Golden Sands Resort and Spa 5 stars

Significant efforts have been made by all involved to ensure that the demolition process, the building process and the final product do not negatively impact the environment. The developers feel that the new Golden Sands Resort is one of the most environmentally friendly resorts in Europe. The approach taken by Island Hotels Group in recycling and reusing over process is sufficient evidence of the importance put on environmental issues by the Group.

The decision to completely demolish and rebuild the Golden Sands Hotel has been very well received by various organizations and individuals who have the environment at heart.

The Island Hotels Group has always kept the environment very much in mind when undertaking new projects. The scope of this approach is to have the least possible impact on the environment and at the same time enhance the area through well planned out landscaping. In this way the Island Hotels Group makes a contribution to the overall Malta product by enhancing both the accommodation on offer as well as the overall surroundings.

The final product includes four major aspects that have very positive impacts on the area. Primarily the building has been moved inland by close to 40 meters, so as to be as far inward as possible from the cliff face. Secondly, although just as important, the building incorporates three blocks, as opposed to the previous solid line structure, thus reducing the effect of the massing on the promontory and opening up the views through the open spaces of the new structure. Thirdly, the landscaping of the new resort gave a completely new green feel to the whole area. Finally, the old Cote D'Or building, located right on the beach, has been demolished and replaced by a much more streamlined and attractive structure making way for a smoother transition between the new property and the beach area.

Island Hotels Group had a recycling plan in place for the demolishing of the old property. Primarily all materials within the old property were dismantled to bring the old property to shell form leaving only the stone works standing. All steel was carted away, pressed and exported as scrap metal. All aluminium items were dismantled, and here again, these were pressed for export. Two local companies were in fact contracted to carry out this work. Most of the furnishing and fittings were either sold for reuse or else given away to charity organisations thus ensuring the best form of recycling for any products that still had some life left in them. Electrical cables and equipment from the old hotel were stored for use at a later stage in the new project. 40,000 cubic meters of the 50,000 cubic meters of material generated by the demolition was left on site for use in the formation of the new roads and pathways within the new property. Essentially the above plan left very little material to to be disposed off in the conventional method. The Island Hotels Group wanted to do this to set an example that even such a massive building can be recycled.