Many of us have been guilty of the odd pub crawl abroad in our youth; of looking for where the best drink deals are, downing shots and following the crowds, only to regret it in the morning as we tried to enjoy the next day of our holiday with a hangover! As we get a little older, we start to

There is a lot of pressure on engaged couples to plan the perfect everything to fit in with the stereotypical dream wedding scenario; the perfect dress, perfect venue, perfect honeymoon… but a lot of couples can get carried away and end up doing the same old things that everyone else does for their wedding and honeymoon, without taking time out

The Maltese food experience has been influenced by the country’s diverse history, and there are a few firm favourites that we highly recommend you try on a trip to Malta. Rabbit Stew Or, as the locals say, Stuffat Tal-Fenek, is a Maltese favourite, often served in two courses. Left to marinade overnight, the rich tomato sauce that accompanies the stew

When looking for places for a next city break or holiday, something most of us need to consider to some extent is the cost of visiting a county. Local economies vary wildly, currency exchange rates fluctuate, and city life is generally more expensive than countryside locations. Some countries and capital cities are well-known for being more expensive because they tend

Malta is a fantastic holiday destination and one to be enjoyed for all it has to offer – not just a quick beach break but a trip filled with culture, history, excellent food experiences & nightlife. Whether you plan to visit Malta for just a few nights, or will be staying for a few weeks, make the most of your

December is always a busy time of year no matter where you are in the world, with plenty of festivities taking place. Sometimes it’s great to take time to get away from it all, and think about spending Christmas time, or the run up to Christmas, somewhere different. Malta is a wonderful place to visit in the Winter, for a

Sadly, still in the 21st century, finding somewhere to stay on holiday can cause anxiety for LGBT couples, particularly when visiting a foreign country for the first time. Finding somewhere that is accepting of modern relationships is really important to having an enjoyable stay, particularly when it’s a romantic getaway or even a holiday. Not all of us want to

A visit to the Three Cities is a Maltese experience that many tourists miss out on, as the existence of the Three Cities is not publicised anywhere near as much as the main attractions like the Grandmasters Palace. But we thoroughly recommend a day trip, or even an overnight stay in one of the Three Cities, to Birgu, Senglea and

Valletta is an excellent city to visit no matter what your travel status. There’s so much to see and do, whether you visit as a couple, a family, or are taking time out to travel alone. Casa Ellul owners Matthew and Andrew Ellul have lived in Valletta their whole lives, and know the city inside out. They’ve helped us compile

The Ellul family have called Valletta their home for many generations, and the authentic experience of this beautiful city is entwined within the history of this family's formerly home, Casa Ellul. As true Valletta locals, we at Casa Ellul feel it is our obligation and most certainly our pleasure to discuss the following Valletta attractions - to pass on our

Grandmaster de la Valette played a crucial role in Valletta's history and in shaping the capital city as we know it today.  From just a short visit to Valletta anyone can see that Malta’s fantastic capital city is steeped in hundreds of years of history. There are very many story-telling landmarks and monuments across the Maltese islands; but Valletta particularly

Businesses across Malta are looking forward to 2018 with much excitement as their beloved capital city Valletta has been chosen as the European Capital of Culture 2018. The news was first delivered in 2012; so this moment has been enthusiastically anticipated for nearly 6 years. The team behind Valletta’s new title Designated by the European Union, the title of European

With Malta’s great climate throughout May to October, when visiting for a holiday, being close to the beach might seem the wisest option.  However with the amount of tourists visiting the island, especially during the summer months, these popular beaches, particularly the northern beaches like Mellieha Bay, can get very busy and in peak times you’ll likely find yourself lying down on

Malta is an island with a 7,000 year history. A holiday to the island should absolutely mean a stay in the capital city, Valletta. The city has a unique identity, it’s bold and strong with its baroque fortresses and cathedrals, yet gentrified in its offering of culture through very many museums, churches, two cathedrals and small but varied shops, restaurants

