MERCURE DEBRECEN IS IMPRESSIVE IN DETAILS AND AS A WHOLE

Bajcsy-Zsilinszky street is one of the oldest streets in the historic city center. Almost without exception, there were properties in a dilapidated condition in the area of the investment.

In line with the planned profile of the hotel, the location in the city center was key, choosing the right property was a primary task. The construction site was formed as a result of the merger of three construction sites near Kossuth tér, behind the Aranybika Szálló. A four-star hotel with innovative, unique architectural solutions is being created here, primarily for the development of the city’s business and conference tourism. The builder and future operator of the accommodation is Bajcsy Invest Kft., a subsidiary of Szinorg Universal Zrt. founded in 2019.

From earthworks to masons to electricians, many people worked to complete the four-story building in a relatively short time. How big are the spaces?

The building has a full basement. The total plot size of the property is 3,356 square meters. The net floor area of the building’s floors is as follows:

basement level: 2,762.61 square meters

ground floor: 1509 square meters

1st floor: 1,414 square meters

2nd floor: 1,422 square meters

3rd floor: 1,423 square meters

4th floor: 1,432 square meters

roof level: 92 square meters

The beginning of the street will soon receive decorative paving, thus connecting Mercure Debrecen to the cozy pedestrian zone. Where can hotel guests arriving park by car?

The public entrance of the hotel, opening from the entrance bay, was created from Bajcsy-Zsilinszky street. While the placement of vehicles is ensured in a one-story, 59-space underground garage under the facility, which is opened from the inside of the block accessible from Hatvan Street.

A mixed-use area was created on the ground floor, which includes the reception, lobby, lounge and restaurant areas with a capacity of 120 people. The functionally separable conference room for 120 people is accessible both from the hotel lobby and from the entrance bay. The northern service zone of the building includes the factory kitchen and related food, beverage, other warehouses and background units. There are a total of 155 hotel rooms on the 4 residential floors above the entrance level. Transportation within the building is via the public elevators (2), operating elevators (3), and stairwells (3) accessible from the hotel lobby.

Guests can experience very special interior design solutions in the hotel.

The interior design concept is the work of Krisztina Fülöp, certified architect, designer and senior designer. The defining image of the hotel is the traditional flower carnival, as well as the geographical features of Debrecen and its surroundings, such as Hortobágy. The atmospheric design is characterized by dramatic light conditions and formal richness. The color of the hall walls of the rooms is dark, perhaps gloomy, but the other elements in the room, such as the furniture, wallpaper, painted wallpaper at the end of the bed, are all in harmony and create a refreshing feeling. In terms of the east wing, the goal was to capture local inspiration and a homely atmosphere, yet harmony with the classic rooms and the theme of the hotel can be found. We wanted to make the guest feel that the east wing is a different area of the hotel, but still somewhat in unity with the public space. Cleaner, more homely, less sprawling.

Share some details about the room interiors!

In the public areas, you can see the works of Gabriella Nagy, a painter from Debrecen. In the guest rooms, on the wall behind the beds, you can see two uniquely designed painting wallpapers, orphan hair and peonies, which just adds to the atmosphere of the carnival of flowers. We planned the application of the pattern in such a way that it alternates between even and odd rooms. In the rooms, Gabriella’s works are displayed, stretched on a round frame and printed on canvas: on the ground floor, in the rental area, lambs standing on each other’s backs will be visible.

Apparently they are putting the finishing touches on it. What work phases are still left until the hotel opens?

Currently, the installation of the building’s equipment and the acquisition of other equipment essential for the operation of the hotel are taking place. On the part of the contractor, the preparation of the trial run, list of deficiencies and errors, and handover documentation in the construction work area is ongoing. Contracts related to customer operation are still being concluded, as well as the organization of operational tasks within the company’s own activities, as well as the hiring and training of personnel.

As soon as the first guest arrives, the project manager can sit back and take a breath – looking back, what were the most difficult (sub)tasks? And the most uplifting?

Due to the particularly high values and the unique construction conditions, there are serious risks in the implementation, in my opinion, managing them is always the most difficult task. The COVID 19 pandemic and its economic consequences also affected our current investment. Production, supply and delivery problems arose and very significant price increases occurred in the supplier market. In terms of requests for quotations, our partners were able to provide prices within a very short period of time, and the time interval of delivery from the order has increased in the case of several products compared to previous years. There is no area of the hotel that we did not have to make a decision about or where. During the sampling, we formed opinions, were dissatisfied, and criticized, in order to arrive at the most favorable decision for the hotel, taking into account material, technical, aesthetic and operational principles. Looking at the final result, we can even talk about certain details of the hotel, it is uplifting. It is uplifting to know where we have come from. The road up to this point has often been bumpy, but the end result is uplifting.