Vila Galé arrives in the Azores. Invests €12 million to transform old hospital into hotel

Vila Galé Group will have, within a year, a hotel in S. Miguel, in what is the debut of the second-largest Portuguese hotel group in the Azores. The announcement had already been made by the CEO at the end of last year, but with no further details being given. Now, Jorge Rebelo de Almeida told ECO that it is a partnership with Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Ponta Delgada, which aims to transform an old hospital into a hotel.

The work will cover part of the building and the result will be a themed hotel, “probably” illustrating the history of the Azores. The hotel will have 93 rooms and a restaurant, and will have four stars, operating under the “Collection” brand, the most premium segment of Vila Galé hotels.

The investment will be around €12 million and the construction work should begin in March, with Jorge Rebelo de Almeida estimating that it will be concluded in the summer of 2023. “We will have to work hard,” he says.

This hotel unit results from a partnership between Vila Galé and Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Ponta Delgada. Jorge Rebelo de Almeida’s chain will be responsible for the construction work and will operate the hotel via a 50-year concession, according to ECO.

Jorge Rebelo de Almeida also announced that investing in the Azores was a “very old desire”. “There is no thematic hotel in the Azores and it gives me more pleasure to do a thematic hotel. The location is extraordinary,” added the CEO of the hotel chain.