JNcQUOI Comporta: A Well-Designed Paradise

TRANSCRIPT

Miguel Guedes De Sousa: One thing I’ve learned is lifestyle. It’s not being the biggest, small is good. It’s the way you make people feel, the people feel at home, the way that people feel that they belong. And that value is what makes a hotel brand outstanding.

Dan Rubinstein: Hi, I’m Dan Rubinstein, and this is The Grand Tourist. I’ve been a design journalist for more than 20 years, and this is my personalized guided tour through the world of fashion, art, architecture, food, and travel. All the elements of a well-lived life. It’s time again for another episode of The Grand Tourist Reports, where we explore news and features ripped from the pages of our biannual print magazine.

For our spring 2026 issue, due out in May, we include a trip to a holiday hotspot that’s rapidly grown in importance in the past decade, from an insider-y rustic getaway to a booming ultra-luxury oasis, Comporta. This past summer, I had the privilege of visiting this town near the Portuguese coast and the area it’s named after, which is all just a short drive south from Lisbon. It’s an arid region, surprisingly underdeveloped, with massive stretches of pristine beaches, incredible food, and friendly people.

I’ve heard about Europe’s creative set having quiet little homes in Comporta for years. While it’s hard to confirm, names you might recognize include everyone from decorator Jacques Grange to stiletto legend Christian Louboutin to artist Anselm Kiefer. This brings me to my trip to Comporta, where I was hosted by a growing hospitality and lifestyle outfit in Comporta called JNcQUOI.

Their name, pulled from the famous French expression and spelled with the abbreviation J-N-C-Q-U-O-I, is emblematic of their holistic approach to luxury. They have a series of top-shelf, multi-brand boutiques in Portugal for menswear, womenswear, and home, with some of their own brands thrown into the mix. They have a private club and open restaurants to all in Lisbon, and most importantly today for this podcast, a new beach club and private villas for sale in Comporta.

On my visit, I stayed at the company’s colorful deli suite apartment that’s next door to one of their restaurants with the same name. Each day, a driver in a Land Rover took us on a five-minute drive away to the JNcQUOI beach club, and I was given a tour of their under-construction group of villas designed by the award-winning Belgian genius Vincent Van Duysen. After my enviable three-day visit, all of the food I had in every corner of their empire was incredible, by the way, I went back to Lisbon and had a night out at FruFru, their out-of-this-world Chinese food restaurant that features nightly drag performances. And as a picky gay New Yorker, I can say that both the food and the lovely ladies, who sang for real, not just lip-synced, by the way, were surprisingly good.

The creative and colorful world of JNcQUOI was started by an enterprising married couple, Paula Amorim and Miguel Guedes De Sousa. After my trip, I sat down with Miguel to chat about how he learned his trade working at the Aman, why Comporta and Portugal has become such a hot destination, how he got to work with Vincent Van Duysen and his plan for these sexy villas, what his guests should do in a 48-hour stay, and much more.

Well, congrats on all of your success. And before we get to Comporta itself and the amazing project that you have there, tell me about JNcQUOI and how did it begin? How do you describe this new little sprawling empire you have to someone who has no idea about it?

JNcQUOI is a lifestyle company. So it’s a legacy that we built to last. So we create this ecosystem of lifestyle. And we create hubs. We create hubs, we create city hubs, and we create resort hubs. And that’s why we built everything within walking distance. So we develop this content that you live in our world. So in Avenida da Liberdade, for example, we have a JNcQUOI house that is going to open next October. So we have a hotel, we have four, five different restaurants that you can choose from. We have wellness, we have an entertainment club, we have shops, we have homeware. So it’s an ecosystem that we have created. 

And of course, we created this pyramid that you become part of in different levels. So we call it elitism for all. That’s the beauty of our business. We have a business for every age and cater to everyone. For example, in the club, you could be a member of the nightclub only, because if you are younger and you only want to have that part of the club, at of course a much lower price. Or it could be a couple that you want to join or an individual, or it could be a family member or it could be an insider. So that we create these restaurants that are open to the public and there are certain parts of our world that are closed to the members. So that’s because we want to deliver the service to everyone. And then everyone has the choice, I want more. I love it, what I see, I love what I experience. So that’s the beauty of our JNcQUOI Club world.

Why do you think Portugal has had such an international focus on it for the past decade or so? Like why is it so popular now do you think?

