12-storey development proposed on Calypso Hotel site in Marsalforn

A planning application has been submitted to demolish the existing Calypso Hotel in Marsalforn and replace it with a large mixed-use development comprising 141 apartments, a four-star hotel, six restaurants and a convenience shop.

The proposed development would occupy the 8,900sq.m site currently covered by the hotel and its ancillary facilities. It is divided into five blocks of varying heights, with the tallest reaching 12 storeys. The existing Calypso Hotel rises to seven floors.

The application also proposes the removal of existing tennis courts and abandoned sports facilities located within an outside development zone (ODZ). This area would be subject to what is described as “ecological restoration”, with the aim of creating an “open-air formal recreational area”.  But the development as proposed also foresees a substantial vertical extension in the area facing the ODZ currently occupied by two storey buildings.

The project is being put forward by Le Mer Limited, a company set up in 2025. Its directors include Silvan Fenech and Oliver Brownrigg. The largest shareholder in the venture is OS Developments Limited, which is jointly owned by Tum Invest and the BT Group Limited.

Other shareholders include BBT plc, another joint venture between the Tumas Group, BT Group and V&C Investments Limited; Bigeni & Bigeni Co. Limited, whose owners include project architect Alex Bigeni; and Elzan Properties Limited, owned by Francesco Raniero Grima.

In its initial response to the application, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage requested photomontages from different angles of the proposed development to assess its visual impact. The site lies within an Area of High Landscape Value and is located approximately 33 metres north of the Church of St Paul.

The Environment and Resources Authority has also requested further details before determining whether the project requires a full environmental impact assessment.

The BBT Group’s website also includes the new project as part of the company’s portfolio describing it as one which “reimagines the original hotel, blending hospitality, residential, and commercial uses within a layered architectural strategy that responds to Marsalforn’s historical and cultural context”.  The website also includes visual renders of the proposed development.  According to the company website the project will include a 52-room hotel and 136 apartments. Nonetheless, the latest plans include four more apartments.