Le Méridien St Julian's Hotel & Spa will be rebranded into world-renowned chain Marriott International in the coming months, Times of Malta has learnt.

Hotel general manager Alex Incorvaja confirmed the rebranding, saying the hotel would be closing its doors at the end of this year before reopening in the first half of 2018 as the Malta Marriott Hotel and Spa.

“The hotel will be upgraded and refurbished. Le Méridien is already classified as a five-star hotel, but we will be increasing the number of executive suites and offering other premium options,” he said.

Mr Incorvaja said the move followed the Marriott chain’s purchase of the Starwood brand, which owned the Le Méridien. He pointed out that the increase in capacity would require more employees. “We’re looking into the possibility of adding two floors within planning guidelines,” he said.

Staff would be informed about the closing in the coming weeks, he added.

The move will also see an increase in the number of parking spaces in the area, with Mr Incorvaja noting this will “benefit the community in the area”.

The Marriott chain has more than 1.1 million rooms in over 5,700 properties. “The Marriott chain is one of the strongest brands worldwide in terms of hotel lodgings, and that they are coming to Malta is definitely good news for the tourism industry,” Mr Incorvaja said.