I mean, first of all, I think it’s because of American markets. You know, one of the reasons was that the top was privatized by an American. And so the stopover that happened from Americans coming to Europe, it was genius. And then of course they tried and the students, Portuguese, most of them, you know, everyone speaks English. Everyone is so friendly. It’s a super safe country. It’s very diverse, being a small size. So in a few kilometers, you have a completely different landscape, which makes us very complete and an incredible gastronomy. So Portugal is a typical tourist country with a huge legacy and history. So we have so many strong ingredients to be one of the most popular countries, you know, in terms of tourism in the world, that few have.

And, obviously we’d love to talk about Comporta. The project stands on its own in some ways, but also is so part of your overall story and the sort of little ecosystem as you describe it. For those who don’t know the area of Comporta at all, how do you describe Comporta to somebody?

I mean, Comporta, first of all, is the longest and one of the most beaches in Europe and in the world. So it’s the longest beach in Europe first. Then it is one hour away from Lisbon, which is super convenient as well. And special to the airports, Beja Airport or Lisbon airport. And it’s a place that is protected. So you never see over construction, because it’s protected. So every area close to the beach, within 65 kilometers, is a protected area. So you can only build 700 meters from the sea.

So nothing’s on the water, basically.

Yes, so nothing is on the water. So that’s basically, it’s so well protected. And that is going to be like that, I think forever. And that’s easy. It’s a huge asset in terms of this world that they develop so fast and we build things so fast. And sometimes we destroy what we have the most beauty, which is nature. So it’s an incredible place, very close to Lisbon. It’s like the country club of Lisbon. It could not be seasonal. It could be, I prefer Comporta during winter time. So the landscape is just beautiful. These dunes, the pine forest, the rice fields, the storks.

I mean, it’s very unique in terms of landscape. So when you go there, you truly feel it. So it’s very peaceful. The water, the seawater is blue. I mean, sometimes it looks like the Caribbean. And you are in the Atlantic. The water is cold, but now it’s therapeutic to be, you know, it’s in fashion. You don’t need to do cryotherapy. You have to come to Comporta now. But it’s beautiful. And I think people understand the facts in terms of natural beauty, confidence factor or in terms of location and the protection. And the local people and the gastronomy and the sea life, it’s a huge asset.

And for the Villa project there, what made you think, after doing things in Lisbon, that Comporta was the right move for you? And tell me about this project.

So this story is a long story. I’ve been involved in this part for 17 years, which is incredible. Because when I was in Aman, this used to be the Amanduna, exactly the location where JNcQUOI Aquaclub Comporta is. So actually I met my wife with Adrian Zecha on this plot. So that is a long story that I’ve been involved in this project. So, I mean, the project, the location is unique. So we talk about the best location. So we have the best plot, the best location.

Why is it the best plot in Comporta?

It’s the best plot because it’s in the middle of the bay and the beach is very plain. So you don’t have falasia, which is the high dunes.

Ah, okay. So it’s kind of flat. Easy to develop on.

It’s very close to the village as well, to Carvalhal village. So when we look at the project, we look at the long term. So it’s a long-term project. So we want to develop the village at the same time. First, we start to develop the village. And then we are adding restaurants, shops. You know, now we’re coming to a JNcQUOI markets, with the new markets coming in. So we are developing the destination. And then we develop our projects. So that’s how we create the beach club, it already exists, already working. It’s an amazing beach club designed by Vincent Van Duysen, in an amazing location that you already experience. So it becomes a truly unique destination where you come and you have service. And in the next few years, we are adding two, three, four different features every year until we finalize the whole project. So that’s the plan.

And if someone were to come to you and say, “Oh, my family and I, we’re Americans, we’re thinking about buying some sort of summer vacation home. And we’re thinking of France, Italy, somewhere near Barcelona, and then maybe Comporta.” What would you say, as sort of a brief reasoning, why Comporta and why Portugal, above all of your neighbors, essentially?

I mean, first of all, if you are a New Yorker, it’s a no brainer. You cross the ocean and you are there. So proximity, I think, is a very important aspect for the American markets to Portugal. Then of course, diversity. Portugal, it’s a small, but very diversified country. Everything is close by, so it’s easy. It’s comfortable. In terms of gastronomy, we are super strong. And as well as unknown, which is incredible. We are the oldest country in Europe and probably the least known. And that is a fantastic discovery. And we’re always looking for something that we don’t know. And I think that the Portuguese are super nice people. It’s a very secure country. And has a very important natural beauty.

