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Hotels within the walls

Surrounding Valletta are a series of honeyed, ancient walls and other fortifications that rise sharply from the Mediterranean Sea.

The city’s 16th-century roots, impressive fortifications and neat grid street pattern make it one of the most beguiling capitals in Europe, and certainly one of the sunniest – even winter days enjoy double-digit temperatures that rarely drop below 15C.

Many of the streets in central Valletta are narrow and traffic-free, so this is not the place to look for sprawling hotel complexes with swimming pools and flowing gardens. In fact, the handful of Valletta hotels within the walls that boast swimming pools have either created a rooftop oasis or found room in the basement.

Opportunities to practice your front crawl aside, the accommodation options in central Valletta cater for all budgets and tastes, including boutique suites with exquisite detailing and luxury extras, historic hotels with charming interiors, or basic rooms in Valletta’s cheap hotels and guesthouses.

Five-star Valletta hotels just outside the walls

If your dream holiday involves lush gardens, sumptuous lounges and white-linen dining, there are two world-class hotels within metres of the walls.

You can almost reach out and touch the outer walls of the fortifications from the gardens of the Hotel Phoenicia as you head to the pool, while the Grand Hotel Excelsior occupies a waterfront position just a few hundred metres further away.

Luxury hotels close to Valletta

You don’t have to stay in Valletta itself to see the best of it.

Just across Marsamxett Harbour is the resort town of Sliema. Regular ferries zip back and forth between here and Valletta, so it’s worth looking at hotels in

Sliema if you don’t want to stay in the centre of the city. Sliema boasts many shops, restaurants and hotels, ranging from cheap guesthouses to four and five-star luxury hotels from global brands.

Just north of Sliema is St Julian’s, which has more of a holiday vibe. It’s home to plenty of dining and entertainment options, including the nightclubs and bars of Paceville, which is Malta’s liveliest nightspot. You even get a small, sandy beach, which is a rare thing on this rocky island.

Consider a twin-centre break

If the mere mention of sand has sent you into a holiday-planning spiral of confusion, fear not, because you can easily split your time between the capital city of Valletta and one of this small country’s seaside destinations.

If buzzing St Julian’s doesn’t float your boat, consider splitting your holiday between Valletta and Mellieha Bay, in the north of the island – it’s home to Malta’s biggest sandy beach. The resort is low key and perfect for quiet family holidays, and hotels range from basic, apartment-style accommodation to palatial five-star hotels with spas.

You could also consider a twin-island holiday, staying for a few nights in one of the cheap hotels in Valletta and then hopping on the ferry to Gozo. It’s possible to book car hire in Malta and take your vehicle across to the smaller island, which is known for its Baroque architecture, excellent dive sites and laidback atmosphere.