Iniala Harbour House

Iniala Harbour House is a boutique hotel that occupies a series of connecting townhouses on Valleta’s bustling waterfront, drawing an A-list crowd to its contemporary rooms (and popular rooftop).

• The contrast between the sleek, individually-designed contemporary rooms and the historic townhouse setting
• The Iniala Spirit, the hotel’s private yacht for day trips to the beaches and other Maltese explorations
• The rooftop overlooking Valletta’s harbor

Set in a series of five connecting townhouses on the harbor in Valletta, Iniala Harbour House opened just before Covid as the first true luxury hotel in the Maltese capital. 

There are only 23 rooms—no two exactly alike—with half facing the harbor and half looking back to the historic old town. And while the façades of the townhouses are historic—complete with traditional Maltese gallarijas, or enclosed wooden balconies—the interiors are contemporary. Turkish design atelier Autoban transformed the spaces, adding leather headboards, modern wall art, and sectional sofas. Quite a few suites are more like apartments with kitchenettes and large closets. These appeal to actors like Joaquin Phoenix and Russell Crowe, who have stayed here while filming in Malta. The rooms are large and stylish, definitely the sleekest on the island.

The hotel has a fabulous rooftop restaurant, with views of the harbor, and is open for brunch (7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) and dinner. They do have a boat—a 44-foot Riva Rivarama named Iniala Spirit—to take people to the beach in the summer, and one suite has a hot tub, but there is no pool.

Couples who want sexy rooms in a centrally located place.