The Xara Palace Relais & Chateaux

We had dinner at the Mondion, and both the food and service were excellent. Our room was spacious, with a marble bathroom, and the private rooftop hot tub came with a wonderful view. The Xara Hotel is full of history and sits right in the middle of Mdina. I can only recommend it.

The haute cuisine at de Mondion made the stay even more memorable, each dish creative, refined, and exceptional. From arrival at The Xara Palace until we left, everything felt just right, with comfort, class, and genuine hospitality. Many thanks to Silvia, Aurora, Lara, Laura, Afzal, and Nilam. Their warmth, kindness, and professionalism made us feel welcome and cared for at every turn. When we come back to Malta, we'll stay at The Xara Palace again without a doubt.

The town of Mdina is special and the palazzo is clearly historic, but it felt underinvested and poorly equipped as a hotel. Room 14 was noisy, worn, dated, and musty enough that it should come with a health warning. There's a hot tub on the terrace above it, directly over the bed area. On our second night the guests upstairs used it until 11.30pm, and the steady drone sounded like a car idling over our heads. We called reception, but got no response until I got dressed and went downstairs to say the noise was still going. I was told, “We phoned them, they said they would keep quiet”. Nobody followed up, knocked on their door, or found a solution. The next day I raised leaving early with the manager. We were only allowed to leave without a penalty after I said I would sue. The room also felt stale and what I'd call 'genteelly shabby', and sounds from the corridor carried through. The building deserves conservation, but it needs serious investment to work better as a hotel. Its five star rating is astonishing based on this stay, so I've taken stars off my review accordingly. The biggest surprise is that it flies the Relais & Châteaux flag. I've trusted that badge for a long time, but this stay made me wonder how carefully the portfolio is policed. The town is beautiful and the building is a beautiful shell, but the hotel was a profound disappointment. We won't return.

Our group of 11 had no issues at any point during the stay. That says a lot about the level of care at Xara Palace. The housekeeping team even gathered the charging cables we'd left scattered around and rolled them up neatly beside the chargers. At breakfast, Lindsay was always smiling and attentive, while the reception team, Matthias, Silvia, Sara, and Aurora, were excellent. Matthias is a walking library, and Silvia is a wizard at organizing things. The help started well before our long weekend. Mark Vella, the general manager, and Silvia, his right hand, gave us tips and recommendations and helped arrange dinners, airport pickups, and other transport. I organized the group trip, and their planning gave us confidence it would go well. Staying in Mdina is special in itself. It's known as the quiet city because regular car traffic isn't allowed. Walking its medieval streets, which have featured in Game of Thrones and other movies, felt like stepping back in time. It's an otherworldly place. The hotel sits along Mdina's outer wall, and rooms facing outside have panoramic views you won't want to leave. Xara Palace also has a Michelin star for its Mondion restaurant, a real treat for fine dining fans. The Trattoria just left of the entrance is worth recommending too: five star food and service at a three star price. Between the setting, view, hospitality, and food, this is an amazing five star hotel experience. We absolutely recommend staying here. Why would you choose anywhere else?