In 2026, Pestana CR7 Lifestyle Hotels turns 10. In a decade, the brand grew from a single hotel in Funchal into a collection of five urban properties stretching from Madeira to Times Square in New York, with a clear identity: design hotels, in the heart of high-energy cities, built for travellers who move with attitude.
The story began when the Pestana Group, led by Dionísio Pestana, and Cristiano Ronaldo brought together vision and ambition to create a lifestyle hotel brand. The first property opened in Funchal, the birthplace of both the footballer and the Pestana Group itself, and from there the brand expanded to Lisbon, Madrid, New York, and Marrakech. We told the story of that meeting of two Madeiran worlds in Pestana CR7. Two galaxies meet.
This article is a journey through the decade: the concept that defines the brand, the five hotels one by one, the campaign marking the 10-year milestone, and the next chapter, which is already written. At the end, we answer the most common questions about Pestana CR7 hotels.
Pestana CR7 at a glance
- What it is: an urban lifestyle hotel brand, a partnership between the Pestana Group and Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Since: 2016, when the first hotel opened in Funchal; in 2026 it celebrates 10 years.
- How many hotels and where: five properties, in Funchal, Lisbon, Madrid (Gran Vía), New York (Times Square), and Marrakech.
- Concept: modern design, central locations, and an atmosphere of city energy and movement.
- Next up: the sixth hotel, in Paris, expected in 2027.
The concept: urban lifestyle hotels with attitude
A Pestana CR7 is not just another city-centre hotel. The brand was born to bring two forces together – decades of hotel heritage and the competitive spirit of sport – and translate them into hospitality: design rooms, locations that put guests right in the thick of things, and social spaces made for living the city, not just sleeping in it. It’s what the 10-year campaign captures in its tagline: 10 Years of Living the Winning Lifestyle.
Four simple ideas sit behind the brand. A winning attitude – the kind that runs through everyday life, work, and travel. An urban lifestyle that mixes music, culture, food, fitness, and fashion. Energy and movement, physical and emotional. And a global community, built over ten years by travellers and curious minds who made these hotels a meeting point. You can feel that atmosphere, for instance, in breathe football at the Pestana CR7 Madrid, and browse the full collection on the CR7 Lifestyle Hotels page.
A decade, city by city
The brand started where it made sense to start: in Funchal, the hometown of Cristiano Ronaldo and the birthplace of the Pestana Group itself – a coincidence with a story behind it, which we explore in Dionísio Pestana, from Madeira to the world. The first hotel opened in 2016, and just weeks later came Lisbon, where the brand established its urban identity, tied to the cosmopolitan rhythm of the capital. With the concept grounded in Portugal, Pestana CR7 took its energy abroad. In 2021, two hotels opened in the same year – Madrid, on the Gran Vía, and New York, right on Times Square – and in 2022 Marrakech joined the fold. Each city brought a different reading of the same brand, winning over a generation of urban, cosmopolitan travellers. To explore the destination that gave rise to the first hotel, take a look at our Madeira destination guide and our Madeira top 10.
| Hotel | City | Since | 10-year tagline | What defines it |
| Pestana CR7 Funchal | Funchal, Madeira | 2016 | Where the world wants to be | The first of the brand, in its place of origin, by the sea and the CR7 universe |
| Pestana CR7 Lisboa | Lisbon | 2016 | Culture and style | A city break in the historic centre, close to Praça do Comércio and Chiado |
| Pestana CR7 Gran Vía | Madrid | 2021 | Ahead of the game | The most social property, with a rooftop and outdoor pool on the Gran Vía |
| Pestana CR7 Times Square | New York | 2021 | At the heart of the city | The most urban of the lot, in Manhattan, on New York time |
| Pestana CR7 Marrakech | Marrakech | 2022 | Urban luxury | The most aspirational take on the brand – a lifestyle oasis |
The five properties currently in operation, with their 10-year campaign taglines. Opening dates and concepts confirmed via official Pestana sources; rates and availability vary, check the page for each hotel.
The five Pestana CR7 hotels, one by one
The Pestana CR7 Funchal is the sentimental heart of the brand: the first hotel, right by the sea, with a deck and pool overlooking the harbour, built on top of the Museu CR7, in the place where it all began (see the hotel). The Pestana CR7 Lisboa sits in the Pombaline Baixa, steps from Praça do Comércio and Chiado, combining urban design with one of the most central locations in the city (see the hotel).
