General Manager

Description of the position

Pátio Algarvio (formally Eira da Patã) is a luxury, exclusive-use estate in the Algarve countryside (Boliqueime), opening this October and carrying over 150 years of family history. The property's positioning is deliberately premium and exclusive, never mass-market. Twelve rooms, with capacity for up to 50 guests, are offered as a single estate for weddings, vow renewals and private celebrations — this exclusive-use model is the core of the business. Wellness retreats, corporate offsites and outdoor experiences in the surrounding barrocal are supported niches, run through third-party facilitators under the estate's supervision. Individual room bookings and short breaks exist as an opportunistic way to fill low-season occupancy — never the priority.

We're looking for a General Manager to lead the final opening phase and day-to-day operation of the estate, with exclusive-use weddings and private events as the primary commercial focus.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead final pre-opening preparations for October: remaining works, equipment, licensing, suppliers and staff onboarding through to launch.
• Own the exclusive-use weddings & private events business as the estate's primary revenue driver — sales pipeline, packages, pricing and deposits, and coordination of third-party suppliers (catering, decor, music, photography, wedding planners).
• Oversee the wellness retreat, corporate and outdoor experience niches, working through external facilitators and partner platforms while protecting the estate's quality standards.
• Manage individual room bookings and short breaks as a secondary, opportunistic revenue stream, without diluting the estate's premium positioning.
• Own seasonal pricing strategy across all product lines.
• Build, lead and develop the on-site team, defining roles, processes and a consistent service culture.
• Own the annual budget, control costs, and report performance to ownership.
• Ensure guest experience consistently reflects the estate's positioning of tradition, elegance and exclusivity, for an international, English-speaking guest base.
• Act as the main local point of contact with suppliers, local authorities and strategic partners.
• Ensure compliance with licensing, insurance, health & safety and all applicable regulations.

Aqui está, pronto a colar:

8+ years of senior general management experience; a generalist leadership background is welcome — prior hospitality experience is valuable but not mandatory. Experience in luxury hospitality, destination weddings, exclusive-use venues or high-end private events is strongly preferred. Comfortable running a business built around a small number of very high-value bookings (weddings, full-estate rentals) rather than high-volume transactional stays. Skilled at coordinating external suppliers and partners (catering, wedding planners, retreat facilitators) while protecting brand and service standards. Hands-on, highly accountable leadership style, comfortable being closely involved in a ground-up opening. Strong financial and budget management skills, comfortable reading performance indicators and reporting to ownership. Available to be based in the Algarve, with full availability during the intensive opening period. Fluent English is essential; Portuguese is an advantage but not required. Valid right to work in Portugal/EU required. EU/EEA nationals or candidates already holding Portuguese work authorization are strongly preferred, given current visa-processing timelines relative to the October opening. Driving licence required.