That makes us one of the most important countries in the world to visit. And we love Americans, for example. And there is not one Portuguese that does not like Americans. Over the centuries, America for us, it was always a dream. And that American dream still lives a lot in Portuguese culture. And the way the Americans are, you know, integrates very well with the Portuguese culture because they are always so open-minded. And so respectful in the sense of diversity. And the Portuguese, they are very humble people and they like very extroverted people. And immediately you create a very friendly environment. And then the Portuguese gain trust and they serve you better than anybody else. So, I mean, I think Coporta, in terms of location, it’s strategically good, it’s unknown, still a lot to be developed. So there is a lot of nature.

Do you worry, I’m talking about the development. I mean, one of the things I liked about the visit is how peaceful it was and how quiet it was and how quaint the towns were and just how it is such a nice relief from so many other places that are so overdeveloped. Do you ever wonder that in the future these things can get overheated?

Obviously over-tourism is becoming an issue all over the world. Is there a way that you think about it as like, trying not to get too developed?

I mean, that is a danger that any place has.

Sure.

The great thing about Comporta is all the areas to have real estate have already been booked. So it’s very hard for you to buy an already existing house, and to buy a new one and develop it is quite difficult and special to license. So that’s already a positive sense. And then there are the rules of Red Natura, which is the name of the protection area that you have from the dunes to the pine forests. So you cannot build anything within 700 meters. So already that, it creates a protection for all our lives, which is worth it. You know, I have that trust that this place is gonna be unique.

And then, I mean, if you come in August, which is the busiest month in Comporta, and you look to the beach to the left and you look to the right, you see it empty. I mean, 65 kilometers of beach. I mean, it needs thousands and thousands of hotels to fill up that beach. I don’t think that’s going to happen at least in our lifetimes. You know, the rest, I don’t know, but I think if I had to invest, I will invest in Coporta more than any place in Europe right now, you know, because of the reasons I stated.

And so there’s a beach club with a restaurant and cabanas on the ocean, and as well as things being built further in, which include these villas. Tell me a little bit about the villas and how they’re sort of divided up because there are different types.

Yes, so we talk about the village. First, the village is Carvalhal. We develop,  JNcQUOI deli bar, and we have three amazing shops. We have a woman’s fashion clinic, man’s fashion clinic, and then House of Capricorn homeware. And then we are building the markets, which is going to be, you know, a beautiful store with food that you can take away. You can eat there, you can take away, gourmet, with all kinds of fantastic goods that we’re developing there. That’s the village.

And that’s like a 10-minute drive, basically, to the beach.

Yes, a ten-minute drive. Five-, ten-minutes drive. So that’s very important for us. We develop the village. So the market has things to do and things to experience. Then we have our club. It’s 164 hectares. Just the next left from the beach club. So it’s a beautiful one kilometer of beach front. And we have these beautiful dunes and pine forests. And then you arrive at the beautiful JNcQUOI Club Comporta. JNcQUOI Club Comporta is three in one.

So it’s a private members club. It’s a village gated community with 64 villas. And a high-end hotel with 34 pavilions. On these 34 pavilions, we have amazing amenities and facilities. We have the club, the club of the whole complex, which has three restaurants. It’s like you’re going to a first-class lounge. You have food that’s free of charge, that is already there. And then you have meeting rooms. You have a concierge, you have a wine shop. You have a fashion clinic as well. Then you have two restaurants. You have a grill and rice restaurant called Shama, Flame in English. And then we have Vera. Vera is a Mediterranean restaurant. And then you have a beautiful big pool for adults only. And of course, JNcQUOI Club Grill Asia. So the Asian food, teppanyaki, fantastic Asian best sellers. That’s the club.

Then you have the athletic club. So the athletic club, it’s a wellness club. Focus on muscle and physical recuperation. So it’s a program that athletes use to recover really fast from injuries or they are improving their physical ability very fast. In Portugal, we have the best physiotherapists in the world due to the world of soccer that we are so good at. And so it’s completely focused on that program of very fast physical recuperation. And that brings you mental wellness, improvement, health and so on. So that’s very focused on sports recuperation. So that’s made by Greg Payne, who is one of our consultants. And we’ve been developing this for a few years. That’s part of one of the main amenities. Then you have the racket club. The racket club, it’s a country club. For our club members, they are club members in Lisbon or some of the club members in the Comporta area. And it’s a gym of a thousand square meters. Kids club, teenagers club, a huge pool—round, beautiful pool for the families. A place to play tennis. We have amazing tennis courts, pickleball and paddle. And of course, a huge gym with different rooms for all kinds of sports that we’re developing. And a very nice area for events as well.

