Grotto Bay Beach Resort has applied for planning permission to build 67 new hotel suites, parking and tennis courts.

General Manager of Grotto Bay, Johannes Martens said about half of the proposed additions will be traditional hotel rooms, with the rest being larger suites with living rooms and cooking areas.

"They will overlook Castle Harbour and the Castle Islands," Mr. Martens said.

The new rooms will be built where the tennis courts now stand and the tennis courts will be moved on the other side of the driveway, where there is now an overflow parking area.

Additional parking spaces are going to be scattered throughout the property, he said.

He said the extension was part of Grotto Bay's overall master plan, which began in 1996 with renovations to the pool and beach area, guest rooms, and main building.

Two restaurants are located in the hotel as well as conference facilities, he said.

But he would not say how much the project was expected to cost or when it was expected to start.

"I don't know when we're starting," he said, "we have not been awarded planning approval".