BOLD

Nadja: Hello everyone, and welcome to BOLD—RoomRaccoon’s series where we shine a light on the independent hoteliers rewriting the rules of hospitality. I’m your host, Nadja Buckenberger.

Today’s episode is all about transformation and bold reinvention. After three decades in the corporate world, José Gonçalves didn’t just retire—he completely reimagined his life. He swapped a career in IT for boutique hospitality and brought a 300-year-old abandoned building back to life. Now, José and his family run two incredible properties in Portugal’s Algarve region: the peaceful countryside retreat, Conversas de Alpendre, and the elegant Colégio Charm House in Tavira, a favourite with both celebrities and international travellers.

With sustainability and the core and family at the heart of everything he does, José's story is proof that it's never too late to follow your passion. And do it boldly. Let's get into it. José, welcome to BOLD.

José: Thank you Nadja. Thank you very much for the invitation, and thank you to RoomRaccoon for the initiative. It's very interesting. Again, as you said, after 30 years in the IT world, working with multinationals all over the world, my family and I decided to pursue a longstanding dream, which I call an extension of our home, open to friends and guests. Initially, we thought mainly of friends, but things became more interesting and complex, so we decided to extend this home into a hospitality business.  

Initially, we created the Conversas de Alpendre, which is a farm near the sea in Algarve. A few years later we decided to, as you said, also to rebuild the old building from the 18th century that was abandoned in Tavira and created the Charm House.

The two properties are close to each other. But they are very distinctive and very different. One is in the countryside, so it's a farm, all the things of the farm, while Colégio is a city hotel in the centre of Tavira, which is a lovely town. They complement each other very well.

In a nutshell, it was the pursuit of a shared family dream. At the time, we were four: my wife, myself, my daughter, and my son-in-law. Unfortunately, my son-in-law passed away, but we continue to pursue the dream in his memory, and because we truly believe in it. My grandson—whom we call the small boss—also helps out. He’s always going around the hotels doing something, and it’s very nice to see.

Nadja: How old is your grandson? 

José: Eight years. So, but he is eight years is already there pushing around. 

Nadja: I'm really sorry to hear the sad part of the story, but I think it’s very beautiful that you turned it into something that creates memories. That is really nice.

Let’s talk a little bit about your entrepreneurial journey. You mentioned you worked in IT for a long time before making the switch. What has been the biggest surprise so far—something you truly didn’t imagine?

José: Well, it's funny because, you know, when you work in large corporations, as I have done, you get used to everything being structured, being planned. There are people to do all kinds of work there. I'm not saying that we have less work, but there are a lot of people, a lot of talent to do things, and it's completely different because you work in teams, and it's the combination of the talent of many people that creates these large multinationals, and they bring new products, new things to the market. When you start a small business….

Nadja: You have to become an all-rounder.

José: You're a bit the one-man show. We, as a team, are very fortunate because we complement each other. Christina, my wife, has a very nice eye for everything related to decoration—everything that is beautiful and creates environments that are very natural and organic, where people feel welcome. Martha, my daughter, is the same, and she’s also a very warm person day-to-day, so she loves welcoming people.

I bring a bit more of a structured approach from the large companies, where you need not just to follow processes but to create processes that facilitate the day-to-day—making sure that when a guest arrives, they’re not bothered by anything. Essentially, it needs to be a smooth process.

At the end of the day, hospitality is a people-to-people business. Many think that if you have a large brand in the hotel business, you’ll bring clients just because of the brand and the location. Of course, nice locations help, but in the small type of business we run, the brand doesn’t exist. Nobody knows Conversas de Alpendre internationally. A few clients know Colégio, but it’s still not widely known. 

So we need to take a different approach—focusing on sustainability, greeting the client with a smile, making sure they’re comfortable, and knowing them personally. We make sure we understand their preferences or restrictions—anything we need to ensure their stay is perfect.

Nadja: I can really relate to this. I also ran a small boutique hotel with nine luxurious rooms, and exactly as you say—when you’re a team, you work hard, play hard, and trust each other. You welcome the guests, and seeing their smiles every day is the biggest reward.

José: Yeah, it is.

Nadja: Well, I’m going to deviate a little here, because you’ve also had celebrities stay. How do you treat them?

Maybe I’ll share a quick anecdote that fits here. I once had a famous guest, but I didn’t recognise them—I don’t know many celebrities—so I treated them like any other guest. Our breakfast room was very small, and not all guests could fit at once. I had a little kitchen where I prepared breakfast, including eggs, and a small seating area, so I put him there. Later, people asked for his autograph, and I thought, “Who is this person?” Then I realised who he was. He even sent me a message the next day saying, “I really enjoyed just being a guest.”

Is it the same for you? Do you recognise your celebrity guests?

José: Yeah, well, probably the most well-known was Keanu Reeves. He was there with friends and family, and it was very interesting.

