Weekend Away: Valletta Vacation

Content creative, book devourer, gin sipper and family herder.

A short hop on a plane, Malta is the perfect winter escape with the girls...

Our invitation to Malta came courtesy of The Phoenicia, a Campbell Gray Hotel – the company responsible for Le Gray in Beirut, One Aldwych in London and Carlisle Bay in Antigua. Recently refurbished and opened The Phoenicia has an opulent history extending back to 1935 when Lord and Lady Strickland first had the idea to create Malta’s only luxury hotel.

From hosting the RAF during World War II to host the Queen during her state visit the hotel closed in 2015 to undergo an extensive £15million refurbishment under the watchful eye of Gordon Campbell Gray. Indeed, the man himself is present when we visit eager to hear our opinions and share future plans.

A short hop from Manchester by plane it is a perfect winter escape. Leaving freezing conditions behind we land to a balmy 18°c, ready for a few days of well-deserved rest and relaxation. My friend, however, is a culture vulture so I predict a hefty schedule of history, learning, dining and wandering.

Our driver collects us at the airport and immediately starts telling us about the weather and places of interest along our way. My friend, aka Ms. Bookworm, has spent many happy holidays as a child in Malta with her family but a lot has changed.

The Phoenicia is an impressive building to pull up in front of, just outside the immense city walls and City Gate entrance. Outside it is busy with tourists and people generally going about their business. Inside the glass doors, however, it is an oasis of cool, calm colours and splashes of colour.

As we check-in our bags are whisked to our room and we discover our bearings, dinner, breakfast, gardens and so on. Our executive room on the top and fourth floor offers stunning views across the gardens and water towards Sliema. The design reflects the calming Mediterranean colours of downstairs, offering all the amenities you require. We are lucky enough to have a small balcony to enjoy the views.

Rare for a city centre hotel, The Phoenicia rests in 7.5 acres of mature gardens nestled beneath the city walls, offering hidden seats and shady retreats as well as a pool oasis, which, whilst we only dipped in our toes we did enjoy the sunshine, blue skies and cool drinks.

A short stroll across the square to City Gate the hotel is in the ideal position for all of Valletta’s offerings. Armed with our hotel map and recommendations for lunch we freshened up and ventured forth to Da’ Pippo Trattoria. Frequented by local business people it’s a bustling stop for lunch and definitely a place that those in the know keep to themselves so book ahead if you can.

After our fill of Maltese / Sicilian / Italian fayre we went for a stroll around the tiny city to gauge our bearings. Wandering down narrow streets with overhanging brightly coloured windows we came stumbled across the sea on many occasions, little gems of shops, hidden churches, art, outdoor theatres and tree-lined squares.

Our day of culture was planned for tomorrow (see tips below) so we headed back to the hotel to prepare for reception drinks in Palm Court and dinner at The Phoenix Restaurant.

Dinner in the stunning dining room promised an eclectic mix of Maltese and European flavours and thanks to the friendly advice of our waitress Dragana did not disappoint. Neither did the Maltese wine which accompanied, much to our surprise (and possible ignorance I have to admit!).

Dining from the à la carte menu dishes were fresh and filling. We can recommend the Artichoke ‘Barigole’, cured ham, crispy egg with garlic aioli and dash of fresh truffles, twice-baked Gruyere soufflé, green beans with mornay sauce and Lamb rump, with tart Pissaladiere. We would also recommend listening to your server’s recommendations on wine. We sampled a selection based on our dish choices, thanks to the enthusiasm (and patience) from Dragana. Two of note for us were the Fenici Meridiana, chardonnay viognier and the Guze syrah – so much so we purchased some for home.

The hotel also offers a more casual dining experience at Cafe Phoenicia offering salads, pizza and salads but also food and naughty treats are available at the Palm Court and Pool Bar.

Malta was a new destination for me and a new experience. I would return for the mixture of culture and weather – it always helps. The Phoenicia offered something very similar, culture and history, luxury and style, friendly professionalism and the perfect position.