Best hotels in Malta for luxurious breaks, peaceful getaways and family-friendly holidays

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Once upon a time Malta was a package holiday paradise of cheap sun and sea for the over-sixties, but in the last 15 years that has completely changed – and with it the style, quality and range of hotels.

Today all ages flock to this island nation in the middle of the Mediterranean – six times as many people visited last year as live here – and there’s accommodation for them all. Some people come for a sunbed by the pool or an umbrella on the beach in a need-never-leave resort, while the active seek the dive centres, sailing charters or cliff-top walks.

Some drop in for a festival from rock to baroque, and want stays to match. Many now visit for Malta’s USP, its unique and fascinating history (and prehistory) from Neolithic temples older than Stonehenge to the honeyed limestone legacy of the Knights of St John and remains of the nation’s starring role in WWII. Historic buildings have been restored and converted into hotels full of character and comfort, while new accommodation has been constructed to cater for different tastes. Here are 10 of the best hotels in Malta for 2025.

Best hotels in Malta 2025

1. Phoenicia Malta hotel

The Phoenicia is often thought of as the best hotel in Malta

Enter the fresh Art Deco foyer of the Phoenicia and step back in time to the British colonial heyday of this then-and-now glorious grand hotel. Imagine the late Queen, as the newly married Princess Elizabeth, then resident in Malta, dancing with Philip in the ballroom. And colonial Malta’s great and good – Maltese and British – in full bib and tucker, sipping cocktails on the terrace overlooking the garden. Things are more relaxed now, and besides standard rooms being small for a five-star, the Phoenicia is Malta’s best hotel, with prices to match. Being just outside Valletta’s towering bastion walls, it is walking distance to everything in the capital while having space for a long garden, pools (inside and out) and a spa. Service is attentive and friendly, with many long-serving Maltese staff. All in all, it is a destination in itself and if you can’t stay here, drop by for a drink.

Address: The Mall, Floriana, FRN1478

2. Casa Rocca Piccola B&B

The whimsical and colourful Casa Rocca Piccola will make you feel at home

Live like a Maltese aristocrat in this B&B within the only privately inhabited but publicly viewable palazzo in Valletta. Your hosts are the Marquis de Piro, a modern-day Knight of Malta, and his English wife. Oh, and their talkative parrot. Your stay includes a visit to the historic parts of the house full of fascinating furniture, art and objects from a portable altar to a Knights-era sedan chair, paintings from the Grand Master’s galley to silver surgical instruments from the Knights’ sacred hospital – not to mention the World War II shelter beneath the house. And you’re right in the heart of Malta’s tiny, walkable capital, just 100m from the main square and the Grand Master’s Palace.

Address: 74 Republic Street, Valletta, VLT1117

3. BOCO Boutique hotel

BOCO makes modern art out of its interior design

In Bormla-Cospicua (hence Boco), a traditional area of the Three Cities, little touched by tourism, this enjoyable, good-value boutique hotel is full of contemporary art and humorous touches: life-size Boco in human form climbs from floor to floor; glass shower doors are painted with colourful figures; and headboards become installations. Outside, a five-minute walk takes you to the labyrinthine Medieval streets of Birgu (or Vittoriosa), the Knights’ first base in Malta, or to Galley Creek and the picturesque 10-minute ferry ride across the Grand Harbour to Valletta.

Address: 65 Triq l’Oratorju, Cospicua

4. Corinthia Palace hotel

Soak up the sun whilst swimming laps at Corinthia Palace’s multi-level outdoor pool

In an upmarket residential area of Malta, opposite the palace of Malta’s president, this peaceful hotel offers a stay away from the tourist hordes. Its main restaurant occupies the original 19th-century villa around which the hotel was built. Spacious and traditional, each with a balcony, while in the garden there is a large multi-level outdoor pool and behind a glass wall, a lovely, well-heated indoor pool and spa and a substantial gym. Service is attentive and helpful, and there’s a complimentary shuttle into Valletta twice a day. On the roof is a Michelin-mentioned restaurant and, in the foyer, with plenty of seating, a vegan café.

Address: De Paule Avenue, San Anton, Attard, BZN9023

5. Kempinski San Lawrenz hotel

For a more relaxed take on a Maltese holiday, head to Gozo where you will find Kempinski San Lawrenz

Just fully refurbished, this low-rise five-star hotel tucked into the landscape on the edge of a traditional village on Malta’s smaller, more rural island of Gozo has palm-fringed pools in the gardens and a substantial heated pool in the spacious spa. An extensive menu of treatments ranges from the usual massages and facials to specialist Indian Ayurveda. This is a place to relax. Gozo moves at a more leisurely pace than the main island and the Kempinski has all you need for a real break, as well as easy access to the rest of Gozo. It is a few minutes’ walk to the village square with its oversized parish church, bar and blacksmith, and less than half an hour to the dramatic coastal landscape of Dwejra, the ‘inland sea’ and cave tunnel, a little boat trip and a Knights-period tower.

