Mulberries, Żabbar

This upscale B&B is the passion project of husband and wife duo, Aaron and Jesabel.

The dream of creating this serene farmhouse stay actually began back in 2006 when Aaron, an architect by profession, visited a dilapidated property in the Maltese rural hamlet of Żabbar. And after many years of hard work, The Mulberries opened in 2021.

The original building is lovingly resorted – some parts of the structure date back to the 17th Century. They’ve also done an amazing job of expanding the farmhouse – it’s done so seamlessly that you won’t notice it at first.

The rooms are what we like to call ‘farmhouse chic’ – they’re not over the top, but they’re also far from basic. The rooms overlook either a beautiful courtyard or the farmland at the back of the house, which is also where you can sit out to eat your breakfast. Breakfast is included and is a simple continental spread.

Being family-run, don’t expect there to be someone on hand 24/7 – the reception closes at 7pm each day though there is someone to call should you need help. The same goes for evening activities. This is a place to come and get a good night’s sleep, rather than party the night away. It gets very quiet once the sun goes down, though there is a small lounge inside should you want to sit somewhere other than your room.

When we visited, they were just finishing up their underground spa and wow – it is going to be such a beautiful place to chill! We were completely bowled over when we learned that Aaron had also built this, but his hard graft has certainly paid off. There’s a pool, jacuzzi, sauna and Hammam spa and you’ll be able to book private treatments too.

There’s a secret hidden in the bowels of the farmhouse too… an old well which, on request, has been the base of several yoga retreats. The owners don’t run these themselves, but if any are coming up they will post about it on their socials.