Pousadas de Portugal

Origins

Created by the Law 31.259 of 1 May 1941, by António Ferro's initiative. The first hotel was inaugurated in 1942, in Elvas, Alentejo, a region that has several historical pousadas. Other Regional Pousadas were inaugurated, always with a small number of rooms and a special attention to the local gastronomy.

In the 1950s, a new designation was added, Historical Pousadas, these hotels were installed in historical monuments and buildings, castles, convents and monasteries. The first Pousada created under this new designation was Pousada do Castelo in Óbidos.

In 1995, the American Society of Travel Agents and the Smithsonian Foundation, awarded the Pousadas de Portugal the annual prize for the institutions around the world with an active part in the protection of cultural and environmental heritage for touristic purposes.

Privatization

In 2003, due to the accumulation of negative results for more than a decade, the Portuguese Government led by Durão Barroso decided to privatize 49% of Enatur's capital, as well as to concede the management of the Pousadas to the winning group.

The winner was the PPG – Pestana Pousadas Group, formed by Pestana Group (59.8%), CGD Group (25%), Oriente Foundation (15%) and two more companies with 0.2% (Viagens Abreu and Portimar). On 1 September 2003, PPG became responsible for the management of the Pousadas hotel chain for a period of 20 years.

The future

In Portugal, PPG intends to continue the expansion of the hotel chain. Two new Pousadas are planned for 2012, the Pousada de Cascais (on the coast near Lisbon) and the Pousada da Serra da Estrela (in the mountainous central part of the country). The Pousada de Cascais is to be situated in the old citadelle in Cascais to a design by the Gonçalo Byrne architects group (also responsible for the Pousadas in Viseu and Faro) and David Sinclair. The Pousada da Serra da Estrela is to be adapted out of the sanatorium for the railway employees by Cottinelli Telmo. Eduardo Souto de Moura, winner of the Pritzker Prize in 2011 is the architect. He was also responsible for the conversion of the Convent of Santa Maria do Bouro into the Pousada de Amares.

Worldwide

In 2005, the first Pousada de Portugal outside of Portugal opened in Brazil, in a historic building and fort built by the Portuguese. Although this is by far the biggest hotel in the chain, in Brazil the term pousada usually refers to a cheaper hotel, more like a bed and breakfast, which may lead to confusion.

Under an internationalization plan, the PPG wants to open Pousadas in all the locations that the Portuguese once ruled: Asia (Goa, Macau and even East Timor), Africa (Cape Verde, Mozambique and even Angola) and new places in Brazil.

The pousadas are divided in four main groups, according to their architectural specificity, its surroundings or even its concept:

Pousadas históricas (historic pousadas), located in well preserved yet unspoiled national monuments, such as convents, monasteries, castles or fortresses;

Pousadas históricas design (historic design pousadas), also in monuments, castles, convents, fortresses and palaces that were vastly renovated, sporting artistic and contemporary decoration and facilities;

Pousadas natureza (nature pousadas), in natural countryside locations;