Spice up your Valentine’s Day

Spice up your Valentine’s Day

Spice up your Valentine’s Day

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Spice up your Valentine’s Day

SPICE UP YOUR VALENTINE’S DAY

Spice up your Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days of the year. Stores put out chocolates and romantic cards, while restaurants and hotels offer romantic packages for couples looking for a special way to spend the day. And in case you were wondering, you don’t need to be in a relationship to celebrate this special day.

A popular and conventional way to celebrate Valentine’s Day is by giving your loved ones or family and friends an assortment of gifts, including cards, chocolates and flowers. Whilst some others opt to spend the day together, enjoying each other’s company and showcasing their love to one other.

This year, we have come up with some ideas how you could spend your Valentine’s Day in our hotel:

 

  1. Take a leisurely stroll around the Grand Harbour Marina right across the Cugó Grand Macina and stop for a cup of coffee or a bottle of wine in the array of cafes and restaurants nearby.
  2. Scroll through your photos on your iCloud or Facebook account. It will be fun to see how you’ve changed over time. This is an especially good one if you’ve been together for a while. Finish the night with a new photo to add to the mix.
  3. Enjoy a ferry ride to Valletta and visit one of the wonderful museums or exhibits in the capital. This way, if you’re more of the ‘quiet romantic day’ type, you will be escaping the restaurant madness. You can also grab a hot chocolate on the way back to the hotel for a sweet treat.
  4. Take a bubble bath for two. Our beautiful soaking tubs can be so inviting, especially if you sprinkle some rose petals on top of your bubbles.
  5. Dance together, Try out some new moves in your room, in a dance lesson, or even at a salsa club. Valentine’s Day is all about getting close, and this is a great way to do so.

If we’ve got you intrigued with these ideas on how to spend your Valentine’s Day, Cugó Gran Macina will offer guests booking their Valentine’s getaway a free bottle of wine and a room setup with rose petals, including a roof top experience with petit fours and a glass of prosecco.

You can book your room by visiting https://cugogranmacina.com/.

 

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GETTING FESTIVE IN MALTA

GETTING FESTIVE IN MALTA

GETTING FESTIVE IN MALTA

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GETTING FESTIVE IN MALTA

GETTING FESTIVE IN MALTA

GETTING FESTIVE IN MALTA

Did you know that the Maltese love Christmas and the festive season? Read more to find out what you can expect to experience whilst in Malta over the holidays.

What is the festive season like in Malta?

Although Malta is best known for its hot summers and beautiful beaches, its mild winter months offer just as much activity – with less crowds. The Maltese love Christmas festivities, and you can expect to see ornately decorated streets as early as the end of November.

The capital city of Valletta, which is a short ferry ride away from the Cugó Gran Macina Malta hotel, is one of the most beautifully dressed cities on the island, with intricate decorations, dazzling lights and street music.

The square in front of Valletta’s entrance, Pjazza Tritoni, home to the iconic Triton Fountain, is transformed into Fairyland, a seasonal Santa’s City that offers fun activities for people of all ages. Featuring a seasonal Ferris wheel, this gives visitors the best bird’s eye view of Valletta. There is also an ice-skating rink, carousel, small Christmas market and other rides. Fairyland opens on 8 December and runs until the 6 January 2023.

Other notable events taking place are Santa’s World, a unique Christmas experience located in the central part of Malta, taking place between 7 December and 1 January 2023. There is also The Illuminated Trail, a magical after-dark adventure for all the family, taking place at the mesmerising Verdala Palace gardens, happening between 25 November and 7 January 2023.

Other festive entertainment on the island includes various plays, pantomimes, and concerts, as well as traditional handmade nativity exhibitions (or presepji in Maltese) that capture the scene of the birth of Jesus. Malta, being a Catholic country, is very proud of these exhibitions, and crib building in Malta is said to have started as early as the seventeenth century. If you are visiting over the Christmas period, a trip to one of the hundreds of exhibitions is highly recommended.

