The Corinthia Alfa Hotel reopened in Lisbon last month after extensive refurbishment.

It now has the biggest conference centre in Portugal’s capital city, apart from other features which distinguish it from other hotels.

The hotel is the only one in Lisbon that is able to receive a group of 500 people, providing high quality lodging and a congress room with enough capacity for all in comfort.

The hotel also provides programmes of mental escape, relaxation and renewal for the organisers, offering guests the possibility to extend their stay to enjoy a deserved rest after the event.

An area of relaxation near the Health Club’s swimming pool was created to control daily stress.

The Health Club also has a rest centre and saunas, and offers different kinds of massages.

The five senses room, designed with the event organiser in mind, will enhance the leisure time during or after events.

One can enjoy aromatherapy, relaxation music, massages, light therapy and exotic fruits.

The Corinthia Alfa employs 220 people, 76 of whom were already with the hotel from the previous administration.

The number will rise to nearly 300 in peak times, and as said in Monday’s article, the first such occasion will be the Euro 2004 finals.

Besides generating new employment in the tourism sector, this also results in a harmonious blend of highly experienced personnel and an intake of newer blood that is already sharing in the enthusiasm that an opening of a hotel invariably brings with it.

The hotel’s growth has been comprehensively prepared, with specific training and cross-training programmes for each work area in the hotel, involving all the team.

More than m1 million was invested in training, which took place in Malta, Prague and Budapest, while the remaining teams underwent extensive preparation in Portugal.

The Corinthia Alfa Hotel is introducing an improved accommodation concept in Portugal – the Executive Club, which is a hotel within a hotel.

It offers superior services for those who want to link work with leisure in the utmost comfort.

Located on the top floor, the club offers a luxury business centre that incorporates two meeting rooms, high technology audiovisual equipment, wireless internet access, multimedia facilities and mobile phones.

Also available are international magazines and newspapers, a bookstore with all types of literature as well as walk-in/out music.

The Executive Club also offers accommodation in executive suites with a view of the city, equipped with a high-speed internet connection, a video on demand system, a flat-screen television with interactive television, and a bathroom with Pierre Cardin accessories.

The Executive Club also has a private check-in and check-out service, an exclusive limousine and butler service at the client’s request, breakfast, tea service in the afternoon and cocktails in the evening.

No hotel can be complete without its restaurants, and gastronomy plays an important part in the Corinthia Alfa’s success.

With access from the exterior of the hotel, the Tipico restaurant offers all the specialities of Portuguese cuisine, including a selection of Portuguese wines and cheeses.

The other restaurant, the Sete Colinas, offers a variety of international buffets.

The elegant decoration and the view onto the hotel garden create the πperfect atmosphere.

The Tempus Lounge Bar is the suitable space for relaxation after a stressful day, to the sound of chill-out music, or for some moments of leisure.

The hotel, already functioning almost in its entirety – there are some areas like the swimming pool which will be completed over the coming weeks – has not been officially opened yet.

The grand event is expected to be held late summer or early autumn, possibly in September.

This is the second of two articles on the hotel. The first was published on Monday.

Special thanks to Alfred Fabri, Corinthia Group company secretary; Andreas Schuster, Corinthia Alfa Lisbon general manager, and Ana Pinto, Corinthia Alfa Lisbon public relations manager.