Hotel Phoenicia Malta — 5-Star Hotel in Valletta, Malta

Hotel Phoenicia Malta is Malta's original five-star hotel, standing at The Mall in Floriana, right at the gateway to Valletta since 1947. Rather than a beachfront resort, its defining feature is seven acres of private landscaped gardens set against centuries-old limestone fortifications — a genuinely rare amount of green space this close to a capital city, and the reason the hotel has remained one of Malta's most storied addresses for over seventy years.

The property holds a MICHELIN Key and won The Leading Hotels of the World's 2025 Remarkable Experiences Award, one of only a handful of hotels included in luxury Malta holiday packages. It has also been recognised by Forbes Travel Guide with a Four-Star service rating — a separate accolade from the hotel's own five-star classification, reflecting Forbes' own service-focused scoring system.

From the Art Deco lobby, guests step almost directly into Valletta itself — Europe's smallest capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and named Condé Nast Traveller's Best City in the World. Restaurants, cafés and shops line the walk in, and the Valletta neighbourhood connects easily to luxury hotels near Valletta city gate, St Julian's and Sliema, Malta's principal leisure hubs.

Malta International Airport is approximately 8 kilometres away, around 20 minutes by road, and the Sliema ferry terminal for the €2.50 Valletta crossing is reachable by taxi in around 15 minutes. For planning a full Malta itinerary, see our guide to the best areas to stay in Malta.

Standard rooms at Hotel Phoenicia Malta provide air conditioning, en-suite bathroom, flat-screen TV, and complimentary WiFi. The property's 136 rooms span standard to superior configurations, with lower-floor rooms typically facing the hotel's seven acres of gardens and upper-floor rooms often featuring partial sea or harbour views.

Superior and deluxe categories add upgraded bathroom amenities and, in select rooms, private terrace or balcony access. Suite accommodation, including the Valletta Suite and Harbour View Suite, provides a separate living area with dining table and upgraded minibar — upper-floor sea-facing suites are the most requested category among guests booking a 5-star Malta holiday through this address.

Insider tip: request a room or suite overlooking the gardens rather than the street side for the quietest stay, and book at least 72 hours ahead if a sea or harbour view matters — these are the first rooms to be allocated at a property of this size and reputation.

Pool

The Bastion Pool sits at the heart of the hotel's gardens, overlooking Marsamxett Harbour, with the Bastion Pool Bar & Restaurant serving food and drinks poolside through the day. The pool deck with sun loungers is open from May through October, and it's widely considered one of the most striking hotel pool settings in Valletta, framed by the same limestone fortifications that give the gardens their character.

Spa & Wellness

Phoenicia Spa & Wellness is built directly into a 16th-century fortification wall, hewn from Maltese limestone and flooded with natural light — an award-winning wellness space unlike anything else on the island. Treatments span massage, facials and beauty services, and advance booking is recommended, particularly during peak season and for the popular Moonlight Swim experience, where the indoor pool, sauna, salt room and steam room are reserved privately for two hours.

Dining

Dining at Hotel Phoenicia Malta centres on four distinct venues. Contessa, set in a conservatory overlooking the gardens, serves reimagined Mediterranean cuisine and is the hotel's signature restaurant. The Bastion Pool Bar & Restaurant offers all-day poolside dining, while Palm Court Lounge is the setting for a traditional afternoon tea beneath the hotel's original Art Deco features. Beefbar in the City, the hotel's steakhouse concept, rounds out the offering for guests wanting something more contemporary. Traditional Maltese dishes — including pastizzi, ħobż biż-żejt, and rabbit stew — also feature across the hotel's menus, alongside Cisk, Malta's own lager.

VisitMalta.co.uk offers ATOL-protected packages combining KM Malta Airlines direct flights from London Heathrow and London Gatwick with Hotel Phoenicia Malta room rates. Rates start from £250 per night based on two sharing. KM Malta Airlines operates year-round direct services with a flight time of approximately 3 hours. Package bookings through VisitMalta.co.uk include flights, hotel and ATOL financial protection in a single transaction — the simplest way to book a Malta holiday from the UK.

The best time to visit Hotel Phoenicia Malta for outdoor swimming is May to October, when temperatures average 22–32°C and the Mediterranean sea temperature reaches 25–28°C. April and November offer cooler temperatures of 18–22°C, ideal for sightseeing. For weather guidance, see our Malta weather guide.