Rosselli, Valletta’ only 5-star hotel, welcomes its first guests

Rosselli, Valletta’s only 5-star hotel, has welcomed its first guests, a couple who had no idea they would be the first to stay at the renovated baroque palazzo.

The Merchants Street hotel, built in the early 1600s and known as Casa Rosselli-Massa, strives to offer the highest level of service while maintaining a distinct human touch.

The hotel takes its name from its original owner, Pietro Rosselli - described as an avant-garde goldsmith, philanthropist and renaissance man - and his wife Alusietta Massa, who lived at the palazzo almost 400 years ago.

Rosselli’s first guests, Britons Eamon and Thyra Stanton, were welcomed with the words “have a Rosselli day”, a phrase coined by Claire Zammit Xuereb director of hospitality of AX Group, the hotel’s owner.

“Our first guests didn’t actually know that they were our first, so we knew it was a perfect setting for a wonderful welcoming. We wanted to create a very memorable first day of their holiday and show them the good old Maltese hospitality. This is what hotel Rosselli is all about.

It’s about the human touch with impeccable attention to detail and highest level of service,” Zammit Xuereb said.

Recounting the preparations which had to be put in place for everything to be perfect when the Stantons arrived, Zammit Xuereb said she was confident the palazzo original residents would have approved of what their home in the capital had become.

“Champagne was flowing as it was a true celebration for those arriving and for us greeting them. Till the last moment we were making sure that everything was perfect for when they step into Rosselli. It was a mad rush, but it was all worth it. The surprise on their face said it all. It was a magical experience and I am sure that the original owner of the Palazzo would approve,” she said.

“The hotel embodies a sense of style which provokes and stirs emotion. With its beautiful baroque design, high ceilings and symmetry as its canvas, the palazzo ‘sets the perfect stage for a memorable visitor experience,” Zammit Xuereb highlighted.

She added that the hotel’s aim was to become a destination in itself, and that “people would travel to stay in our hotel.”

“That is our aspiration. That is my dream.”