Marsa waterfront sees four-star hotel proposal

A new 190-room four-star hotel has been proposed for Pinto Wharf in Marsa, with developers seeking outline planning permission for a 10-level hospitality development.

The proposed hotel site is located at Pinto Wharf, along Xatt l-Għassara tal-Għeneb in Marsa, within the former maritime-industrial waterfront area next to the premises of the European Union Agency for Asylum and close to the Virtu Ferries terminal.

The application (PA 04772/26), filed by Keith Attard Portughes’s ICI Ltd, proposes the construction of a Class 3B hotel at No. 83, Xatt l-Għassara tal-Għeneb, including a vertical extension above the existing structure to create “continuity with adjacent buildings”. 

The applicant has declared full ownership of the 950sq.m property in question.

The proposed development will rise over two basement levels, a ground floor and nine upper floors, with the hotel extending to a height of 10 storeys above street level.

Plans submitted to the Planning Authority show that the hotel would include 190 guest rooms spread across standard and premium setback floors. The development will also feature a reception area, staff facilities, waiting areas, a gym and pool at ground floor level.

A restaurant with outdoor seating is proposed on the seventh floor, while basement levels would accommodate storage, garage facilities and back-of-house operations.

The proposal comes as Marsa is targeted for wider regeneration, with recently announced government plans focusing on the transformation of the inner part of the Grand Harbour, once home to the coal depot, a polluting power station and industrial quayside activity, into a mixed-use development of open spaces, commercial establishments, restaurants, a yacht marina, gardens and pedestrian promenades.

It also comes amid growing concerns over tourism and gentrification pressures in nearby Valletta and Floriana, where rising visitor numbers and accommodation growth have fuelled debate over the impact on infrastructure and urban communities.

The application is currently at outline stage, meaning that the Planning Authority is being asked to approve the development parameters, such as the principle of the project, its scale and massing, rather than the final detailed design. A separate full development application would still be required before construction can proceed.