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Barceló Expands Its Presence in Portugal
24 January 2019
The Barceló Hotel Group finally began operations in Portugal in 2018, inaugurating two units: the Hotel Allegro Madeira in Funchal in June, and the Occidental Lisboa in November. The Spanish hospitality group will concentrate on expanding in Portugal in 2020.
In an interview with Publituris, Jaime Buxó, the director of business development for Spain’s second largest hotel group, said that the group had concluded a deal to open two more units on Portuguese islands.
In the first quarter of 2020, the Barceló Hotel Group will open a 111-room hotel in the centre of Funchal. The Barceló-branded hotel will result from the conversion of a historic residential building. The executive believes that the new hotel will be a “benchmark hotel in the region.”
In the Azores, the Spanish group will open a new operation in Ponta Delgada, the Occidental Ponta Delgada, which it hopes to open in the first quarter of next year. Located between the João Paulo II airport and the city of Ponta Delgada, the unit will have 105 rooms and 13 apartments spread over seven floors, a swimming pool and a rooftop terrace. The interior designer Nini Andrade Silva will be in charge of the interior decoration of the future hotel.
Jaime Buxó added that the hotel group is still evaluating more investment opportunities and that Lisbon, Porto and Algarve are on its radar, as well as some other, smaller Portuguese cities.
The executive also revealed that the group is interested in participating in the Revive auction for the Graça Quartel in Lisbon, which should take place shortly. “Our Royal Hideaway Luxury Hotels & Resorts brand would fit perfectly there.”
Original Story: Publituris – Raquel Relvas Neto
Translation: Richard Turner