Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1534195
9 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 9 APRIL 2025 NEWS New luxury hotel Cugó Gran Vittoriosa nears opening A new addition to Malta's luxu- ry hospitality scene is on the ho- rizon, as Cugó Gran Vittoriosa prepares to open its doors this spring. The hotel is the latest pro- ject by IBB Hotel and Cugó Gran Collection, two high-end hos- pitality brands known for their exclusive properties across the Maltese islands. With the opening of Cugó Gran Vittoriosa, the company aims to set a new benchmark for luxury travel in Malta, reinforcing the island's appeal to discerning vis- itors seeking high-end experienc- es. As competition for high-end tourism intensifies in the Med- iterranean, industry leaders are calling for Malta's tourism strat- egy to shift toward an experi- ence-driven model that prioritiz- es excellence and sustainability. "The country must recognize that quantity does not always equate to quality," caution Sven von der Heyden and Samuel San- tos, two key figures in Malta's luxury hospitality sector. "Quality has always been our principal focus," Samuel Santos, Director at IBB Hotel and Cugó Gran Collection, said. This commitment is evident in Palazzo Bettina, the first IBB Ho- tel on the Vittoriosa Waterfront, which has exceeded expecta- tions in its first fifteen months— achieving an annual occupancy rate of around 70% and a custom- er satisfaction score of over 96%, according to ReviewPro. "The Maltese tourism industry stands at a critical juncture, and now is the time to seriously fo- cus on its quality offering if the country wants to elevate its pro- file on the international market," he said. Von der Heyden acknowledged that attracting quality tourism re- quires very hard work. "The whole ecosystem needs to work together as a unified front to continue strengthening relation- ships, partnerships, and collabo- rations between all stakeholders including the Maltese tourism board as well as internationally. It's all connected and only a col- lective effort can help elevate the island's luxury offerings." "When we manage to elevate the quality on the island, we will be able to sell Malta as a high-quality destination on the international market and attract a bigger audience that truly ap- preciates Maltese culture, histo- ry, and gastronomy," Santos said. Both hoteliers underscored the importance of a strong national airline and cohesive hospitality and transportation offerings and noted how Malta is set to sur- pass 3.5 million tourist arrivals in 2024, marking a formidable rise to the pre-pandemic peak re- corded in 2019. But to Sven von der Heyden, the hospitality Group's founder, these rising numbers are a con- cern. "The country needs to under- stand that quantity does not always equate to quality. I am somewhat worried about the sheer number of beds hitting the market in the three- and four- star segment." "I believe that Malta has reached a saturation point in most aspects of life. To keep the economy growing, we all need to increase room rates, avoid price wars in winter, and focus on elevating the quality of our current stock of hotels," he added. This perspective appears to align with the government's plans for Budget 2025, which prioritis- es quality across sectors, includ- ing tourism. Another major challenge in achieving higher quality remains the persisting lack of talent. "The struggle to find the right people here in Malta is an in- creasingly growing concern. We know that this is also a challenge being experienced international- ly, but in Malta, this challenge is exacerbated by the fact that we are a small island where talent becomes even harder to find," Santos said. To Von der Heyden, another crucial reason is housing afforda- bility. "This is no longer an issue but a pressing concern because how can we attract talent when rents for the smallest apartments hov- er around €1,000 a month which represents 60-70% of a typical net salary? We need an affordable housing program for the hospi- tality industry, and probably for others too," he said. Both Santos and von der Hey- den agree on the private sector's crucial role in driving Malta's higher quality offering. "We have been working on improving quality since 2018," Santos said. "We've done this together with local partners and collaborators, and we are very open to working closely with the government to achieve this goal." "Elevating Malta's product is everyone's responsibility if we want to ensure our industry's competitiveness on an interna- tional level. Only if we focus on quality and address these na- tional challenges together we can secure a sustainable future for Malta as a leading hospitality destination." "The struggle to find the right people here in Malta is an increasingly growing concern. We know that this is also a challenge being experienced internationally, but in Malta, this challenge is exacerbated by the fact that we are a small island where talent becomes even harder to find.