View from the ruins of the historic Monte Palace Hotel with panoramic views of the mountains and lagoons in São Miguel, Azores

Monte Palace Hotel Ruins

The Monte Palace Hotel is an imposing abandoned hotel located on the island of São Miguel, right next to the famous Vista do Rei Viewpoint. Construction began in the late 1970s and it finally opened its doors in 1989 as the first five-star hotel in the Azores. The problem is that it stayed open for a very short time, barely 18 months. It closed in November 1990 due to a lack of profitability and, ever since, the building has sat abandoned and has become a tourist attraction in its own right, especially for the views of the Lagoa das Sete Cidades that you can take in from its rooftop.

There's one detail in its history that has always struck us as curious: right around the same time the hotel was closing, its director was in Lisbon receiving the award for Best Hotel of the Year in Portugal. A symbol of luxury, with more than a hundred employees, two restaurants and even a presidential suite, that went dark just as it was being honored. Today, that blend of past grandeur and ruin is exactly what makes it so striking.

And the thing is, another of the Monte Palace's big draws is its own ruins. The building, once a five-star hotel, is now completely empty and covered in graffiti. The fact that it sits in the middle of nature, surrounded by greenery and right on the edge of the Sete Cidades crater, is pretty stunning.

For years, a lot of people used to go inside to explore it and even climb to the top to take in the scenery. Today we recommend that you don't, since the building was purchased in 2017 and is private property. On top of that, it's in a ruinous state and can be dangerous.

And if you're wondering whether there's a project to restore it and reopen it as a hotel, the answer is yes, and it was even declared to be of public interest in 2024. But for now, the work hasn't started and the Monte Palace remains just as it is.

By the way! Don’t forget all the ways you have to enjoy Lagoa das Sete Cidades and its viewpoints with these activities: