Malta’s capital city Valletta ranked 5th in the ‘Best Cities in the World’ category of Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers Choice Awards 2020.

Now in its 33rd edition, this annual survey is based entirely on votes received from the magazine’s numerous readers, many of whom are keen travellers. In a brief description that accompanies the results, Valletta is lauded for the beauty of its baroque architecture and the fact that it was designated European Capital of Culture in 2018.

Some of the accommodation, gastronomy and sightseeing opportunities on offer in Malta’s capital city are also highlighted.

Condé Nast Traveler is a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine published by global media company Condé Nast.

San Miguel de Allende, in Mexico, was top of the list followed by Chiang Mai in Thailand, Merida in Mexico and Monte Carlo in Monaco.

Find the full article here: https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2020-10-11/local-news/Valletta-ranks-fifth-on-Conde-Nast-s-Best-Cities-List-6736227713?fbclid=IwAR3zhBAB7HieHvKrOWxxyrQQs8-kBBC-buomX4auHszZTH48EGqEIqr1z6I

Conventions Malta created a set of user-friendly infographics which include the most relevant protocols and guidelines for MICE activities in Malta. It is particularly aimed at helping you and your clients in simplifying the rules and regulations that are in place.

https://issuu.com/visitmalta/docs/cm_covid_infographic_final

https://www.conventionsmalta.com/en-GB/news/protocols-infographic/2133

It is important to note that it is always advisable to send an email on [email protected] should you have any queries about the risk assessment or about a group that you’re hosting.

Last Saturday, Hyatt Regency Malta officially opened its doors to guests. The new 151-room hotel, located in the heart of St Julian’s, combines modern architecture with Maltese heritage, seeking to merge the past with the present.

The hotel, which forms part of the international brand Hyatt Regency, has seen around €45 million invested over the past months, according to a Tourism Ministry press release.

The statement goes on to say that investment took place after the operators secured a licence to operate by the Malta Tourism Authority, which in turn noted that the hotel received a 5-star operating licence as it exhibited the highest standards. The hotel is locally employing some 100 workers.

Albert Galea, BayStreet Group CEO said: “It gives us great pleasure to open the first Hyatt-branded property in Malta, we have seen this project through from negotiation to opening and managed the build of this spectacular property in record time thanks to the dedication of the team and investors. We eagerly await the arrival of our guests and are confident that we will deliver on the Hyatt promise to make travel free from stress and filled with success.”

The hotel is located on Sqaq Lourdes Street, across the road from the BayStreet complex.

Hotel manager Mark Vella added: “We are opening during challenging times but we are fortunate to have a great team working hard to provide local and international guests with energising experiences, all the while maintaining the high standards of the responsible and empathetic service that the Hyatt Regency brand is known for.”

The hotel offers a full range of services and amenities, with its design geared towards catering for productivity and stress-free stays.

The property houses an indoor and rooftop swimming pool, a spa by Carisma Spa & Wellness and the Hyatt StayFit Gym with state-of-the-art cardio and strength training equipment.

Business travelers at Hyatt Regency Malta will furthermore benefit from 479 square metres of flexible meeting, event and exhibition space which can accommodate from 10 to 200 guests

The hotel boasts three bars and restaurants, led by award winning executive chef Noel Azzopardi.

Seed, the main restaurant, overlooks the piazza and the historical Augustinian priory and is open all day. The rooftop bar by the pool, GIN-ger, caters for snacks and drinks against the backdrop of St George’s Bay. Lastly, Thyme, set just off the hotel’s lobby, caters for coffee and nibbles.

Within this new reality, we come to appreciate that small is also beautiful.  Boutique accommodations offer comforts, luxuries and intimate surroundings, away from the hustle and bustle of crowds and large numbers, meaning lower risks and ideal for a personal break, small incentive or for an exclusive corporate meeting.

Our islands boast several such properties located including historical palazzos in quaint streets, that are eagerly waiting to welcome you back.