If you’re a first-timer looking forward to spending some time in Valletta, we have created a fulfilling itinerary to show you all that our beautiful city has to offer and to help tell the story of why Valletta has been designated as the European Capital of Culture for 2018. One of the most enjoyable aspects of exploring Valletta is that

Malta is full of talent. We adorn our walls here at Casa Ellul with works by local artists and can help you find works which you may want to have shipped to your home. There are a handful of galleries in Valletta, with some government organisations too housing works by local talent. The Arts Council, Malta Society of Arts and

Shopping may not be the first thing that springs to mind when thinking of Malta. With the legacy of its blown glass, silver filigree and gold jewellery, Malta has changed in recent years as its designers and artisans are now running stores in the capital city of Valletta. If you are a follower of fashion, you can't have missed Charles

Valletta is the newest hotspot in Malta in the evenings. This resurgence in popularity has been anticipated for years. The theatres have never stopped being busy, but with the theatre scene bursting with events, bars and restaurants have sprung up in almost every side street to entertain punters. For the culture vultures, events are regularly held at The Manoel Theatre,

It's that time of year when the beach starts to beckon, trunks and bikinis are in the shops and you are raring to wear them and sun yourself. The unpredictable weather and distance to the seaside means that Malta is a much better bet. And a lot closer than you think. If guaranteed sunshine for 300 days a year, baroque

“Loved it So Much we Booked Again Before we Checked Out!” The staff at this perfectly located hotel was superb. Nothing was too much for them, restaurant recommendations were wonderful, a very reasonably priced rental car was procured at short notice and delivered to the hotel and taxis everywhere we wanted to go were efficiently arranged. The breakfast was abundant

So you’re planning the wedding of your dreams and you know you are going to want somewhere extra special to stay for your honeymoon. With no jetlag, a one hour time difference to GMT, flights from many UK and European destinations, history, sport, incredible food and beaches with 20 minutes of everywhere, and loads more to see and do, Malta

With direct flight times of less than 3 hours from most European cities, Malta is perfectly placed for a weekend break at any time of year, but its even better for long weekends! Staying in the capital city of Valletta, means your are able to walk to most attractions, making the most of your time on our ‘rock’. Malta is

If you’ve decided on your New Year Resolutions for 2017 and know they are going to be tough; why not plan to kill two birds with one stone and book yourself a stay in our luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Valletta and book a place on a hypnosis workshop with Alan Bates? Now, we can help smother you

They say you should learn a new thing every day; learning to pamper yourself should be on the list too we think. We all lead such busy lives and feel guilty when we take time off. Staying in a boutique hotel is a treat. We admit it. But not something you should feel guilty about. Indeed, we’d like to teach

Working in the gaming industry is pretty tough. The competition is stiff, the stakes are high and the hours are long. Players from around the world are online at all hours, regulation is tight and the team is young, multicultural and hungry for success. Sometimes, I just need to get away from the office, though the opportunity doesn't easily present

Having played in many of the world's concert halls, I had become a little blase to traveling for work, but us musicians can't really say no to a gig. And we certainly can't say no when staying a luxury boutique hotel in Malta is part of the package! Valletta becoming the Capital of Culture in 2018 means that more and

My parents moved to Australia in the 1960's and we were painted a pretty poor picture of it when we were children. We did come over en masse in the early 1970's and my childhood memories are fond of the very simple life we had here. Camping at the beach with an entourage of cousins, the tuna sandwiches dripping in

Like many British tourists to Malta, my family had military links with the islands, stretching back to between the wars. Malta's military history deserves some attention, the Knights shiny armour seems to get the majority of the attention in the tourist information but the Second World War in particular was a very important time for the island and indeed for

Most of our guests come to escape the day to day chaos of their lives. They come to relax, to be pampered at our small luxury hotel, to sit in the hot tub on their terrace, to nestle in one of our sumptuous chairs to catch up on their reading. Many an author has based themselves and indeed retired on

