The Prime Minister stayed at the Hotel Algarve Casino in Praia da Rocha, Portimão, from Friday, 6 November, until Sunday, 8 November, while attending the final of the 23rd Solverde Golf Circuit.

The hotel belongs to the Solverde Group, owned by businessman Manuel Violas, a personal friend of Montenegro.

The Prime Minister’s office has stated that he paid for his own accommodation and did not accept the complimentary hotel stay offered to other tournament finalists.

However, questions have emerged over the original hotel reservation following reports that Montenegro was initially registered as a guest of Solverde before a separate booking was created in his name.

Government says Prime Minister paid his expenses

According to Correio da Manhã, Montenegro arrived at the Hotel Algarve Casino on 6 November ahead of the tournament, which took place at Morgado Golf, approximately 15 kilometres from the hotel.

The Prime Minister’s office described the visit as a private family trip and said all accommodation expenses were paid personally.

Solverde subsequently confirmed that accommodation was offered to tournament finalists but said Montenegro had declined the arrangement.

The company maintained that he covered the full cost of his stay.

The clarification followed media attention surrounding the Prime Minister’s participation in the competition and his friendship with the group’s owner.

Montenegro had qualified for the tournament through an earlier competition held in May at his golf club in Espinho.

According to Solverde, he qualified under the same conditions as other participants, and entry to the final was free for all qualifying players.

During the competition, Montenegro played in a group that included Manuel Violas, Vítor Cardoso Santos and Rui Veloso.

Questions over hotel reservation

Further reporting by Correio da Manhã on 9 November raised questions about how the Prime Minister’s accommodation had initially been arranged.

The newspaper reported that Montenegro was originally included in a group reservation for tournament participants as a guest of Solverde.

A separate reservation in his name was subsequently created after the first reports about his stay became public.

The sequence has attracted attention because the government had maintained that the Prime Minister was paying for his accommodation independently.

However, an initial group reservation does not establish who ultimately paid the hotel bill, and the reporting does not demonstrate that Montenegro received complimentary accommodation.

The Prime Minister’s office and Solverde have both maintained that the expenses were paid by Montenegro himself.

Previous business relationship

The weekend visit has also renewed attention on the relationship between Montenegro and Manuel Violas.

Solverde previously maintained a commercial relationship with Spinumviva, the company associated with Montenegro’s family that became the subject of political controversy in 2025.

The company had paid Spinumviva a monthly retainer for services, raising questions at the time about potential conflicts of interest involving businesses with links to the Prime Minister.

During parliamentary discussions in February 2025, Montenegro acknowledged his personal friendship with Solverde’s shareholders.

He also stated that he would refrain from participating in government decisions directly affecting the company.

The Prime Minister’s position was that his personal relationships would not influence decisions made in his official capacity.

The latest hotel visit has brought that relationship back into public discussion, although no evidence has been presented establishing that the weekend accommodation was improperly financed.

Golf tournament held in Portimão

The Solverde Golf Circuit is an established competition organised by the hospitality and gaming group.

Its 23rd edition concluded at Morgado Golf, one of the Algarve’s golf courses, with finalists qualifying through earlier events.

The Hotel Algarve Casino, where Montenegro stayed, is situated on Avenida Tomás Cabreira beside Praia da Rocha.

The five-star property combines hotel accommodation with casino facilities and forms part of Solverde’s tourism operations in Portugal.

Montenegro’s visit was described by his office as private rather than an official government engagement.

The circumstances surrounding the reservation remain the subject of media scrutiny, with the central question concerning how the accommodation was arranged and paid for.

Both the government and Solverde maintain that the Prime Minister personally covered the cost of his stay.

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