This follows the group, which is one of the largest privately-owned hotel group in the UK, having already moved in to manage the Vale d’Oliveira resort in Carvoeiro.
In a statement sent to The Portugal News this week, the group said that the deal would see an investment of 5 million euros in renovations while creating more than 100 new job opportunities.
Closed since 2014, this Discovery Fund asset will re-open at the end of the first semester of 2016, under the management
of the prestigious brand Macdonald Hotels &
Resorts.
The participation of the Revitalizar Sul fund, or the support from the owners with properties within the resort, as well as the financing from Millennium BCP and Turismo de Portugal was crucial for the project’s viability, the Macdonald group said.
In comments to The Portugal News from Scotland, a group spokesperson said that contrary to a report in a Portuguese newspaper which has since been widely copied, the group has not acquired a third property in Portimão, but did admit that talks were ongoing to secure the deal.
Pedro Seabra, of the Discovery Fund said in a statement that “the opening of Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa is another landmark for Discovery. With the invaluable support from our partners, we managed to obtain the necessary funding to invest in the asset’s infrastructures, enabling the resort’s full operation.”
He argued that “the choice of a brand that was adequate to the hotel’s concept and specific features was of utmost importance to us. It is with great pleasure and trust that we are starting this partnership with Macdonald Hotels & Resorts.”
Simon Jackson, CEO of Macdonald Resorts meanwhile explained that “Macdonald Hotels & Resorts celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and has built its success on being a hospitality group run by hoteliers and resort operators.”
He added that the company is “looking forward to working closely with our partners at Discovery to make this resort a destination of choice and hope to be welcoming our first guests in mid-2016.”