Casa Ellul
Casa Ellul, an exquisite small luxury hotel in Valletta, Malta, enchants with its eight elegant suites, a magnificent courtyard, terraces and traditionally Maltese gallarijas.
The apartments feel somewhat alive, as I like to move things around. On your return you‘ll notice entire sets of new chairs, for example, as this is my biggest soft spot.
How would you describe Valletta Vintage in a nutshell?
Valletta Vintage are vacation rentals for the design-conscious traveler without the super high price tag.
Usually well-designed vacation homes with good service are very expensive to stay at. I wanted to provide that same luxurious accommodation within a beautifully designed environment, but in the form of apartments, at a lower price.
How would you describe the interior design of the vacation apartments?
The interior design of the apartments is a mix between contemporary and vintage. For example, the flooring is made of 150-year-old tiles but set into a contemporary pattern.
In terms of the atmosphere, I would say the apartments are somewhat alive, as I like to move things around a lot. If you have stayed with us before on vacation, on your return you will find that things have changed and improved. You will notice that there are entire sets of new chairs, for example, as this is my biggest soft spot. Usually every time I go to a flea market I find a new chair, which I then add to the collection in the apartments or exchange it with another one.
Also, one of the most beautiful things about the apartments is that they are facing south and therefore always have lots of sunlight coming in.
What has been the biggest reward about running Valletta Vintage?
For some reason, we attract guests who have similar likes and tendencies when it comes to design and life philosophy. The biggest reward has been to get to know our guests and potentially even become friends with them. It is a wonderful experience when a friendship is started by a shared interest in things like architecture and design, or even a book collection.
I bought the building to serve as the office for my architectural studio and then chose to rent out the penthouse, which I did not need for myself. I then decided to convert the entire office into three separate rooms. The apartment and rooms share terraces, the kitchen and lounge area.
The idea is to have each floor telling a different story. The Gallery on the top floor displays different art from local artists that changes every few months. The middle floor, is The Studio with artwork reminiscent of architectural functionality. Finally The Library on the first floor is a comfortable place to kick back and take advantage of design books on the huge bookshelf.
The other apartment is in a 360-year-old house in one of the most attractive residential streets of the city. It is bigger in size and more suited for longer stays as it completely independent with a kitchen and a living room.
Gallery is located on the third floor of an eighteenth century building on the quiet end of Valletta's main street. This studio features harbour views from every window, and is minutes walk from the beach, restaurants, cafes, museums, shops and the bus terminus. While retaining all traditional features, this independent unit is furnished with vintage & contemporary pieces, decorated with original artworks. The shared sunny terraces with breathtaking sea & historic views are one storey up.
The Retro Pad is located in one of the most beautiful residential streets of Valletta. The main attraction of this one-bedroom maisonette is its eclectic mix of vintage furniture, art pieces & design items which were salvaged and restored over the years by its owner-architect. Slightly larger than the other studios, it is very popular with couples who like spending time surrounded by art, design & architecture with a vintage twist!
Tucked away in one of the most idyllic pedestrian streets in medieval Birgu, this pied-à-terre is the ultimate holiday home for getting away from it all while being only a few minutes boat-ride from Valletta. Hideout offers the blissful respite of village life away from mainstream touristic neighbourhoods. Guests often tell us how easy it was to blend in with the locals, and often go back home with a story or two to tell.
The Library is a bright studio located on first floor, enjoying direct sunlight & views of the historic Fort St Elmo. A former library and meeting space of its owner-architect, its warm palette of timber, steel & soft fabrics together with a large collection of contemporary art books & design magazines, is perfect for guests in need of inspiration. The shared south-facing terraces with breath-taking views of the two harbours are only three floors up.
A busy architects’ studio until a couple of years' ago, Atelier is located on the second floor and enjoys sea views with direct sunlight from its south-facing windows and traditional 'gallarija'. The minimal interior furnishings are a mix of lightweight steel & timber objects set on original patterned tiles and furnished with retro & designer pieces. The shared terraces & kitchen are two floors up.
An experience in itself, this remodeled eighteenth century townhouse spared no pain during its eight-year-long renovation: pursuing the sensitive balance between old, new and vintage; in its expertly curated interiors.
Spread over five floors, the spacious terrace and family room connect its three bedrooms and four bathrooms through a central courtyard. The Master bedroom comes with a bathroom with shower, the top floor bedroom is spread across two floors and comes with a bathroom with bathtub. The third bedroom has a bathroom with shower.
Surrounded by Valletta vistas, rooftops and churches, its historical location promises a memorable and a truly local experience. Suitable for couples, families with kids, or groups of friends with a taste for good design, with particular attention to privacy.
At the moment the apartments are self-catering vacation rentals. We are however considering serving breakfast or possibly working together with a nearby café to act as our guests’ breakfast location.
Each vacation rental has a small kitchenette with a coffee maker, a kettle for tea, and a mini fridge. The main kitchen is shared with the other apartments. And then there is the gallarija, the traditional Maltese balcony, which is the perfect spot for our guests to enjoy their breakfast.
Depending on the length of stay there are different recommendations I would give to our guests. If they were here for three to four nights, I would recommend them to stay within a range of two to three kilometers of Valletta. They could, however, take a ferry to visit the medieval towns on the other islands.
If they come for a week’s vacation, I would suggest renting a car and exploring the north of the island. Even though the size of Malta is only 19 kilometers from top to bottom there is a lot to see, like the old capital and the beautiful beaches which are nice to visit during all seasons. A day trip to Gozo, another one of the islands of the Maltese archipelago, is also something I would recommend.
There are beaches near Valletta where our guests can go to swim or snorkel. I would, however, recommend the beaches in the south of Malta. They’re less accessible by public transport, and therefore not as crowded as the northern beaches. They have very beautiful limestone formations so you’re basically swimming in an organically sculptured beach.
The north of Malta has the well-known sandy beaches such as Golden Bay. My favorite beach is Riviera, which is the smallest one and not as easy to get to as you have to climb down and up about 300 steps in total so it is more quiet and private than the bigger, more popular beaches.
Valletta, the capital of Malta, is the very best of what the Maltese archipelago has to offer to its visitors. As one of the few cities in the world that was planned as a Renaissance city from scratch it is the most unique piece of the island. Its topography and architecture is unlike anywhere else in the world.
The vacation apartments are situated centrally on the peninsula. Whether you want to go out to eat, do some shopping or go see a movie at the cinema, every place in Valletta is accessible by foot. You can park your car right by the apartments and then walk from there.
Valletta, the city itself is a must-see for its architecture and picturesque streets. One of Caravaggio’s last works and his biggest painting in existence, the Beheading of St. John, is also in Valletta and well worth a visit.
Valletta also has the highest percentage of restaurants in Malta, and all are accessible by foot.
If you want to experience the real Malta you should come during winter or even between March and May. Starting in May it gets very hot and you will spend most of your time searching for shade and cooler places. The winters in Malta are mild, it might rain but usually the sun comes out at one point every day.
Malta has nice beaches but in summer they often get quite crowded. So winter is actually a better time to visit, as the beaches are less busy.
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