Valletta Cruise Port Signs Deal to Restore Power Station as Hotel
The Floriana building later housed the Central Power Station, where Malta’s first public electricity service began in 1894 with four steam-driven generating units.
Valletta Cruise Port signed a build-operate-transfer agreement on June 5 to restore the historic Power Station building at Malta’s Grand Harbour as a mixed-use development anchored by a 20-room boutique hotel. Valletta Bridge, a joint venture between CPHCL Group and Attard Bros Group, will handle the restoration, redevelopment and operation of the property beside the Valletta Waterfront cruise passenger terminals.
The project would add hotel, office, retail and food-and-beverage space to the cruise waterfront while giving a new commercial role to a building tied to Malta’s early electricity infrastructure. Valletta Cruise Port said the development is expected to contribute to the growth and diversification of Malta’s tourism product.
“This building is an important part of Malta’s industrial heritage,” said Stephen Xuereb, CEO of Valletta Cruise Port and chief operating officer of Global Ports Holding. He said the project would support the building’s “preservation and sustainable future use” while adding visitor amenities in the Grand Harbour area.
The Power Station building is within walking distance of Valletta and adjacent to the Valletta Waterfront, where Valletta Cruise Port operates three passenger facilities, including the main terminal in historic Magazino Hall. The port, a subsidiary of Global Ports Holding, manages cruise passenger operations at the waterfront in Grand Harbour.
The site has 17th-century origins. It later housed the Central Power Station in Floriana, where Malta’s first public electricity service began in 1894. The original plant operated four steam-driven generating units with a combined output of 350 kW, with additional equipment added between 1904 and 1915.
Jean-Pierre Schembri, CEO of CPHCL Group, described the development as a landmark building project for the company. Carl Attard, managing director of Attard Bros Group, said the company’s focus is on a redevelopment that “respects the building’s original characteristics” while meeting current standards for safety, performance and sustainability.
Valletta Cruise Port did not disclose an investment value, concession length, construction start date or projected hotel opening.
