Paint it darker: Design fix for Naxxar guesthouse

A Planning Authority advisory panel has suggested painting a proposed six-storey hotel expansion in a darker colour to help reduce its visual impact near Naxxar’s historic core. 

In comments submitted following a meeting on 24 June, the Design Advisory Committee (DAC) said it was “not averse” to the hotel proposal “strictly from a design point of view,” but recommended that the exposed party wall of the new structure be finished in a “medium to dark shade” to help it blend into the surrounding built environment. 

The application, filed by Victor Chetcuti on behalf of Mancunian Ltd envisages a substantial extension behind an existing old building on Triq San Ġorġ to accommodate a 46-room guesthouse. While the existing frontage lies within the Urban Conservation Area (UCA), the proposed backyard extension falls outside it. 

The project includes the excavation of the garden, which currently hosts some citrus trees, and the construction of 40 bedrooms, three family rooms, and two suites. The design also incorporates an outdoor pool, a breakfast area, and a gym over two underground levels. The new structure will be stepped down from the existing building and will adjoin a blank party wall of a neighbouring property located outside the Urban Conservation Area (UCA).  

The Naxxar Local Council has raised strong objections to the application, flagging the “scale and intensity” of the development, the loss of green open space, and the potential impact on the visual character of the area. 

The Malta Tourism Authority has also weighed in, stressing that Class 3A guesthouses are legally capped at 30 rooms.  

The site falls within a designated residential zone where guest houses and hostels may be allowed but hotels are excluded.