Here in St Julian's, you’re in the hub of the busiest part of the entertainment side of Malta, within close walking distance of the island’s best restaurants, shops, bars, cinemas, entertainment centres, a Blue Flag sandy beach and casinos. 

Located in the heart of St George’s Bay lies Bay Street Complex – a unique blend of indoor and outdoor shopping, dining and leisure. The four-star be.HOTEL’s reception is inconspicuously located on the ground floor of the complex, with rooms that go up to 11 floors - an accommodation option I was given the pleasure of experiencing first hand.

Under a tight deadline, my first priority upon check-in was to sit down and work for a couple of hours before exploring the hotel. As the suite door swung open, I was immediately washed in a haven of calm and chic; a complete rhythm change to outside the hotel doors. Plush desks and chairs faced the huge windows overlooking the thriving St Augustine Road, while lighting and tech fittings were perfectly poised to accommodate my laptop and I. 

Later that afternoon, I had the pleasure of sitting down at Fornelli restaurant to meet with Director of Sales & Marketing Michael Zammit Marmara over a cappuccino, to learn more about this hidden gem of a hotel. The first thing we spoke about was the expansion currently taking place, due to be ready by late spring. The number of rooms has been increased over the last year so that the total will be brought up to 278. While all the rooms currently offer a working area within, the new larger rooms will boast stunning, unobstructed sea views, and some will also have balconies.

"Guest comfort is key here. At be.HOTEL, we're highly cognisant of the fact that many corporate guests are frequent travellers who live from a suitcase, going from one hotel room to another. For this reason, a Corporate Service has been designed, which is aimed at offering guests more service and more pampering, so that whilst staying with us, they feel as if they are at home," says Mr Zammit Marmara.

The Corporate Service includes all standard room amenities but with a multitude of add-ons, including a complimentary mini bar (replenished daily), a Dolce Gusto coffee machine in the room (also replenished daily), a 50-inch smart television (which guests can even connect to their own Netflix), a free ironing service (with a maximum of two items per day), inclusive breakfast, the wavering of city/eco tax, complimentary parking (subject to availability), free early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability), amongst others.

"Guest comfort is key here. At be.HOTEL, we're highly cognisant of the fact that many corporate guests are frequent travellers who live from a suitcase, going from one hotel room to another. For this reason, a Corporate Service has been designed, which is aimed at offering guests more service and more pampering, so that whilst staying at be.HOTEL, they feel as if they are home."

“We have looked at what will make life easier for our guests, and specifically for corporate clients. We have generated ideas on how to make it as comfortable and convenient as possible. The new rooms will retain the same style, standards and decor as the rest of the hotel, but we’ve had a think about what we could possibly add on to make the guest’s experience even better.”

A spectacularly plush infinity pool and pool bar on the 11th floor with an uninterrupted panoramic view will also be available to guests. Meanwhile, located on the tenth floor, the Panorama Conference Suite presents a sophisticated meeting room with private terraces overlooking St George’s Bay.

The conferencing facility can be configured to suit most arrangements for any type of meeting, conference, seminar or event with or without banqueting facilities, and can take up to 400 delegates. The suite has both wired and wireless network available with a lightning-fast fibre internet connection, making this venue superb for HD conference calls, multimedia streaming, online gaming and more.

What’s more, this area is fully self-sufficient. It has a large foyer area called the Panorama Suite Lobby, which is a venue ideal for small conferences or seminars, as well as board meetings or training sessions. The floor also offers its own kitchen, cloakroom, and bathrooms. Few four-star properties in Malta offer such a large and well-equipped conference set-up, complete with full sunlight!

Also worth mentioning for those who are attending conferences at other venues: the island’s largest conference rooms are all conveniently located within a five-minute walking distance of be.HOTEL, one of which is directly across the road. So even if the conference isn't taking place at the hotel's in-house conference facilities, it's still a less expensive and convenient over-night stay option.

Studio and two-bedroom fully-equipped apartments are also available for booking, which are more comfortable for corporate clients that are looking to stay for a longer duration.

A spa with four treatment rooms, inclusive of a hairdresser and nail salon are available at the ground floor of the hotel, and a gym is also available for guests who want to keep in shape!

While there, I had the pleasure of experiencing the hotel's lively Fornelli restaurant, run by maître d' Malcolm Vella and Chef Stephen Gatt, which will be renovated before summer to accommodate over 300 covers, inclusive of an outdoor terrace that can be open-air or enclosed. The team is dedicated to creating trattoria food with a difference, using unusual ingredients to create modern dishes that are firmly grounded in enduring Mediterranean tradition. We were on a half board menu during our stay, which included a dinner of three courses, with three delicious dish options for each course. For larger groups, a buffet is available, which includes fresh, seasonal dishes with local produce.

Later on and back in the room, it felt like a very well-kept home away from home, with a sizeable double bathroom for a nice hot shower, followed by our favourite Netflix program on television. We re-visited the restaurant the following morning for a fantastic breakfast, complete with hot and cold buffets.

be. HOTEL is the ideal hotel for travellers who are looking for affordable convenience and comfort, right in the middle of where it’s all happening. Finally, it’s worth mentioning that be.HOTEL is in affiliation with Preferred Hotels & Resorts, which ensures quality standards, but also allows for preferred customers to receive loyalty points when staying there.

For bookings and more information, visit be.HOTEL Malta.