Stay at Xara Palace travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises, spa and resorts

Xara Palace was built right into Madina‘s ramparts by Sicilian grandees back when the Crusader Knights of St. John ruled the island of Malta. A decade ago, a local family bought the derelict castle and spent years renovating and decorating it with Maltese antiques and paintings. They did a fantastic job, from planting olive trees in the atrium to putting an authentic wind-up gramophone on the landing. The contemporary restaurant on the roof has panoramic views to the coast that attract diners from all over the island, and the intact history of Mdina is known locally as ”The Silent City’‘ because traffic is normally banned from its maze of narrow alleyways between towering palaces, convents and churches. Photo by: Michel27

Little wonder that Xara has become a celebrity retreat, regularly welcoming high-profile guests such as Brad Pit, Sit Roger Moore, and Bruce Wills. The best of the seventeenth rooms is the romantic suite hidden up a twisting stone staircase and complete with huge illuminated outdoor hot tube. It is particularly inviting at night with a cocktail in hand and the lights of Valetta twinkling in distance. Photo by: kennedysmith