I first heard about Ombria Resort in the Algarve in 2018 at the conference of the Portuguese National Golf Industry Council, where I participated as a speaker.
Since then, many things from Ombria Resort‘s plans have been realized and their golf course will soon be open to us this month. The owner, developer, and promoter of Ombria Resort is the Finnish Pontos Group.
This time, I interviewed Salvador Macedo – Director of Golf – and João Richard Costa – Director of Sales and Marketing.
What kind of golf resort concept can succeed in the Algarve in 2023?
Algarve has proven several times throughout the years that is one of the best golf destinations in the world. And it has to do with the overall quality and diversity of products that we offer. We believe that 2023 will be, again, a good year for golf in the Algarve.
However, we have been working hard to adjust to the challenges that golf courses have without compromising the quality and customer experience. And that is the key to being successful from 2023 onwards.
We can say that, in our case, Ombria Resort, we had very special attention to crucial areas such as environmental sustainability, and water and energy efficiency.
What is the role of the golf course in Ombria Resort?
Ombria Resort’s golf course is a very important part of Ombria Resort as a whole for several reasons. As the resort will operate continuously throughout the year, the golf segment is a great advantage for the off seasons, the traditional sun & sea.
But the golf course is more than that. It’s also an opportunity to demonstrate that a golf course can be, at the same time, an important segment within the operation, but also without compromising the integration with the natural landscape.
It will be an amazing opportunity to show the inland Algarve, its typical flora, and its authenticity, all of that just 25 minutes away from the coast.
What are the trends in golf real estate?
Since the covid-19 pandemic, we’ve noticed a general increase in demand for properties located in the countryside, with easy access to green spaces and wellness facilities.
Buyers, many of whom are nowadays working fully or partly from home are attracted to golf developments for their proximity to nature and the five-star services usually available in this type of development.
Who did you design Ombria Resort for?
We designed Ombria Resort for those who value authenticity, high levels of service, and a sustainable lifestyle.
How did you choose a golf course architect?
We wanted to have an architect who understood the land in which the course is located and had the same mindset as ours: have a golf course perfectly integrated into the surrounding natural environment and respect the existing features such as the river.
The architect – Jorge Santana da Silva – did a great job by following a sustainable vision to complement and enhance the natural landscape.
Which of your innovations (within golf & real estate) are you most proud of?
We are most proud of our innovative geothermal energy system. This clean, renewable, and free energy source will be used to heat the swimming pools and run the air conditioning system throughout the golf clubhouse and Viceroy at Ombria Hotel, safely and responsibly.
Minimizing impact while actively preserving our diverse wildlife habitats is a mission we feel passionately about – and are proud of the role we are playing in raising awareness and knowledge of the many benefits of geothermal energy.
We believe that our geothermal project is not only helping to pioneer cleaner, renewable energy for tourism in the Algarve but for the rest of the country as well. We hope we can help inspire others toward a new, sustainable way to meet our growing energy demands.
