Eight-storey hotel proposed in Marsaxlokk

An eight-story hotel is being proposed to replace a six-story guest house and an adjacent two-story residence along Triq tas-Silġ in Marsaxlokk.

The proposed development sits outside the locality’s Urban Conservation Area, 60m away from the parish church.

The proposal is based on a policy approved in 2014 that allows hotels to rise two extra floors above local plan limitations. Plans indicate that the new building will rise to 26m, up from the current 17.5m.

The hotel is being proposed by MNA Group Limited, which currently runs the existing Dun Ġorg Guest House as well as the Port View Guest House, also located in Marsaxlokk.

However, the proposal is facing objections from the Marsaxlokk Local Council, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, and Din l-Art Ħelwa.

The Superintendence noted that the property lies within a transition zone to the UCA (Urban Conservation Area), and that the proposed development will exceed existing commitments, further increasing blank party walls. Given these factors, the proposal is described as objectionable from a cultural heritage perspective.

The Marsaxlokk council warned that the proposed hotel will result in “an excessive transformation” of the area, which will change its character. The Council called for revised plans based on skyline studies.

The heritage NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa also warned that the development will result in an “inappropriate building height that is completely out of scale with its context,” which will have a “detrimental impact on the character and amenity of this distinct urban area.”

The hotel proposal includes a spa, a cafeteria, a restaurant, and a rooftop pool.

The proposal has been endorsed by the Design Advisory Committee, which advises the Planning Authority on design issues. The committee suggested that the exposed party wall should be painted using a darker shade “to tone down the visual impact and blend with the existing surroundings.”

The Marsaxlokk Bay Local Plan sets the height limitation for this area at three stories, but this height was subsequently translated into a metric height of 17.5m, allowing developers to fit five or even six floors, as is the case with the Dun Ġorg Guest House. Hotels are not among the types of developments normally allowed in residential areas, although guest houses are permitted.