The Phoenicia’s origins

After closing its doors for 15 months for a major refurbishment in 2015, The Phoenicia is back and even better than before, ready to accommodate the most discerning guests holidaying in Malta, as well as couples searching for the ideal venue for their wedding day.

The hotel’s ornate ceilings, large doors, grand arches and art deco interiors cannot be separated from the time during which The Phoenicia was constructed. Although works on the country’s first five-star luxury hotel began in 1936, its opening didn’t happen until 1947, after the end of World War II. “Lady Strickland, the wife of the then-governor of Malta Lord Strickland, saw potential for a luxury hotel in a prime location that would be beneficial to the island in the long run,” says Rob Bruno, the hotel’s Sales and Marketing Director. “Tourism back then wasn’t what it is today, but The Phoenicia always set a standard on the island, and although tourism boomed over the years, the hotel has maintained a high level of service, and has endured the test of time.”

Throughout the years, The Phoenicia has hosted a number of distinguished guests, not least Princess Elizabeth before she became Queen in 1952, who had a certain fondness for the hotel, particularly the ballroom. During her time living in Malta, while Prince Philip was stationed here with the British Royal Navy, she attended afternoon tea dances at the hotel’s ballroom on Sundays.

A complete refurbishment

The hotel closed its doors in November 2015, which is when works on the property formally began. Despite its scheduled opening, the renovation project hit some bumps in the road when a wall of historical value was discovered in the area intended to house the plant room, causing delays in the hotel’s re-opening. However, just like the obstacles back in 1936, the overdue wait was well worth it. The Phoenicia hotel made its mighty comeback in May 2017, and besides re-ascertaining its position as a leading hotel on the island, it also became the first hotel locally to become a member of the Leading Hotels of the World – a consortium of around 400 of the world’s top hotels, putting The Phoenicia on par with the likes of The Savoy, The Ritz and hotel Baur Au Lac.

A perfect wedding venue

The hotel’s main wedding venues are the Bastion Pool and the Grand Ballroom, followed by the Gazebo, the Rotunda, and the Green Lounges, the latter three more appropriate for smaller weddings.

“The Bastion Pool is our leading venue, and while it was already beautiful before, it is even more so now,” says Rob. The narrow garden passage leading to the Bastion Pool creates a romantic feel and air of expectation, and the features surrounding the venue, especially the bastions running by the side of the infinity pool and the gardens, give it an exceptional ambience. “The design of the area presents a contrast between the modern and the old, while highlighting its best features, namely the bastions, the pool, and the spectacular views over Marsamxett harbour. Additionally, although this outdoor venue is on the outskirts of a busy capital city, within the historic walls is quiet and tranquil, and the views it commands makes it a perfect setting for a gorgeous evening wedding.”

The Grand Ballroom is The Phoenicia’s most sought-after indoor venue, replete with impressive architectural details, new wooden flooring, and its very own private entrance. “Due to its historical importance, a lot of work went into documenting and faithfully replacing damaged parts of the venue, as well as restoring all of its existing features and upgrading its services,” says Rob. “Both venues have their own dedicated kitchen, so that all catering for a wedding can be done on location by a devoted team. Also, whenever we take a booking for an outdoor wedding, we automatically block a suitable indoor venue as a back-up, and the natural back-up for the pool area is the ballroom. Therefore, we never book more than one wedding on the same day. To this end, The Phoenicia has the advantage that the back-up venue for outdoors is an equally beautiful and prestigious venue inside.”

While the Bastion Pool, which is only available for evening weddings, has a capacity of up to 1,000 people and the Grand Ballroom up to 800, Rob asserts that both venues can be set up in such a way to accommodate half of its maximum capacity, through the skilful positioning of bars, tables and furniture.

A guarantee of quality

The venues, however, aren’t the only part of The Phoenicia’s weddings product offering that have changed. “Our chef, Daniel Debattista, has a lot of experience in his field, and has brought new, fresh ideas to the table which he expresses through his menus. This puts The Phoenicia ahead in what it’s offering, striking a good balance between flavour and simplicity, allowing the natural flavours of every ingredient to be articulated,” says Rob.

Apart from its stunning architecture, interiors and location, The Phoenicia offers a guarantee of quality; a factor that the hotel always prided itself on, that every member of the hotel is dedicated to achieve, and that is at the top of their list of priorities every day. “Another key aspect of our staff is experience – members of the team, who have worked either at the hotel or at other highly reputable hotels and venues for a long time, are dedicated to finding the ideal wedding set-up for every guest. This, combined with our guarantee of quality brings me to another important factor,” says Rob. “The Phoenicia doesn’t offer a ‘one size fits all’ package. Each event and wedding is different – we pride ourselves on tailoring the offering to every couple’s requirements, bringing their ideas, tastes and individuality, together with the input of our experienced team, to fruition.”

Chrystelle Doublesin, The Phoenicia’s dedicated Weddings Executive, sees the couple through the initial inquiry all the way to cutting the cake, poring over all details and arrangements that the couple want for their wedding day. At a later stage, the Banqueting Manager, Philip Lanzon – who’s been working at the hotel for 35 years and has encountered and solved every problem imaginable throughout his career, says Rob – steps in to discuss the set-up for achieving the ideal ambience and vibe for a wedding. Together, with the help of the rest of the team, they leave no stone unturned in helping couples achieve their vision for their wedding day.