Quinta do Lago is known as being one of Europe’s best golf, leisure and lifestyle resorts, led by CEO Sean Moriarty, the resort has stuck to its strict master plan to ensure low density living and a close relationship with nature. This dedication over the decades has allowed the resort to continue to thrive and ever expand while maintaining its core ethos.

Sean Moriarty, told The Portugal News: “The master plan has always been respected and I intend to continue this and to respect the 20 percent maximum build area. This makes Quinta do Lago unique in many ways, but especially in ensuring that property owners and guests are always able to enjoy a sense of privacy and security”.

While the resort has continuously attracted people from across the globe to enjoy the wealth of facilities, the focus of the resort is increasingly turning towards encouraging younger families.

The Campus

“The Campus, which has become a destination in its own right, is an example of how we are aiming to encourage younger guests and families. People come to the resort specifically to use The Campus; football teams, athletes and families looking for excellent facilities. Once they have come to The Campus then they often return for a holiday in the resort and then look to purchasing a property here,” explained Sean.

“The Campus, much like the entire resort, has been built for the elite but it is open for everyone, it is also a facility that is open year round and has become the heartbeat of the resort since opening, thanks to all the classes and activities that are held there, for all ages and abilities”.

Sport, and the promotion of wellness and a healthy outdoor lifestyle are all close to Sean’s heart and he plans in the future to develop these areas further, beyond The Campus and the golf courses. “We are looking to delve deeper into sports education, with a golf academy designed to attract younger players to the sport while also offering support to local children to get into the game with a local school programme. We are also wanting to develop bike, swim and run education as well as injury prevention and racquet sport training for both tennis and padel”.

Golfing excellence

While The Campus has helped to promote a new range of sports in the resort, golf still remains a cornerstone in Quinta do Lago, even more so since the €7 million investment that was made on the South Course, which included completely replacing all of the grass for a more sustainable course without ever compromising on the high quality and standards.

“We have always had a huge response for golf in Quinta do Lago and we already have bookings until November. Golf helps to bring a lot of tourism not only to the resort but to the Algarve as a whole and people appreciate the standards that we have always had and continue to provide not only on the course, but throughout the resort,” said Sean.

Record breaking numbers

As travel restrictions have lifted, visitors to Quinta do Lago have been increasing, with numbers not only equalling pre-pandemic levels, but surpassing them.

“People want to get back over here again. From the third week in January we started to see the booking boom for stays, we then had our best Easter ever recorded and have booking for stays into November”.

The summer season for the resort now spills well into November, far past the traditional end of the season in September, which has helped the resort to combat seasonality that often adversely effects businesses in the region.

New hotel

To meet the increasing demand of people looking to stay in Quinta do Lago, there are plans to build a new hotel in the resort, a 5 star unit that will continue to follow the low density masterplan and respect for nature in the resort which comes from being located in the protected coastal lagoon of the Ria Formosa Natural Park. While few details of the hotel are yet available Sean assured that the luxury hotel will of course embrace the high end level of luxury that visitors to Quinta do Lago have come to expect and are always provided with.

The resort is also building new properties to meet growing demand, including One Green Way, which is being sold exclusively by the Quinta do Lago real estate team. This exciting development curves alongside the North Course and is a gated community offering superior privacy and exclusivity within the resort. The development consists of 89 contemporary residences with Mediterranean style gardens and is described as “a town in its own right, a true resort-inside-a-resort”.

Sean explained the benefits of buying directly through Quinta do Lago as primarily being able to encompass all the needs of a property owner within the resort: “There are benefits for both buyers and sellers. Properties sell fast through us because buyers know that we can arrange everything that they need to live and enjoy the resort, from golf titles to house management and landscaping, we can organise everything for each property owner as soon as they buy.”

Investing in people

Quinta do Lago does not employ sub-contractors, to allow the team to continuously ensure that the exceptionally high standards expected in the resort are constantly maintained: “We have over 800 staff and this is constantly growing, making us one of, if not the largest local employers. We believe strongly in investing in people and offer reward schemes, training and development for staff which has meant that we have a very high retention rate, some of our staff have been with us for the past 50 years”.

With a solid foundation of 50 years of excellence the resort continues to go from strength to strength. Look out for special events taking place throughout the summer in the resort, reflecting the continued success of Quinta do Lago.

For further information about Quinta do Lago, please visit www.quintadolago.com

Author

Originally from the UK, Daisy has been living and working in Portugal for more than 20 years. She has worked in PR, marketing and journalism, and has been the editor of The Portugal News since 2019. Jornalista 7920

Daisy Sampson