We cannot talk about Christmas without mentioning food! Roasted chestnuts are a commonly found street food, and the local drink Imbuljuta Tal-Qastan, which is comparable to hot cocoa, is made of chestnut puree, chocolate, and spices, and is a great way to warm up. For those with a sweet tooth, local Qagħaq Tal-Għasel are baked pastries in the form of a ring that are filled with a soft mix of treacle, semolina and spices, as well as traditional British mince pies, Christmas cakes, chocolate logs and mulled wine, which have stuck firmly in local tradition. After all, Malta was under British rule for over 150 years.

If you will be in Malta over New Year’s, the annual open-air celebration on New Year’s Eve in Valletta is fun for all. The city is transformed into one big party, with beautiful lights, live music & performances, food & drinks, and a wonderful fireworks display over the majestic Grand Harbour. Various private events, exclusive parties and dinner experiences happen all over the island. There is truly something for all tastes.

Should you wish to experience the festive season in Malta, let us help make it memorable. Visit the Cugó Gran Macina Malta website to book your stay now.

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Choosing the right destination for a unique travel experience

Choosing the right destination for a unique travel experience

Choosing the right destination for a unique travel experience

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Choosing the right destination for a unique travel experience

Choosing the right destination for a unique travel experience

Choosing the right destination for a unique travel experience

The travel industry has been changing drastically over the last couple of years, mainly because of the Covid-19 pandemic. What was being predicted could no longer be relied upon and new trends related to the behaviour and motivation of the traveller started emerging.

According to market research, generally, travellers are expecting higher standards from the hotels they choose and are being more careful about choosing their destination and hotel. They also tend to lean towards booking boutique hotels rather then big resorts, which offer them the possibility to combine work and leisure during their trips, whilst taking advantage of flexible working policies around the world.

The Cugó Gran Macina Grand Harbour in the beautiful island of Malta can offer all this and more. The boutique hotel boasts a historical fortress with modern interior design and bespoke luxury fittings, known for the attention to detail offered by the staff and the bespoke and individual service tailored for every single guest. The suites at the boutique hotel also offer adequate workspaces, along with charging ports and quiet areas, and most of the 21 suites showcase unobstructed views of the Grand Harbour and the surrounding marina, high vaulted ceilings, and ample natural light.

Design is also at the forefront of the top traveller trends for this year and at the Cugó Gran Macina Grand Harbour, you’re never too far away from a distinctive design element. Be it the design of the actual hotel, or the history surrounding this landmark, you are never too far away from it all. Unimaginable history seeps from the hotel’s ancient walls and around the area of the hotel.

This will give travellers, who are now more then ever looking to have a unique travel experience, and those who are constantly looking for something distinctive or that speaks to what they are passionate about, just what they are looking for. And to top it off, they can also combine work and pleasure on their trip.

Today, Cugó Gran has become a symbol of sustainability, historical resonance, and growth. Cugó Gran always aims at a high standard of sustainability on all levels and in making full use of the property’s potential in the most energy-efficient way. We promise a historical journey, be it through the unique heritage of our property or the surrounding areas. And all this is achieved in the most tailored approach for all our guests.

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Creating long-lasting memories in Malta

Creating long-lasting memories in Malta

Creating long-lasting memories in Malta

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Creating long-lasting memories in Malta

Creating long-lasting memories in Malta

Are you forever chasing sunsets, whilst searching for the most crystal-clear waters you can find? The Maltese Islands can be just what you’re looking for, offering beautiful crystal-clear beaches with mesmerising sunsets, especially in the Summer months. We have worked hard to give you a comprehensive list with some truly amazing spots from where you can enjoy a beautiful sunset after a day spent in the turquoise waters found across the Islands.

Paradise Bay
One of the best beaches along Malta’s northern part, this white-sandy beach lies on the Marfa peninsula close to the Gozo ferry. The beach gently dips into crystal-clear waters with rocky fringes for snorkelling. And if you work up an appetite after walking down the stairs to the beautiful beach, you can also enjoy a nice plate of fresh seafood right on the sand.

Riviera Bay
The long flight of steps leading down from the road to the beach is worth the effort as it keeps this lovely little red sandy beach a lot less busy than the neighbouring Golden Bay. The hillside behind the beach is also a natural park which offers an unspoiled rural view. And after a day in the crystal-clear waters at this beach, it will also become the ideal setting to watch the sunset.

Dingli Cliffs
At the very western edge of the island, you will find the majestic Dingli Cliffs. Solitary, unspoilt and hosts to the most amazing display in the sky, every evening, Dingli Cliffs are the perfect spot if you would like to soak in the last of the sun’s rays before setting on the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. You can catch the bus right to the cliffs and meander for a while, taking in the scenery, as you get ready to snap away.

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Harnessing cultural diversity

Harnessing cultural diversity

Harnessing cultural diversity

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Harnessing cultural diversity

Why cultural differences are crucial for the success of Cugó Gran

Everyone knows that being in the hospitality industry means interacting with different cultures each day of the year. At Cugó Gran we know first-hand what it means to be immersed in a multicultural environment as our team comes from different parts of the world.

The team is made up of different nationalities, including Maltese nationals: Elena, who runs our Back Office, Michael, our Night Audit since June 2018 and Neil, who has been taking care of the hotel’s maintenance since August 2019; the Spanish nationals Marc, Quality & Service Executive and Carlos, our Front Office Agent who joined our team recently; British national, Niki, who started off as a front office agent and has been growing with the company, and is now a Sales Manager with us since 2021, the Hungarian Imre, who has been our Front Office Agent since August 2020 and Pravin, our Thai / German Resident Manager since 2018. They will give us a bit of a run-through of the pillars of our multicultural interactions and what values they cherish to successfully collaborate with each other to share the Cugó Gran experience, one that respects and celebrates diversity and every culture.

Pravin mentions the multi-cultural element of the different nationalities and says how he really loves the spirit of the whole team. As a boutique hotel, the team at Cugó Gran can be described as one happy family, with the advantage of being such a small number of people, managing an extremely high end and demanding property, is that each and every one knows each other inside out.

Michael, one of the team players at Cugó Gran says that his motto has always been: “One team, one family”. An aficionado for Maltese history, the hotel is simply a true gem for him. He loves to share his history knowledge with the guests and enjoys interacting with them. He also loves to cook and is quite happy sharing traditional Maltese recipes with the guests, giving them that boutique feeling.

The family element of the team is something which each team member really cherishes, and because they spend so much time together, they have made it their passion to be good and professional hosts of the luxury brand.

“I am very proud to be part of the Cugó Gran family and show on a daily basis our excellent service with a personal touch to our customers.” – Pravin.

Through this interview, we also learnt some fun facts about our team members. Nicky, in her spare time, loves to take unusual and colourful photos of her daughter, whilst Imre describes himself as a world citizen and his experience at Cugó Gran as one which opened a special dimension in his career.

The team interestingly mentioned how variety is the spice of life. They feel very lucky to be part of such a diverse team and because at Cugó Gran we welcome guests from all 4 corners of the world, between the whole team we can normally manage to find someone to help guests in their native language if needs be!

“The team at Cugó Gran is a special team to be part of. Being a small group with some from the very beginning, it really feels more like a second family then just having ‘colleagues’.” – Nicky.

Because at the hotel, the staff is made up of different nationalities, and we frequently have interns from all different parts of Europe, it makes a great environment to be immersed into as there is so much to learn, taste, try and hear about other cultures and backgrounds.

Each and every team member know how to play to each other’s strengths, and who would be the best person to deal with any given situation. They are there for each other both in and out of work, and the results that they see when they all pull together are truly remarkable and something they are all very proud of.

Imre explains how he had applied for the front office agent position because he felt that at a boutique hotel, he would really be able to give a full customer experience, and having worked with several other hotel chains, he feels that he has truly found a gemstone at Cugó Gran.

“I am so happy when I see appreciation and a smile on the face of our guests. Malta is a treasure box for visitors and my job is to find the most matching jewels to our guests. My ‘ars poetica’: Nothing is impossible, and I am so happy that the team I am part of think and act that way as well.”

The teams’ knowledge of different cultural perspectives, and the many skills and backgrounds certainly helps the Cugó Gran brand create a better guest experience, where our international culture very much informs the way we shape the experience for each of our guests. Working with a multicultural team also puts each team member outside their bubble, allowing them to see the world from a different lens. Personalisation is key when creating a 5-star experience and at Cugó Gran we try and make each guest feel as special as possible

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