The AquaLuna Lido, a joint project between three hotels located on the Gżira/Sliema promenade − ST Hotels, which is part of Stivala Group of Companies, The Waterfront Hotel Ltd, which is part of Mizzi Organisation, and The Neu Collective – has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Robert Abela.
The AquaLuna project was completed thanks to an investment of over €8 million. The Lido encompasses a swimming pool with an adjoining restaurant, two separate restaurants, a playground for children and a space for artistic expression.
Welcoming Abela at the inauguration were the managing director of the Waterfront Hotel, Brian Mizzi, and the chief executive officer Maria Micallef, Michael Stivala, on behalf of Stivala Group of Companies, and Giulio Camilleri on behalf of The Neu Collective.
Gżira mayor Conrad Borg Manché was also present.
Borg Manché and the Gżira council were also directly involved in the selection process of the artistic installation on site. Sea Turtle was selected from six submissions presented after the consortium issued a call for proposals from artists. The installation is the creation of Michael Azzopardi from MIKO Design and it was inspired by the shape of the nearby Fort Manoel and the fact that the Mediterranean Sea is home to five of the seven species of sea turtles that exist in the world.
The installation, along with the memorial plaque, were unveiled by Abela, Maurice Mizzi, president of the Mizzi Organisation, who represented the three investors, and the Gżira mayor.
The AquaLuna Lido encompasses all the elements of a Mediterranean destination: the Maltese climate, the Mediterranean cuisine and the spectacular view of Valletta and the port of Marsamxett.
“This project was a show of trust by the private sector” - PM Robert Abela
While giving a new dimension to the Gżira Strand, the investors ensured the maintenance and upkeep of the adjacent public spaces, where accessibility to the public has been improved.
Abela said: “This project was a show of trust by the private sector to continue investing in Malta’s tourism product” and “while tourism figures for this summer were encouraging, the aim was to surpass pre-pandemic levels”.
According to Maria Micallef, the inauguration of the AquaLuna Lido was significant, because investors have launched an “ambitious land reclamation project” that “has served to grow the island’s tourism infrastructure”.