Today we visited the Embassy Hotel in our Capital City Valletta. This project should reach completion in December 2020 and will host the largest amount of bedrooms within the city walls.

The hotel will comprise of 81 spacious deluxe and superior rooms with various meeting facilities, wellness and fitness areas complimented by an amazing 7th floor heated infinity pool overlooking Manoel Island and Marsamxett Harbour.

Bursting with design and great potential, The Embassy will definitely be buzzing with guests in the very near future!

Oh and they have a fabulous Go Green scheme going on for every bedroom booked, a little chip goes towards making the City greener! Well done on this initiative!

Among the rocky shores of Malta and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea is the Corinthia St George’s Bay Hotel.  QP’s Interior Design team have been entrusted with the complete renovation of a number of suites.

The new design intends to envelop and immerse the guest in an atmosphere of comfort and relaxation yet. QP’s Interior designer’s goal was to blend the calmness of the island’s lifestyle and the elevated elegance that is expected from five-star hospitality product such as the Corinthia Hotels.

Inspired by the warm Maltese sun and the limestone-lined streets, as well as the blue hues of the Mediterranean Sea, the design of the refurbished rooms oozes the peacefulness, and Mediterranean warmth one expects to find on an island.  The simple wall panelling, in both lounge and sleeping quarters, lends itself to creating the coastal feel, together with the seafoam blues used in the soft furnishings while the warm hues of the wood plank flooring, together with the accents of sunny golds bring warmth to the rooms.

Renovating the suites @ Corinthia St George’s Bay in such a short time frame, during the European shutdown was extremely challenging, yet it brought the best out of the QP team: efficiency, speedy problem solving, and strong teamwork; all while maintaining the highest quality of the design standard established by the Corinthia Brand.

The project was not only delivered on time but has also exceeded the client’s expectations!

Carried out in collaboration with the NGO Din l-Art Helwa, and funded by EU Funds and co-financed by the Malta Tourism Authority, Mellieha’s Iconic St.Agatha Tower, more commonly knows as The Red Tower, was reopened this week after extensive restoration on both its exterior and its interior.

This €306,000 restoration project is known as the Northern Coastal Watch and includes two other towers, one in Comino and one in Dwejra, Gozo, with a total investment of around 1 Million Euro.

The St Agatha Tower was built in 1649 by Grandmaster Lascaris of the Order of the Knights of St John, and is one of many defense towers which were built all over Malta and Gozo, hence its strategic position overlooking nearly all of Malta and Gozo. The Tower, which came to be known as The Red Tower, is under the remit of the NGO Din l-Art Helwa as from 1998.

Minister for Tourism, Julia Farrugia Portelli, speaking at the inauguration yesterday said that it is of great satisfaction that one of Malta’s Gems, which usually attracts some 30,000 tourists, has now been restored and conserved. She said that this project is part of the Government’s strategy, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to seize the opportunity, and enhance Malta’s Touristic and Cultural Heritage, through various restoration projects which are being carried out by the Malta Tourism Authority.

Find the full article here: https://bay.com.mt/watch-melliehas-iconic-red-tower-opens-after-major-restoration-project/

Nine Heritage Malta attractions have received the 2020 Travellers’ Choice Award from Tripadvisor in recognition of their outstanding service and quality. The results of this coveted award programme were based on the quality and quantity of the millions of reviews, opinions and ratings collected on Tripadvisor in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Heritage Malta attractions which have received this prestigious award are the megalithic temples of Ħaġar Qim and Ġgantija, the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, St Paul’s Catacombs, Fort St Angelo and Fort St Elmo (including the National War Museum), the National Museum of Archaeology, the Palace Armoury and Ta’ Kola Windmill.

These awards form part of the ongoing effort of Tripadvisor, which is the world’s largest travel platform, to support the recovery of the tourism and hospitality industry following the difficulties experienced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Tripadvisor’s view, through this programme, travellers can benefit from the real-life experiences of other people so that they can plan their perfect trip which meets their needs, budget and style. Winners of the Travellers’ Choice Awards consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of the sites on Tripadvisor.

