The Phoenicia Malta stands at the gateway to Valletta, the UNESCO-listed capital, set in seven acres of private gardens on the edge of the bastions. Malta’s first five-star hotel, dating to the 1930s, it has 132 rooms and suites in a classic-meets-contemporary style, many with harbour views. Dining centres on Contessa, the signature restaurant built on seasonal southern Mediterranean produce, with the open-air Bastion Pool restaurant, Beefbar in the City, the Art Deco Palm Court Lounge for afternoon tea and the Club Bar. The 1,200-square-metre spa is built around an uncovered 16th-century fortification wall from the Knights of St John, with an indoor pool, sauna, steam room and a Himalayan salt room. The Bastion Pool is an infinity-edge pool overlooking Marsamxett Harbour and the bastions, and the gardens include a vegetable garden and citrus orchard that supply the kitchens. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, it suits couples and culture-minded travellers who want a historic Valletta landmark with gardens, a spa and fine dining.