I asked: “So why do guests choose
The Phoenicia Hotel? And why should
DMCs and MICE choose The Phoe-
nicia for their events?
The DMC and MICE Customer
And the answer provided by
Charles was quite simple: “We are
confident that we have something
special to offer - Non corporate
– Specialised - Individual.” The
Phoenicia’s General Manager added
that “as the situation now stands,
the ‘new’ Phoenicia is able to of-
fer much more value than before
to the DMCs and MICE custom-
er in general, especially in re-
gards to catering for conferences
as facilities have been significant-
ly enhanced and enlarged.” The
meeting rooms, ballroom and a
luscious theatre-style hall capa-
ble of taking 300 persons form
part of the product portfolio.
“The theatre is equipped with new
air-conditioning, a new lighting
scheme, new parquet flooring, a
new colour scheme,… it’s all to-
tally new. Lounges have been re-
furbished. And we’ve done a lot
on the meetings side too,” he ex-
plained. Charles added that they
also specialise in smaller groups of
40-50 rooms, providing facilities
which include a beautiful board
for up to 15 people, as an example.
Their job in this regard is to help
people push their wanted message
across to their guests, and they
need to make it happen impecca-
bly and memorably. “Even at short
notice,” he added.
are more interested in living this
cultural experience than living it
up in, say, St Julian’s.
“This part of our social responsi-
bility goes hand in hand with our
corporate responsibility to help
and provide for others, which we
maintained even while the hotel
was closed. And our support of
the Baroque festival and of the Jazz
Festival date back to their origins.
This too then tends to translate
into financial results in the lean-
er, shoulder periods of the year”
he explained.
The Unity of Values
“It is experiences of being part
of cultural celebrations such as
the Valletta Baroque Festival, the
Jazz festival, operas at the Manoel
Theatre,” he said, that corrobo-
rates the hotel’s reach to the peo-
ple who appreciate culture, who
Prior to the closing of the hotel for
its refurbishment, the hotel prid-
ed itself with a staff complement
that was about 95% Maltese and
therefore that it employed local
talent. When it came to reopening,
The Phoenicia’s MICE facilities have been significantly enhanced and enlarged.
54
SEPTEMBER | 2017
photo: HOSPITALITY
the Grand MALTA
Ballroom playing
its role for a conference customer