The re-opening occurred 13 months to the day since the hotel was closed for a complete refurbishment and upgrade to five-star status. The project, which entailed completely stripping down the 24-storey property to its concrete shell and the refitting and upgrading of all interiors and mechanical and electrical installations, as well as the façades, was completed on time. It was managed by Quality Project Management Ltd, an associate company of IHI.
The Alfa Hotel & Congress Centre is one of Lisbon’s landmark hotels, located in the heart of the city’s financial district. IHI acquired the hotel in August 2001 with the objective of upgrading what was then a four-star mid-range property into Lisbon’s foremost five-star conference and leisure hotel. The refurbishment included changing and upgrading the facades and external glazing to match the modern, elegant lines of the hotel’s interiors.
The refurbished five-star hotel & congress centre now comprises 517 bedrooms, a 280-cover main restaurant, a 120-cover Portuguese restaurant and a lobby bar. It is particularly aimed at the conference and meetings markets, with 3,000 square metres allocated to state-of-the-art meeting facilities which make it the largest conference hotel in Lisbon. It is able to cater for 1,400 delegates at any given time, supported by a 24th floor executive lounge which affords spectacular views of Lisbon, complete with boardrooms, executive check-in and business facilities. The hotel also has a 2,000 square metre gymnasium and spa facility as well as underground parking for 55 vehicles.
A spokesman for IHI expressed satisfaction with the high standards of workmanship achieved in the refurbishment project, as well as the completion of all the work in an impressive 13 months, which has made it possible for the hotel to welcome its first guests this week.
The Alpha Hotel and Conference Centre is now gearing up for Portugal’s major international event of the year: the prestigious European UEFA Football Nations Championship, to be held between 12 June and 5 July. The hotel has been chosen by the tournament’s organisers as the event’s leading hotel headquarters.