The old Pousada de São Brás in the Algarve which was ditched by the Pestana Group due to poor performance is being transformed into a 'time-share' facility by its new Danish owners.
The local Mayor, Victor Guerreiro, explained that families are to purchase vacation time, a type of 'timesharing,' and that development will have 40 accommodation units that will be able to take 200 Danish families throughout the year.
The Pousada was managed by the Pestana Group which closed it in 2010 claiming that the hotel ‘lacked economic viability.’ The hotel was owned by state company Enatur - Empresa Nacional de Turismo which put it up for sale.
The building first was opened in 1944 as one of the first Pousadas in Portugal but the council’s view is that if Pestana can’t make it pay then it is better to allow someone else to have a go, changing the offer if need be. This is better than keeping it closed and watching the building degrade.
"It is a solution that, honestly, for the council is not what ideally we had in mind because we would like to return this building to public use," according to the mayor who noted that the one restaurant now would not be open for public use.
Given the current fiscal situation, the local council intends to partner with the new owner in promoting the renamed building to try and find ways of bringing income to the local economy.
"We have much to show in the council area and we want the tourists to spend as much time as possible in São Brás,” said mayor Guerreiro.
The council executive has met one of the directors of the Danish group, which already has a similar project in Tavira, and discussed the works needed to adapt the building to its new role.
The director of the Danish group said that the project will be fully open by the end of 2014.
