Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1037786
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 10 OCTOBER 2018 4 NEWS JAMES DEBONO A massive five star hotel with 110 guest-rooms built over five terraced floors is being proposed on the area presently occupied by the Tattingers club and a num- ber of adjacent properties. The 5,549sq.m area is presently characterised by two-storey properties now earmarked for demolition. An extensive undeveloped site which lies outside de- velopment boundaries be- tween these properties and Mdina is earmarked for landscaping and a swim- ming pool. The project is set to have a considerable visual impact on Saqqaja hill due to the increase in building density created by the new hotel. But the development will be terraced along the slope of the hill in a way that the hotel will not exceed the height of older buildings located on top of Saqqajja hill. The application which im- pacts on an urban conser- vation area also foresees the felling of some trees and al- terations to existing rubble walls. Applicant Jeffrey Cutajar has declared full ownership of the site earmarked for the hotel development. The Tattingers club closed its doors seven months ago after 25 years in operation. An application presented last year for the construc- tion of offices instead of the neighbouring Rainbow apartments block has now been dropped. A restaurant instead of a showroom was approved in the same block in 2015. As presented the applica- tion does not foresee any excavations under the exist- ing buildings or the creation of new parking facilities. Five-storey hotel proposed on Saqqaja hill The five-star hotel, as proposed (above), will see a marked increase in building density on Saqqajja hill