Every Pestana Group hotel has mastered the art of hospitality, but there are two in particular – Cidadela de Cascais and Pestana São Paulo – that have become specialists in another: fine art.
The Pestana Hotel Group’s connection to the art world isn’t just limited to the marvellous pieces on show inside its hotels, such as Almada Negreiros’ tapestry at the Viana do Castelo Pousada or João Cutileiro’s sculpture at the Pestana Alvor Praia. There are two places where the link is much more direct: Cidadela de Cascais and the Pestana São Paulo.
Since 2014, the Cascais hotel has been part of the Art District project, which stems from the local municipality and the Group’s intention to cede space in the Citadel (25,000 m²) to the public for cultural activities. This means the pousada operates alongside galleries, studios and commercial enterprises, as well as hosting artistic residencies, while 17 of the 126 rooms have had input from leading contemporary artists, such as Duarte Amaral Netto, Ana Pérez Quiroga and Paulo Arraiano.
In São Paulo, in 2021, Pestana took the opportunity to democratise art and culture at its hotel, inviting artists and designers from all over Brazil – such as Tico Canato, Elano Passos and Nah Pinheiro – to decorate common areas and rooms with different techniques and themes, from sustainability and national origin to graffiti and ceramics. In the meantime, the hotel has been consolidating the project with cultural packages and a partnership with the Museum of Image and Sound.