Le Méridien Malta paints it purple for SPG

The launch of the SPG awareness week started with a bang this Monday at Le Méridien Malta, with a Guest Cocktail Party proudly representing the colours of SPG and involving our dedicated Management Team, available to present customers with all the advantages the program has to offer. All throughout the week, our hotel guests checking in at the front desk will be greeted by enthusiastic receptionists wearing SPG T-shirts purposely printed for the occasion. All arriving customers are being offered a delicious home-made SPG cupcake as a welcome treat, prepared with passion by Le Méridien kitchen brigade. Our maintenance and housekeeping departments worked hand in hand to bring the SPG theme alive throughout our premises: countless purple balloons filled up with helium are nicely covering up the ceiling of our lobby, whilst the façade was decorated with a huge Starwood Preferred Guest banner hanging down from the top of the building. Last but not least, guests and associates alike can’t stop talking about the impressive highlight of the week… As soon as the sun goes down, passers-by on Balluta Bay Promenade can indeed enjoy an unusual sight: the entire facade of the hotel prettily lighting up with a distinctive purple halo...

Interview with our Executive Head Chef Reuben Grixti

How and why did you choose to become a chef?

I could always envisage myself to be an expertise of the culinary arts. My uncle and granddad were both chefs and always gave me a fair amount of encouragement in order to pursue my dream. Helping my mother with the dinner preparations was an activity I always looked forward to, so it didn’t come as a surprise when I decided to follow my passion and act on my dream.

Is the Maltese culture reflected in your cooking?

Whilst establishing a menu, I always incorporate dishes which are time consuming and not very convenient to cook at home, such as local fish. I utilize seasonal and traditional ingredients in order to accent the dish according to the on-going trend. At Le Méridien St Julians Hotel & Spa we strive in producing traditional intellectual nourishment adding a contemporary twist.

The adventures of Tintin - Campaign Launch

Did You Know?...

Ghar Hassan

The legend about Għar Ħassan (Hassan-cave) takes us back to the Great Siege of Malta of 1565 when a Turkish runaway named Saracen Ħassan, who found his way to Malta and hid in a cave. The legend states that He fell in love with a Maltese farm girl who's family wouldn't allow them to be together. The girl, who also loved him ran away with him to live in this cave and in order to get by they would abduct local girls and trade them for supplies to the ships that would pass by lowering the girls down to the ships below. Finally one of brave abducted girls knocked Hassan out with a rock and escaped, ending the abductions.

Another similar legend states that Ħassan kidnapped a Maltese girl and took her with him to this cave as a captive. When the Maltese people found him, instead of being held captive he preferred killing the girl and committing suicide, so he jumped into the sea taking the Maltese girl with him.

The cave setting is most spectacular. From the car park, a foot path over a "karst garden", leads to a flight of 25 precarious steps, heading down the limestone cliff high over the sea. A walk along a narrow path, carved out of the cliff, protected by a very rusty guard rail leads to the entrance. Ħassan, apparently, entered the cave from below via a rope tethered at the entrance. The main entrance to the cave is 5m high and 6m wide and the entrance is of similar dimensions for the first 20m. In the top of this passage is a roof tube, sometimes separated from the main passage by a thin layer of rock and sometimes just a half tube in the roof. Partially enlarged master joints can be seen crossing the main passage.

Most of them come to a dead end but a large one extends for 48m and 73m respectively to two further entrances along the cliff face. At the eastern entrance there is a man made circular chamber, with obvious pick marks on the walls, and a stone bench around the edge, it has been speculated that this was, in fact, where Ħassan lived.

The cave is almost bereft of formations, although there are some small stalactites and some splash deposits. A broken iron gate bars the inner recess to the cave. Here, according to Savona-Ventura are some cave paintings, but, as they were only discovered in the last 10 years, their antiquary is in some dispute. The cave is heavily trashed and there are syringes and guano in evidence. Watch where you walk and wear gloves. The lady who sits in a hut in the car park will lend you a torch if you give her a tip. Otherwise take your own as little of the cave can be seen from the daylight which filters in from the entrances.

One can go on a self-guided tour of this Cave free of charge. It is located in Hal Far, Malta. 2km south-west of Kalafrana, well signposted from the Kalafrana/Zurrieq road

See more by visiting: Did you know?...

Le Meridien rewards creative talents

St Julians, Malta – August, 26th 2011

Le Méridien St Julians Hotel & Spa strives to support creative talents with an increasing commitment towards the arts and culture of our beautiful island. The hotel’s calendar of events for the following months is getting busy and 2012 holds a lot of surprises in terms of creative initiatives at the 5 star property.



Painting my Michael Wright

In order to enhance the fruitful creative partnerships that Le Méridien St Julians has already established with local artists through various exhibitions, Management organized an Art Cocktail Party, last Tuesday 23rd of August. A total of 10 artists gathered their styles and passion in one special evening. The painters selected one work of art amongst their personal collection to exhibit on the night and shared their insight on their technique and inspiration.

For this event, the Hotel Management invited its top VIP guests. “It was the perfect opportunity for our international travelers to get in touch with the artistic abundance of our archipelago.”, explained Mr. Franco Vella, General Manager. “We are proud of our Brand message and its aspiration to support Art in all its forms.”