The new Conrad Algarve Hotel located in Quinta do lago will be going head to head for the title of ‘Europe’s Leading Hotel’, ‘Europe’s Leading Resort’ and ‘Europe’s Leading Golf Resort’.

Then there’s the exclusive Vila Joya Hotel located in Albufeira which is a contender in the categories of ‘Europe’s Leading Boutique Hotel’ and ‘Europe’s Leading Boutique Resort’ – the latter is an award that it has been winning every year since 2005.

The Martinhal beach Resort & Hotel in Sagres is competing for the ‘Europe’s Leading Family Resort’ and ‘Europe’s Leading Villa Resort’ awards.

Other nominees from the Algarve include the Club med da Balaia in Albufeira – ‘Europe’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort’ – the Sheraton Pine Cliffs Resort, also in Albufeira – ‘Europe’s Leading Resort’ – and the Dona Filipa Hotel & San Lorenzo Golf Resort in Vale do Lobo – ‘Europe’s Leading Golf Resort’; then there’s the Longevity Wellness Resort in Monchique – ‘Leading Spa and Wellbeing Resort’ – and the Quinta do Lago Hotel – ‘Europe’s Leading Golf Resort’.

The head of the Algarve Toursim Board – Desiderio Silva – commented that these many nominations are further ‘proof of the quality of our region – a region of excellence’.

Portugal was chosen as ‘Europe’s Leading Golf Destination’ in the 2012 World Travel Awards, and this year it is defending that award from very stiff competition coming from England, France, Germany, Scotland and neighboring Spain.

The other heavies that the Algarve is contending with in the ‘Leading Beach Destination’ awards are Cannes – France, Corfu – Greece, the Emerald Coast – Italy, Formentera – Spain, Marbella – Spain and Oludeniz – Turkey.

This year will be the 20^th anniversary of the World Travel Awards, and the awards are given by professionals from the travel and tourism sectors from around the world.

Quinta da Ombria

The Finnish Ponto Group is prepping a major development for the rural are of Querenca called the Quinta da Ombria Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort.

The project is now in the development phase and at the current time the master plan will see it include a luxury hotel and spa, 400 villas and apartments as well as an 18-hole golf course. The project for this new development has been no less than two decades in the making, but now it is lead by Helder Martins, the PSD candidate for the Loule Camara presidency. The total investment reaches 200 million Euros and the project has just received the building licenses but work has not yet started. The large span of time that it has spent in development have seen it suffer several modification because of environmental setbacks, namely from various environmental and conservation groups that made a complaint to the European Commission.

Estimates show that the development will create three hundred jobs.

Vale do Freixo

The Vale do Freixo Golf & Country Estate will also be located in a predominantly rural area, this time in Benafim.

The estate is estimated to host 1,722 toursit beds, most or all of which being destined for the high end consumer. The development represent an investment close to two hundred million Euros and will include a hotel with spa, contress centre, sport and leisure areas and will employ almost eitht thousand people during the construction phase, and around a thousand jobs once the job is completed and business is underway.

The project is developed by a consortium company called United Investments Portugal or UIP. They are made up of the IFA Hotels & Resorts international group which has also developed the luxury Sheraton Pine Cliffs Resort.

This project however is still more than a year till a draft is ready and then it will have to be submitted for an environmental impact assessment.