Portuguese lodging company Vila Gale is building its presence in Latin destinations
Portuguese lodging company Vila Gale is building its presence in Latin destinations that are found on both sides of the Atlantic. The Lisbon-based firm went from having one beachfront resort in the Algarve in 1986 to some 48 today, now being represented in Spain, Cuba, Portugal and Portuguese-speaking Brazil. Vila Gale has built a weighty presence in Brazil, with some 12 properties there, some on the coast and others of which are inland.
“Our goal is to continue this expansion,” Goncalo Rebelo de Almeida told a recent Toronto gathering.
The company expects to have 52 properties by the end of the year. Vila Gale now has one Cuban property, found on Cayo Paredon off Cuba’s northern coast. But three more Cuban properties are in the works, one a Havana property, another in Varadero and the other on Cayo Santa Maria.
“The main goal is to find new destinations,” Rebelo de Almeida said.
About half of Vila Gale’s hotels began life long ago as other structures — with some originally being convents and others starting off as mansions for instance — and were converted into hotels that Rebelo de Almeida said still “showcase the past… We want to develop more responsible tourism.”
Vila Gale supports the economies of the destinations that its properties are in and works to reduce waste and use renewable energy.
The evening saw Lessner Gomez of the Cuba Tourism Board praise beach-ringed Cayo Paredon. “If you want to relax, that’s the perfect place.”
Cayo Paredon can be reached within four hours (by air) from much of Canada, Gomez noted. “I love Portugal, I love Brazil, but Cuba is closer.”
Carlos Franco Franca, Brazil’s ambassador to Canada, said Vila Gale operates the largest chain of resorts in Brazil, and tropical Brazil offers Canadians a very good exchange rate. Canadians visiting Brazil can, “have some fun, have some sun while spending less money,” he said.
The locations of Vila Gale properties mean guests can have vacations that combine both city stays and beach time, he said. Vila Gale now has 34 4- and 5-star properties in Portugal, with its network extending from northern to southern Portugal and to Madeira and the Azores as well. Its one Spanish property is by the border next to the Algarve.
The Portuguese properties offer guests diverse activities, among them falconry and surfing. Winery tours are also available. All-inclusive Vila Gale stays are available in Brazil, Portugal and Cuba, and the company has its own brand of spas.
Meanwhile, Liliana Vieira of Portuguese carrier TAP said her carrier has the “least expensive business class (service) to Europe.”
This summer will see TAP offer 12 weekly flights from Toronto and five weekly flights from Montreal, she reported.
