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Wartime resilience, royal receptions, international honours – The Phoenicia Malta has shared in many of Malta’s defining moments.
Lady Margaret Strickland had a vision for a grand hotel for a growing Mediterranean nation. Something refined, welcoming – built of Malta and built to last.
Scottish architect William Binnie gave that vision form, bringing the country’s first five-star hotel to life in sweeping chevron lines of Maltese limestone.
Before the first guest could arrive, war broke out. The following years saw a nation under siege, as RAF crews took over the site. Bombs devastated much of the capital city and, in the same month as the bombing of both Valletta’s famous Opera House and Floriana’s St Publius Church, the hotel’s Pegasus Bar was also destroyed.
But the foundations held, and the promise of something remarkable remained intact.
At long last, Countess Strickland officially opened The Phoenicia Malta to great fanfare – a symbol of postwar pride and modern Maltese hospitality.
The Grand Ballroom quickly became the island’s most elegant gathering place, where Princess Elizabeth – later Queen Elizabeth II – danced as a newlywed in 1949.
The hotel was acquired by Charles Forte, ushering in a new era of style and international stature, just two years after it hosted the official celebrations of Malta’s independence.
In the decades that followed, it remained the favourite Mediterranean luxury hotel of celebrities and dignitaries alike. One of Malta’s first swimming pools, now the Bastion Pool, opened against the towering backdrop of a centuries-old Valletta bastion wall.
Elizabeth Windsor returned, now as Queen Elizabeth II, to host a state reception – just one of the countless historic moments to unfold within these walls.
The Phoenicia Malta joined the ranks of The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) – a prestigious mark of rare excellence that validated decades of unceasing dedication to personalised service.
After a meticulous €15 million restoration to honour both its vibrant heritage and the future of luxury hospitality, the hotel reopened with its art deco soul beautifully intact, from the marble floors to the light-filled Rotunda.
Phoenicia Spa & Wellness opened – an extensive 1,200sqm facility spanning two floors. During the construction of this luxury wellness space, a 16th-century fortification wall built by the Knights of St John was uncovered during excavations. Plans were redrawn, historians consulted, and Phoenicia Spa & Wellness reshaped around this bastion, allowing guests to embark on a wellness journey within a living piece of Maltese history.
The Phoenicia Malta reimagined Phoenix Restaurant into Contessa – named in honour of Countess Strickland. A year-round conservatory overlooks the hotel’s landscaped gardens, while the Southern Mediterranean-inspired menu – innovating creative twists on regional dishes with seasonal ingredients – has marked Contessa as a global culinary destination.
International awards and honours continued to celebrate the hotel’s excellence. The Phoenicia Malta won the LHW 2025 Remarkable Experiences Award, claimed the title of Europe’s Leading Landmark Hotel 2025 from the World Travel Awards, won Best Classic/Heritage Hotel at the International Level (2024-2025), received a MICHELIN Key and kept its Forbes four-star rating for two years running. A GSTC Certification and the coveted title of LHW Sustainability Leader further validated its commitment to sustainability.
The Phoenicia Malta’s esteemed guests have also added their own recognition, naming the hotel in the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards for three years in a row.
Yet our greatest distinction remains our place in Malta’s history – and in the memories of all who add their own chapter to our story.
From our gardens to Valletta’s gates, The Phoenicia Malta remains both gateway and guardian.
In constant conversation with our distinctly Maltese surroundings, we set the elegance of five-star interiors against arched art deco architecture; a luxury wellness space against a Knights-era fortification; an infinity pool against the magnificence of a towering 16th century bastion wall.
While honouring our past, we invest in the future. As part of a landmark €35m expansion, we’re reimagining the long-neglected St John’s Gardens as a landscaped extension of our gardens with 50 new suites – restoring a forgotten corner of Valletta to quiet splendour.
And so, The Phoenicia Malta’s story continues – written in limestone, lived in every stay.
