It's a very special September at Hotel Phoenicia and to celebrate the arrival this month of over 25 couples celebrating their wedding anniversaries at the luxury 5-star hotel, couples celebrating their golden, sapphire and silver wedding anniversaries in Malta were hosted to a reception where they had the opportunity to meet one another and swap stories about their combined 200 years of marriage. The couples, all from the United Kingdom, were treated to several celebratory glasses of champagne in the 5-star hotel's Club Bar and the ladies were then each presented with a red rose by Guest Relations Manager Helena Pavanello while Front Office Manager Neville Cardona gave the guests a warm welcome.

Former race-horse owners Mr. & Mrs. Almond, both 75, grandparents-of-four, said: "We've been very happy coming here for many years and decided that we would celebrate our golden wedding anniversary here. We've fallen in love with Malta. We can't really explain what it is we love. The country and this hotel in particular just has this pull which draws us in each year. We also love to spend whole days walking around Valletta. It never grows old. We even saw a three-legged horse," joked Mrs. Almond in reference to Austin Camilleri's sculpture currently gracing the entrance to Valletta as part of the Valletta International Visual Arts Festival.

Mr. and Mrs. Boud from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary, selected Malta and Hotel Phoenicia after several years cruising to the United States, the Caribbean and around the Norwegian fjords. Mr. Boud, a retired civil engineer, said, "We wanted to go somewhere special, and we chose Malta, and I must say that we are very glad that we did. This is a lovely evening. We are here for two weeks and I'm sure we will be back."

One couple who had their first date at Hotel Phoenicia on 21st October 1951, Norman and Barbara Fosh, popped in to enjoy a romantic dinner to celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary, 60 years of marriage, having tied the knot on 4th September 1954. Mr. Fosh was in the Royal Navy at the time, while his future wife Barbara was stationed in Malta as part of the WRNS. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by staying at the hotel in 2004, and the romantic story was reported in the local media at that time. Ten years on and Mr. and Mrs. Fosh are in excellent health and still enjoy traveling as well as a good night out.

Hotel Phoenicia General Manager Charles Azzopardi said, "We are delighted that so many of our guests have reached this wonderful moment in their lives and decided to share it with us, on behalf of all of the team at the hotel we wish them great health, happiness and love for many more years to come. All these couples are staying with us to celebrate these special times in their relationships and we feel very privileged to form part of such significant events. The Phoenicia is ranked as one of Malta's most romantic hotels by TripAdvisor. Malta and the Phoenicia are clearly a popular choice as a romantic getaway."