An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corporation has entered into a franchise agreement with Bay Street Holdings to develop the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Malta. Located in the seaside town of St. Julian’s, the 153-room resort is expected to open in 2021.
The property will have flexible event spaces and a five-story underground garage.
Gaining popularity among both leisure guests and business travelers, Malta’s tourist numbers have doubled since 2010. Malta’s National Statistics Office reported 2.6 million visitors for last year (up 14.3 percent between 2017 and 2018), setting a new record. In the first quarter of 2019, tourist arrivals and guest nights increased 2.8 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively, according to the Malta Hotels & Restaurants Association and Deloitte.
St. Julian’s has seen an uptick in visitor numbers as well, which Hyatt credits to its proximity to shopping, restaurants and entertainment.
The Hyatt Regency Malta will be a short walk from the beach and marina, and less than 20 minutes from Malta’s international airport and the UNESCO World Heritage City of Valletta. The hotel will add to the growing Hyatt Regency brand portfolio in Europe, joining the Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Méditerranée in Franch, the soon-to-open Hyatt Regency Barcelona Fira in Spain and the Hyatt Regency Hesperia Madrid, and recently announced Hyatt Regency Lisbon in Portugal.