Project of the Week: Kep Merli, Albania

Albania’s new resort and residence complex, the latest winner of our Project of the Week crown, will feature not one but two high-end hotels in spectacular coastal locations.

The Northern Peninsula and The Southern Peninsula properties, which are both slated for a 2021 opening, will be built into the hillsides of the country’s verdant southern coast.

Sustainability in design

Kep Merli celebrates the sunshine, deep-blue water and ancient paths of southern Albania, with a name that translates to Blackbird Cape referencing the bird colonies that inhabited the area centuries ago. The resort is built near a Unesco World Heritage Site, the archaeological ruins of Butrint, and the hotels look out across the water to the island of Corfu.

Both hotels have been designed to respect nature and achieve sustainability while blending the work of local and international craftsmanship and design expertise. The Albanian real-estate investment company leading the development, Boiken, is proposing to create architecturally impressive structures that sit harmoniously within the unique terrain.

Two different hotel experiences

The Northern Peninsula is the setting for Kep Merli’s five-star, 210-room hotel and villas. This enclave is to incorporate a yacht marina, three restaurants, two bars, conference rooms and a spa and wellness centre, plus 16 marine and four luxury villas. Its contemporary architecture is intended to blend into the landscape, with modern design-led interiors making the most of the sea views and outdoor pools that take inspiration from the Bistrica River’s natural form.

The Southern Peninsula, meanwhile, will host the resort’s family hotel and villas that lie beneath it on the east side. A 250-room property, it’ll also boast a selection of restaurants and bars, an amphitheatre, conference rooms, a spa and wellness centre, two yacht marinas and 33 Mediterranean villas. Moreover, the hotel lobby will be positioned high up the peninsula for views of the Ksamil and Corfu islands, and the public areas will represent the concept of an ancient Greek public space known as agora.

Both properties are expected to open in the second quarter of 2021.