Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1168782
17 COMMERCIAL maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 18 SEPTEMBER 2019 VALLETTA'S first 5-star luxury hotel, Rosselli – AX Privilege, was officially inaugurated last week. As the seventh and latest addi- tion to the AX Hotels chain, the project involved a €15 million investment in the restoration and development of a 17th cen- tury Palazzo into a luxury hotel housing 25 designer suites, all part of the AX Designer Collec- tion, and three dining venues. Rosselli – AX Privilege is part of AX Group's long-term plan for the regeneration of Valletta. Angelo Xuereb, Chairman of AX Group, who published a masterplan for Valletta three decades ago, has stressed the need to upgrade and improve the city. His vision included the regeneration of old buildings in- to boutique hotels, the creation of pedestrian zones and imple- mentation of measures to at- tract residents back to the city. "I've always believed that in or- der for the regeneration of Val- letta to take place, there needs to be a strong investment from both the private sector and from the Government, which started a few years back and is currently still underway. While AX Ho- tels are already prominent in Qawra and Sliema, AX Group now saw the need to invest in Valletta," Xuereb said. The Group's latest project, led by AX Construction, in- volved removing accretions to restore the Palazzo to its original state, while taking measures to raise the bench- mark for hotels in Valletta. These actions include pro- tecting the building's lime- stone against humidity, and installing special lighting ef- fects on the building's façade. Events such as Malta's EU Presidency and Valletta 2018 have highlighted the impor- tance of investing in restora- tion works and the built envi- ronment in the city. AX Group hopes that their endeavours will be emulated by the Government, who are encouraged to install simi- lar lighting effects on the re- stored façade of the Old Uni- versity and the Jesuit Church opposite Rosselli. Xuereb also urged the Planning Author- ity to erect a new Board with an expert understanding of historic buildings, in order to safeguard Malta's heritage, create well-balanced build- ings and be efficient so as to reduce the inconvenience to the neighbourhood. The Rosselli project also in- cludes a new dining concept for Malta. Grain, the restau- rant located within the same Palazzo as Rosselli, introduc- es three different concepts on three different levels. "We've opened Grain Street, which is accessed from street level, and in a few weeks we will be opening underGrain, which is based on a refined dining con- cept. In a year's time, we will also be opening overGrain, on the top floor of the hotel", said Zammit Xuereb. A team of Spanish researchers, led by Prof. Juan Carlos Izpisúa and Dr. Pedro Guillén amongst several others, and supported by Fundación MAPFRE, have discovered a new function of protein DGCR8, which is key to reducing the severity of illnesses such as osteoarthritis. There is currently no cure for osteoarthritis, an illness that af- fects the mobility and quality of life of 242 million people world- wide. Osteoarthritis is known to be a preliminary cause of per- manent disability. It is thought that this new function of protein DGCR8, which prevents cellular deterio- ration and delays aging, could help bones and cartilage heal more effectively and help re- duce muscle inflammation. The project, entitled "Sta- bilizing Heterochromatin by DGCR8 Alleviates Senescence and Osteoarthritis," was re- cently published in prestigious journal Nature and offers deep insight into the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with aging, paving the way to- ward solutions to degenerative illnesses that will contribute to improving the health of count- less people. Fundación MAPFRE has been contributing to improving the quality of life and health of peo- ple for over 40 years, allocating over 2 million Euros towards re- search each year. One highlight of the more than 1,000 projects funded since 1979 was the project carried out by Dr. Vaquero, Head of Neurosurgery at the University Hospital of Puerta de Hierro de Majadahonda (Madrid), to treat spinal injuries with cell therapy Fundación MAPFRE supports research project to prevent cellular deterioration and delay aging AX Group inaugurates 5-star Luxury Hotel in Valletta