IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed Esperança Hotel, Vignette Collection in Braga, expanding its Luxury & Lifestyle footprint in Portugal to six open and pipeline Vignette Collection properties in the country.
The 58-key hotel will be developed through the conversion of two existing buildings in the centre of Braga and is scheduled to open in September 2026. The property is owned by Hotel Janes LDA, led by Luciana Borges, and will be managed by independent hotel management company Amazing Evolution.
The signing adds to a growing Vignette Collection presence in Portugal that already includes Convent Square Lisbon, Vignette Collection, Casa da Companhia Hotel & Spa, Vignette Collection, and the recently opened Onyria Marinha Cascais, Vignette Collection. IHG describes Portugal as a priority market as it continues to build its Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio across Southern Europe.
Willemijn Geels, Vice President, Development, Europe, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “The signing marks an exciting next chapter for Vignette Collection in Portugal and reflects the strong momentum we continue to see for the brand across Southern Europe. Portugal is a priority market for IHG and Braga is a fantastic destination to house the new hotel within our growing portfolio of distinctive, high-quality properties in this market.”
Geels added that the brand was resonating with owners who value individuality and character while seeking the scale, systems, and global reach of IHG. “We are delighted to be partnering with Hotel Janes LDA, and we look forward to working closely with them to bring this unique property to life under the Vignette Collection brand,” she said.
Luciana Borges, CEO of Hotel Janes LDA, said the character of Braga itself drove the decision to bring the brand to the city. “Braga always surprises those who discover it: with two thousand years of history, my city has its own authenticity, without the weight of a place that surrenders to the past,” she said. “It was this character that attracted me to bring the Vignette Collection to the historic centre, a brand that conveys that the best way to create something memorable is to preserve the unique character of the destination.”
Borges said the partnership with IHG provides access to a global platform and that Amazing Evolution‘s operational experience would help deliver a differentiated hotel capable of attracting both the local community and international visitors.
Braga, located in northwest Portugal, is one of the country’s oldest cities and has grown steadily as a tourism destination, drawing visitors with its baroque architecture, religious heritage, and a younger cultural scene anchored by its university. The arrival of an international Luxury & Lifestyle brand underlines its rising profile within Portugal’s hotel investment landscape.
Vignette Collection launched in 2021 and has grown rapidly since, passing the halfway point of its decade-long target to sign 100 hotels by 2030 in just four years. The brand is designed to allow owners to retain a property’s individual name, style, and character while connecting to IHG‘s global distribution and loyalty infrastructure. Across Europe, the brand now counts six open hotels and 17 properties in the pipeline.
The Esperança Hotel signing reflects broader investment momentum in Portugal’s independent and boutique hotel segment, where international operators are increasingly converting historic urban buildings into Luxury & Lifestyle properties. IHG‘s six-property Vignette Collection footprint in the country places it among the more active international brands pursuing that strategy in the market.
