The Palace to open soon

The Palace, the new Lm9 million five-star boutique hotel in central Sliema, is all set to welcome its first guests.

Construction works on the nine-storey Palace have been completed and finalisation work is being carried out in preparation for the first guests. The hotel's distinctive lobby has already hosted its first gala event and was inaugurated during a lavish do to celebrate AX Holding chairman Angelo Xuereb's birthday.

The Palace's unique style sees a very spacious lobby with a clever blend of classical and contemporary styles, making this hotel a unique experience. The lobby, with its three-dimensional mosaic flooring and eight-storey skylight, is designed to reflect the grandeur of a palace, as the hotel's name implies.

The interior design, the work of architect Martin Xuereb, has been carefully planned to establish the atrium as a place of encounter and a hub of activity. The retro touch and conventional furniture blend skilfully with the steel and glass decor, its sparkling chandeliers and oversized signature lamp-stands.

The services at The Palace are all planned to ensure that guests are made to feel equally at home whether on a business trip or on holiday - a car-port leads directly to the entrance, where guests are immediately welcomed by the concierge.

Access to all areas of the hotel, including restaurants and the café are deftly designed to incorporate wheelchair access into the circular lobby, which, in turn, reflects the general circular architecture of the hotel.

The lobby was designed specifically to provide luxury in all aspects, while offering a warm and intimate oasis of tranquillity. This is evident in the neutral colour scheme which is reflected in the marble flooring and wall covering, as well as in the structural design which allows natural light to pour in from the plate glass walls and domed skylight during daytime.

This concept persists with the onset of the night when warm, welcoming light floods the atrium from beautiful three-tier chandeliers and original lamp-stands.

An art gallery of contemporary art also finds its place in The Palace, where the art displays also spill onto the surrounding lobby walls, which lead to the hotel's main restaurant, The Tabloid, with its outside terraces and its café, The Talk of Town. Access to both these areas is further facilitated by lifts, which lead to and from the hotel's spacious underground car park.

The ingeniously contrived elements in the lobby reflect the hotel's general concept of comfort with a touch of eccentricity and personal contact, which is foremost on the list of priorities.

Claire Xuereb said: "We are very excited to see the project near completion. Interior design is coming together beautifully. We have really gone out of our way to sort out even the smallest of details. Our daring decor offers the best elements in conceptual contemporary luxury that never compromises comfort. We are now fully geared towards receiving our first guests next month. Apart from our conceptual designed suites, there are many other innovations and we are convinced our guests will be pleasantly surprised by the hotel's original elements, which really make The Palace a unique experience."