Vila Alba Resort when harmony & technology meet

by Legrand

As part of a natural reserve, sustainability was the main driver in this project realization. Located in the Midwest of the Algarve, the resort sits perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking Albandeira beach, surrounded by unspoiled Mediterranean and Algarve vegetation and beautiful limestone rock formations. Harmoniously designed, with handsome interiors, the resort offers luxurious accommodation, enriched by the room management advanced technology in combination with the refined aesthetics of the devices for an all-round room control experience.

Project challenge

The Vila Alba Resort project started out as a challenge launched by an important hotel investor (HdP - Hotés de Portugal) who had recently acquired the Alba Resort unit. As this unit is part of a natural reserve, there was the requirement to have a "green building" energy rating, therefore sustainability was the main driver in this project realization. Located in the Midwest of the Algarve, 50 minutes' drive from Faro Airport, Vila Alba Resort sits perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking Albandeira beach. Surrounded by unspoiled Mediterranean and Algarve vegetation and beautiful limestone rock formations, you will discover a unique secluded spot amongst the most beautiful beaches in the Algarve area. Harmoniously designed, with handsome interiors to provide every comfort, the resort offers luxurious accommodation, with three dedicated honeymoon suites, a well-equipped spa, three swimming pools and a high-quality restaurant serving modern Portuguese cuisine.

The solution

Vila Alba Resort has a total of 96 rooms, but the first phase of refurbishment only included 24 rooms. The second phase has been postponed due to the pandemic. More than the decorative or aesthetic features of the chosen installation, the implementation of the Legrand guest room management system is the main factor that allows, on the one hand, the comfort and differentiation of the equipment on the guest side and, on the other hand, the operational and energy efficiency of the rooms. In this way, the guest room management system enables local information and, upon reception of the room occupancy status, the creation of differentiated "welcome" scenarios between day and night. Thanks to the "virtual key card" system, the physical card has been eliminated as well as the misuse of energy if the room is unoccupied. The integration with the HVAC system between the room controller and the centralized AC system is made possible by the Legrand thermostats. RCUs with supplementary inputs and outputs have been installed as some rooms have considerable dimensions. This is also the first Legrand hospitality project that can boast the installation of the Living Now range in Portugal. Indeed, in terms of wiring devices aesthetics, the whole installation has been finely embellished with the elegant Living Now range, providing multiple functions such as: thermostats, universal sockets & motion sensors. The UX range DND/MUR notification panels are part of the installation while the choice of the power board in the rooms has also been made among the Legrand brand products.

Project benefits

The Legrand solution offered in the realization of this project gives usability benefits to guests with an intuitive layout of functions, a positive experience by creating greater and better guest loyalty and, of course, energy and operational efficiency for the hotel operators. In the second phase (still to be defined) the integration with the customer’s PMS will be implemented, to ensure an even greater operational efficiency.