Fabien Vella, a veteran in the local hospitality sector, has joined Spanish hotel chain Meliá Hotels International as General Manager ahead of its expansion to Malta.

The chain’s first Maltese hotel, Hotel Mistral Affiliated by Meliá, is set to open later this year.

Fabien Vella / LinkedIn

Another three Meliá Hotels will be opening in Malta the following year: ME by Meliá Malta, Hotel Constance Affiliated by Meliá, and Hotel Ratton Affiliated by Meliá.

Mr Vella took on his first senior role in the local hospitality industry back in 1999, when he joined Golden Tulip Vivaldi as Front Office Manager. In August 2001, he moved to Hilton Malta, where he served as Director of Sales for upwards of 15 years.

From May 2017 to November 2017, Mr Vella served a short tenure as General Manager at Sliema’s The Waterfront Hotel, before moving to Domus Zamitello in Valletta to serve as General Manager. He occupied said role up until last month.

Founded in 1956, Meliá Hotels International is now ones of Spain’s largest domestic operators of holiday resorts and the 17th biggest hotel chain worldwide. Currently, the chain operates 374 hotels in 40 countries spanning four continents.

Featured Image:

Meliá Hotels International

Related

Winston Zahra: ‘Malta shouldn’t pursue luxury tourism alone’

27 January 2026
by Tim Diacono

He cited destinations like Ibiza that successfully blend mass and high-end tourism.

Many benefits to shorter workweek, but Malta ‘faces more pressing issues,’ says economist

27 January 2026
by Robert Fenech

Any attempt to introduce a four-day working week ‘must be done gradually,’ says Prof. Philip von Brockdorff.

Franklin Cachia appointed Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at MiFinity

27 January 2026
by Nicole Zammit

His professional background spans legal, tax, compliance and regulatory advisory across multiple sectors.

Colin B. German takes up General Manager role at cybersecurity firm 7Camber

27 January 2026
by Sam Vassallo

7 Camber offer penetration testing to uncover vulnerabilities before attackers do.