The new business represents the first hotel to open in Portugal under the Revive programme and has seen the former convent of São Paulo in Elvas being renovated into a hotel creating 43 direct jobs.


The hotel has 79 rooms, two restaurants, a bar, an outdoor and indoor swimming pool, a spa and meeting and events facilities and is housed in the convent which dates back to 1679 which over the years was not only a convent but also a military court and barracks. The property has been unoccupied since 2004.


“For some years now we have dedicated ourselves to rehabilitating historic properties that were degraded, giving them a new use and a new life. With this, we want to contribute to maintaining our history and valuing our heritage, because the future of tourism and the country depends on it,” said Jorge Rebelo de Almeida, chairman of the Vila Galé group.


He added: “Following the Vila Galé Collection Palácio dos Arcos or, more recently, the Vila Galé Collection Braga, we have now reached Elvas, where we recovered the old Convent of São Paulo. It is the first project to be opened under Revive, a programme we have adhered to from the very beginning precisely because of its heritage rehabilitation aspect.


“With this new hotel, we also intend to help revitalise Elvas, a city that has enormous potential because of its history. On the other hand, this is another step in our ambition to pull through the interior of the country, creating new areas of attraction and tourist destinations.”


The Vila Galé Collection Elvas - Historic Hotel, Conference & Spa is the 34th Vila Galé hotel, which now has 25 units in Portugal and a further nine in Brazil.


Under the Revive programme, the group is also developing Vila Galé Collection Alter Real, at the Alter do Chão Stud Farm, whose opening is scheduled for 2020.

Author

Originally from the UK, Daisy has been living and working in Portugal for more than 20 years. She has worked in PR, marketing and journalism, and has been the editor of The Portugal News since 2019. Jornalista 7920

Daisy Sampson