Comino project planned to have 71 suites, 19 bungalows, developer says in statement

The Comino hotel and bungalows project is planned to have 71 suites and 19 bungalows, HV Hospitality said in a statement on Friday.

In what was described as a fact sheet on the company’s plans, HV Hospitality said that after many years of disrepair the abandoned Comino hotel and bungalows are to be redeveloped “into a sustainable holistic resort that brings a new quality of tourism to Malta.”

The hotel and serviced bungalows will be operated as one touristic offering and no bungalows will be sold to third parties, it said. The project’s built footprint will be reduced by 5,122 square metres from the original development and will accommodate fewer guests, it added.

The €100 million investment being made entirely privately by HV Hospitality, a subsidiary of Hili Ventures, will take two and a half years to complete if planning permission is obtained.

The new hotel, comprising 71 suites and 19 serviced bungalows, will feature a spa, dining spaces and one mini shop of 39 square metres stocked with necessities for guests such as newspapers and sunblock, it added.

“The total land area of the new Comino hotel and bungalows will be reduced by 5,122 square metres when compared to the existing development. There will be no land reclamation and the original concession will be respected. The Environment and Resources Authority has approved the project”, the company said.

“Energy consumption is drastically reduced thanks to the natural cross ventilation, thermal mass and installation of low consumption systems. The objective is to minimise the energy consumed for cooling the buildings. Hot water for sanitary use in the bungalows will be satisfied by the solar thermal units.”

HV Hospitality said that it has set out to respect all aspects of the Natura 2000 Management Plan and any other plans that are relevant to Comino.

“A holistic design strategy, in response to every issue raised by the Management Plan, starts from a careful dismantling process of the existing structures. It continues with the least impacting construction, and ends with the regeneration of important portions of disturbed land restored to its original condition and the generation and planting of thousands of new trees and shrubs.”

The skyline will improve in some areas, the company said. “The new bungalows will be one storey high, whereas the current properties include some two-storey buildings. The hotel will rise to a similar height as the existing property.”

As part of the design process, HV Hospitality said that it is carefully looking at the external lighting design. “The dark sky will be preserved thanks to a minimal external lighting strategy. In the meantime, an ensemble of overhanging terraces/canopies will prevent interior light from spilling out and from polluting the night sky.”

An Environmental Impact Assessment has highlighted the specific areas that need to be protected, the company said. HV Hospitality added that it will continue to engage eco and marine consultants throughout the entire process to ensure protection. “An appropriate dismantling/demolition process followed by carefully managed construction techniques will minimize the impact of construction on, and not only, the marine life.”

HV Hospitality said that its aim is to reuse construction waste from the existing hotel as much as is practically possible. Furthermore, “in line with the project objectives of minimising waste disposal, prefabricated construction methods will be adopted. The restoration of areas such as the tennis courts to their original natural state will be implemented with recycled material. Any other construction waste will be disposed of in line with all Maltese environmental legislation.”

During demolition and construction, the property will only be accessible to site personnel, it said. Public access to the hotel, its perimeter and its shoreline will be prohibited in the interest of health and safety, it said. Public areas on Comino will remain entirely public and subject to regulation by national authorities, the company further said.