Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis officially opened be.HOTEL in the Bay Street Tourist Complex, St Julian’s, last Friday evening.
The €2 million refurbishment programme, including the rebranding of the hotel at Bay Street to be.HOTEL, was further reinforced through its membership of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest independent hotel brand, representing more than 650 distinctive hotels, resorts, residences and unique hotel groups across 85 countries.
The hotel was blessed by Fr Joseph Farrugia, OSA, in the presence of Bay Street’s directors and senior management. Also present was Roberta Possenti, Regional Director of Southern Europe for Preferred Hotels & Resorts, with responsibility for a portfolio of 45 hotels in five countries.
Only last month Preferred Hotels & Resorts itself rebranded and, according to Ms Possenti, the company has “transitioned from a house of brands to a branded house” with a greater focus on the customer experience. This is being achieved by aligning each member property with one of five distinct experience-based collections. be.HOTEL falls under the Connect collection.
“The Connect collection is all about connecting people to friends, family and business associates while providing an authentic and memorable local experience,” she said. “So, the be.HOTEL Malta, to us, was a perfect example of a new property that embraces the concept of connecting people and prioritising the client experience. It has a fresh and vibrant look, which is very design-oriented and fits well within the collection.”
Ms Possenti was highly taken in by the ‘be’ concept – ‘be.yourself’, ‘be.upgraded’. “It has a lot of twists and potential, a lot of mileage if the idea is well developed,” she added. “It could bring about a series of successful rate plans for the property that tie in perfectly with the guest experience.”
Part of Ms Possenti’s visit included working with the hotel’s management to understand the client strategy and how it will be implemented, their short and long-term objectives and to see how Preferred Hotels & Resorts can best support them with the right travel partners and the right travel agents and tour operators.
be.HOTEL currently has 140 rooms and deluxe apartments with 300 beds. All rooms have been finished to the highest modern, contemporary design standards to ensure the guests’ ultimate comfort. The use of bright colours, notably yellow, fused with black, green and plum, project its vibrant look and feel.
Among the other facilities are the rooftop pool with panoramic views of St George’s Bay, a fully functioning, state-of-the-art Spa and Wellness Centre located on the seventh floor, including an eight-person Jacuzzi, a Fitness Room and a highly adaptable, multifunctional room for corporate guests for a variety of uses, ranging from small meetings to theatre-style mini conferences.