The InterContinental Hotel will be targeting guests willing to spend up to €4,000 or €5,000 a day, ­offering them extravagant suites measuring as much as a reasonably-sized apartment.

All will have their own large terrace with lounging and dining areas, and the bathrooms alone are nearly the size of a normal hotel room.

The hotel already has 451 rooms but will be adding two floors which will be completely dedicated to 30 luxury suites – along with a private outdoor swimming pool and restaurant for the guests.

The hotel already has 24 other suites which will also be completely refurbished by March. The suites will have a butler service, and be a ‘trolley-free’ environment to offer a completely bespoke experience.

“We are looking at a completely new market, the world of private jets and superyachts. We will need to look at the right travel markets and the sort of people who travel business class with Emirates, for example,” general manager Martin Van Kan said.

“We believe that this segment has less seasonality than leisure guests and families, and they also tend to stay longer.”

The extension, which is being presented to Mepa today, will be made of steel and rather than disturb the hotel guests, the decision was taken to close the property down completely for a few months.

“The hotel is 12 years old so it will be given a thorough clean and maintenance will be carried out in all the areas. For the moment, we will be focusing on the new floors. In a few years’ time, we will probably start to tackle the decor of the existing rooms,” he said.

The hotel will close down next month and reopen in February, while the new suites should be ready for guests by July.

It has been a busy time for the hotel, which has also completely recreated the Arena as a convention centre. The nearby Giorgiani Hotel is also being targeted with a few of its floors being redone. The new 110-room hotel will be re-branded as a Holiday Inn Express, marking the return of this popular brand after years.

Mr Van Kan is not at all dismayed by plans for other hotels in the area – although he hopes that the construction will be carefully managed to ensure the least disruption possible.

“It will be good to have other investors putting pressure on the authorities to clean and tidy up the area... We will not be the lone voice. We are actually quite disappointed that the refurbishment of the Radisson Baypoint is not going ahead as that was a very ambitious project which would really have challenged the rest of the five-star hotels!

“But improving the ‘arrival’ ­experience of guests in this area remains the biggest challenge. Perhaps we cannot change the profile of the people who come to Paceville but we can change how the area is used and we can fix the roads and the pavements,” he said.

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