The Best Hotel in Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua, Malta

This luxury waterfront hotel is one of the slickest in Malta, yet just a few years ago it would be unthinkable to find it in sleepy Senglea, which just shows how times have changed. It occupies a 300-year-old fort originally built by the Knights of the Order of St. John, but the building has had multiple lives, including being a shipmast repair yard and even the HQ of Malta's Labour Party. Sandy limestone and black slate floors weave around the building's original features, with sections of the old wall merging into the rooms themselves. There are only suites here, with those overlooking the Grand Harbour the most prized. The rooftop pool is a serene affair, and breakfast is served in the Little Bastion restaurant and bar.