The American hotelier is going on the offensive in Portugal. Until now represented by a single hotel, the Hyatt Regency in Lisbon, which will open at the end of 2022, in addition to a Dreams resort inaugurated last year on the island of Madeira, three new hotels will open their doors in the country over the next two years. And even four if we add another hotel in the Portuguese-speaking area, for the group's debut in Cape Verde, with a Hyatt Regency on the island of Sal, equipped with a MICE offer.
" Portugal continues to be a strategic focus for the development of the Hyatt brands in Southern Europe. Combining a rich cultural heritage, breathtaking natural landscapes and modern infrastructure, the country is increasingly attracting both business and leisure travellers. "said Helena Burstedt, the Group's Vice President for Development in the Iberian Peninsula.
The Portuguese capital is the focus of these developments and is preparing to welcome two of these future establishments. Already established in the Belem district with a Hyatt Regency with 204 rooms and suites, several meeting rooms and a rooftop bar overlooking the Tagus just opposite, the group will be setting up in the heart of Lisbon, in the Baixa district and a stone's throw from the Praça do Comercio, with a lifestyle hotel under the Andaz brand.
Expected to open in the first quarter of 2026, this top-of-the-range hotel offers a contemporary take on the former offices of one of the country's leading banks, Banco Portugues de Investimento. The result will be a hotel with 170 rooms and suites reflecting the creative spirit of the city and lively living spaces with the Andaz Lounge, where guests can enjoy street-food inspired dishes and Portuguese craft beers, and the hotel's rooftop terrace, a signature restaurant serving contemporary Portuguese cuisine, Luzzi, extended by a lounge bar.
Recently acquired by the Hyatt group, another lifestyle brand, The Standard, is also expected in Lisbon next year, in the Alfama district. Perched high above the winding lanes that make up the charm of this tourist district, this 197-room and suite hotel will be the result of the transformation of the historic Palácio Santa Clara, dating from the 19th century.e century.
Destined to house the Portuguese navy hospital, this neo-classical building has been transformed into an avant-garde hotel. Designed by architect Samuel Torres de Carvalho and redesigned by Spanish artist Jaime Hayon in collaboration with Verena Haller, the artistic director of The Standard hotels, the former palace incorporates the brand's own experience through its roof terrace, spa and gardens, conceived not simply as spaces, but as backdrops with panoramic views over the whole of Lisbon as their focal point.
Lifestyle in Lisbon, MICE in the Algarve
To complete these projects, the Hyatt group is also moving further south, towards the Algarve and the seaside resort of Vilamoura. The future Hyatt Regency Vilamoura Algarve is the result of the takeover and complete renovation of an existing hotel, the Dom Pedro, located close to the marina and not far from a golf course, the Dom Pedro Golf Vilamoura, which in 2024 was awarded the prize for golf resort of the year in Portugal. As for the hotel, the future Hyatt Regency will offer more than 250 rooms and suites, as well as a steakhouse and a bar-restaurant by the pool or a lounge in its lobby. While the hotel is designed for relaxation and sports breaks, it is also ideal for seminars and incentive trips, with a MICE area of over 550 m², comprising rooms that can accommodate from 15 to 380 participants. All this is complemented by vast outdoor areas designed for relaxation and conviviality.
These openings could lead to others in the future. "There are things happening in the Portuguese market", explained Marc Jacheet, Hyatt's president for the EMEA region, in a recent interview with our site, who foresaw the possibility of his group eventually having a luxury proposition there.
