110 minutes. Couples can ask about a private hammam.

Laser hair removal and medical aesthetics

This InterContinental venue is the one named for laser hair removal on the Carisma website. Sessions use an Alma Soprano laser with a triple wavelength and a cooling system designed to keep treatment comfortable, and they suit all skin types, including tanned skin. The programme is built around reducing roughly 10 to 15 per cent of hair per session, so several visits are normal. Prices start from €25.

The medical aesthetics team, called Carisma Aesthetics, offers a free consultation with medically qualified staff. For questions about whether a treatment suits you, the consultation is the place to ask.

Massages, facials and spa days

The massage menu draws on Thai, Japanese Shiatsu, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, Indian Ayurvedic and Balinese techniques, plus hot stone, deep tissue and anti-stress sessions. Express treatments start from €59, full sessions from €99 and include use of the spa facilities. Facials use Phytomer products and start from €55, with HydraFacial from €99.

Spa day packages, couples' packages, after-work sessions and gift cards are all available, and membership gives unlimited access to the Carisma facilities across Malta. Robes, towels and slippers are provided, and guests are asked to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early so that they can settle in. To plan the rest of your trip, see our guide to things to do in Malta, and check the Malta weather guide if you are choosing between a beach day and a spa day. Valletta, Mdina and the Mosta Dome are all within easy reach of the hotel, which makes a spa afternoon a pleasant way to end a day of sightseeing; our Valletta guide lists what to see first.

How to ask about a booking

Say which treatment you want, your dates and the number of guests, and mention if you would like a couples' room. Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Carisma Spa & Wellness at the InterContinental.