"The Sky is The Limit": Driving Growth and Expanding Horizons in Portugal’s Hospitality Sector

Source: TNews

Mariano Faz, CEO of AHM – Ace Hospitality Management, reveals that the Moxy Alfragide Lisbon will open later this year, under the management of the company, which currently has around 15 projects in its pipeline. In an interview with TNews, the executive adds that AHM plans, “in the near future,” to incorporate Accor and Hard Rock into its portfolio of international brands. For 2025, the company expects to reach total revenue of €50 million, recording overall growth of more than 20%.

Mariano Faz begins by making a positive assessment of this summer, noting that AHM – Ace Hospitality Management is seeing “growth across all areas, including an increase in ADR,” as well as “excellent results in destinations not traditionally considered tourist hubs, such as Évora and Beja, in addition to solid performance in major cities.”

For the full year of 2025, “in already consolidated hotels, we project organic growth of 4–5%,” the CEO indicates, adding that “with new openings, total growth will exceed 20%, driven by portfolio expansion.”

“We will continue to invest heavily in Revenue Management, Sales, and Marketing, because we believe that ‘the sky is the limit’: there is always room for improvement, and we will maintain this constant spirit of optimizing our revenue,” he emphasizes.

Mariano Faz also states that the company’s revenue forecast for 2025 “is close to €50 million in total revenue, thereby consolidating a sustained growth trajectory and reinforcing our positioning in the market.”

AHM – Ace Hospitality Management, a company specialized in asset management and belonging to Mercan Properties, structures its activity into “three main areas,” as the executive explains. In hotel management, the company is a White Label Management Company that operates under franchise agreements “with all the major international brands, with their official validation.” In restaurant management, the company has been developing and operating “multiple proprietary concepts” for more than a year and a half. Finally, in the area of asset management and consultancy, AHM works “on a case-by-case basis upon request,” but plans “to develop this segment in greater depth in the future.”

One more opening in 2025 and 15 projects in the pipeline

The company, which currently manages 14 properties located in different regions of Portugal, is preparing to open a new unit this year. “In 2025, we will inaugurate the MOXY Alfragide, in Lisbon,” a hotel born from a franchise agreement between Mercan Properties and Marriott International and representing an investment of €63 million, says Mariano Faz. In addition, AHM has “a pipeline of around 15 projects under development, distributed throughout the country, with particular focus on the Algarve.” Faz ensures that the company maintains “the goal of reaching 30 properties by 2027–2028,” in an expansion plan that he describes as “ambitious and focused exclusively on Portugal.”

“We are also studying opportunities together with several investors who believe in our management model and see us as a strategic partner. Our ambition for the coming years is to significantly increase the 30 hotels under management,” the CEO adds.

Currently, AHM works with international brands IHG, Hilton, Marriott, and Wyndham. “In the near future, we will incorporate Accor and Hard Rock, thus expanding the diversity of offerings and strategic partnerships. This not only strengthens our portfolio but also increases our value as a company and consolidates us as a reference in the industry, acquiring unique and comprehensive know-how on different ways of operating,” says Mariano Faz.

The executive also stresses that “we do not have the ambition of creating our own hotel brand,” explaining that the company’s strategy is to “operate and enhance consolidated international brands, leveraging their global recognition and combining it with our management capabilities to maximize results.”

Strategy and mission

The selection of new properties follows an “asset-centric” logic, where the starting point is always the asset and its location, “to determine the most appropriate strategy,” says the executive. “In general, we are brand-agnostic, seeking to maximize the value of the asset and find the formula that generates the highest profitability for our investors,” he adds.

However, Mariano Faz admits that managing three-, four- and five-star hotels “involves several challenges,” including “geographical distances, which require efficient coordination”; the “constant shift in mindset and operational approach to adapt to different categories”; and the “management of multiple international brands, which requires mastering their systems, standards, and specific processes.”

In terms of main markets, Mariano Faz identifies “three major groups,” although there are variations depending on the location and typology of each hotel. The North American market is “currently the strongest, with sustained growth and high average guest spending,” while the Canadian market is “clearly in expansion, with an increase in travelers seeking authentic and high-quality experiences in Portugal.” Meanwhile, European markets such as Spain and France maintain “a stable flow of clients, driven by proximity, air connections, and cultural affinity.”

As for segment focus, “it depends a lot on each hotel and its positioning,” says the executive. “Thanks to our agreements with major brands, we have a very strong direct segment (clients booking through official channels). In addition, we strategically reinforce MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions), Corporate, and Leisure (especially in summer hotels). In these areas, we invest in human resources and commercial efforts to increase our market share,” he notes.

Regarding AHM’s mission, “our values revolve around people,” stresses Mariano Faz. “We deeply believe in respect, integrity, and collaboration as fundamental pillars. We are strongly committed to constant innovation and place great importance on feedback as a tool for continuous improvement. Moreover, we actively promote accountability and ownership, encouraging each team member to take responsibility for their area or department and commit to results.”