Outside Portugal, the Pestana CR7 Gran Vía is the most social unit in the collection, designed for gathering, with a rooftop and outdoor pool on Madrid’s most electric avenue (see the hotel). The Pestana CR7 Times Square is the most cosmopolitan of all, right in the heart of New York City, the brand’s most urban proposition and a great base for exploring the city, as we show in our New York destination guide (see the hotel).
And then there’s the Pestana CR7 Marrakech, which takes the brand to North Africa with its most aspirational take yet, an urban-inspired lifestyle oasis where calm and design go hand in hand (see the hotel). Five cities, five atmospheres, one signature.
But there are details a hotel only reveals to those who actually walk through the door, and no one tells that story better than someone who lives it without a script. That’s exactly what British content creator Tim, from the channel Walk With Me Tim, did when he decided to stay at the Pestana CR7 Funchal, the hotel where it all began.
Camera in hand, he filmed the experience from start to finish, from check-in to the room, from the communal spaces to the view, through the eyes of a traveller rather than a salesperson.
In the video I Stayed At A Famous Footballer’s Hotel!, Tim shows in practice that crossover of design, energy and central location that defines the brand, and which is perhaps the best way to understand, before you book, what it’s like to live the Winning Lifestyle at the first of the five Pestana CR7s. See the Pestana CR7 Funchal through the eyes of someone who stayed there:
I Stayed At A Famous Footballer’s Hotel!
About the video’s creator:
Youtube – www.youtube.com/@WalkWithMeTim
Instagram – / walkwithmetim
Facebook – Search Walk With Me Tim
TikTok – @walkwithmetimofficial
10 years to celebrate, across a summer of cities and football
The 10th anniversary runs throughout the summer of 2026, with a campaign kicking off in early July. It starts with a video celebrating the decade through the experiences of hotel guests, followed by a special anniversary offer on superior room categories during the celebration period. It’s the brand’s way of looking back at the legacy, and forward at what’s to come.
The timing helps. In the summer of 2026, the FIFA World Cup fills major cities with energy and visitors, and the Pestana CR7 hotels are precisely where that buzz is felt, from European capitals to New York City. Those who want to be in the thick of it will find a front-row seat at Pestana CR7 Times Square, at the most intense point in Manhattan (see the hotel).
OFFER TO CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF THE PESTANA – CRISTIANO RONALDO PARTNERSHIP
During the 10th anniversary campaign, a 7% discount is expected on bookings for superior room categories. This campaign will run from 29 July to 12 August 2026.
The next chapter: Paris 2027
The decade closes with an eye on the future. The brand’s next chapter is written with the same ambition that shaped its origins: in 2027, Pestana CR7 is set to open in Paris, bringing its urban, aspirational identity to one of the world’s most iconic cities. It will be the sixth unit in the collection and the third European capital, after Lisbon and Madrid.
It’s a sign that 10 years isn’t a destination, but a milestone along the way. The brand that started with a hotel by the sea in Funchal keeps growing without losing the essence that made it recognisable from day one: design, city, attitude. The full collection, and all the latest news, can be found on the CR7 Lifestyle Hotels page.
Frequently asked questions about Pestana CR7 hotels
Yes. Cristiano Ronaldo is associated with a hotel chain, but it isn’t a brand created and run exclusively by CR7.
The brand is called Pestana CR7 Lifestyle Hotels and is the result of a partnership established in 2015 between the Pestana Hotel Group and Cristiano Ronaldo. In this partnership:
- The Pestana Group is responsible for hotel management and operations.
- Cristiano Ronaldo contributes the CR7 brand, positioning and image, and is also an investor in the business.
There are five properties in operation: Funchal (Madeira), Lisbon, Madrid (Gran Vía), New York (Times Square) and Marrakech. They are all part of the Pestana CR7 Lifestyle Hotels brand, a partnership between the Pestana Group and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The brand celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026. The first hotel was the Pestana CR7 Funchal, in Madeira, Cristiano Ronaldo’s home island, which opened in 2016, followed shortly after by the Lisbon property.
It’s an urban design hotel in a central location, built for guests who want to live the city. The brand focuses on modern rooms, social spaces and an atmosphere of energy and movement.
Yes. A sixth property is planned to open in Paris in 2027. It will be the brand’s third European capital, after Lisbon and Madrid.
The 10th anniversary is being celebrated throughout the summer of 2026, with a campaign that includes a video about the guest experience across the guests in the different destinations and a special anniversary offer on superior room categories. Conditions and dates should be confirmed on each hotel’s page.
Pestana CR7 Times Square, in New York. In the summer of 2026, with the World Cup taking place across North America, it sits right in the heart of Manhattan – one of the most electric places to soak up the atmosphere.
