Nuno Sepúlveda, Co-CEO at Details which oversees the Dom Pedro Golf portfolio, reveals plans for some of their main assets in Vilamoura
With a degree in Golf Course Management, last year Nuno Sepúlveda was appointed the Co-CEO of Details Hospitality Sports & Leisure (part of Arrow Global Portugal), which recently took on the challenge of managing some of Vilamoura’s most important tourist assets with a clear objective: to make it the best year-round golf destination in Europe.
Dom Pedro Victoria HOLE 18
Nuno Sepúlveda started his career in maintenance, construction and management of golf infrastructures and has worked for various international hotel brands, including Penha Longa and Wyndham, having spent the last six years in Greece at the Costa Navarino tourist resort.
Vilamoura Marina
At the invitation of Arrow Global Portugal, the fund that acquired Vilamoura World, he took up his new position at Details in 2023. With many years of experience in golf course management, the Co-CEO was also elected president of the National Council of the Golf Industry (CNIG) this May, taking office with a robust strategic plan to promote sustainable growth in the sector – a plan that follows Details’ vision for Vilamoura.
Dom Pedro Old Course HOLE 16
“When I arrived here, I noticed that the assets, particularly in Vilamoura and across in the Algarve, were suffering from a serious lack of investment. I did an internship at the Old Course 23 years ago and when I came back last year, I found everything much the same, which is not a good sign.
Dom Pedro Millennium Golf Course
These assets are in fantastic locations, have a very good reputation and are part of a strong brand, which is Vilamoura. They all have tremendous potential, but due to underinvestment in recent years, there was a lot that needed to be done,” describes Nuno Sepúlveda.
Dom Pedro Laguna
The first step was to re-assess all the assets, including the hotels, golf courses, equestrian centre and even the Marina. The company created a multi-year development plan and defined a new strategy to reposition each asset. “The difficulty is not in selling assets in Vilamoura, but in repositioning them, and this is the great challenge we have in hand for the next few years,” says the Co-CEO.
Nuno Sepúlveda
For this, Details will be investing in ambitious improvements to attract more holidaymakers looking for the best leisure and lifestyle experience the Iberian Peninsula can offer.
On the hospitality front, the first changes will begin at the end of this year, with the renovation of two hotels, the Dom Pedro Marina and the Dom Pedro Vilamoura.
“The contracts have already been signed and the work starts in October. They will be transformed from hotels from the 1970s and 1980s into something completely new, with all the latest modern amenities and a complete overhaul of F&B services. We will be partnering with two international brands and, naturally, there will be a shift in the type of clients these hotels were used to. They should be up and running in 2026 and the very considerable investment will certainly boost their positioning,” reveals Nuno Sepúlveda.
Palmares
The plan also includes the development of new hotels, also from international brands, which have already been approved. “There are three in total, one of them a top-of-the-range hotel in Palmares, another on the Old Course and the last on the Millennium course. We are waiting to close on the brands. Construction on the first will start at the end of this year, and the others possibly also in 2024, but we don’t know yet if that will be possible. These hotels will be located within the perimeters of the courses, which are one of Vilamoura’s great assets,” he added.
Palmares
The Victoria golf course is already under refurbishment to make room for a completely unique concept to the Algarve, which will be presented soon and will be linked to a major international brand in the golf industry. The course’s Clubhouse will also be renovated. In addition, the Old Course will also undergo some construction work, and there are plans to invest in staff, equipment, maintenance centres and the Clubhouse. “In this case, the refurbishment starts in June and ends in September. We are talking about a major investment in golf alone,” explains Nuno Sepúlveda.
Dom Pedro Victoria HOLE 8
As for the Equestrian Centre, the plan is to upgrade the services offered. “We need better infrastructures. We wanted to start work this summer, in order to resume operations in 2025 for an international market that is mostly active from November to April. We want to put in state-of-the-art, premium infrastructures with capacity for a thousand horses, with the aim of attracting top riders in the industry, who leave the northern countries during the winter for competitions, much like golfers. The only place they can do that is in the south of Portugal or Spain. And we have the perfect conditions for the sport,” he says.
Palmares Holes 11 to 15
Also linked to Details’ strategy of curbing seasonality and attracting tourists all year round, there are plans to create a “much-needed” Sports Centre.
“For several years now, clubs have been coming to the Algarve for winter training, whether for rugby, football, cricket, swimming or cycling. We have many famous teams coming here, but it feels disjointed. We want to offer an integrated solution for a variety of sports. It will also have a unique approach, aiming at high performance, but also at the community and amateurs. Our design is intended to be a solution for professionals, for leisure, and for schools. Construction is expected to begin in 2025, and I believe we will have something significant by 2026. The Centre will be located within Vilamoura, spanning 35 hectares,” revealed Nuno Sepúlveda.
When asked about his expectations for Vilamoura in the next 10 years, the Co-CEO replies: “I would like this to be a destination with more international brands capable of attracting high-value clients. To complement this, I think we are still lacking an ultra-luxury hotel, like a Mandarin Oriental. Our vision is to beat tourism seasonality and turn the high season into a year-round reality. And if this happens, real estate will become more valuable. We have everything in Vilamoura and great potential for growth. That is where I think our brand can make a strong contribution.”
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