Pestana Group
 |
 | |
| Company type | Hotel Group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hotel Chain, Tourism, Hospitality |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Founders | Jose Pestana and Manuel Pestana |
| Headquarters | , Portugal |
Key people | Manuel Pestana and Jose Pestana(founder) |
Number of employees | 6,000 |
| Website | Pestana Hotels & Resorts |
Pestana Hotel Group is the largest Portuguese tourism and leisure group. Its hotel chain Pestana Hotels and Resorts has 91 hotels[contradictory] with over 10,700 rooms,[1] and since 2003 manages the Pousadas de Portugal.
The firm's main activity is tourism, having also interests in industry and services.[2] It manages hotel units in three different continents: Europe, South America, and Africa. The countries it serves on those continents are [in alphabetical order]: Argentina, Brazil, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and South Africa.
The Pestana Group owns the Portuguese airline euroAtlantic Airways, and a stake in STP Airways, which is the national airline of São Tomé and Príncipe.
Besides the 38 hotels,[contradictory] the Pestana Group has six timesharing properties, three golf courses, two real estate/touristic properties, a gambling concession for a Casino, a participation in a charter airline, a travel agency and three Tour Operators.
The Pestana Group owns Empresa de Cervejas da Madeira, a company in Madeira island that produces and distributes Coral, Brisa and Laranjada, some of the top-selling local alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
History
The Pestana Group was founded by José Pestana and his brother Manuel Pestana, when they acquired the Atlântico Hotel in 1965. A new five-star hotel was built in its place, the work was completed in 1972. When Jose Pestana retired he left control of the company to his son, Dionísio Pestana.[3]
In 2003, the Pestana Group took over the management of Pousadas de Portugal.