The Embassy Valletta Hotel

In the eyes of the travel world, the capital of Malta has been transformed seemingly all at once — from a well-preserved 16th-century city to something much more glamorous and, in places, more modern. Though it stands on the site of one of Valletta’s original 19th-century hotels, the Embassy is more a reincarnation than a renovation; its spaces, both public and private, pay tribute to tradition but are ultimately the very picture of contemporary boutique-style luxury hospitality.

The rooms are sleek but not minimalist, decorated in a blend of monochromes and rich secondary colors, and outfitted with the latest luxury-hotel comforts, both high-tech and low. The better ones have terraces or balconies overlooking the city — still a fantastically picturesque World Heritage site — or the sea, in the distance over the city’s rooftops.

The finest view, however, is reserved for the hotel’s own rooftop, with its outdoor swimming pool and its glass-walled Mediterranean restaurant; it’s joined on the ground floor by a Japanese restaurant, a café, and a courtyard lounge. Meanwhile the Embassy’s location in the middle of the old city places all the best that Valletta has to offer right at your feet.