Cugó Gran Maċina Grand Harbour, the luxury 21 suite hotel which opened this year in Senglea, Malta is the ideal place for a weekend escape. As well as boasting 300 days of sunshine a year, there is plenty to do and see; from marvelling at the stunning architecture showcasing over 7,000 years of history, and exploring little-known Senglea to enjoying world-class museums and delicious food, it’s no surprise that fabulous hotels are opening up in response.
As a member of Design Hotels™, and the only Design Hotel in Malta, Cugó Gran Maċina Grand Harbour is a centrepiece of the Cottonera Regeneration Project that has also recently seen the transformation of the Vittoriosa waterfront, which the hotel overlooks. Juxtaposing the old with the new, the design of Cugó Gran Maċina Grand Harbour celebrates Malta’s impressive heritage, giving guests a great sense of place, whilst elegant, contemporary furnishings create an inviting, relaxing atmosphere.
Here are our top four reasons to book a stay at Cugó Gran Maċina Grand Harbour:
A chance to unwind with Sunrise & Sunset Yoga sessions on the Roof Top Pool Terrace
With spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea, set against the imposing backdrop of the old fortress of Sheer Bastion, Cugó Gran Maċina Grand Harbour’s roof top pool terrace is the ideal location for revitalising sunrise and sunset yoga sessions.
Led by Sarah Yoga Love's yoga instructor, Sarah Muscat, guests can take part in weekly sunset yoga classes every Thursday evening. The classes last for an hour and thirty minutes and aim to release anxiety and tension whilst restoring both mind and body. Sunrise yoga sessions are also available daily from 6.15 am until 7.15 am, and are the perfect way to start the day. Classes cost €13.00
Eat exquisite food at Hammett’s Maċina Restaurant in Senglea, Malta
Hammett’s Maċina is located within the hotel and is run by celebrated Maltese chef Chris Hammett. This popular restaurant offers up a modern take on traditional, Mediterranean culinary influences that date back to Phoenician times, using fresh, high-quality produce.
The menu changes to reflect each season; with the autumn menu featuring delicious warming dishes such as braised pork belly and Riso Acquerello, a goat’s cheese fondue with rosemary and caramelized onions.
In addition to the normal daily menu on offer, there will also be several special festive menus for guests to enjoy over the Christmas period, including a Christmas Eve tasting menu with five courses of decadent dishes for guests to sample, including mouth-watering slow cooked salmon and a sumptuous chocolate parfait. There will also be a set Christmas Day menu, which offers guests the chance to choose between the traditional choice of roast turkey (the Maltese were ruled by the British from 1800 until 1964 and so adopted some of their Christmas traditions) or the delicious alternatives of refreshing red snapper or fillet of beef. Vegetarians can also partake in the set menu, as there is a vegetarian option for every course, with dishes such as vegetable ratatouille and ricotta and walnut tortellini on offer.
Hammett’s will also be hosting a New Year’s celebration, where guests can eat delectable food, whilst enjoying drinks from the open bar, accompanied by a jazz band headed by Carlo Muscat. To continue the celebration, guests can also choose from a set menu on New Year’s Day, which includes tasty choices such as Jerusalem artichoke velouté and perfectly cooked duck breast served with an apple jus. Guests of Cugó Gran Maċina Grand Harbour can get a 10% discount on dinner and drinks when they pre-book for any meal.
Head off the beaten path and explore the beautiful town of Senglea
Cugó Gran Maċina Grand Harbour is ideally placed for guests to explore a lesser-known part of Malta and to escape from the tourist crowds of Valletta. Senglea is the smallest of Malta’s three fortified cities, but still has a lot to offer with numerous churches, palaces, and forts to explore, as well as a newly renovated promenade. The Marina is home to impressive yachts such as the Maltese Falcon, whilst the Birgu waterfront is a lively night spot with an abundance of restaurants, bistros, wine bars and cafés set along the water’s edge. Popular tourist attractions to visit are the Maritime Museum, Inquisitors Palace, and the historical Fort St. Angelo, whilst the attractions of Valletta are only a 5-minute boat ride away.
Be one of the first visitors to Malta's new Muża Museum of Modern Art
Created as a flagship project to celebrate Valletta winning the Capital City of Culture title in 2018, Muża is a national-community art museum, the first of its kind. Set to open in Valletta in early 2019, Muża will have super green credentials; generating its energy through renewable resources, whilst still blending seamlessly into its surroundings, as it will be housed in one of Malta’s most famous historic buildings, the former Auberge D’Italie.
Once open, Muża will be three times the size of the existing Fine Arts Museum in Valletta, and will feature artwork from both local and international artists, including work from renowned artists Melchiorre Gafà and Antonio Sciortino. Muża recently announced that it is collaborating with several artists to create 21 unique short films celebrating these artists’ muses to prepare for a later exhibition.
Muża will be a welcome addition to Malta’s art scene, and to Malta’s local community as well, since one of its key aims is to promote greater participation from locals through a story-based narrative of display with related objects.
New for 2019
Cugó Gran Maċina Grand Harbour will be unveiling exciting new initiatives for guests visiting in 2019; including the creation of a new Wellness Garden on the rooftop terrace, which will give guests a space to fully unwind whilst enjoying spectacular views of the surrounding harbour.
Guests can also look forward to the debut of a new monthly cinema club, which will showcase a range of different films each month – watch this space to see what Cugó Gran Maċina Grand Harbour has in store!