Guesthouses for south pile up on PA caseload

Despite studies pointing at an over-supply of hotel accommodation, applications for small hotels keep piling up on the Planning Authority’s caseload.

A 27-room guesthouse for Marsaxlokk, proposed next to the Labour Party club, will lead to the demolition of a dilapidated, characterisctic townhouse on the main village’s thoroughfare.

The three-floor guesthouse will rise higher than neighbouring properties, while remaining level with some other buildings on the same street.

Another 18-room guesthouse on two adjacent properties, is being proposed by Daniel Zahra near the Ferretti restaurant along Triq San Gorg in Birzebbugia, with the addition of a new floor. In 2020 the PA had already approved an application to make way for three new residential units and a shop, to regularise the previous demolition of part of the existing building and allow the internal demolition of one the buildings.

The internal demolition was approved by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage in view of the building’s dilapidated state. Works on this project were stopped by the Building and Construction Authority last year after infringements were noted.