The Forbes Travel Guide has returned for another year, awarding the world’s best hotels, restaurants, spas and cruises. And as for the luxury hotel department, one Maltese destination nestled right in the capital managed to yet again win the highest possible honour: a five-star rating!
Malta had 10 hotels featured in the 2023 Forbes Travel Guide, with five making the Recommended List and another four being awarded Four Stars. But in the end, the top honour went to only one: Iniala Harbour House, overlooking Valletta’s Grand Harbour.
Last year, the luxurious boutique hotel became Malta’s first and only to receive the top rating, with everything from beautiful bedding and helpful housekeeping to memorable drinks and thoughtful guest room amenities being among the things taken into consideration.
More than 2,000 properties in 70 different countries are asseessed, with up to 900 standards being taken into consideration. “Only the best of the best achieve the coveted five-star, our highest rating,” Forbes Travel Guide editor Jennifer Kester had said back in April 2022.
With 23 rooms and a Michelin-star restaurant, Iniala Harbour House offers everything from private plunge pools and jacuzzis to fully-equipped kitchens… and it sure looks like it’s managed to retain the top honour it won just last year!
Meanwhile, the Corinthia Palace Hotel managed to retain its four stars from last year, while the Hyatt Regency was bumped up from the Recommended list to four stars. The Phoenicia and The Westin Dragonara Resort, meanwhile, debuted on the list with the impressive four-star rating.
These SEVEN Maltese hotels won Forbes Travel Guide’s 2022 Star AwardsSummer 2022’s well on track to be the season where travel makes a huge comeback, so it’s no surprise that competition in the hospitality industry’s just growing fiercer and fiercer…
The latest honour which hotels and restaurants around the globe have been fighting for is none other than the Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) Star Award.
Every year, this internationally followed travel site gathers the best and most luxurious hotels, resorts, restaurants, and spas from all over the world into one list. Every listed establishment then receives one of three ratings: recommended, four-star, or five-star – the latter being the most prestigious.
This year saw FTG publish its 64th annual list, in which critics reviewed establishments from a handful of new destinations, such as the Canary Islands, Greece, Ibiza, and Malta!
It’s safe to say that Malta kicked off its entry into the FTG Star Awards with a bang, as seven hotels around the islands were deemed good enough to make it onto the list. Here are the seven local hotelswho won the FTG awards as follows:
- Corinthia Palace Malta – 4-Star
“Like a set from the 1960 movie ‘La Dolce Vita’, the Corinthia brand’s first hotel – with 147 rooms, including nine suits, six Executive Suites, and two Palace Suites – is a place for those who enjoy classic architecture, traditional décor, formal service, and culinary excellence.” - Hyatt Regency Malta – Recommended
“With more than 10 stories, plus a ‘barrier-free’ roof deck (it’s surrounded by glass panels), Hyatt Regency Malta has one of the best views in town.” - Iniala Harbour House – 5-Star
“Like a place you’d imagine Romeo and Juliet holding secret rendezvous, the Malta hotel’s ancient vaults are magical. The best way to enjoy one of these vaults is a soak in the spa’s indoor pool.” - Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz – Recommended
“Kempinski San Lawrenz makes a wonderful base from which to explore the island’s beaches, bays, and historical sites. If you need a ride, the hotel offers a complimentary bus to capital city Victoria and Ramla Beach.” - Malta Marriott Hotel & Spa – Recommended
“Throughout the property, from the open dining terraces to the seafront-facing rooms, you are treated to a view of Balluta Bay, the beach, and the stunning neo-Gothic architecture of the Parish Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, along with landmark art nouveau and art deco buildings.” - Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Golden Sands – Recommended
“Everywhere you look at Radisson Blue Resort & Spa, Golden Sands, the beautiful Mediterranean Sea calls, with gentle waves of pristine saltwater lapping against the shore of Golden Bay Beach.” - Rosselli – AX Privilege – Recommended
“Each of the rooms is striking and uniquely decorated in black, white, and grey hues. Furnishings look like they were curated by the Museum of Modern Art.”
Click here to see the full list of international winners.
Article credits: https://www.guidememalta.com/en/these-seven-maltese-hotels-won-forbes-travel-guide-s-2022-star-awards
Valletta, Malta, Named As The Best European City For WellnessWhat does it mean to be well? Our health and well-being rely on a number of factors, including the environment we live in, the exercise we get, and the ability to relax and enjoy the simple things in life. Now, in light of COVID, it seems that we are all seeking to be the healthiest that we can be.
The GAP Jeans Department decided to carry out a study to reveal the wellbeing hotspot of Europe. Obviously, in the hope you would wear your favorite skinny jeans as you comfortably globe-trotted around the world!
The study analyzed 28 capitals of the EU and the UK, investigating several factors that contribute to wellness, with Valletta, Malta named the winner. The criteria included:
· The amount of air pollution in each city
· The percentage of green space in each city
· The number of running clubs in each city per capita (per 100,000 people)
· The number of gyms in each city per capita
· The number of spas in each city per capita
· Google searches for healthy food and snacks in each city per capita
· The hours of sunlight in each city
· Drinking water quality in each city
The analysis dives into each factor, finally measuring a total score to find the best European capital for wellness.
Hitting the top of the charts for wellness is Valletta. The Maltese capital scores 100 on the wellness index thanks to its health and fitness fanaticism. In fact, Valletta achieves high scores across the board, including a large number of running clubs (21), 13 spas, and hours of sunlight.
Brussels and Helsinki took second and third on the index with scores of 88 and 87.
Back to Malta – there is a lot to love. This archipelago located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, has been acclaimed for its luxurious accommodations, warm climate, and 7,000 years of history. A visit to Malta is to immerse oneself in centuries of history while enjoying the very best of modern life and curated experiences to meet each traveler’s personal desires. Malta has been acclaimed for its posh accommodations, including luxury hotels, historic boutique hotels, Palazzos, private villas, and historic farmhouses. You can stay in a restored 16th– or 17th-century palazzo, delight in luxury accommodation built into fortifications of an ancient city, with views across the Grand Harbour, or seek out the character of the many beautiful boutique hotels dotted throughout Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage capital, as well as throughout Malta and its sister island of Gozo.
The Malta Michelin Guide highlights the outstanding restaurants, breadth of cuisine styles, and culinary skills found in Malta, Gozo, and Comino. The winners of the first stars to be awarded in Malta are:
•De Mondion – Chef Kevin Bonello
• Noni – Chef Jonathan Brincat
• Under Grain – Chef Victor Borg
In addition to the Michelin starred restaurants, Malta, of course, also offers travelers a diverse culinary experience, from the traditional plate of eclectic Mediterranean food curated by a relationship between the Maltese and the countless civilizations that occupied the island. One can also enjoy gourmet meals cooked by a private local chef at your luxury villa or historic farmhouse in Gozo. Menus are changed frequently according to season, availability, or the chef’s impulse.
Many historic sites can be booked for after-hour private tours. St. John’s Co-Cathedral Tours is one example. Completed in 1577, The St. John’s Co-Cathedral was designed by Girolamo Cassar, a praised Maltese architect also responsible for building the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta.
And don’t forget a trip to the vineyards! Now winning accolades in international competitions, Maltese vineyards are renowned in particular for their high-quality boutique wines. Connoisseurs will especially appreciate the indigenous Maltese grapes – the girgentina and the gellewza.
To your health!
