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Pestana Invests Two Million in Second Hotel in Óbidos
2 August 2017
The new hotel’s launch is slated for the end of 2018. The hotel group will be renovating the former Misericórdia Hospital of Óbidos.
The Pestana group will triple its capacity in Óbidos by investing two million euros in the creation of a second Pousada de Portugal, a Pestana’s chain of luxury and traditional hotels in the country.
The new project, called Pousada da Vila de Óbidos, will have two parts. The first is the result of an agreement with the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Óbidos, which will lease its old hospital to Pestana. The hospital will be renovated, providing 17 hotel rooms.
In addition, Enatur – the company responsible for the Pousadas de Portugal brand, 51% owned by Turismo de Portugal and 49% owned by Pestana, has already launched a public tender for the renovation of the second part, the former Estalagem do Lidador, which will have 11 rooms.
The hotel group’s capacity in Óbidos will increase from 17 to 47 rooms by the end of 2018, taking into account two additional rooms to be added to the Pousada do Castelo.
The agreement, signed with the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Óbidos, foresees a 30-year partnership, with the possibility of extensions, where the hotel group, run by CEO José Theotónio, will pay a monthly rent of two thousand euros for the one thousand square meter space.
Luís Castanheira Lopes, president of Pousadas de Portugal, pointed out that the Pousada do Castelo in Óbidos is the group’s oldest – celebrating 75 years of existence in 2017 – and the one with the highest occupancy rate, 80%.
“The hotel was a factor in the urban rehabilitation of the town of Óbidos,” he said, stating that works on the old hospital will start next week, on August 8.
When the new hotel opens its doors in 2018, 15 jobs will be created, adding to the current 24. Castanheira Lopes admits that, in the case of slowing demand, that number could eventually be reduced.
Óbidos has the highest occupancy rate in the central area of Portugal and is also benefits from a higher return per hotel room: 40 euros, compared to 27 in the region.
The Pestana group has been operating Pousadas de Portugal since 2003, when it joined Enatur. The hotel group has 33 hotels, already taking into account last July’s closure of Pousada do Desagravo, with 650 employees and 200,000 overnight stays last year.
Original Story: Jornal Econômico – Wilson Ledo
Photo Credit: Bruno Simão
Translation: Richard Turner