The Phoenicia Malta

Floriana, Malta. Located just outside Valletta’s City Gate near the Triton Fountain, overlooking the bastion walls and Marsamxett Harbour.

The Phoenicia MaltaFloriana, Malta

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Opened: 1947
Rooms: 132rooms and suites
City: FlorianaMalta
Setting: CityEurope

Practical information

Address: The Phoenicia Malta
The Mall
Floriana FRN 1478
Malta
Telephone: +356 2122 5241
Official website: phoeniciamalta.com
Best available rate: Check availability

At a glance

132 rooms and suites (120 rooms and 12 suites).
Contessa Mediterranean restaurant, the Bastion Pool bar and restaurant, and afternoon tea in the circular Palm Court Lounge.
Infinity pool on the bastions, Phoenicia Spa & Wellness with indoor pool, sauna and steam room, and some seven acres of private gardens.
Located just outside Valletta’s City Gate near the Triton Fountain, overlooking the bastion walls and Marsamxett Harbour.

History

12 dates, written by Grand Hotels of the World from the sources below.

February 1902
The public works department first issues tenders for a “first-class” hotel outside Valletta, but the project stalls until after the First World War.
October 1924
A public notice calls for a modern 200-bed hotel as part of the redevelopment of Valletta’s entrance, championed by Prime Minister Gerald Strickland and his wife Margaret.
1936
Scottish architect William Binnie is commissioned to design the Art Deco building in Maltese limestone on the glacis of the fortifications.
1939
Almost complete at the outbreak of war, the finished wings are requisitioned by the British military for Royal Air Force personnel.
27 April 1942
Aerial bombardment causes extensive damage; reconstruction starts in 1944.
3 November 1947
Official opening in the presence of Lady Margaret Strickland, Archbishop Mikiel Gonzi and Governor Francis Campbell.
1964
The hotel hosts some of the official functions marking Malta’s independence.
1966
Charles Forte acquires the Phoenicia, which is refurbished between 1968 and 1970; an extra floor is added in the early 1990s.
8 November 1997
Rebranded Le Méridien Phoenicia after Forte’s takeover of Le Méridien.
2007 – 2014
Bought by Irish company Heuston Hospitality, which restores the Phoenicia name, then by the Hazeldane Group in June 2014.
2018
Reopens after a €15 million restoration and refurbishment.
Over the years
Guests include Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Edwina Mountbatten, Alec Guinness, Gérard Depardieu, Oliver Reed, Joaquin Phoenix and Arnold Schwarzenegger.