The first time I ever heard of Malta I was sitting around the dinner table while visiting my cousins in Sicily. My grandfather's first cousin who lived in Palermo was given the honorary title of knight of Malta thanks to the many years he served as chief pilot for Air Malta in the '70s and '80s.
It wasn't until earlier this year that I heard of Malta again. A fellow fashion-industry friend had just gotten back from a trip. Another coworker stopped there on a 3-week jaunt throughout Europe. And a French acquaintance spent a week in Sliema while on summer holiday. All of a sudden, it seemed like more and more people in my orbit had just come from this tiny island-country that I'd barely heard of previously—and more were considering trips.
They're not the only ones who are doing so, either. Reuters confirmed that interest in European travel from the U.S. increased by an impressive 77% in 2022, thanks in part to a weaker Euro and post-COVID travel demand. Malta hasn't been that well-known to Americans, in part because there are no direct flights from the U.S., but that appears to be changing as more Americans seek out Malta for all the same reasons you'd want to visit say southern Italy or Greece—crystal-blue water, ancient towns, and a local wine and olive oil production—but without the crowds and steep prices. Now, a slew of new hotels are opening left and right in Malta, and among them is the AC Hotel St. Julian's where I stayed earlier this month to experience firsthand all that this country has to offer.
Situated in the coastal hamlet of St. Julian's, the hotel offered the perfect doorstep to exploring the best that Malta has to offer but with the sleek design and modern amenities I've grown accustomed to as an international traveler. It's equipped with a luxe rooftop pool that overlooks the bay, a lounge that highlights cocktails made with local spirits and a state-of-the-art gym with a second pool for indoor swimming.
In case, like me, you also found yourself typing Malta into Google Maps, I'll give you the footnotes. It's situated 50 miles south of Sicily and just 120 more to the east of Tunisia, giving it a unique blend of both European and North African influences. Just like Sicily, Malta was invaded countless times throughout history which has given it not just a storied past but a landscape marked with Baroque architecture. Even the Maltese language is a blend of Italian, French, and Arabic, a unique mix that sounded at once familiar and foreign to my Italian-speaking ears.
Here, I'm sharing my ultimate Malta travel guide for any future plans you might make (or be inspired to make) to the Mediterranean isle.
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