We saw the name on the reservation and thought, “Could it be him? Maybe not.” Should we call? Should we have something prepared? Does he need anything particular? You know, the usual considerations for someone well recognised, who sometimes needs extra privacy to relax and enjoy their holidays.

In Keanu’s case, he was very straightforward and kind. He didn’t want anything special. The funny thing—probably the most interesting—was about our breakfast. We don’t do buffets; we serve everything. Each guest decides what they want, and we prepare it for them.

Keanu would wake up late in the morning, walk in barefoot, ask, “Give me orange juice, please,” drink it, go back to his room, and then later come for breakfast.

Nadja: That’s the beauty, right? If you have a boutique hotel, you can give so much extra care and prepare things for people. I believe people come to a boutique hotel because they just want to relax a little bit more, have a bit more of that family vibe, those little extra touches that just aren’t doable in larger corporations.

Yeah. Well, let’s talk a little bit about breaking barriers. You’re stepping into the hospitality background, and that takes guts, right? I mean, you said it’s a long-term dream and you’re fulfilling it together with your family, but still, it’s a step you have to make. What was your absolute biggest challenge with that?

José: Well, the first thing is knowing the industry. Independently of whether it’s large or small, it has its own language and practices. You need to make sure that in the end you’re doing something rational, that makes sense, and that pleases the client.

Probably in the beginning we made lots of mistakes—the usual mistakes of all types. Of course, we learned from them. We also learned because we wanted to understand the language of the industry—making sure we know the metrics, the reviews, what’s in between the lines of those reviews. We learned about the connection with clients and why that connection is more emotional than business. It’s an emotional bond we need to develop with our guests.

There’s no book where all of this is written. You need to develop it yourself. You need to create a service that supports it, an ethos that allows you and your team—especially the team—to operate in a way that reinforces these ideas.

For instance, when guests arrive, we ask several things related to restrictions so we can accommodate them during their stay. But it goes further than that. Our reception team is also the same team serving dinner, lunch, and breakfast. We want them to know, for example, that guest X doesn’t like eggs—so when breakfast is served, they already know not to include them.

That means we need to have a lot of information shared across the team, and that’s where RoomRaccoon plays an important role. It helps us keep everything organised so that, even with 40 to 70 guests at the same time, we don’t forget anything. That particular touch, in the eyes of the client, is what makes the relationship unique.

Nadja: It’s so simple, right? But it makes all the difference in the world.

José: It makes a difference.

Nadja: Yeah, absolutely.

José: And that’s the kind of thing we believe in when we’re trying not only to understand the industry—because we need to understand everything about it, all the jargon, RevPAR, ADR, you name it.

Nadja: Yeah. 

José: But also to break some of its barriers. For me, one of those barriers is: why is there a set time to finish breakfast? I don’t see a reason for that. In our hotels, the breakfast finish time doesn’t exist. You can come at four o’clock in the afternoon, and there will still be breakfast for you.

Nadja: Oh, really? That's amazing. 

José: It is. We could never understand the reason to oblige a guest who likes to sleep late to get up just to have breakfast, instead of letting them relax until they want to.

Nadja: Yeah. I think you and I have another thing in common—we both came from different industries before moving into hospitality and fulfilling a dream. This is also how we built RoomRaccoon. We never looked at other systems or how things had always been done. Maybe that’s an advantage, not being blindsided by tradition. Instead, we see a problem and think, “Okay, we need a solution for that.” I think that’s pretty cool—not just applying it to a system, but also to how you run your operations. That takes a lot of creativity as well. Really well done.

José: It’s a mix of many things. And as you said, sometimes we’re inside a box and can’t get out of it. Sometimes we’re too structured, and coming from the outside creates the opportunity to look at things in a different way.

One of the things we always say is about breakfast hours. When a guest arrives after flying, they’re often tired. We tell them, “Just relax. Don’t worry. Breakfast starts at 08:30, but you can come at four o’clock in the afternoon the next day—we’ll still have breakfast for you. Don’t worry about that.” And immediately, you can see their shoulders drop, the stress starts to go away.

Nadja: Exactly.

And that’s maybe a different concept, right? You do have different concepts, but if we’re talking about a boutique hotel, the essence isn’t the size—it’s the concept. And what you’ve described fits perfectly with that.

José: Yeah. And we operate the two hotels exactly in the same way, using the same system. Again, these are things that came from my previous life—finding commonalities in the background that allow the service to evolve smoothly. Instead of saying, “It’s a different hotel, so I’ll put in different processes or systems,” we keep everything common in areas that don’t directly involve the client.

What we want to be unique is the relationship with the client. Everything else needs to be consistent so we can move staff between the hotels and they operate in exactly the same way. If we have a big event in one hotel, we can bring staff from the other to help, and everything works seamlessly for them.

Nadja: Exactly. Because any kind of tool or system is a facilitator—it’s not the driver. It’s not going to create the guest experience. It’s not what guests usually interact with, at least not directly. So, when we’re talking about your concept, I know it’s quite eco-friendly. Can you tell me a little more about that?

