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A fifteen-minute ferry ride south of Valletta inside the fortified walls of Senglea, one of Malta’s Three Cities, you’ll find a 21-suite boutique hotel carved into the limestone of a 16th-century fortress. Built in 1554 by the Knights of Saint John (a sovereign Catholic religious and military order that ruled Malta from the 16th century until the late 1700s), the bastion acted as a defensive naval structure for centuries, later becoming the Admiralty's Head Office and headquarters of the Maltese Labour Party before being transformed into Cugó Gran Macina.
Opened in 2018 after 40,000 hours of restoration work and a multimillion euro investment, the 5* hotel is the first in Malta to become a member of Design Hotels, a collection of hotels recognised for their design and architectural originality. The next stage of its development includes turning the hand-dug WW2 air raid shelters under its foundations into a luxury subterranean spa. It has also recently bid to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Why stay at Cugó Gran Macina?
Situated a few minutes’ walk from Birgu and the Vittoriosa Marina, which is dotted with luxury yachts with cinematic names like Cool Runnings and Fast and Furious, the hotel offers quiet respite from the livelier capital city of Valletta, while also offering easy transport links via the ferry port, less than a ten-minute walk across a love-locked footbridge.
The unheated rooftop pool is also a highlight. Harbour-facing, it’s the perfect vantage point from which to spot local landmarks, including Fort St Elmo, St Lawrence Collegiate Church and The American University of Malta, which operates from a converted British Royal Navy workshop. Hotel service staff are also subtly eagle-eyed, regularly checking that you’re suitably fed and watered from the bar bites menu supplied by on-site restaurant, The Little Bastion. There’s also a 24-hour WhatsApp messaging service to assist with any champagne-shaped emergencies or brolly mishaps.
What are the rooms like at Cugó Gran Macina?
As a suite-only hotel, there are no bad rooms here. Most overlook the Grand Harbour and have a unique shape thanks to its history supporting Il-Macina, a crane that hoisted naval boats onto its roof for repairs until its dismantlement in 1927. Though it’s worth noting some have minimal windows and no view.
Room layouts vary between duplexes and mezzanine bedrooms; all of which come equipped with a kitchenette, open-plan lounge with LCD satellite TV, a bathroom stocked with Rituals toiletries, a king-sized bed, and complimentary Wifi that conveniently reaches the ferry port across the water.
Maltese Design studio Daaa Haus has also seamlessly merged the hotel’s historic charm with modern and minimalist design elements. The fort’s original vaulted ceilings remain in situ, with rich natural materials such as steel, marble, slate, oak and lava stone contrasting soft furnishings like tufted wool rugs and bespoke Italian sofas. History comes alive at times too, giving guests an authentic experience of bedding down in the Old World, as dustings of ancient limestone can sometimes rain down on dressers and windowsills overnight as the old rocks breathe.
The snag? The hotel’s fortress roulette policy means you’re not guaranteed a specific room when you book.
What are the restaurant options at Cugó Gran Macina?
The Little Bastion restaurant is open for breakfast from 7.30am to 10.30am seven days a week, with dinner served from Wednesday to Sunday from 6.30pm. The space accommodates 100 diners on the ground floor of the hotel, where guests can choose to eat inside or on the al fresco terrace. Breakfast is served a la carte from a menu made up of Mediterranean-inspired dishes, including shakshouka and laffa bread, gorgonzola and mushroom omelette and American-style pancakes. The juice special and fruit bowl options also change daily, adding a little low-stakes jeopardy when ordering each morning.
Come evening, head chef Johann Costa, who took the reins in March 2024, combines local and seasonal ingredients to create dishes with a strong seafood influence. Options include grilled octopus tentacle in BBQ sauce, pan-seared scallops in green pea puré and confit salmon with crème fraîche and Ikura caviar. Meat-free diners aren’t left behind either; if anything, they’re given special attention. The watermelon ‘tuna’ served with feta, beetroot and balsamic vinegar takes between 12-24 hours to prepare and offers a succulent and refreshing small plate that’s equal parts tangy and moreish.
There’s also an extensive wine cellar that champions local Maltese winemakers alongside international imports to speak of. We tried the 2024 Gran Cavalier Sauvignon Blanc, a crisp, citrusy and dry white that holds its own against more popular bottles from France or New Zealand.
Are there spa facilities at Cugó Gran Macina?
While the hotel doesn’t have a permanent spa, it does offer in-room massage and beauty treatments provided in partnership with Ikigai Holistic. During my visit, I opted for a 60-minute full-body aromatherapy massage with Marina, a Yugoslavian physiotherapist who can best be described as a character. When I dozed off towards the end of the hour, she assured me, ‘the body remembers even if the mind does not.’
Cugó Gran Vittoriosa, the collection’s second property located in the historic Palace of the Captains of the Galleys, is also due to open in the next few months, and will operate Sanus per Aquam, a state-of-the-art spa, alongside a fitness pavilion. It will also provide wellness packages including ‘mindful rituals’, ‘outdoor experiences’ and ‘restorative sleep environments’.
What’s the area like around Cugó Gran Macina?
Spanning just over half a square mile, Senglea is Malta's smallest locality and represents the more traditional side of the island. Compared to livelier areas like Valletta’s bar-stacked Straight Street or late-night party district, Paceville (both 20 minutes away by car), it’s a sleepier and tourist-lite option for visitors looking for a slice of pre-gentrified Malta. Expect to see rows of colourful gallariji (decorative wooden balconies) and eclectic il-ħabbata (door knockers) as you amble through the backstreets.
If you’re looking for a gem hidden in plain sight, head to St. Michael’s Bastions, one of the country’s key defensive structures. During the Great Siege of 1565, when the Ottomans attempted to conquer Malta, the fort withstood a total of ten enemy attacks, earning Senglea the nickname ‘the unconquered city’. Today, only the outer bastions remain, but in May 2025, a €4.5 restoration project breathed new life into the fort’s entrance, walls, clock, gardjola and public square, making the lookout a secret kept between local dogwalkers and regulars at the nearby working men’s hall.
Details
Address: Cugó Gran Macina Grand Harbour Triq il-31 ta' Marzu Senglea, ISL 1040, Malta
Price per night: Fluctuates depending on season; suites range from approximately €218 to over €345 per night
Closest transport: Malta International Airport is a fifteen-minute drive away