The Eden Leisure Group will be the first to take advantage of the new building heights policy, with the planning authority approving an additional three storeys for its Intercontinental Hotel.
Under the same policy, the group was also given permission to demolish the former Giorgiani’s Hotel, a few metres down the road, and rebuild a six-storey Holiday Inn Express Hotel.
Approved last month, the new height policy specifies that hotels on sites of under 5,000 square metres can add two floors over and above the limit for that area and if larger, more than two, as long as the hotel is surrounded by planned or existing roads or stands alone.The entire site of the 451-suite Intercontinental Hotel covers about 10,200 square metres with frontages on two streets and 451 suites.
The extension creates a landmark building with high level luxury suites
The application, filed by group executive chairman Ian Decesare, adds two floors with 32 more hotel suites and a bar with pool deck, as well as another floor for services. It will raise the hotel to 18 floors, giving the property an additional floor area of approximately 6,250sqm.
The project was considered to be an upgrade and will include eco-certification and recycling of grey water as part of its environmentally friendly features. The case officer noted the extension creates “a landmark building with high level luxury suites”.
The new storeys have been designed as an extension of the existing hotel in terms of operation and will be distinguished by a green border of landscaping to screen the services and structural pillars supporting the overlying floors.
While only hotels of three stars and over can take advantage of the height policy, it also applies to existing hotels that are demolished and rebuilt.
The former Giorgiani’s Hotel falls in this category and will have 99 guest rooms spread over six floors.
The façade overlooking Santa Rita Road will be finished with exposed concrete, recessed coloured concrete designs and white aluminium louvers.
The frontage on Santu Wistin Street will have different bright colours to delineate the terraces of each hotel room.