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Holiday Inn Beja Prepares to Join the Alentejo Literary Hotels Network
In an interview with Publituris Hotelaria, Diogo Fragoso, director of Holiday Inn Beja, offered a positive assessment of nearly two years of operation of what is the first hotel from an international brand in the capital of Baixo Alentejo, and which is preparing for a number of new developments, most notably its planned membership in the literary hotels network that Turismo do Alentejo e Ribatejo intends to create in partnership with Turismo de Portugal.
Holiday Inn Beja, a four-star property operated by Grupo Mercan Properties that opened in August 2024, is preparing to join the literary hotels network that Turismo do Alentejo e Ribatejo, in partnership with Turismo de Portugal, is in the process of creating, Diogo Fragoso, director of Holiday Inn Beja, told Publituris Hotelaria.
"I believe we have what it takes to join, and I think it is something that will greatly boost our hotel. Our theme, beyond the restaurant and the Holiday Inn brand itself, draws inspiration from Florbela Espanca and Mário Beirão, the latter a poet from Beja, a son of this land. There are many references to these poets and their works throughout the hotel lobby, the rooms, and the meeting room areas. It makes perfect sense for a hotel like ours to embrace a project like this," explained Diogo Fragoso in an interview with Publituris Hotelaria.
Joining this literary hotels network, the director of Holiday Inn Beja added, would allow the property to host literary events as well, tapping into a form of "tourism that is only just beginning to be explored."
Diogo Fragoso also revealed that the property, which currently records an average occupancy rate of around 70%, is optimistic about the summer, since "right now, the indicators compared to last year are very favorable," leading the director to believe that Holiday Inn Beja will "achieve growth."
Property is already "a landmark in the city of Beja"
In his interview with Publituris Hotelaria, Diogo Fragoso also offered a positive assessment of nearly two years of operation of Holiday Inn Beja, explaining that Grupo Mercan Properties decided to open a hotel in the heart of Baixo Alentejo, in Beja, because it "effectively identified a need that existed in the city and a business opportunity, both in terms of accommodation and the F&B concept."
For this reason, the director says the investment "came at just the right time, because it was something the city of Beja was missing," which gained, with the opening of Holiday Inn Beja, its first hotel from an international brand. The property operates under the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) banner, which gives international guests the assurance that "service standards, quality, and comfort are aligned with the brand itself."
The international brand, the director added, helped the opening of Holiday Inn Beja generate "a great deal of anticipation" in the city, partly due to the building in which the property is located, which had long been prepared for hotel use but had remained vacant for many years, waiting for a project to take root there.
"When we opened under the Holiday Inn brand, people were very curious, they came in, they explored, they started returning," he recalled, noting that the property's restaurant, specializing in regional cuisine and named "Chaparro" after the most iconic tree of the Alentejo region, was one of the main draws that brought guests to the hotel.
Today, as Diogo Fragoso puts it, the "restaurant is as important as, if not more important than, the rooms," also serving as a way for Holiday Inn Beja to represent the city itself and showcase Alentejo cuisine, particularly to guests arriving from elsewhere.
"Beyond thinking about business, we also have a responsibility to represent the city. The people of Beja need to see themselves in us," said the director of Holiday Inn Beja, explaining that it is for this reason that the "Chaparro" restaurant hosts Sunday lunches featuring cante alentejano, as well as all-Alentejo buffets, an offering that has resonated with both domestic and international guests.
Domestic market is "vital" but international guests are also present
On the topic of markets, the domestic market is, according to the director of Holiday Inn Beja, "vital" for the property, though demand also comes from international markets such as Spain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.
"In addition to Portuguese guests, who are a vital market for us, we have the Spanish market, which is very important, not only because of geographic proximity, but also because of the business activity in the region," he explained, adding that the international guest ranking is "somewhat spread out," since the property receives "delegations of various nationalities" visiting Beja on account of the Air Force Base.
The corporate market, Diogo Fragoso also acknowledged, plays a major role for the property and "makes up for the winter months, when leisure tourism slows down." MICE has also, according to the director, helped to sustain occupancy at Holiday Inn Beja, which also sees leisure tourism demand, particularly during peak seasons and weekend stays.
As for the guest profile, beyond nationality, Diogo Fragoso noted that Holiday Inn Beja tends to attract "families with young children," typically around the age of 40, as well as older travelers seeking "a more relaxed kind of tourism, one focused on wine and regional cuisine."
Holiday Inn Beja opened in August 2024 following a €16.8 million investment by Grupo Mercan Properties, and features a total of 95 rooms spread across four floors, as well as the Chaparro restaurant, a bar, and a rooftop pool.