And what’s gonna be very important is they have fantastic lockers that the family can spend the day there. Some can go play tennis and go to the kids club. The parents can go have lunch by themselves at the beach club and leave the kids protected and organized. So it’s a place for the whole family. We want to contribute to pamper our members and to simplify their lives so that everyone… There are many clubs around the world, but there are only very few clubs catering to all ages. So that’s what we are doing best.

I did notice a lot of families at the beach club that seem to be kind of well integrated there. It’s hard to explain, but sort of like a family of the 21st century, of very sophisticated kids. But a place where everyone can have a good time.

Yes, and they can choose. So that we have to cater to all ages so everyone is happy. So when we built this, when I had this vision to build this place, I built this place for my family and for my family to be happy. And for the family of my friends to be happy and the friends of my friends. So that’s how we create this creative community of like-minded people. They love what we are offering and they get it. So they get it, the service, they get it, what they are paying for. And that’s how we cater and we’ve been so successful developing this dream, this vision that now we are so happy to make it happen.

And when it comes to the villas, you’ve been working with Vincent Van Duysen, who is of course a wonderful designer. And I believe you actually started working with him sort of midway through the process, if I remember correctly.

Yes, I had all the project designs by another architect. And then Noemi Cinzano, the countess Noemi Cinzano, invited me to go to her house for lunch. And then I went and then I met Vincent Van Duysen and a very nice man. We immediately connected. I was an Aman junkie, so I love Aman. I work for so many Aman. So we immediately had a fantastic conversation about the places that he liked the most and we discussed it. So then he invited me to go to his house. I went to his house and I had a panic attack because for years, I was looking for the right architect, the right person to develop my dream. And he was close next to me and I did not know. And I felt terrible. And then I have to make a very, very crazy hard decision to throw the project we had before to the bin and start all over again.

And then we did that. It was totally nuts at the time and probably was the best decision of my life.

And so when I was able to visit, I could feel this idea of club membership was something that was really important to you guys as sort of a concept. And in a country like Portugal that’s small, that seems to be very key is that you’re really connected to everybody and you know who everybody is. But it’s also really international.

So tell me a little bit about like, who are you targeting with Comporta and the villas? It seems to be for Portuguese, but obviously it has a really big international appeal.

I mean, first of all, we are Portuguese so I want to have Portuguese in the concept because we don’t want these typical resorts, you know, super quality that are empty all year round and are only full during summer. That’s what we want to try to avoid at all means. We want to be the country club of Lisbon. So we catered to our club members first. So that’s how we did our first phase, we only sold to our club members. And then we were very, very successful. Of course, we sold at a special price because they were club members, because they invested in us when we were unknown. And then we’ve been developing all the concepts through their support so that we want to give, you know, in luxury, you give, then you take. And that is what we have done.

So the first phase was sold by club members. People that live in Lisbon, they are mixed. There are 60% foreigners and 40% Portuguese, which for us is truly important because we want people to experience the experiences of other people from other worlds and connect them together. You know, that’s the beauty of the concept. And you have this integration that’s only not by you and your wife, but they are really your kids. Multicultural. It’s a very important growth process for the whole family.

In the past two years, what’s the feedback been like? What are people saying? Why do they like it? I mean, clearly people come back again and again. And when I was there it was pretty full. Like, what do people love about it?

I mean, it was a bit controversial because it was the first time in Portugal that we delivered such service and such service became, you know, the price.

Why was it controversial?

It was controversial because, you know, we want to raise the level of service and raise the level of how we built a beach club. You know, we spent 7 million euros doing a beach club, you know, all in the woods. So you know, so that has to have a payback. And that payback, I mean, you have to put prices to a certain level, which could be a bit controversial for a country that does not experience, you know, such a high, you know, high luxury. And that’s normal. So, that’s why you become a member because if you can become a member, you pay much more than other people.

So we want to cater for the Portuguese and for the international crowd. So we are rising the level and rising the level always brings, you know, changes, always brings certain controversies. You know, it’s normal. It’s normal because we don’t want to, you know, I’m a changer. I’m a changer. I want to develop my country. I want to make my country the best. And I do everything I can to make this happen.

When it comes to your time at Aman and working with the founder, Adrian Zecha, what would you say you learned from him in your time there, broadly speaking?

