Pousada
 |
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| Industry | Hospitality, Hotels |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1942 |
| Headquarters | Lisbon, Portugal |
| Owner | Portuguese State |
| Website | http://www.pousadas.pt/ |
Pousadas de Portugal (European Portuguese: [poˈzaðɐʒ ðɨ puɾtuˈɣaɫ]) is a chain of luxury, traditional or historical hotels in Portugal. Formerly run by the Portuguese State, they are now run by the Pestana group, which in September 2003 won a public bid for the sale of 37.6% of mother company Enatur and for a 40-year running concession. It is a member of the Historic Hotels of Europe.
The Pousadas were envised and created in the early 1940s by António Ferro, head of the National Propaganda Secretariat and also a poet and playwright, who had the idea of creating hotels that were both rustic and genuinely Portuguese. His first Pousada was built in Elvas, in the Alentejo, which would be the first of what Ferro called «small hotels that look nothing like hotels». This Pousada is no longer active. There are now 44 Pousadas installed in historic buildings.
The Portuguese word pousada means "hostel" or "inn". In Portugal, the use of the word is registered as a trademark and reserved for the use of the Pousadas de Portugal and also of the Pousadas de Juventude (Portuguese state-run youth hostel chain associated to the Hostelling International). A similar small charming, nature or historical hotel in Portugal that is not part of the Pousadas de Portugal chain is classified as estalagem, a word which also means "hostel" or "inn".
Created by the Law 31.259 of the 1 May 1941, by António Ferro's initiative. The first hotel was inaugurated in 1942, in Elvas, Alentejo, region that has several historical pousadas. Other "Regional Pousadas" were inaugurated, always with a small number of rooms and a special attention to the local gastronomy.
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