Corinthia Attard plans two-storey expansion

The Corinthia Palace Hotel Company is seeking permits for 40 new hotel rooms on two setback floors above the existing four storey hotel in Attard.

The group opted to first apply for an outline application setting the parameters and massing of future development before presenting a full development application.

Although the actual design and architectural drawings are yet to be drawn up, company CEO Simon Naudi promised that “any future development, will be made in full compliance to zoning laws and sensitivities” and “in a manner that complements and enhances the visual appearance of the property”.

The hotel property is designated as a ‘tourist establishment site’ in an ad-hoc policy limited to the site of the hotel in local plans approved in 2006, which allows the extension of the hotel provided several conditions are met.

One of the conditions is that the scale and quality of design of the whole project is consistent with the character of the area and of the existing building, and that the proposed extension does not exceed the height of the existing hotel.

But the Planning Authority also introduced a new policy in 2014 allowing hotels to rise two storeys above local plan levels. In fact, the Malta Tourism Authority has already deemed the hotel to be eligible for the application of the policy.

Currently the Corinthia Palace offers just 130 rooms, which according to Naudi places it among the smaller operations at the top end of the five-star market in Malta. “Considering that rooms are the main driver for a hotel’s revenue, it is logical that we would explore possibilities to increase the number of rooms within the planning and regulatory frameworks afforded to us,” Naudi said.

If approved the application will increase the hotel’s gross floor area from the current 10,267sq.m to 16,484sq.m. The development is limited to the already built hotel area and will not impact on the gardens or the detached villa areas.

Characterised by its extensive gardens close to San Anton gardens, the charming hotel was inaugurated in 1968 by the Duke of Edinburgh. The hotel, which originally started out as a restaurant in 1962, is still described by the company as its “spiritual home”.

According to a Cabinet memo issued in July 1969, the Pisanis were granted £173,333 for the development of the hotel, as well as income tax relief for 10 years and exemption from customs duty on construction material used in building the hotel.