I have learned so many things. I mean, one thing I’ve learned, I mean, is lifestyle. So it’s not being the biggest, small is good. It’s the way you feel people, the people feel at home, the way that people feel that they belong. And that value is what makes a hotel brand outstanding. And what I’ve learned is that you never say no in Aman.

I mean, at that time when I was in Aman, now it’s quite different, I think. But, you know, no signing bills, everyone knows your name. I mean, people are devoted to pampering you. People are chosen by their hearts, not by their techniques. An incredible design, a sense of design and integration in nature and respect for the local culture and the people’s toppings. They are on top of everything. They are so thoughtful. And then passion, passion for beautiful things, passion to serve, passion to make the world better. And when you deliver with heart and all the ingredients and special locations, it makes it truly unique.

And so I was able to spend a few days there. So when someone comes to visit, let’s say for 48 hours, what would you describe as the perfect 48 hours at JNcQUOI Comporta?

I mean, we have an incredible agreement with Range Rover. So I pick you up from the airport with a nice Range Rover with a nice fantastic driver that speaks your language. And they will explain to you about our world. He drives you to Avenida da Liberdade. They ask if you want to eat fish, you know, Mediterranean, Asian, Chinese, or clubby foods so that you could choose. So you choose, you get out of your car, you can choose, you know, immediately you have the manager at the door to receive you, call you by your name and take you to the place that you want and what you like to eat, you know, what you want. And that’s service. Services deliver what you really expect and what you really want.

And then I can take you to a beautiful men’s or women’s shop, shop, deliver the sizes. I probably already know your size, probably everything’s already waiting for you. Then you could choose if you want to sleep in a JNcQUOI house, you know, a beautiful design by Vincent Van Duysen or you can go straight to Comporta or spend just one day there. I organize a beautiful tour with one of our concierges around the city to show you, you know, things that you are more focused on. And then, you know, at nighttime, you can go to the club and listen to some music, dancing. And then the next day, we drive you across the bridge, we take you to Comporta, you arrive at Carvalhal village, you can go and see our shops, you can have lunch, you can have breakfast. You can stay in our rice fields house, you know, where you could see the storks flying over the rice fields. Then I can organize a beautiful table by the beach under a pine tree, a beautiful paella, cooked only for you. If you want fish, if you want meat, if you want only seafood, it’s your choice. I set up a beautiful private beach for you and that we could stay by here because the beach is so long, there is so much space for everyone.

You could choose that you can be in a beach club, more people can have lunch at a beach club or could you have privately. Then I can take you to our club tent, as well you can have lunch there, and can ride horses. And the next day, the same night you’re going, I can have a beautiful dinner in our deli, deli Comporta designed by Jean-Philippe Demeyer, very funky, very Alentejo kind of a

For New Yorkers, it’s not a deli, it’s just called the deli. It’s just a restaurant, it’s quite extraordinary.

It’s a bar and restaurant. It’s designed the way you want it. So there is plenty of choice, that’s why it’s super important that we connect the two hubs, the hub of Lisbon, the hub of Comporta, that can make a truly great experience when you come into our country.

And what’s next for the little JNcQUOI empire after Comporta is fully completed?

I mean, of course, Comporta is gonna be our flagship, JNcQUOI Club Comporta. We are opening a hotel in Lisbon as well. So our concept is hubs. So we are specializing in developed neighborhoods.

So it could be in a city or it could be in a resort. So that’s the integration, the integration of the club and the lifestyle that I explained to you before and the period that we have done. So that’s a new concept. So on that, I mean, we want to have one more two years developing and fine tuning. And then I think we could go international. And that’s definitely our plan.

Are there any countries internationally that you’ve had your eye on or that you thought could benefit from this kind of approach?

Yes.

Which ones? Can you name one or two?

I mean, I always liked America.

Well, hey.

I mean, America has the best clients in the world. So, I mean, I think with our soul and our long-term vision, I think we’ll be very successful in the United States.

Oh, okay. I welcome you over. Please, please, please, please bring the idea over here. I would love to see what you guys were able to do with it.

We are studying. We are studying.

Thank you to my guest, Miguel Guedes De Sousa and to Sarah Boyd for making this episode happen. The editor of The Grand Tourist is Stan Hall. To keep this going, don’t forget to visit our website and sign up for our newsletter, The Grand Tourist Curator at thegrandtourist.net and follow me on Instagram @danrubinstein. And follow The Grand Tourist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and leave us a rating or comment. Every little bit helps. Til next time!

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