DB Group on Friday laid the foundation stone of its €300 million project at the former ITS site in Pembroke, with the proponents pledging it will be a "destination".

The group was given the go-ahead to complete its project after a court in April rejected a request filed by objectors to retry an appeal.

The decision ended a years-long legal battle against the project, which had been met with objections by Pembroke residents and environmental NGOs. 

On Friday, the group said it had laid the foundation stone for the Hard Rock Hotel Malta, a mixed-use development including Ora Residences with two towers of exclusive apartments and a mall. The investment, the group said, is set to create hundreds of different jobs. 

Silvio Debono, John Reesa and Robert Abela during the ceremony.

The five-star hotel will have 394 rooms and 25 suites with a private pool. The residents will meanwhile have access to amenities such as wine cellars, pools and 24/7 concierge services.

The development's St George’s Mall will be spread over 20,000 square metres. There will also be 12 restaurants and bars, 5,000 square metres of green and public spaces, a 1,300-square metres supermarket, 1,300 parking spaces and a beach lido.

It is set to be inaugurated in early 2026.

“We want people to come here and go wherever their imagination takes them. They can live here, stay at the Hard Rock Hotel for incredible service, dine at any of our 12 restaurants, swim, shop at Malta’s best high-end mall, go to the beach lido, gym, spa, take a seaside walk, feast their eyes on the vertical gardens covering our two residential towers and much more. This will not be a place. It will be a destination,” said Silvio Debono, Chairman, db Group.

John Rees, Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations, Hard Rock International said: "We are excited to work with db Group to bring Hard Rock’s hospitality and entertainment offerings to the beautiful island country of Malta. This development is expected to enhance Malta’s tourism industry by appealing to the modern traveller, creating yet another wonderful addition to our award-winning Hard Rock Hotels portfolio."

Bernard Grech (centre) at the ceremony.

Prime Minister Robert Abela emphasised that the project exemplifies the confidence that Malta’s esteemed investors have in the nation’s economy and tourism sector.

“As we look to the future, our focus is on attracting high-yield travellers while enriching the very essence of our tourism industry," Abela said.

The project was controversial from the start, when the former ITS site was handed to DB Group for €56 million, which was some €11 million less than the amount the National Audit Office valued it at.

When plans for the project were submitted in 2017, it attracted a record 4,5000 objections from activists, the local council and residents, who appealed for the authorities not "to bury us alive" under the development.