Iniala Hotel partially clears rooftop irregularities

The irregular structures recently observed on the rooftop of the Iniala Hotel on Valletta’s iconic St Barbara Bastion have now been cleared.

After images were published by The Shift showing irregular activity on another part of the roof of the five-star hotel – including a new bar, tiling and railings ready to be installed without a permit – the situation has now been rectified.

New pictures of the area show the hotel’s owner, Mark Weingard, has delivered on his promise and the rooftop has now been completely cleared and returned to its original state.

When the irregularities were first reported, Weingard had played them down by explaining there were no plans for any permanent structures and that the items had been temporarily placed there. They have all been removed now.

But a solution for the illegal structure built on another part of the roof that is still serving as an outside rooftop fine-dining facility has not yet been found.

The structure – a large, permanent and closed-in retractable glazed enclosure with a canopy on the roof terrace – is still in place without a permit and the hotel is attempting to have it sanctioned.

The application has drawn an objection from UNESCO, which has insisted the whole structure should be dismantled because it is marring Valletta’s skyline.

This is also the position of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage when it harshly criticised the irregular development, which is still used daily as a Michelin-star restaurant.

The Planning Authority has so far not issued an enforcement notice that would require the hotel to either dismantle the structure or be subject to daily fines.