Portugal
Rebound on the riviera
SIMON GEORGE ’ S VISIT TO THE PORTUGUESE RIVIERA FINDS BOTH THE INTERCONTINENTAL LISBON AND INTERCONTINENTAL CASCAIS-ESTORIL FULLY COMMITTED TO EXPLOITING THE POST-PANDEMIC RESURGENCE IN MICE DEMAND
eismic shocks , by their very nature , tend to lead to fundamental change . As if
S perhaps to illustrate the point , from Lisbon ’ s exclusive Avenida da Liberdade the statue of the Marquês de Pombal gazes proudly down over the city he rebuilt after it was destroyed by a huge earthquake in 1755 . Fast forward almost three centuries and the seismic shocks brought on by the pandemic and recent political and economic events have obviously affected all sectors of the global economy . Yet they have not diminished InterContinental Hotel Group ’ s ( IHG ) commitment to the MICE sector . Despite having to contend with cost inflation ( e . g . power prices ), last-minute booking visibility and issues with recruitment , the group is nothing if not serious about MICE .
Two very different hotels The five-star InterContinental Lisbon and InterContinental Cascais-Estoril differ significantly in terms of size
( number of rooms and event space ) and style – the former is much larger and more corporate while the latter is more boutique ( just 59 bedrooms ) and has a beachfront location and the natural light that flows into from the sky and the Atlantic .
There is a third Intercontinental hotel , in Porto , but it is very historic and has just two meeting rooms . So , in terms of MICE planning , the two hotels tend to interact with another IHG brand in Portugal ’ s second city , the Crowne Plaza , which is similar in terms of space . CMW checked into the InterContinental Lisbon for two days before making the short journey up the coast to Estoril .
No ( inter ) continental drift Prior to the pandemic , there had been a growing focus on MICE at the InterContinental Lisbon . Since then , two more meeting rooms have been added – the hotel now has 14 event rooms with a maximum capacity of up to 450 persons in theatre style , and a ballroom with one of the highest ceilings in the capital – the foyer has been renovated , as has floor zero and the second floor , lifts have been upgraded and there has been a light refurbishment of its bedrooms .
RevPar growth was on the rise before Covid and for 2022 to 2023 it is projected at 20 %. The MICE approach remains steady it would seem , and the hotel is particularly popular for weddings and gala dinners . The hotel works closely with Estufa Fria ( The cold greenhouse ), a botanical haven in the heart of the city , a short walk away through Parque Eduardo VII .
Patricia Dias , cluster sales manager ( conferences & events ) underlined that , “ MICE is a huge part of or our business ” but acknowledges that business has been hit significantly by Covid ( the hotel was closed for a short time during the pandemic ) and was having to contend with economic headwinds . However , since April 2022 there had been a strong rebound in demand although this business has often been very last minute . “ The recovery was very fast ,” she said . “ Everyone was trying to book right away . And we are still getting bookings now for some events within a few weeks .”
Dias did flag , though , that there are signs that the situation may be improving : “ We have seen business coming through for 2025 and 2026 . So although people are not in yet in a position to book , there are already people searching for those dates . So the trend may be nomalising .”
InterContinental Lisbon is now firmly back to holding physical events and does not anticipate holding more hybrid events , as it had to during the pandemic , Dias emphasised . The hotel is investing in AV equipment and in terms of big events it has the Web summit , a large technology conference in November , and a pharmaceutical conference in the booking calendar .
Asked how the situation might change in terms of Lisbon as a destination for event organisers , she said : “ I think Lisbon is going to be in the spotlight for a couple of years . People like holding
18 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 125