CONCESSION OF A PALACE IN SÃO JOÃO DA MADEIRA
Hoti Hotéis wins concession agreement for Palacete dos Condes Dias Garcia
Within the framework of the Revive Programme, Grupo Hoti Hotéis signed the concession agreement, last Thursday, for the rehabilitation and tourist development of Palacete dos Condes Dias Garcia in the Portuguese city of São João da Madeira, in an investment worth 7 million euros. The duration of the development agreement will be 50 years.
Built at the turn of the 19th century to the 20th century, this palace is one of the most beautiful architectural examples of the so-called “casas dos brasileiros” (houses of the Brazilians). It was built by António Dias Garcia, who was born in São João da Madeira and made a fortune in Brazil. The Palace is owned by the City Hall since September 1964 and will find new life as a superior four-start hotel under Hoti Hotéis. The hotel is scheduled to open to public at the end of 2022.
“Despite the current tough conditions, which are causing many unexpected obstacles, we believe that we may start operating in 2022-2023. With this hotel, the Group will make its presence felt and will ensure a qualified hotel offer in one of Portugal’s most important business and industrial hubs, by rehabilitating a highly valued historical building, thus boosting our response in the Corporate market as well as the services of our Industrial Tourism programme”, the President of Grupo Hoti Hotéis, Manuel Proença, has stated. “Our Group has already proven its experience in fostering business tourism in northern Portugal. In São João da Madeira, we aim at playing a major role in the region’s industry.”
The contract signing session was held last 29 October and was attended by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Ms. Rita Marques, the Assistant Secretary of State for Cultural Heritage, Ms. Ângela Ferreira, the President of São João da Madeira City Hall, Mr. Jorge Sequeira, the Vice-President of Turismo de Portugal, Ms. Teresa Monteiro, and the President of Turismo do Porto e Norte de Portugal, Mr. Luís Pedro Martins (represented by Ms. Susana Ribeiro).
During the session, Ângela Ferreira, the Assistant Secretary of State for Cultural Heritage, has stressed the importance of enhancing the historic heritage by carefully using it on tourist developments, while the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rita Marques, praised the courage and standing of Grupo Hoti Hotéis in Portugal, as well as its participation in the Revive Programme, and commended the role of the whole team in building up the Group.
The Revive Programme aims at recovering high asset value public buildings that are not being enjoyed by the communities and their visitors, by undertaking private investments that make them suitable to pursue a profitable economic activity, while preserving the architectural, cultural, social and environmental values of the built patrimony.