Minister wants a sauna at his contested ODZ hotel

Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo, the longest-serving member of Prime Minister Robert Abela’s Cabinet, has applied for planning permission to erect an external sauna for guests at his newly opened boutique hotel on the outskirts of Qala.

The application (PA00147/26) is fronted by his wife, Michelina Refalo, who, together with their son Andre, manages the family business that operates the property.

The hotel, called L-Eremita, has already been welcoming paying guests, despite a controversial history marked by years of unauthorised development and regulatory disputes.

Built over decades on Outside Development Zone (ODZ) land, the hotel began life as a small agricultural store the couple bought in the early 1990s.

Over time, it was expanded, piecemeal, and mostly without planning permits.

Those unauthorised additions were later legitimised by the Planning Authority through a series of sanctioning procedures and appeals, reversing enforcement orders and objections issued over the years.

In 2024, L-Eremita opened its doors as an 11-room boutique hotel with two swimming pools and expansive views of the countryside and Daħlet Qorrot Bay, marketing itself as a luxury “yoga-meditation” destination.

The Shift reported that the hotel did not appear to be offering the specialised services – such as yoga and culinary experiences – that were central to its original EU funding application.

The Refalos had somehow managed to obtain approximately €270,000 in European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) support, covering about 80% of the project’s cost, after securing planning approval that retroactively legitimised years of unauthorised construction.

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) strongly opposed the project’s original permit on the grounds that it would “consolidate uses which are not characteristic of rural areas.”

Despite these objections, the Planning Authority granted approval, allowing the Refalos to proceed.

Refalo’s hotel will soon have competition from close quarters as Prime Minister Robert Abela and his wife are also planning to open a boutique hotel in Xewkija.

Beyond the hotel saga, Refalo has been embroiled in many other controversies during the past years.

Among the most recent is the discovery of a stolen British-era stone marker from the Victorian-era in the garden of his Qala home, prompting police and heritage inquiries.

Refalo denied wrongdoing and claimed cooperation with authorities, but questions remain about how the protected stolen artefact came into his possession. No action was taken by the police.