June 23rd 2020 By Lloyd Hughes 2 minute read
You may remember from last year when we announced we were planning to build and run our own hotel on Portugal’s Silver Coast.
Now, at the time you may very well have thought that sounds like bovine nonsense.
But no, lo! Not only have we bought the land, we’ve now drilled a huge hole into the ground, which means…it’s actually happening.
A key part of the building process involves ensuring sufficient access to water, and a 175m borehole has been established to allow for that, meaning the build can now begin in earnest.
Our initial architectural plans looked at a 7-bedroom main building, however this has since been enhanced to 8 bedrooms, with additional plans to expand to a 20-bedroom establishment as lodges are added further down the line.
Having purchased the land (a 10-minute drive from Nazaré beach), the 5-year project is looking to tap into Portugal’s rocketing popularity with tourists. With its location, just outside the town of Alcobaça, an hour’s drive from Lisbon and two hours from Porto, it’s perfectly situated to appeal to both cities’ airports.
David Barrett, our MD, said of the new stage: “While the borehole might seem like a relatively minor step – it’s essentially the first physical one, so in that regard it’s a major one for us. With the builders now able to access sufficient water, construction can begin in earnest.”
David continued: “Since the initial announcement we’ve now expanded on our aspirations, adding a further bedroom to the hotel’s design to increase guest capacity. Once the main building is constructed, we then have plans to include lodges in the grounds, eventually offering 20 bedrooms in total.”
Our 5-year plan has a timeline that sees the hotel opening in early 2024. Name generation is currently in process, with branding plans occurring alongside.
David Barrett said: “Given our marketing expertise, this part of the process is an important one for us. Alcobaça, despite having a fantastic wealth of architectural and cultural heritage including a magnificent monastery (actually the first Gothic building in Portugal), is relatively underappreciated. As part of our marketing drive to showcase the hotel, we’ll also be looking to raise the profile of the surrounding area, helping to put it onto the proverbial tourist map.”
He concluded: “We’ve accumulated a wealth of hospitality knowledge over the years, so we’re effectively looking to put our money where our mouth is and prove that we have what it takes to generate sufficient noise to make a success of it. With the build having officially started, it’s now getting into some really exciting territory so we’ll be looking to start ramping up our marketing activity as our own anticipation builds.”
If you have any hotel name suggestions, we’re happy to hear them! Although not Torres de Fawlty, please…
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