Plans To Transform 16th Century Palazzo On Valletta Seafront Into 5-Star Hotel Raises Residents’ Concerns
Plans to restore a 16th-century palazzo and demolish an adjacent property on the Valletta seafront to build a 5-star hotel have raised concerns among residents.
According to an application with the Planning Authority, the building along Triq Marsamxett will extend to five storeys, adding two floors and reaching the same height as nearby residences.
The property will become a “5-star superior boutique hotel” with 29 guestrooms, a restaurant, a swimming pool and other ancillary facilities.
However, the demolition and construction of the adjacent property seem to have raised the most concern since it will feature a new Maltese-stone structure wrapping around the building.
“The proposed concrete façade facing the sea in one of the most iconic views of Valletta – listed as a World Heritage Site (Unesco) – is incomprehensible, especially as residents have been asked to lower their water cisterns and photovoltaic panels on the roof and encouraged to restore their Maltese balconies to ensure a harmonised vision of Valletta,” residents said in objections to the plan.
Meanwhile, others claim that the palazzo formed part of a 2015 tender which stressed that no additional floors or exterior structural alteration would be allowed.
Residents also pointed to a previous application, made by current applicant Conrad Borg of GP Borg Holdings and architect Mariello Spiteri, submitted in 2016 was rejected by the PA.
While others referenced recent reports concerning Malta’s oversupply of hotels, with studies suggesting that the country would need five million tourists per year to sustain them.
What do you think of the plans?
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