José: Sustainability can mean many different things today. 

For us, the most important aspect is making sure we protect where we live, while also being part of the communities where we live. This means building close partnerships with local producers and partners to create an ecosystem of people living and working in the same area, sharing that common bond, which is the area where they live.

We make sure to bring in products from the region every day—things that are specific to our area and sourced from local suppliers. This is important to us because we are part of the community, and many of our staff have family working with these small producers.

It’s a community-based approach that we love, and for us, it’s more sustainable because we support them, and they support us. We’re proud to use their products, and they’re proud to be our suppliers. It’s a true win-win situation.

Nadja: I think you’re really right there. Personally, I also think it’s a bit of a hotel’s responsibility to engage with the community around you—as you nicely put it—and also with your city. Most guests come from outside the city; it’s rare for someone who lives locally to stay in a hotel in the same place. As a hotelier, you’re the starting point for introducing them to the region, giving advice, and recommending great restaurants.

I had collaborations and package deals with several restaurants around me—I didn’t have my own restaurant—so that worked really well. It’s the same with bike rental companies or other activities. As a hotel, you’re such a central part of the guest journey, and you can enrich their experience by offering these connections. At the same time, you help your community and your city by bringing extra business and value.

José: Yeah. That’s the point. I’ll give you a small example that shows the cooperation between different entities. At Conversas, as I mentioned, we’re in the countryside, near the beach. The beaches are on sandy islands, so you have to go there by boat.

Here’s what we’ve arranged with our partners: we have an old Jeep at Conversas to pick guests up, the boat is pre-arranged, the sunbeds on the beach are ready, and we give them a picnic. When they want to come back, they just call us and we’re there waiting for them.

We’ve engaged three or four local partners to create this simple process, but it’s a huge service for many guests—especially foreigners who don’t know the local roads or how to get around. This way, everything runs smoothly and the guest doesn’t have to worry about a thing.

Nadja: Absolutely, definitely. It also expands your horizon—what you can offer. If you leverage partners, it makes the experience so much more complete. There are so many different concepts you can think about, and partnering up is always a win-win. Really nice.

José: That’s the point. Exactly the point.

Nadja: Alright, perfect. I’m super curious to know your future aspirations. Not that you don’t have enough to do already, but what’s next for your two amazing properties?

José: You know, it’s funny because some properties like ours are sometimes limited by rules and restrictions, so you can’t always grow. That said, we—as a team, and I’m fortunate with my team—are always looking for new things and new opportunities.

We’re planning an expansion of Colégio because we bought the land next door. We’re in the very early stages, and while we believe it will happen, it will take a few years to become reality. These things take time—as you said in the beginning, between starting and opening, it took five years of work. It wasn’t an easy process.

It’s an 18th-century building, classified as a monument, so we have to be very careful with what we do and respect its history. Its last incarnation was a school.

Nadja: Oh, really?

José: That’s the reason we call it Colégio—“school” in Portuguese.

Nadja: Oh yeah, of course. 

José: And before that, the origin is even funnier—it was the house of the retired chef of the king.

Nadja: Oh, wow. 

José:  When he retired from his job as Chef of the King, he was given land, which was essentially the retirement payment of the time. He became a very wealthy person in Tavira and decided to build his house, which is now Colégio. It has a long story—after the revolution in Portugal in 1974, it was abandoned and became known as the haunted house of Tavira. This history is something we need to respect and use, because guests love hearing the story behind it. These things take time.

Nadja: So, coming to my last question—since we’ve talked a lot about boutique hotels and boutique hospitality as a whole—if you had to make one real bold prediction, what do you think is going to happen?

José: Well, you know, it’s very difficult—the crystal ball is a little cloudy, I have to say—because there are two different things happening at the moment. I think that in a certain generation, people want more and more unique experiences. They want to be in a place where nobody has been before.

They still need to be comfortable, have quality, and be served—all the basics—but on top of that, they want this uniqueness. That’s what we already offer today. My question mark is about the new generation coming up. The way they see the world is completely different from the generation I’m talking about.

The challenge is how things will evolve. Are we going to evolve, or are they going to evolve? Probably both.

Nadja: Yeah, 

José: Whether it happens soon or later, I don’t know.

Nadja: Well, I guess the future holds transformation and continuously reinventing ourselves.

José: That's the word. 

Nadja: José, thank you so much for your insights. You have very beautiful properties, and your story—rebuilding this old school, or haunted house—is inspiring.

José: And thank you for the support you’ve given us all this time. RoomRaccoon has played a huge role in our operation. We decided to standardise because it’s very easy to work with, all our staff understand it well, and it’s simple to make whatever changes are necessary. We’re very pleased with the support from your company. That’s important for us because, as I said, we want things to be common, practical, and simple—so anyone can step in and quickly get up to speed to support the client.

Nadja: Thank you so much. We’ll continue to reinvent ourselves as well, so from that perspective, thank you for your trust and for helping us grow together. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you and hear your story.