Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel awards LEED Platinum certification

The Mercan Group’s Renaissance Porto Lapa hotel in Porto has been awarded LEED Platinum certification - the highest level of classification attributed by this organization, due to its sustainable construction and practices. This certification has only been awarded to 8 hotels worldwide.

The Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel, located in the heart of Porto, combines modern luxury with a deep commitment to sustainability. This Mercan Group hotel in Portugal, managed by AHM - Ace Hospitality Management, has been awarded the prestigious international LEED Platinum (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification - the highest level of classification attributed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it the first hotel in Portugal and the eighth in the world to achieve this level of recognition.

From day one, the construction of the Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel has been concerned with environmental and sustainable fundamentals. This commitment resulted in a partnership between the Mercan Group and Porto City Council for the construction of the Lapa Urban Park, which will be one of the main green "lungs" of the city of Porto.

"Achieving this certification is a source of great pride for the Mercan Group, as it represents the effort we have made to invest in Portugal in a sustainable way that is socially committed to the communities in which we operate, while at the same time offering the best environment to our guests," explains Miguel Gomes, Construction & Development General Manager of the Mercan Group in Portugal.

The LEED Platinum certification by the USGBC, which recognizes the environmental merit of the Renaissance Porto Lapa hotel, represents recognition for the saving of resources, a healthier working environment, enhancement of the property, and social responsibility. This is a hotel with the best performance in terms of energy efficiency, water saving, indoor air quality, waste management, and the use of sustainable materials.

For the President of the USGBC, Mahesh Ramanujam, "the LEED Platinum certification of the Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel demonstrates enormous leadership in green construction", emphasizing that this is an "excellent example of how innovative construction projects can use local solutions to have a global impact on the environment".

Miguel Gomes also emphasizes that this recognition "is in line with the Mercan Group's development strategy and the desire to lead the hotel sector in Portugal with a greener portfolio".

LEED, the most internationally recognized system for assessing the environmental merit of buildings, has already distinguished more than 50,000 buildings in 150 countries for their environmental practices, with around 100 belonging to the hotel sector and less than ten having reached Platinum level, the distinction now awarded to the Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel, which thus becomes the eighth hotel in the world with this distinction, and only the third in the whole of the Iberian Peninsula.