InterContinental Malta

The InterContinental brand encompasses both city-center luxury hotels and seaside beach resorts — and the InterContinental Malta manages to combine both genres under one roof. Its location, on the north side of St. Julian’s, is decidedly urban, convenient for both business travel and for nightlife and entertainment. But scarcely a hundred meters away is the beach at St. George’s Bay, a part of which is designated as the hotel’s private beach club — which we would argue means the InterContinental more than qualifies as a proper seaside resort.

Its rooms and suites lean perhaps a bit harder in the urban direction — the monochrome color scheme and minimalist décor would look at home in a city ten times the size of St. Julian’s. The hotel’s common spaces, however, underline the resort aspect — the terraced construction means there’s a surplus of indoor-outdoor space; the lower lagoon-style pool and the adjoining terrace lounge are perfectly idyllic, while the rooftop pool is a touch more dramatic.

A spa is present as a matter of course, along with its own indoor swimming pool; restaurants range from the uniquely named Waterbiscuit to the Narcis Pool Bar and the Sicilian-inspired Paranga.