Xara Palace Hotel

Misrah il-Kunsill, Mdina 1050, Malta

A 17th-century nobleman’s home in a village, the Relais & Châteaux Xara Palace can easily claim to be one of Malta’s most exclusive and desirable destinations. One corner of the hotel forms the towering ancient walls of Mdina, the city that once called itself capital – now simply a small tangle of cobbled limestone streets. The bedrooms are decorated with period furniture, tapestries and antiques; certain suites have terraces and jacuzzis and floor-to ceiling marble bathrooms with windows that open up to views of the island. De Mondion, the hotel’s restaurant, overlooks the bastion walls and the menu is Maltese with plenty of fine meats and fish. Doubles from £165.