“When considering how tough this year has been to our industry, such news encourages us to strive harder in order to keep ensuring the best service to our visitors. We’re passionate about our cultural heritage and these awards reflect our aim to excel in what we do,” said Heritage Malta CEO, Noel Zammit.

Find the full article here: https://bay.com.mt/wowzers-9-heritage-malta-attractions-receive-the-2020-tripadvisor-travellers-choice-award/

We are pleased to share the exciting news that the Malta Marriott Hotel & Spa will be reopening today,
the 1st of September. With this, we would like to update you on the steps they have taken in order to meet the new health and safety challenges presented by COVID-19.
As part of our housekeeping operations, they have a comprehensive set of cleaning protocols that are
designed to address a broad spectrum of viruses, including COVID-19, and include everything from
hand washing hygiene and cleaning product specifications, to guest room and common area cleaning
procedures.

Below are some of the measures they have in place:

• Implemented guidelines on chemicals and equipment to be used that are effective against
  viruses.
• Increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfection at high-volume areas and regularly
  touched surfaces. These include the counter at front desk, elevators, public bathrooms and
  room keys.
• Cleaning and disinfecting protocols are in place to sanitize rooms after guests depart and
  before next guest arrives.
• Increased frequency of cleaning in the ‘Back of House’, where hotel employees work behind
  the scenes.
• Increased associate health, safety and knowledge efforts, including hand hygiene protocols
  and specific COVID-19 related trainings.
• Introduced measures to minimize contact and reinforce social distancing.

Marriot Malta recognise that the COVID-19 virus has required all of us to be more thoughtful as we go about our daily activities. The staff would like to assure all it’s guests, that providing a safe and clean environment at the hotel, is their utmost priority.

Well done Marriot Malta, we look forward to working with you again soon!

The Regatta is a Traditional Rowing Event that has been held in Malta since the middle ages. The first professional Rowing Challenge started in 1955.

The traditional Regatta races are national events held twice yearly, that on the 31st of March on Freedom Day to commemorate the withdrawal of the British troops and the Royal Navy from Malta in 1979, and 8th September known as Victory Day. The latter has several roots as it marks the end of the Great Siege of Malta in 1565 and the end of French occupation on Malta in 1800, as well as the armistice of the Fascist regime in Italy in 1943, which saw the close of the Italian bombardment of the Maltese Islands.

The programme offers four to five hours of spectacle, with the best crews forming part of the rowing teams from the cities bordering the Grand Harbour. Cospicua, Kalkara, Marsa, Marsamxett (Valletta), Senglea, Vittoriosa and also Birzebbuga, participate in 10 races under two different categories using typical traditional Maltese boats like the ‘frejgatini’, ‘kajjikki’ and ‘dghajjes tal-pass and tal-midalji’. These boats were traditionally normal working watercraft which plied the local harbour.
Over the years these boats have evolved into racing craft with certain modifications. These are also examined and weighed before the start of and end of the races. The first three placings in each race are awarded a number of points and at the end of the Regatta, the club with the highest number of points, in the respective categories, is presented with the Aggregrate Shield.

In the past small flags in different colours were tied to the forestems of racing boats for purposes of recognition. The colours were allotted by the Collector of Customs. Colours have changed considerably over the years. Today the clubs can be recognised by their traditional colours which include Birzebbuga (Red-White-Blue), Cospicua (Light Blue), Kalkara (Green), Marsa (Red-Blue), Marsamxett (Valletta) (Yellow), Senglea (Red-Yellow), and Vittoriosa (Red).

The 1,040 metre race course is set up in the Valletta Grand Harbour where the magnificent Fort St Angelo provides an imposing backdrop to the sleek and colourful Maltese boats. A good crowd of spectators and supporters converge along the waterfront and the surrounding bastions to watch the races, which is sure to be a colourful and spectacular event worth watching. The races can be viewed from the water edge of the three cities (Birgu, Cospicua, and Senglea) or Valletta.