A 112 guest room hotel will be replacing the former Hunter's Tower Restaurant in Marsaxlokk.

The planning authority said on Thursday that the existing building, which has no architectural or historical value, will be demolished and rebuilt into a tourism accommodation with amenities and semi-basement parking.

"Due to the location of the site, the volume and massing of the new hotel have been sensitively designed to better blend in with the topography and characteristics of the area," the PA said in a statement.

In November 2018 the planning board had agreed in principle with this project when it granted an outline development permit in line with the approved Marsaxlokk Inner Harbour Area Environment and Development Brief.

The brief had earmarked this site for tourism-related uses. The eastern part of the site was designated as an open space to create a buffer zone between the site and the Natura 2000 marshland of Il-Magħluq.

The board imposed a planning gain of €202,000. This money will be used to rehabilitate the ecological site of Il-Magħluq and develop a visitor and interpretation centre detailing the important aspects of the Special Area of Conservation.