Philosophy of Computer Games Conference 2016 Where (and accommodation)
Key locations for #POCG16
If you are participating to the conference, you might find this map and these key-locations handy (conference locations, eating spots, places of interest).
Welcome to Malta
Malta is the smallest country in the European Union, consisting of a tiny archipelago in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, sixty-five kilometres south of Sicily. You can drive across Malta – the main island that gives the archipelago its name – in an hour. Yet, this small size belies the wealth of interest it has to offer to the visitor. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, and one of the richest in historical, architectural and cultural treasures.
The archipelago’s strategic location has attracted many of the most important civilizations in history to its shores – and all have added their threads to the tapestry of the islands’ history. Among the islands’ many heritage sites, are Neolithic temples (among the oldest structures in the world – predating Stonehenge by half a millennium, and the Pyramids of Giza by a thousand years), the Hypogeum, a unique prehistoric necropolis, Roman catacombs, British colonial architecture, and, most famously of all, the stunning architectural legacy of the Order of the Knights of St. John. Mdina is a fortified city in the North of the island which served as the island's capital from antiquity to the medieval period (some scenes in the first season of Game of Thrones were shot here, with Mdina serving as King's Landing).
As a result of this rich historical background, Malta has stood at a cultural crossroads with southern and northern European, north African, and Middle Eastern influences growing interwoven. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Maltese language. The two official languages are English – a reminder of Malta’s time as a British colony, which ended in 1964 – and Maltese, a melting-pot of a language whose Arabic core has been Latinised and embellished over the centuries with borrowings from Italian, French and English. Italian is also widely spoken. This same meeting of cultures is evident in the local cuisine, which blends Italian, North African, and British influences, making heavy use of seafood and fresh local produce.
In addition to all of this, the Maltese archipelago also boasts of spectacular landscapes and a number of sandy and rocky beaches. Even in early November, clear blue skies and temperatures in the mid-to-high twenties are likely, meaning a visit to the beach could well be on the cards (bring your swimsuit).
Valletta
After the Great Siege of 1565, the Grandmaster of the Knights of St. John, Jean Parisot de la Vallette, laid the first stone of a new capital city for the Maltese Islands in 1566. Valletta, known simply as Il-Belt (the City) among locals, houses a number of different attractions. It is relatively small in size, with a population of less than 7,000 – but what the capital lacks in size, it makes up for in richness in its history and character, with UNESCO describing it as “one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world”. 
Just off Republic Street, the city’s buzzing main thoroughfare, St. John’s Co-Cathedral boasts some of the most glorious Baroque architecture from the Knights’ period in Malta, as well as a seminal chiaroscuro work of Caravaggio, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.
Originally built for their strategic locations, the Upper Barrakka Gardens offer a picturesque, eagle-eye view of the world-renowned Grand Harbour, serving as an equally excellent spot for a view of the Three Cities’ startlingly beautiful fortifications. The gorgeous night lights of the Msida marina, Manoel Island and Sliema adorn the view of Marsamxett Harbour from Hastings Garden. Valletta also features a number of museums – most notably the National Museum of Archeology, the National War Museum and the National Museum of Fine Arts – as well as a vast range of restaurants, cafes and bars. It’s no surprise that Valletta has been named not only a UNESCO World Heritage site, but also Europe’s Cultural Capital of 2018 , a rightful honour for the UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the many jewels of the Maltese Islands.
The Philosophy of Computer Games Conference 2016 is held in the Old University Building, whose Baroque building was the University of Malta’s original campus upon its foundation in 1769.
Recommended Accommodation Options
(Warning: these are the special prices that the UoM negotiated with the individual hotels! Attendees have to mention the conference when contacting the email addresses provided below. Also, an additional .50c environmental tax will have to be paid on check-in)
Kennedy Nova Hotel - 4*
The Strand, Sliema
Single standard room @ 34E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Twin standard room @ 42E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Single standard room with harbour view @ 61E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Twin standard room with harbour view @ 68E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Email : sales@kennedynova.com
Luciano Valletta Boutique Accommodation
Merchants Street, Valletta
Twin duplex room with St John's Cathedral view @ 140E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Twin room with street view @ 130E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Quadruple duplex room with St John's Cathedral view @ 160E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Single room, no street view, window overlooks small internal central courtyard @ 60E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Email : maltatravel@onvol.net
Luciano Al Porto Boutique Accommodation
St Ursula Street, Valletta
Double room with Grand Harbour view @ 150E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Double room with street view @ 90E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Quadruple room with street view @ 160E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Email : maltatravel@onvol.net
British Hotel - 2*
40 Battery Street, Valletta
Twin inland room for sole use @ 85E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Twin inland room for double use @ 105E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Twin seaview room for sole use @ 95E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Twin seaview room for double use @ 115E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Email : info@britishhotel.com
Osborne Hotel - 3*
South Street, Valletta
Double room for sole use @ 95E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Double room for twin use @ 105E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Email : brian@osbornehotel.com
Marina Hotel at the Corinthia Beach Resort - 4*
St George's Bay, St Julians
Superior standard room for sole use @ 115E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Superior standard room for twin use @ 140E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Email : estelle.borg@corinthia.com; jeanine.borgghigo@corinthia.com
Grand Hotel Excelsior - 5*
Great Siege Road, Floriana
Single deluxe inland room @ 106E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Twin deluxe inland room @ 131E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Single deluxe seaview room @ 125E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Twin deluxe seaview room @ 150E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Email : sascha.sammut@excelsior.com.mt; reservations@excelsior.com.mt
Phoenicia Hotel - 5*
The Mall, Floriana
Double superior room for sole use @ 130E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Double superior room for double use @ 150E per night on bed & breakfast basis
Email : magdalene.tabone@phoeniciamalta.com
- BUDGET OPTION (HOSTELS) -
Hostel Jones - (Hostel)
Sliema
Shared bedrooms @20E - 25E per night
Email: info@maltahostel.com
Corner Hostel Malta - (Hostel)
Sliema
Shared bedrooms @20E - @25E per night
Inhawi Hostel - (Hostel)
St. Julian's
Shared bedrooms @20E - @25E per night