Plans to build a “first-class” hotel outside Valletta goes back to February 1902, when public tenders where issued by the public works.
However noting materialised until after WWI.
In February 1923, the Minister for Public Works Antonio Dalli discreetly received a written proposal, by Antonio Cassar Torregiani, for the site to be leased to him in order to build a hotel.
However, the minister was of the opinion that the public land and such project should be subject to a competitive opportunity among architects.

In October 1924, under the new Minister for Public Works Giovanni Adami, a public notice was issued for numerous projects in the surrounding of the entrance from and to Valletta, including the building of a 200 beds modern style hotel.
The tender was open to the public with strict guidelines for eligibility under British conditions.
Maltese architects protested against the inclusion of British architects for local projects, something which was discussed in the Maltese National Assembly.

The Prime Minister Gerald Strickland and his wife Margaret were the minds behind the Valletta entrance project.
The government leased the land for the hotel for 150 years.
The intention was to have a place where European dignitaries could stay in the best of comfort in the centre of the island.
For this reason, the outer glacis of the fortifications was identified as an ideal site.
Plans to build a “first-class” hotel outside Valletta goes back to February 1902, when public tenders where issued by the public works. However noting materialised until after WWI. In February 1923, the Minister for Public Works Antonio Dalli discreetly received a written proposal, by Antonio Cassar Torregiani, for the site to be leased to him in order to build a hotel. However, the minister was of the opinion that the public land and such project should be subject to a competitive opportunity among architects.
In October 1924, under the new Minister for Public Works Giovanni Adami, a public notice was issued for numerous projects in the surrounding of the entrance from and to Valletta, including the building of a 200 beds modern style hotel. The tender was open to the public with strict guidelines for eligibility under British conditions. Maltese architects protested against the inclusion of British architects for local projects, something which was discussed in the Maltese National Assembly.
The Prime Minister Gerald Strickland and his wife Margaret were the minds behind the Valletta entrance project. The government leased the land for the hotel for 150 years. The intention was to have a place where European dignitaries could stay in the best of comfort in the centre of the island. For this reason, the outer glacis of the fortifications was identified as an ideal site.
Hotel Phoenicia