Casa Bonavita MALTA Once a family retreat, an 18th-century Maltese palazzo is reimagined by a husband-and-wife duo as a biophilic boutique layered with art and antiques. Words: Rick Jordan • Photography: © Boz Gagovski
S
et adrift in the Mediterranean above North Africa,
holidays and weddings, gradually restoring the interiors. It
the small island of Malta has been a stepping stone
provided safe haven during the pandemic, which is when the
for many different cultures over the centuries, all of
seeds were sown for turning it into a hotel. No strangers to
which have left their mark. From an architecture and design
the design sector, the Sharps founded The Rug Company in
perspective, it’s a curious mix – from the megalithic temples
1997, establishing a reputation for artisanal hand-loomed
carved before Stonehenge was a twinkle in its creator’s
rugs and collaborating with the likes of Vivienne Westwood,
eye to the Bauhaus-style linearity of Malta International
Diane von Furstenberg and Alexander McQueen, before
Contemporary Art Space, ingeniously layered by Ipostudio
selling their majority stake in 2015.
within the bastions of a 16th-century fortress.
guests pass through a small courtyard beneath the stone
in gilt-painted detail around the capital of Valletta, as well
arches of the former stables, where walls painted with orange
as in neighbouring towns. In Attard – one of Malta’s historic
trees accompany a simple bureau standing as the check-in
Three Villages – the bells of St Mary’s toll down orange-
desk. The intention, according to Suzanne, was always to
scented limestone streets and into the garden courtyard of
make it feel more like a home than a hotel – albeit one in
Casa Bonavita, an 18th-century villa that has been reborn as
which the former kitchen is now a cocktail bar, decorated
a 17-room boutique hotel.
with a handpainted de Gournay mural of Valletta Harbour in
Built as a country retreat by a Maltese family with Venetian
066
Casa Bonavita came as a fresh creative project. On arrival,
But it’s the Baroque that truly defines the island, unfurling
the 17th century, sail boats aflutter at full mast.
roots, the casa was falling into disrepair by the time Suzanne
Throughout, the interiors feel layered with pieces gathered
and Christopher Sharp purchased it in 2010. “The original
over time, with craftsmanship evident in the details. No
family had left during the war and no one had really loved it
two doors are the same – all were made to fit. Bathrooms
since,” recounts Suzanne. “It felt locked-and-shuttered – a
were painstakingly painted with a marble-effect – which
little Miss Havisham – but we fell for it instantly. The layout
was “actually more expensive than real marble,” remarks
is so balanced and the light is incredible.”
Suzanne. A corridor leading to a brace of rooms doubles as
Suzanne was born in Malta before spending her teenage
a small gallery for antique Sicilian and Maltese tiles; vintage
years in Rome; Christopher grew up in Uganda, and while the
Murano bubble lights hang overhead; and Italian chairs, wall
couple have lived around the world, the island has remained
sconces and other heirlooms furnish the bedrooms, alongside
a favourite. Over the years, they would stay at the casa for
a museum’s worth of paintings. Several have been in the