Guarda advances with classification of the Hotel Tourism as heritage

A Câmara da Guarda today unanimously approved the opening of the classification procedure of the Hotel Turismo building, authored by the architect Vasco Regaleira and inaugurated in 1947, as a property of municipal interest.

The proposal was based on the Basis of Cultural Heritage Law (law No. 107/2001 of 8 September), according to which "it is considered of municipal interest the assets whose protection and valorization, in whole or in part, represent a cultural value of predominant meaning for a particular municipality", is referred to in the document submitted to the biweekly meeting of the executive of Monday.

The Lince Hotels Group was the winner of the public contest launched by Turismo de Portugal on March 31, 2026 for the rehabilitation and requalification of the Hotel Turismo da Guarda.

The company plans to invest between 15 and 20 ME (million euros) in the requalification of the building, currently returned, having signed on September 14 the respective lease with the Tourism of Portugal, owner of the property, closed since October 2010.

"It is another step for the company to have some benefits are in terms of licensing, taxation, and also so that the work can begin and be completed as soon as possible," said Sérgio Costa (For Guarda/ Us Citizens), president of the Guard Chamber, to journalists at the end of the meeting.

For Councilman António Monteirinho, “the PS could only vote in favour and agree with the classification of the Hotel Turismo, because this is an accelerator of the implementation of the project”.

‘The Guard Chamber could not prove itself against or doubt that this type of investment is beneficial to the city’.

Alexandra Isidro said that the PSD/CDS/IL coalition “agreed and welcomed this classification, which should have happened much longer ago, even for the preservation of the building itself and its memory”.

‘It is valuable to have a building of municipal interest’, he said.

The opposition councilwoman took advantage of the issue to suggest to the municipality that it proceed with more classifications because "we have more heritage that is being destroyed and/or bought"

‘Without it being properly inventoried and classified, it is very difficult for the owners themselves to access the facades and other architectural elements of relief’, he explained.

Designed by architect Vasco Regaleira and inaugurated in 1947, Hotel Turismo closed doors in October 2010. In April of the following year the Guard Chamber sold the property to Tourism of Portugal, to carry out an estimated investment of 10 million euros and reopen as Hotel School and Application Hotel.

In 2012, the PSD/CDS Government gave up the project and the following governments, from the PS, chose to integrate the property in the REVIVE program – Rehabilitation, Heritage and Tourism.

Between 2017 and 2021 three attempts were made, but without success. In 2022, the property was disaffected from the program, having been integrated into the network of Pousadas de Portugal the following year.

In December 2025, by mutual agreement, the lease agreement that the Tourism of Portugal had concluded with ENATUR was revoked, returning the process to zero.

At the end of March 2026, the owner of the building located in the city center launched a new international public tender for rehabilitation and lease, for a period of 50 years, with option of purchase after four, of the Hotel Turismo da Guarda.

The Lince Hotels Group, owner, among other hotels, of the Convent of Santa Clara, in Vila do Conde, will pay a minimum rent of 3,858.34 euros and if it triggers the purchase option it will have to liquidate a little more than 6,8 ME to the Tourism of Portugal.