Sadly these days when we think of the island of Comino we think of overcrowding, jam packed boats, discarded coconuts, fast food and loud music.
This is everything Comino is not, this tiny island has so much more to offer with its natural beauty and crystal clear water.
Hearing that a new hotel was being built, I flinched. We've grown used in latter years to ugly sky high new builds which block out the sun and are not in keeping with the islands charm.
However when I discovered who was building here, I exhaled.
If anyone can build the right kind of hotel on Comino its Six Senses. Why? They are a luxury brand - but with a heart. In fact they are one of the world's leading hotel brands in sustainable tourism.
They believe in "the transformative impact of travel, from your experiences to your well-being and the world around you. That's why long-term positive change is woven into the fabric of every Six Senses property."
They also exude a "passion for wellness, community, sustainable design and smiles."
Their values are incredible - caring very much about their impact on our planet and ensuring that aesthetically their properties are a perfect fit for their surroundings.
Six Senses Comino will offer a "Mediterranean Island Escape to Reshape and Reintegrate with Family, Friends, and Six Senses Communities"
It will be located on the flip side of the island to the Blue Lagoon set across two bays and will feature a resort and themed spa, farm-to-table dining, and an exciting array of cultural, leisure, wellness, retreat, and sporting activities.
They totally get the ethos of Comino, describing it as "a small and peaceful island with rugged cliffs scattered with wild herbs and flowers and bright turquoise waters, including the famous Blue Lagoon. Classified as a Natura 2000 site, its cliffs are a safe resting spot for migratory birds, and its waters protect abundant marine life, making it a paradise for divers. Whereas Malta’s 7,000-year cultural heritage bears witness to its strategic geographical position, as great civilizations passed through or settled, Comino was a refuge for exiled knights and philosophers. Today, it offers a complete change of pace as a tranquil island escape"
Yes! Yes! Yes! This is the true Comino, a tranquil island escape!
Six Senses Comino will be located on the shores of Santa Niklaw and Santa Marija bays, which are linked by a coastal path. The two distinct sites will be fully rebuilt within the existing area of the previous hotel development "using the least impacting construction methods." Just marvellous.
“Six Senses Comino is an invitation to guests with a deep understanding and appreciation of the value of preservation and who are seeking mindful serenity,” says Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs. “We’re doing something unique within the Maltese hospitality landscape, which is to create a sumptuous and sustainable lifestyle resort on a reduced footprint to make way for new trees and shrubs and, therefore, a thriving environment for new guests and returning wildlife.”
Designed by Belvedere Architecture, "71 low-rise suites will overlook the bay and enjoy easterly vistas across the Mediterranean Sea from their private decks. The natural palette of stone and timber echoes the island’s geology and garigue shrubland within comfortable and spacious accommodations that feel like an extension of Comino’s beauty. Full-height openings and terraces blur the boundaries between outdoor and indoor space, encouraging star gazing and total immersion in nature. Double-aspect terraces on the upper two floors mean guests can follow the sun from sunrise yoga to a sunset cocktail. Infinity pools on the ground floor serve as private rock pools, inviting guests to lie back and limpet in the shallows until the turn of the tide."
Doesn't this just sound positively dreamy and from the image below, the resort is truly an "extension of Comino's beauty"
"Resort guests will have exclusive access to San Niklaw bay as well as a large communal swimming pool and deck area served by a bar and grill. The signature restaurant, supplied with fresh produce from the Maltese farming community, will be complemented by a destination bar and lobby bar. Grow With Six Senses will keep children and teens happy and off screens through the six dimensions of wellness (social, environmental, physical, spiritual, emotional and intellectual) while parents enjoy lazy al fresco lunches or leaf through an old classic in the library lounge."
Just wonderful to see the clear intent to fully engage with the local farming community and the boost this will give to the local economy.
An incredible 1,000-square-meter Six Senses Spa will offer "locally inspired treatments, longevity therapies, and personalized wellness programs. Six Senses Comino will also be a healing backdrop for a range of guided retreats curated by experts and spiritual and artistic communities, where guests can learn, grow, and transform through dance, yoga, emotional and physical healing, and tap into the power of the island’s extraordinary nature."
Seclusion is to be offered at Santa Marija Bay.
"A collection of 19 standalone retreats offering two to four bedrooms will be dotted along the east-facing shoreline, with green roofing to ensure harmony between the built and natural environment and stepped to follow the natural terrain. Each will feature a large garden and secluded central courtyard with a private pool. Enjoying access to all of the resort facilities over in San Niklaw, the retreats will also be serviced by a separate clubhouse featuring a restaurant and piazza with views over Santa Marija bay."
This build is going to be done slowly and carefully, with great care given to the precious environment and will uphold Comino’s ambitious sustainability vision through "practical measures and rigorous design"
The investors HV Hospitality, (a subsidiary of Hili Ventures,) has set out to "respect all aspects of the Natura 2000 Management Plan through a holistic design strategy that will carefully dismantle the existing structures, regenerate important portions of disturbed land, and improve the skyline by reducing the height of the retreats to a single level. The use of timber ensures a sensitive and sustainable construction strategy as its low embodied energy and compatibility with prefabrication, coupled with the use of hard stone cladding, significantly participates in the resort’s low-carbon and LEED certification objectives. Energy consumption will be drastically reduced through natural cross-ventilation, thermal mass, and installation of low-consumption systems and solar thermal units."
Hili Ventures CEO Melo Hili enthused, "Six Senses is the right match for the new property, and indeed for Comino. HV Hospitality has invested heavily in the design of a conscientious vision for the property, and we are delighted to entrust Six Senses with its management on completion. The brand has a track record of weaving long-term positive change into the fabric of every property, and we look forward to supporting them to deliver on this promise, especially because we share the same purpose – impact for good.”
Situated between Malta and Gozo, Six Senses Comino will be accessible from Malta through direct flights to Malta International Airport from all European cities, followed by a 15-minute boat transfer from Ċirkewwa Harbour.
The target opening date is TBA but will be in 2027.
Are you excited? I most definitely am.
Images courtesy of Six Senses, Visit Malta and Mimosa Mermaid