The Saint John
A life of leisure
Moneyed Merchants Street
Boutique Valletta hotel The Saint John pairs retro-inspired design with the historic details of a 17th-century Maltese home. Built in honey-coloured limestone, the building has all the features befitting a wealthy merchant: an interior courtyard, stately passageways and traditional wooden balconies (or Gallarija, as they’re known). In the rooms, things shift towards a more modern aesthetic, taking on the character of a gentleman’s weekend home with black-and-white photographs, wooden workbenches and brown leather chairs recalling the interior of a vintage sports car.
Facilities
Rooms
21, including two suites.
Checkout
Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
More Details
Rates usually include a buffet Continental breakfast, which includes freshly-baked bread and croissants, cold meats, fruit, yoghurts and freshly squeezed orange juice, served at the hotel's sister property – Rosselli – a few steps away.
Also
All of the hotel’s common areas are wheelchair accessible. There’s a lift to all floors, and some of the Comfort Rooms have wider doorways and larger bathrooms.
Free Internet Access
At the Hotel
Interior courtyard and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: flatscreen TV, minibar, espresso machine, tea-making facilities and free bottled water (on arrival).
Our Favourite Rooms
Superior Room number 201 feels particularly spacious thanks to its high ceiling and closed wooden balcony, which overhangs pedestrianised Merchants Street. Quad Rooms have two separate bedrooms, making them the go-to for families.
Packing Tips
An old-school camera and black-and-white film – an excellent way to capture the dramatic shadows cast by the Baroque buildings.
Also
Some of the rooms have glass bathroom doors, so be sure to ask when booking if that sounds a little too liberal for your liking...
Children
Over-4s are welcome at the hotel. There are no extra beds, but baby cots are available on request.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
One of the tables by the window, from which you’ll be able to watch the foot traffic along Merchants Street.
Dress Code
As you please – it’s distinctly laid-back.
Hotel Restaurant
Casual gastropub the Cheeky Monkey makes a significant stylistic departure from the hotel. Here, the look is much more utilitarian, with stripped wood tables, bright red banquettes and TV’s set to sports channels. The burgers, fish & chips and calamari are all popular, as are the crêpes, which make an excellent mid-afternoon snack. Those looking for traditional Mediterranean cuisine or a more formal setting may want to take to the surrounding streets, where options abound.
Hotel Bar
The Cheeky Monkey’s bar serves craft beers, classic cocktails and single malt whiskies. Try a Cisk beer, which is one of Malta’s own.
Last Orders
Breakfast is served at the hotel's sister property – Rosselli – from 7am to 10am; Cheeky Monkey serves from 10am to 10pm.
Planes
Malta International airport can be reached from many larger European airports. It takes 15 minutes to drive from there to Valletta. Smith24 can arrange flights and transfers; call anytime, day or night.
Trains
The arrival of buses spelled the end for Malta’s single-track railway, which closed in 1931.
Automobiles
It’s worth hiring a car if you plan to explore the rest of the island, but you won’t need one to explore Valletta or the other old cities across the harbour. Parking on the street is free, but finding a spot can be difficult, particularly during working hours. The Smith24 team can arrange car hire.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
The hotel’s central location puts you within easy walking distance of many of Valletta’s historic sights, including the Grand Master’s Palace, St John’s Co-Cathedral, the Manoel Theatre and Casa Rocca Piccola. To the southwest are the Upper Barakka Gardens, which are built on the city’s highest point. From here, you’ll get the the best views of the grand harbour; there’s also a midday gun salute from the 16th-century battery. For a contrast from crumbling palaces and Baroque artworks, try Blitz, an independent gallery and exhibition space that acts as a platform for much more contemporary (and sometimes radical) forms of art. If you’re hoping to see a little more of the island, you could hire a car and a driver from Prestige Cars, who offer an eight-hour package. There’s the old city of Mdina to the west, which is wreathed in 4,000 years of history and home to St Paul’s impressive hilltop cathedral; the apostle is said to have lived in a grotto near the city walls after being shipwrecked on the island in 60 AD.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
