Robert De Niro’s high-end hospitality brand Nobu has announced plans for a new destination at Monte Rei, an award-winning resort in Portugal’s Eastern Algarve, expanding the hotel group’s European presence.
The Nobu development will “form the centrepiece of a broader investment programme led by Norfin,” a press release said, “spanning hospitality, residential living, leisure amenities and future additions, including a beach club” set across more than 400 hectares of countryside, centred on an existing Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.
Accommodation will comprise 100 rooms and suites, and 21,000m2 of Nobu villas and branded residences, alongside an on-site Nobu restaurant and thoughtfully curated guest amenities. Tapping into the strength of the premium travel market, the resort promises “luxury hospitality, genre-defining cuisine, timeless design, and intuitive service,” press materials say.
Two decades after its launch in 2007, Monte Rei Golf and Country Club will see ground break on its next phase of development, and is slated for completion in 2029. In line with the way many highly touristed areas are trying to spread tourist arrivals and stays across the calendar year, Nobu says the work will make Monte Rei a “more complete year-round destination for residents, members and guests.”
Hailing the project as “an important milestone for Monte Rei,” Miguel Mateus, CEO of investors Norfin said: “The resort has long been recognised for the quality of its golf, service and residential environment. We are now building on that legacy with a broader ambition for the destination – one that brings together world-class hospitality, exceptional residential living and carefully designed leisure experiences.”
Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality, meanwhile, pointed to the relevance of the project to today’s travel consumer, who increasingly demands authenticity and individuality. “Together with Norfin, we have the opportunity to create a distinctive Nobu destination that feels deeply connected to the Eastern Algarve while delivering the hospitality, dining, design and service for which the brand is known around the world.”
The expansion of the golf course and country club comes at a time when, in southern Europe in particular, such facilities have come in for criticism as concerns multiply about sustainable water use. It’s an issue that is becoming existential amid predicted long-term droughts and surging wildfire risks.
