Planning Authority approves Valletta five-star hotel overlooking narrow alley

The Planning Board has approved a proposal by Conrad Borg’s GP Borg Holdings Ltd to convert a historic Valletta palazzo and an adjoining property into a five-star hotel, despite objections from residents over privacy, loss of light and the impact on the narrow alley.

The project, covering properties at 58 to 60B, Triq Marsamxett, and Sqaq it-Teatru l-Antik, involves restoring a 16th-century palazzo and demolishing and rebuilding the adjoining property. The hotel will have 29 guest rooms, a spa, an indoor swimming pool, a wine bar, a coffee area, a kitchen and a terrace.

The site includes Mattia Preti House, a building dating to the period of the Knights, and lies within Valletta’s Urban Conservation Area and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The alley’s width is central to the application because planning regulations limit building height to twice the width of the street where it measures less than three metres.

The latest plans provide for a fourth floor set back from the façade, with pools on the upper level. The elevation facing Sqaq it-Teatru l-Antik will remain one storey high before successive one-metre setbacks from the first floor upwards.

According to the plans, windows facing the alley will not open directly into guest rooms, in an effort to protect neighbouring residents’ privacy.

Residents raise privacy concerns

During the Planning Board meeting, an objector argued the project encroaches on St Paul’s Court in Triq it-Teatru l-Antik, pointing to balconies protruding into the alley and disputing the width measurements.

He also warned that the development would obscure historic balconies and a turret.

Other residents expressed concerns about overlooking, the possible use of hotel terraces and the loss of natural light, arguing that tourism was being prioritised over residential amenity.

“What is it like to have a hotel approved opposite your bedroom?” one resident asked.

Architect Mariello Spiteri insisted balconies are not counted when measuring street width because they are not habitable spaces, and maintained the measurements used in the plans were correct.

He also pointed to the risks posed by the adjoining dilapidated property, originally built illegally in the early 1980s but subsequently sanctioned through a planning permit.

“We have addressed all the concerns of objectors, changed the design several times and let’s not forget that the palazzo will be restored and money has to be generated for this purpose,” he said.

Previous permit revoked over alley measurements

The project had already been approved by the Planning Board in April 2025, but that permit was revoked in July after the architect requested amendments to the drawings following an error in the measurements of the alley at the rear of the site.

The discrepancy had also been flagged by architect Tara Cassar when the original application was considered.

According to the case officer, the latest plans incorporate the corrected measurements.

The proposal had also attracted objections over the loss of residential accommodation, the intensity of hotel use and its impact on Valletta’s historic character.

Representations questioned the additional rooftop floor and the proposed replacement of the roofs of Mattia Preti House.

The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage raised no objection to the revised application, subject to conditions, noting changes to the earlier proposal included reduced building volumes and a more appropriate façade design. The UNESCO technical committee also gave its approval.

Conditions include heritage monitoring and a €28,000 bank guarantee.

As no parking can be provided on site, the developer must also pay €65,000 under the Commuted Parking Payment Scheme to cover a shortfall of 11 parking spaces.