Hotel Phoenicia, the award-winning 5-star hotel at the gates to Valletta, had to cause to celebrate when Mark Albert and his wife of 60 years Paula Vella visited for a romantic dinner. The happy couple shared stories with staff about their wedding day in the hotel 60 years ago, as well as tucking into a very special meal cooked by the hotel's award-winning brigade of chefs, a recreation of their wedding dinner at the hotel in 1955.

Built in 1939, The Hotel Phoenicia was Malta's first five-star hotel, giving it a wealth of history and a unique charm standing proudly on the doorstep to Valletta. The recently refurbished interior harbours an imposing Art Deco influence sustaining 128 bedrooms and 8 suites, affording some truly majestic panoramic views from most rooms and terraces. The stunning 7.5 acre garden allows guests to stroll through an array of lush plants, flowers and trees on the way to the hotel's magnificent pool. The hotel has been consistently ranked in the top 3 romantic hotels by TripAdvisor.

One of happy couples' children, their son, Ray Vella, said, "We organised a celebration dinner for my parents' 60th wedding anniversary as they had their wedding reception at the Phoenicia in 1955. We managed to get a copy of the wedding menu 3 days before the day and the Phoenicia reproduced the whole menu, typed it out in the same font and even managed to find the same crockery that was used 60 years ago. Unbelievable service, much more than we expected, my parents are still stunned by it all and the look on their faces made it all so worthwhile."