Momentum welcomes proposed reforms to hotel height policy and room caps, calls for the immediate suspension of all hotel applications requesting height extensions

Momentum welcomes the government’s proposed reforms to Malta’s hospitality sector, including the scrapping of the two-storey hotel height exemption and the introduction of sensible room caps for new developments. The policy that allowed buildings to rise far above what local plans permit was introduced by Joseph Muscat in 2013.

Momentum also welcomes the proposed improvements to the regulation of short-term lettings, including the introduction of a cooling-off period for conversions and clearer identification requirements.

Dr Matthew Agius, executive member of Momentum, said, “The proposed changes signal a long-overdue shift toward a more sustainable, quality-driven approach to tourism. Malta cannot continue relying on relentless growth in tourist numbers to justify an ever-expanding bed stock. Similar concerns have been raised by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association.”

Call for immediate suspension of height-extension decisions

In light of the proposed legislative changes, Momentum calls on the government and the Planning Authority to immediately suspend all decisions on pending or new hotel applications seeking height extensions until the public consultation is concluded and a final policy is adopted.

Matthew Agius added, “It is neither fair nor transparent for developers to rush applications under a policy that the government itself has now acknowledged is flawed and likely to be removed. A clear example is the current application in Eufcharistic Congress Road in Mosta, directly facing the Rotunda, where a residential street over 100 years old is under threat from a proposed six-storey hotel. The building in question was originally a two-storey townhouse within the Urban Conservation Area, then converted into a four-storey commercial premises, and is now seeking to reach six storeys as a boutique hotel. Allowing such applications to proceed while the rules are being reconsidered undermines the credibility of the reform process and risks irreversible damage to sensitive conservation zones.”

Momentum remains committed to a Malta where development is responsible, communities are respected, and sustainable growth is placed at the heart of national policy.

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