Being single has many advantages, especially when it comes to traveling. When traveling alone, some hotels will shove you in the room adjoining the lift shaft.  However, Casa Ellul boutique hotel in Valletta treats you like royalty. Well, they treated me like royalty anyway. The staff are chatty and welcoming but not in a feeling sorry for you because you

As a style blogger, I take every opportunity to people watch and shop where ever I am, so I can share content with my followers on what's hot from every corner of the globe. I didn't expect much from Malta when it comes to shopping; the only link to fashion I could dig up was the Britain's Next Top Model,

The start line of the Rolex Middle Sea Race is exhilarating...Our boutique hotel, located in Valletta, is a stone's throw from the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Creek, making it a perfect spot to stay if you would like to watch this race. The harbours cater for leisure cruisers, tourist boats and cruise ships, as well as military craft and rescue

There are a few associations with Malta that are immediately conjured; the Knights, the George Cross, no sandy beaches (there are, we just keep them secret), we drive on the left and our beautiful baroque capital city, Valletta. Perfectly aligned to showcase the architecture is a festival which is firmly established on the international music scene, the Valletta Baroque Festival,

We can pretty much guarantee the weather in July and August; hot Summery days and warm sultry nights. This translates to a rich outdoor cultural calendar which leaves no taste un-catered for. Year round there are festivals of almost every food you can imagine, local producers taking pride and coming together to celebrate their wares; bread, olives, strawberries, chocolate..... The

It's just two weeks till the next UK public holiday; what are you waiting for? You know the weather won’t play ball, and you know a staycation isn’t really what you want. If you live near London or within an hour or two of any major airport, you could spend less time getting to our beautiful, peaceful, boutique hotel in

Gay Pride Malta week 2016 will be held from the 4th till the 12th June. This is a week celebrating diversity, packed with activities for all tastes and age groups and culminates in the Pride March in Valletta on Saturday 11th in the capital city of Valletta, where we are based. Why not book to stay in Valletta's most beautiful

In the one hundred and seventy years that my family has owned this house, now a luxury boutique hotel, the area has seen many changes. The churches and main buildings have remained or were restored after World War II in close to their original style, taking an influence from the rulers of the day, the British. Our house, and your

I travel a lot for my work. Each month sees me take my suitcase and not just a brief case a couple of times; but I'm not really complaining. We have a comfortable life, healthy kids and I enjoy my work. Of course being away from the family is hard, but trips aren't often long. Its more the time zones

The term Boutique Hotel gets banded around a lot at the moment. But what is a boutique hotel? What defines it? Well, we at Casa Ellul in the heart of Valletta, believe it is a small, owner-run luxury hotel which caters for the discerning guest, giving them an exceptional experience from the moment they find any mention of us, interact

After giving up whatever you have given up for Lent, don't you think you deserve a little more than chocolate for Easter? We at Casa Ellul promise to deliver comfort, style and convenience and whatever else you need, or want if you choose to spend Easter weekend in Malta - I mean this is indeed a luxurious hotel. Our concierge

If like me, you take your trainers on holiday, you may want to book yourself a relaxing stay at Casa Ellul in the heart of Malta’s capital, Valletta. Though the rooms are beautifully designed and have all mod cons, the scenery, which is evident from your window, begs to be explored. You can walk of course, or take a Segway

Spring is the best time to visit Malta for nature lovers because the flora and fauna are bursting to life from every nook and cranny in the spectacular bastion walls, almond trees which line most streets are in full bloom and wild herbs scent the warmed air. In the centre of the city of Valletta, you can appreciate nature in

If your intention is to spoil your lover, then maybe you should consider a romantic boutique hotel like Casa Ellul. Wake up cocooned in luxury at our centrally located boutique hotel in Malta's capital city Valletta; after a sumptuous breakfast, take your lover’s hand and meander along the streets of the historic Capital, towards the Barrakka Gardens and take in