Jam Hotel, a popular hotel in Saint-Gilles, has recently opened up in Lisbon with a hundred-room hotel.
According to l'Echo, the Lisbon outpost stands 2 km from the city centre in a revamped 6,000 m2 office building.
Jean-Paul Pütz, CEO of Nelson Group and operator of the Jam hotel brand, is proud about this achievement when interviewed about the project. The property has taken four years to develop and is the first passive hotel in Portugal, reducing the environmental impact dramatically.
Sustainable refurbishments for the future
Under Pütz's leadership, Jam's expansion is more than a mere renovation; it's a big investment in sustainable design principles. Pütz, a passionate advocate for sustainability, admits that renovating the building cost more than a new construction would have. However, he insists it was the correct path.
"We have not added more concrete," Pütz told l'Echo. "We've chosen to strip down and redevelop this building, maintaining a low carbon footprint." The former office building, which Pütz bought in 2016, now consumes less than 15 kWh/m2 per year.
Lionel Jadot, the architect in charge, made use of materials from Portugal and Spain for the refurbishment. Old bricks, reclaimed wood from northern Portugal, and other locally-sourced materials replaced traditional ventilation grills and furnishings.
Challenges of sustainable tourism
Despite the efforts, Pütz acknowledges the limitations of their vision. For instance, the ambition to use organic mattresses was thwarted by their high cost, six times more than conventional ones.
Pütz's commitment to responsible tourism, however, is unwavering. He accepts that most of the hotel's guests will travel by plane but strongly opposes the mass tourism that is seen in cities like Barcelona and Lisbon. His responsibility also extends to social issues, promising to pay his employees above-average wages.
The journey of Jam hotels began in 2008, with Nelson Group becoming an operator in 2019. Despite his previous involvement in concrete-heavy projects, Pütz has adopted a greener approach, stating, "At some point, we must change. Doing real estate as I do today is my way of avoiding a therapist," he joked.
The Lisbon Jam Hotel isn't the last venture for Pütz. The next is scheduled in Ghent, with an opening planned for late 2024. While a project in Porto has been sidelined, the CEO's vision remains clear. "We're focusing on finding old office buildings. I'll create another four or five Jams and then hand over to someone who really knows what they're doing," he concludes.
