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Five-star San Anton, about 4 km from Mdina, Mdina

Corinthia Palace Malta

The villa where the Corinthia group began in 1962, with a garden wing added in 1968, next door to the San Anton Gardens and the President's palace.

Book with the hotel for Corinthia Palace Malta (opens in a new tab) Fly to Mdina

Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.

Opened
11 June 1968, by Prince Philip
Forbes Travel Guide
Four stars, 2026
From the airport
About 15 to 20 minutes from Malta International

The hotel

Where Corinthia started.

The house was built in the early 1900s as Villa Refalo, an Italianate villa for a chief justice of Malta. Paul Pisani bought it shortly before he died in 1960, and his family let it out for weddings. On 6 December 1962 they opened a restaurant there. Josephine Pisani called it Corinthia, after the Ancient Greek style of its interior, and the name went on to cover a whole hotel group.

Alfred Pisani, then 23, borrowed to build a hotel in the garden. Government support needed at least 150 rooms, so a plan for forty grew to 156. Dom Mintoff, later prime minister, oversaw the building work, and Prince Philip opened the hotel on 11 June 1968. It hosted the Commonwealth heads of government in 2015 and a six-million-euro upgrade of the rooms and spa followed in 2018.

  • Athenaeum Spa Seven treatment rooms, an indoor pool and an adults-only Vitality Suite with sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy pool.
  • Gardens and pools A split-level outdoor pool set in formal English gardens, with the public San Anton Gardens just over the wall.
  • Dogs welcome Pets are accepted on request, and dogs have a pool of their own, the Palace Pups Pool.

Rooms & suites

Balconies over the gardens.

Rooms run from about 30 to 90 square metres, and each has a private balcony.

  • Rooms Deluxe and Grand Deluxe rooms The largest group of rooms, with balconies facing the gardens or the surrounding streets.
  • Garden side Premium Rooms Twenty-one rooms looking over the hotel gardens.
  • Suites Deluxe, Grand and Signature suites Sixteen suites, each with a living room and a walk-in wardrobe; the Executive Suites come with lounge access.

Dining

Dinner in the old villa.

Restaurants as listed by the hotel and Forbes Travel Guide; the MICHELIN mention is from the MICHELIN Guide Malta. Shown for information.

  • Bahia MICHELIN Guide Creative Maltese Tyrone Mizzi, on the upper floors of Villa Corinthia
  • Villa Corinthia Italian Francesco Mazzei
  • Rickshaw Far Eastern Tables outside under the stars
  • Josephine's Coffee and plant-based food In the lobby and gardens
  • Caprice Lounge Drinks Lounge and gardens

Good to know

Before you go.

  • Arrival Check-in from 2 pm, check-out by noon.
  • Children Welcome at any age. Children under 12 stay free in an existing bed.
  • Pets Accepted on request; a charge may apply.
  • Getting about A courtesy bus runs to Valletta and to Riviera Beach. Parking is free.

Getting there

Flying to Mdina.

Malta International Airport at Luqa, the island's only airport, is about fifteen to twenty minutes away by car, our estimate. Private jets use the same airport, where Executive Aviation Malta receives them. Mdina is about four kilometres west of the hotel.

Business & First Class Airline flights Heathrow, Gatwick, Paris, Zurich and Istanbul are on the network of KM Malta Airlines; British Airways comes in from Gatwick and Lufthansa from Frankfurt, while Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines connect the island with the Gulf and Istanbul. Request a fare Private Jet Private aviation Executive Aviation Malta, now part of the ExecuJet network, receives private aircraft with its own lounges, help with customs and a meet-and-assist service, so passengers can be on the road to Mdina soon after landing. Request a jet
Approximate flying time by midsize jet to Mdina
  • Milan 1 h 50
  • Geneva 2 h 05
  • Zurich 2 h 10
  • Paris 2 h 40
  • London 3 h 05

Questions

What guests ask first.

Does Corinthia Palace have a MICHELIN Key?
No. The hotel is in the MICHELIN Guide's hotel selection without a Key. In Mdina, the Key went to The Xara Palace.
How far is Corinthia Palace from Mdina?
About four kilometres, a short drive west through Attard and on to the walled city.
Can we bring our dog?
Yes, on request, and a charge may apply. The hotel has a small pool for dogs.
Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Mdina?
Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Mdina, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.

Also in Mdina

Other hotels worth the trip.

All of Mdina

Staying at Corinthia Palace Malta?

Book the room, then the flight.

Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Mdina, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.

Book with the hotel for Corinthia Palace Malta (opens in a new tab)
Business & First Private Jet

Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.