AMResorts eyes Portuguese market

The US hotel brand AMResorts owned by the Apple Leisure Group is eyeing the Portuguese market as part of its European expansion plan.

After penetrating the Spanish market in a strategic partnership with the Hesperia Group and the acquisition of Alua Hotels & Resorts, AMResorts has decided that Portugal should also feature in its European expansion strategy.

According to Apple Leisure Group’s Executive Vice President, Javier Coll, at a press conference at Spain’s largest tourism trade fair FITUR “Spain was the obvious choice to begin the group’s expansion plans in Europe as the most important country from a tourism point of view.”

But the group is also studying opportunities in Portugal with the Managing-Director of AMResorts Europe, Jordi de las Rosas, saying that “within the expansion plans of AMResorts in Europe we think that for our company Portugal has very interesting potential and one of the regions where we have already been exploring some projects is in the Algarve but we have not closed any deals yet but will continue to study the market closely.”

AMResorts is potentially looking to find a hotel chain or hotel group which fits the profile of its brands and clients as was the case with Alua Hotels & Resorts. “If we were to find such a partner in Portugal that would be fantastic”, says Jordi de Las Rosas, CEO of AMResorts Europe.

He also said that the brand would be looking at both Porto and Lisbon for “bleisure” hotels, i.e urban hotels blending business and leisure.