Pousada

Pousada in Marvão

Pousadas are guest houses in various Portuguese-speaking countries. The verb pousar means both 'to land' and 'to rest' in Portuguese in the sense of 'to rest' and 'relax'.

Brazil

Brazilian pousadas are often characterized by their individuality

In Brazil , a pousada is a mostly family-run small bed and breakfast in the country. Pousadas rarely have more than ten rooms. The popular tourist destinations in Brazil usually have pousadas in all quality and price categories, some with twenty or more rooms. As soon as a fully functional restaurant is integrated, the house has to be called a " hotel ". In contrast to the traditional " guest house " with guest rooms in the German-speaking area, the Brazilian pousada does not offer the local resident a comparable " guest room ".

In major Brazilian cities, the hotel has largely supplanted the pousada. A similar tendency can be seen with increasing tourism in places like Foz do Iguaçu or Salvador , where hundreds of thousands of visitors, especially from abroad, can be accommodated cheaply for one to two nights every year. In a place similar to that of foreign tourists, such as Búzios , for example , where the average length of stay is seven days and relaxation is the priority, over a hundred small, mostly cozy pousadas accommodate more guests than a handful of hotels. In the case of Búzios, however, strict local building regulations contributed to this, which prevented the construction of large hotel complexes, also in favor of the pousadas.

Portugal

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In 1942 the state group Pousadas de Portugal was founded, which is now semi-privatized and is run by the Portuguese Pestana Group . There are 41 pousadas on the Portuguese mainland, two in the Azores and since 2005 a pousada in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, has been part of the group.

The Pousada da Ria , in Torreira (near Aveiro )

Many pousadas are located in buildings, castles, monasteries, castles and palaces, some of which have significant historical structures, and many are listed.

In the 1990s, some of the historic pousadas were redesigned to combine traditional heritage with modern architecture and contemporary design. These houses were combined in the group of "pousadas with historical design".

The number of rooms in the pousadas is between 9 and 49.

Other countries

The Pousada de Baucau (East Timor)

Pousada Marina Infante in Macau

There are several pousadas in East Timor . For example the Pousada de Baucau , a hotel in the country's second largest city with a long tradition. The pousada in Maubisse is more of a simple accommodation. There are other pousadas in Tutuala and Same .

There are also pousadas in the former Portuguese possessions in Africa and in Macau , China .

In Spain there is a comparable facility of the Paradores .