Address: Triq ir-Rokon, San Lawrenz, Malta

6. Villa Serenity B&B, Gozo

This family-run bed and breakfast will make you feel welcome amongst the locals

A lovely family-run Gozo B&B with large rooms, great breakfast, a plunge pool in the garden and a wonderful location between the traditional village of Sannat and the towering Ta’ Cenc cliffs – the perfect place for a sea view sunset walk. Join locals in the village square (at the bar of the football club or the band club where musicians rehearse for the annual festa) or follow the cliffs down to Mgarr Ix-Xini for a swim or a snorkel in clear blue sea. Alternatively, take up your hosts' offer of a personalised Gozo tour seeing the sights with them, both on and off the beaten track.

Address: 5 Skerla Street, Sannat, SNT1265, Gozo

7. Iniala hotel

For a luxury stay with a stylish twist, check in to Iniala

The USP here is the iconic view (and the price). This luxury ultra-designer boutique hotel full of original contemporary art sits atop Barbara Bastion fronting a sweeping panorama of the famous Grand Harbour. It’s quite something to wake to this vast expanse of (almost always) sparkling blue water surrounded by history in golden limestone. Straight ahead is Fort St Angelo, Malta’s oldest castle and first base on the island of the Knights of St John (the Knights of Malta). The view continues over breakfast as you eat your fresh fruit, pancakes, or full English in the rooftop restaurant. The view is equally spectacular by night, and, come evening, the rooftop turns into ION by Simon Rogan, Malta’s only restaurant with two Michelin stars.

Address: 10-11 St. Barbara Bastion, Valletta VLT1961

8. Cugó Gran Macina hotel

Stay overlooking Grand Harbour’s historic creek at Cugó Gran Macina

On the banks of the Grand Harbour’s most historic creek, Cugó Gran Macina is named for the masting-crane (il-macina) that used to stand on the Knights-period bastion into which the hotel is built. Close to the entrance to Senglea – one of the Three Cities (really three tiny towns) that fringe Galley Creek (or Dockland Creek as the British called it), the hotel is backed by residential streets relatively untouched by tourism. Rooms are built into the fortifications, so they are all different shapes and sizes, some with glorious views over the water. Interior design is contemporary with lots of black slate, striking against the honeyed stone of the original structures. The roof terrace affords panoramic views, and just below it is the rooftop pool. Little Bastion restaurant at ground– and water–level serves Mediterranean and fusion food at breakfast and dinner.

Address: Triq Il-31 ta’Marzu, L’Isla (Senglea), ISL1040

9. Westin Dragonara Resort hotel

For a family-friendly stay, book a trip to Westin Dragonara Resort in Malta

Malta has quite a few large resort hotels but this one is a cut above with large rooms, great food and facilities for all the family. In an enclave all its own (which is just as well as it’s not in the nicest area) it has everything you need for a summer holiday – and, unusually, for a spring, autumn and even winter one too. Crucially, the main outdoor pool, two Jacuzzis and a kids’ paddling pool are heated year-round. So too is the indoor pool, and there’s a spa and an on-site dive centre. The seaside Reef Club – with thatched umbrellas on the rocky beach and tiny sandy cove – is open in the warmer months. The Westin does the best buffet breakfast in Malta, which will set the whole family up for the day, be that in the resort or out exploring the island.

Address: Dragonara Road, St Julian’s, STJ3143

10. Palazzo Consiglia hotel

Palazzo Consiglia in Malta will offer a more intimate stay at its 13-room boutique hotel

In the heart of historic Valletta, this 400-year-old townhouse has been miraculously converted into a 13-room boutique hotel with full hotel facilities in miniature. The central courtyard in warm limestone has been covered with a retractable roof, while the chapel is now a pretty breakfast room. Reception doubles as the bar (and has some bar food), while down in the vaulted cellar, the original cistern has been converted into a spacious hot tub – and there’s a room for spa treatments, too. The rooftop terrace boasts views and a plunge pool, and the staff are helpful and friendly. It’s a welcoming place to return to after a day out seeing the sights.

Address: 102 St Ursula Street, VLT1234

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