In a recent article, Din L-Art Ħelwa council member Stéphane Croce urged readers of this newspaper to save Comino, “the last unspoiled nature space in our country”, from a proposed “village” that will lead to “urbanisation of the island by stealth”.
HV Hospitality believes this is a misunderstanding of what is being proposed in relation to the new Comino hotel and bungalows.
Allow us to address key concerns, clarify the project’s intentions and highlight its potential to positively impact Malta’s tourism industry and the environment, while preserving the unique character of Comino.
Firstly, the project by HV Hospitality is not being proposed on “unspoiled” land on Comino.
It is the redevelopment of a hotel and bungalow site built back in the 1960s, which was closed down and is now in dire need of refurbishment to meet modern hospitality standards. This is fundamentally a regeneration project which will see HV Hospitality breathe new life into a decaying site that has historically been an important component of Malta’s touristic offering.
What is being proposed is not a “village”. Labelling it as such gives the impression that the bungalows will be sold as residential units, which is not the case. The entire site – hotel and bungalows – will be managed by a best-in-class hotel brand as one touristic offering. No part of this project is for sale.
Moreover, HV Hospitality is proposing a considerable reduction of the built footprint. Overall, the proposed development will reduce the built footprint by 5,122sqm, the equivalent of at least 19 tennis courts. Yes, the gross floor area will increase, in order to make more efficient use of the land through good design.
By landscaping the roofs of the buildings and all the paths in between, HV Hospitality is able to place the structures closer to each other while creating better environs for the property and allowing the buildings to blend into the natural landscape.
This design has enabled HV Hospitality to meet today’s onerous five-star tourism standards while using a smaller footprint than the original site and even receding the buildings from the foreshore. The new Comino hotel and bungalows – which occupy less than one per cent of Comino – will cater for 10 per cent fewer guests than the previous hotel and bungalows.
Even in terms of footfall, the impact will be less than what it was. A Natura 2000 site imposes several responsibilities which HV Hospitality takes very seriously. One responsibility is to remove invasive and alien species and replace them with Maltese endemic plants and trees, contributing to the preservation of the local ecosystem and following the company’s mission to create a sustainable and respectful regeneration project.
HV Hospitality acknowledges the concerns and emotions surrounding planning and development on the Maltese islands. However, after years of study, the company strongly believes it has presented a sustainable project which will have minimal impact on the environment but a strong impact on attracting quality tourism, which has been top of Malta’s agenda for decades.
This is why, later this month, HV Hospitality is holding an exhibition to help communicate its vision, clarify misconceptions and answer questions stakeholders and concerned citizens may have.
The exhibition opens on April 22 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, in Valletta. More details will be made available in the coming days on our website https://hilihospitality.com/.
Joanna Ripard is the director of communications, Hili Ventures.