Hazledene, the Edinburgh-based property development group, has unveiled an £11 million plan to restore Malta's grandest hotel.
The extensive upgrade of the five-star Phoenicia Hotel in the island's capital Valetta is being undertaken on behalf of Hazledene Investment Management by international hotelier Gordon Campbell Gray.
CampbellGray Hotels will then manage the luxury 136-room hotel in the heart of Valetta's old town and overlooking its historic Marsamxett harbour.
Hazledene, run by entrepreneur Mark Shaw, acquired The Phoenicia in late 2012 and plans to have it open again for guests by next spring, and in full operation in time for Malta's presidency of the European Union in 2017. Valetta will be the European Capital of Culture in 2018.
Built in 1939 by Lord and Lady Strickland when Malta was still under British rule, with the aim rivalling the great European capitals' top hotels, the Phoenicia's opening was delayed by the war until 1947.
Mr Shaw, best known for the award-winning iQ development in Aberdeen and for his £50,000 donation to the Yes campaign, recently sold Pragelato Village Resort in the Italian Alps to HSBC Assurance after a major refurbishment programme. He also built and owns the Park Inn Hotel in Aberdeen's city centre.
Mr Shaw said he was "excited to see the Phoenicia being restored to its former glory and taking its place again as one of the grandest hotels in Europe", and the refurbishment would be sympathetic to the hotel's rich heritage.
The five-month programme starting in November will see all guest rooms upgraded, the creation of several new rooftop suites, a re-landscaping of grounds and terraces, and a restoration of the Phoenicia's classic facade. A new health club and spa with eight treatment rooms, state-of-the-art gym and indoor pool will open in October 2016 and provide new employment opportunities on the island.
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