From Hilton Malta’s floor-to-ceiling windows in their main lobby, guests can view out onto the azure blue waters of the property’s swimming pools and the glistening Mediterranean Sea. Such an image captures the grandiose nature of this 410-room, five-star hotel located at the end of a cul-de-sac in Portomaso, a waterfront development in St. Julians. It’s no wonder that Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and their entire entourage took over an entire floor of the hotel last year while filming the upcoming feature By the Sea.
Inside the ninth-floor relaxation suite, an oblong claw-foot tub sits plumb in the center of the bathroom, where you can immerse yourself in wonderful panoramic sights of Malta while bathing. It also features a generous outdoor balcony for even more prime views.
Though a public beach is a mere five-minute walk away, the hotel offers four outdoor pools, including a seawater one with a sandy area, two paddling areas for children, and an outdoor whirlpool. It also has a spacious, two-floor indoor sports center with a multi-room spa, a fully-equipped gym, swimming and plunge pools, sauna and steam room. A series of daily classes are also hosted here in a large dance studio, ranging from yoga to Pilates, aerobics and spinning.
On property there are also two squash courts and a floodlit tennis court with coaching classes available, and the nearby Merkanti Beach Club provides additional activities such as scuba diving. Other leisure activities in the area include a casino, bowling alley and cinema. For business guests, the hotel’s conference center adjacent to the main building can accommodate between 80-1,330 delegates. Or they can utilize the business center above Portomaso Yacht Marina which has eight rooms and a banquet hall providing flexible space for up to 480 visitors.
Diversity characterizes the dining options at the Hilton Malta, with local Mediterranean dishes, Italian and Thai all served within indoor and outdoor venues. The Oceania Restaurant offers a relaxed ambience with a comprehensive buffet and fresh seafood, while Bottega Del Vino is a rustic eatery overlooking the Yacht Marina featuring stylish dark wood furnishings. The sophisticated Blue Elephant Restaurant—lush with tropical foliage, flowers, exotic tapestries and a flowing waterfall and river feature—presents a variety of choices, both in food and beverage with the cocktail menu alone covering two full pages. The Royal Thai Menu is a veritable feast of food.
When plates and bowls began to arrive, each trumping the previous in delicacy of taste, I felt like Yul Brynner in The King and I. The dishes included strips of grilled marinated chicken served with a cucumber and peanut sauce; and minced lamb stuffing with sweet and sour sauce; crisp golden cakes with prawns and sweet corn. And these were just some of the starters, what followed included five mains of lamb curry, marinated duck and exotic flavors.
Aside from its range of activities and dining options, the Hilton Malta also provides an attractive base from which to discover some of the island’s traditions, cultural heritage and modern lifestyle. With Maltese history dating back to 4,000 B.C. as illustrated by its mysterious ancient temples and stories of invaders as diverse as the Phoenicians and Crusader Knights, there is much to see and do. Luckily they are also within easy travel from the hotel.
