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MALTATODAY 22 September 2019

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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 SEPTEMBER 2019 7 CULTURE HERITAGE VALLETTA'S first 5-star luxury hotel, Rosselli – AX Privilege, was officially inaugurated on Thursday, 12th Sep- tember 2019. As the seventh and latest addition to the AX Hotels chain, the project in- volved a €15 million investment in the restoration and development of a 17th century Palazzo into a luxury hotel housing 25 designer suites, all part of the AX Designer Collection, and three dining venues. Rosselli – AX Privilege is part of AX Group's long-term plan for the regen- eration 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 into boutique hotels, the creation of pedestrian zones and implementation of measures to attract residents back to the city. "I've always believed that in order for the regeneration of Valletta to take place, there needs to be a strong invest- ment from both the private sector and from the Government, which started a few years back and is currently still un- derway. While AX Hotels 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, involved removing accretions to restore the Palazzo to its original state, while taking meas- ures to raise the benchmark for ho- tels in Valletta. These actions include protecting the building's limestone against humidity, and installing spe- cial lighting effects on the building's façade. "Valletta is a unique city that deserves high-quality international exposure", AX Group Hospitality Director Claire Zammit Xuereb said. "With Rosselli, we sought to create a 5-star hotel with a difference in order to complement the progress and devel- opment that is taking place in Valletta today. Our aim is not to sell rooms, but to add value to the city of Valletta and elevate Malta's potential to tap into new international markets." The Rosselli project also includes a new dining concept for Malta. Grain, the restaurant located within the same Palazzo as Rosselli, introduces 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 under- Grain, which is based on a refined din- ing concept. In a year's time, we will also be opening overGrain, on the top floor of the hotel", Zammit Xuereb said. AX Group currently has two other hotels in the planning stages, expected to open in 2021 and 2022. New 5-star luxury hotel in Valletta part of AX Group's plans for capital's regeneration MICHIGAN State Repre- sentative Darrin Camilleri, elected for the US Demo- crat Party in Brownstown, on Thursday hosted the third Annual Maltese American Heritage Day celebration at the state's Capitol. The event drew over 50 attendees to recognise the many rich cultural and economic contribu- tions of Michigan's Mal- tese Americans to the state and their local com- munities. Camilleri, the first state representative of Maltese descent in Michigan's his- tory, was joined by special guests Michigan Supreme Court Justice Brian Zahra and Judge Rosemarie Aq- uilina for the event. "Generations of Mal- tese Americans have cho- sen to make Michigan their home, and I am so proud to be one of them," Camilleri said. "As the first Maltese American elected to Michigan's state house, this event is so important to me, and I'm honored to be joined by so many incredible visitors from across our state as we cel- ebrate our heritage and what the future holds for our growing community." Camilleri also intro- duced House Resolution 163 to declare 19 Sep- tember 2019 as Maltese American Heritage Day in Michigan and pre- sented a tribute honour- ing Lou Grech-Cumbo as Maltese American of the Year. Grech-Cumbo has long served as a powerful ad- vocate for Michigan's Maltese community and created the Grech-Cum- bo Foundation Scholar- ship to aid outstanding members of the Maltese American Benevolent Society in Detroit who choose to attend college or trade school. Michigan celebrates Maltese American Heritage Day Michigan State Representative Darrin Camilleri with Maltese American of the Year Honoree Lou Grech-Cumbo, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Brian Zahra and Judge Rosemarie Aquilina during the Maltese American Heritage Day celebration at the Capitol in Lansing

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