Plans to transform Madliena’s Mystique into a boutique hotel

Plans have been presented to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to transform the Mystique villa, a quirky building overlooking Madliena’s Mejxu valley, into a boutique hotel.

The plans propose substantial additions to the existing building while retaining its unique features.

An eccentric creation of the fourth Marquis Scicluna vaguely reminiscent of Catalan architect Gaudi, the Mystique was a leading nightclub in the 1960s.

The building has been left abandoned for some years, becoming a favourite haunt for young people searching for adventure or a quiet place to meditate.

Christiane Ramsay Pergola, Baroness of Tabria – who presently runs the Palazzo Parisio gardens – is proposing the development, which also includes a pool and a cafeteria.

The Mystique is not a protected building although leading architects like Conrad Thake have in the past called for its preservation.

Noteworthy features in the building include glass mosaics of owls and peacocks that decorate the walls of what used to be a garden bar.

From the terrace near the indoor bar one can enjoy views of St Julian’s and the Portomaso tower. One can still find a Jacuzzi, a geyser and a kitchenette in the Marquis’s living quarters.

The building lies outside development zones in the vicinity of the Torre Paulina wedding hall. In 2010 MEPA had approved an application to enclose the property within a boundary wall.