Updated 11.37am

A fire at the Preluna Hotel forced the evacuation of a number of guests as a precaution with one person treated in hospital for smoke inhalation.

Firefighters said the blaze broke out in third and fourth floor hotel rooms that were being temporarily used as storage in the Sliema hotel's new extension at the back of the property. 

The alarm was raised at about 9.30am on Monday morning. 

Construction workers were the first to fight the flames, using their own hoses, until fire-fighters of the Civil Protection Department arrived.

No one was injured and no serious damage was caused to the building.

A fire-fighting vehicle outside the hotel. Photo: Jonathan Borg

One of the evacuated guests, Eva from the Netherlands, who is visiting Malta with her family, said they were evacuated through emergency exits. 

"We were on the eighth floor when the fire broke out. The lift wasn't working, so we used the stairs," she said.

German tourist Shirley, 19,  said she was having breakfast with her partner when the fire broke out.

"We heard one of the waitresses shout fire, and at first we thought something caught fire in the kitchen, but we weren't worried," she said.

"Then someone else came out of the kitchen, and switched off the lamps, (used to keep the food warm) and they informed us that there was a fire in the hotel and that we had to leave," she said.

She said they and the rest of the guests at the breakfast area were evacuated from the main entrance, but once outside, they saw that there were other guests still in their balconies and unaware of what was happening.

"We saw there was one woman who was reading on her balcony," she said.

The fire broke out in the new extension of the hotel in rooms that are currently being used for storage. Photo: Ossie Hickman

She said that they didn't smell or see any smoke, and shortly after more guests were evacuated.

She said she also saw workers from the construction site being evacuated 'by crane'.

Several vehicles of the emergency services were on the scene and quickly brought the situation under control.

No one was injured and all guests were allowed back into the hotel at 11.12am

Tower Road was closed to traffic for most of the morning.

Tower Road was closed while fire-fighters tackled the fire. Photo: Jonathan Borg.