The Planning Authority has approved three outline development permits allowing the Corinthia Group to add two additional floors to its three hotels in St George's Bay, paving the way for a total of 252 new hotel rooms.

The permits apply to the Radisson Blu Resort, the Marina Hotel and the Corinthia St George's Bay Hotel, following unanimous approval by the Planning Board on the recommendation of the Development Management Directorate. Once implemented, the total number of rooms across the three hotels will rise from 711 to 963.

Under the approvals, the Radisson Blu Resort will increase from five to seven storeys, adding 74 rooms and raising its capacity from 257 to 331. The Marina Hotel will grow from 200 to 301 rooms, with an additional 101 rooms, while the Corinthia St George's Bay Hotel will expand from 248 to 325 rooms, adding 77.

All three sites lie within designated Resort Zones under the North Harbour Local Plan. The developments were assessed under the Height Limitation Adjustment Policy for Hotels, which permits additional height for hotel projects in tourism areas, provided the extra floors are strictly limited to hotel use. Binding agreements with the Planning Authority and the Malta Tourism Authority will prevent any conversion of the new floors into residential units.

The Corinthia Hotel and the Marina Hotel will rise from six to eight storeys, while the Radisson Blu Resort will increase from five to seven. Applicants submitted visual impact assessments and digital renders showing that nearby high-rise developments, including db Group's towers currently under construction, would remain taller than the upgraded hotels.

No objections were raised by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, which concluded that the developments would not physically impact nearby scheduled heritage assets, including St George's Tower. Infrastructure Malta did not require site-specific traffic impact assessments, and parking provision was deemed adequate. The Environment and Resources Authority also raised no objections, stating that the extensions are unlikely to result in significant environmental impacts, as they remain within existing building footprints and do not extend towards the shoreline or the adjacent Natura 2000 site.

Objections were lodged by NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa, which argued that further development would exacerbate congestion and place unsustainable pressure on an already densely built-up area. The NGO also pointed to cumulative impacts from other planned projects, including proposed hotels at Villa Rosa. However, these objections were not upheld.

All three permits are outline approvals, meaning the developers must still submit detailed architectural and technical plans for approval before construction can begin.