The new Mercan Properties' 4-star hotel - Holiday Inn Beja - was officially inaugurated on September 10, in a ceremony attended by local delegates, including the Mayor of Beja, Paulo Arsénio, and representatives from the Mercan Group - Jordi Vilanova, President of Mercan Properties Portugal, and Mariano Faz, CEO of Ace Hospitality Management (AHM). The hotel, which has already been in operation since August 19, represents a €16.8 million investment and offers 95 rooms, a bar, restaurant, outdoor pool, parking, and a retail area.
With the hotel’s opening, Beja now offers 32% more accommodation capacity, making it a significant asset in the region’s tourism sector. Mayor Arsénio highlighted the project's importance in attracting international tourists, especially from North America and Canada, while boosting the local economy with more than 100 jobs during construction and 31 permanent positions in its operations. He said, it is the second hotel to be installed in the interior of the country, combining accommodation with an art concept that promotes the region’s unique attributes—namely its culture, including poetry and singing, as well as its gastronomy and the quality of life it offers.
The ceremony welcomed the families of poets Florbela Espanca and Mário Beirão, who were honored on the hotel's façade with artwork by the renowned Portuguese artist Vhils. Their words were immortalized on the hotel’s walls through tapestries crafted with the thread used by Arraiolos embroiderers.
"In addition to being the first hotel of an international brand in the city, I can confirm that it is the first of its kind to have a façade worked in this way. It is a work that means a lot to us", told NiT the hotel's director Diogo Fragoso. "As well as the façade, the interior is also a tribute to the Alentejo, with colors that remind us of the region and the typical houses. The entire hotel will have a kind of storytelling of the people here, with references to the city of Beja and the Alentejo", he highlighted.
Furthermore, the new Chaparro Alentejano restaurant, with the signature of Chef Miguel Rocha Vieira, offers a menu inspired by Alentejo’s rich culinary traditions.
This project is expected to enhance Beja's appeal as a cultural and tourist destination, further solidifying the region’s growth potential.
