After bidding guests “hasta luego,” the legendary Hotel Ritz, Madrid recently closed its doors to start a comprehensive restoration.

The project, which is slated to finish in late 2019, will result in 106 rooms, 47 suites, and refurbished meeting rooms and spaces with state-of-the-art equipment to significantly upgrade the hotel’s facilities and services, while maintaining its unique character. Other facilities will include a new fitness center and indoor pool, together with a range of spa, heat, and water experiences.

The reinstatement of a glass roof in the heart of the hotel will bring light to the lounge in the way it did when the property first opened.

“For more than 100 years, The Ritz has been an icon in Madrid, hosting celebrities, politicians, and royals,” said Hill International’s Vice President, Country Manager for Spain, Maria de los Angeles Prieto Liebana. “We are excited for this project to advance into the construction phase after a dedicated and detailed design phase.”

Hill International, the global leader in managing construction risk and a top project management consultant in Spain, oversaw a complex pre-construction phase during the last two years. The firm will now be in charge of managing the construction phase.

A major element for this project was the building’s high cultural heritage protection, which provides improved safeguarding and protection for the cultural and historical aspects of Spain’s immoveable objects. This necessitated a multidisciplinary design team comprised of top-level specialist companies, including interior designers, architectural firms, structural engineers, facilities engineers, lighting specialists, IT / AV installations specialists, landscapers, and consultants for kitchen equipment and furniture acquisition.

“Being involved during the pre-construction phase allowed our team to start the construction phase immediately after the hotel closed its doors,” Prieto Liebana said. “During pre-construction we were able to coordinate with the client, as well as perform technical studies of the building, facilitate licenses and permits, work with the designer, conduct the bidding processes for all agents, and develop economic controls and schedule management. These are all factors that will assist in providing an efficient and highly successful project.”

Hill has extensive experience in the repositioning, design, and construction of luxury hotels in Spain and other countries. In addition to Hotel Ritz, Madrid, the firm’s background includes the Hotel Villa Magna in Madrid, the New Marriott Edition in Barcelona, Regis Astana (Kazakhstan), and the Ritz Carlton in Cairo (Egypt).