S
eeking the charm of
an old palazzo hotel���and
the best views in Malta���I
followed a labyrinth of Mdina���s
byways. Xara Palace, situated
atop the walls within the
confines of the country���s most
thoroughly preserved walled
city, itself perched atop the
island, slumbers on its own
small square with the most
charming of caf�� restaurants
at the center, other likeminded
aristocratic facades all round.
Considered by many the
premier old world place to
stay in Malta, the Hotel is an
ancient building, a 17th century
palazzo, marvelously Baroque
in style. An exclusive, family run
hotel, the Xara Palace has just
seventeen rooms and suites,
each individually designed
to include antiques and old
paintings. Its diminutive size
and five stars make it a gem
of history and luxury. The walls
of the palazzo are integrated
into the bastions of the fortified
medieval city.
