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Matthew Vella
Two hotels which are expected to host dignitaries for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting are still in construction and finishing phases, less than four months left to the start of the CHOGM conference in Malta.
The SAS Golden Sands Resort and the Le Meridien St Julians are two of a list of 11 superior hotels which will be hosting the CHOGM dignitaries and delegates. A further list of four-star hotels has not yet been finalised.
Attempts to contact the Commonwealth secretariat’s spokesperson Joel Kibazo proved futile.
The CHOGM task force, headed by Ambassador Salv Stellini, negotiated a flat-rate accommodation through the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association.
These included the five-star Intercontinental, Corinthia San Gorg, Corinthia Palace, and Corinthia Marina, the Radisson SAS Baypoint, Le Meridien Phoenicia and St Julians, and the Kepinski San Lawrenz in Gozo.
Separate arrangements have been negotiated with the Westin Dragonara Resort and the Radisson SAS Golden Sands Resort.
MaltaToday is informed that the negotiation between the MHRA and the government started under the presidency of Winston J. Zahra, and carried on under the mediation of current president Justin Zammit Tabona.
According to Zammit Tabona, the rates were negotiated by the hotels themselves and the MHRA. “During my presidency. MHRA mediated between the hotels and government with the view of a mutually acceptable agreement to be reached. The agreement reached is one of a commercial nature between our individual members and the CHOGM organisers.”
Zammit Tabona said the MHRA had no jurisdiction on what rates its members charge “at any point in time.”
The government is required to provide accommodation for all Commonwealth heads of government, accompanying ministers and for two persons per delegation.
Stellini said the choice of hotels were governed by security considerations and the availability of certain types of accommodation, suites in particular, in one location.
matthew@newsworksltd.com
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