Hotel Monte Palace – Sao Miquel
Standing proud, well perhaps once proud, on the edge of an extinct volcano, the 5-star Hotel Monte Palace commanded probably the best views of Sao Miguel.
In the late 1980’s this hotel was destined to be the ultimate luxury hotel in the Azores. At the time, this was a place that had not yet started to attract tourists, with the only real visits being from Portugal.
Opening its doors in 1989, this 5-star resort complex featured two restaurants, a nightclub, a hairdressers and even a bank. Its 88 rooms overlooked either the Atlantic or the two lakes in the caldera of the volcano.
A mere 18 months after opening, and in the same week they where awarded Portugals finest hotel award, the owners declared bankruptcy and the building was abandoned.
It had been a either a brave or foolhardy venture building such a lavish hotel in such a remote location. The only access would be via hire car, and it was in a location with nothing within walking distance. The views from the hotel would be stunning, however it is possible that these would be rarely seen as this part of the island is often shrouded in a grey mist. The area was highly likely to receive 200 days of rainfall per year. Guests would have the opportunity to sit shivering on the balcony engulfed in clouds. The expected guest numbers did not arrive to take advantage of these opportunities, and so it was only a matter of time before the hotel closed.
Initially a guard was placed at the hotel to deter the now unwelcome visitors the hotel was attracting. With nearly everything left in place, this guard remain in place for over 10 years before lack of money brought it to a halt. The hotel fell in to a state of disrepair.
The building was stripped. Windows, elevators, beds and televisions where stolen. Thus leaving the building a shell of its former self, broken and covered in graffiti and strewn with piles of rubbish.
Hotel Monte Palace was now once again open to the public.
There’s only one road to take to go to the parish of Setes Cidades. Just before taking a turn to go to the village you should take the road to Vista do Rei (View of the King) and it will bring you directly to the hotel. The journey up the volcano to the nearby viewpoint is a winding mountain road with stunning views of the edge to the twin lakes. Arriving at the top parking is somewhat difficult with a sea of cars and coaches crowding every inch of available parking space, legal or otherwise.
I had hoped for a more abandoned building not really expecting it to be a heavily visited tourist destination, but I was here and heading in to explore. Initially I had intended to pop a small drone (DJI Spark) in the main open area, but having taken note of the people around decided this would not be sensible, so proceeded with camera at the ready.
