Simone Lopes : Creating Spaces That Heal, Communities That Thrive, and a Legacy That Matters

Creating More Than a Destination: A Vision Rooted in Human Connection

For Simone, hospitality has never been about accommodation alone. It has always been about connection — and that conviction did not begin with a business plan.

As a teenager in Sudbury, Canada, she worked as a hostess at the official residence of Laurentian University, where she absorbed a truth she has never forgotten: that hospitality, at its finest, is not a service industry. It is an act of love made practical, rooted in the intention to create moments of genuine human connection. Arizona added a different lesson. Immersed in a culture where setbacks are worn as badges of experience rather than marks of shame, she encountered a striking contrast to the quieter European and Canadian relationship with failure. American business culture treated failure not as a private wound but as a lived experience to be discussed openly — some of the most valuable insights an entrepreneur could accumulate. That reframing stayed with her: failure is not a destination but a direction, an invitation to adapt and move forward with greater clarity.

In time, she understood that this lesson and her earliest lessons in hospitality were, at their core, the same. Creating a space where people feel truly welcome demands the same quiet courage as building any meaningful venture — the willingness to try, to fall short, to refine, and to keep showing up. Perfection was never the point. Perseverance and the genuine desire to do better for the people in your care, always was.

It was from this foundation that Quinta Nere Maitia and the Refúgio were born. Together with her husband Patrick, Simone set out to build not a conventional hospitality business, but a place where guests could slow down and reconnect with what truly matters. For her, the greatest measure of success has never been occupancy rates. It is hearing a guest describe how they rediscovered peace, found clarity during a difficult season, or experienced the increasingly precious luxury of being fully present.

Redefining Luxury Through Stillness and Sustainability

While luxury hospitality is often associated with extravagance, Simone has chosen a different path — one where luxury is defined by authenticity, simplicity, and deep respect for the natural world.

From the beginning, environmental responsibility at the Refúgio was not an afterthought. It was the foundation. Renewable energy systems, rainwater harvesting, organic agriculture, and environmentally conscious construction were never marketing features — they were the principles guiding every decision. For Simone, a business that draws its beauty from the land carries an inherent obligation to give back to it.

What emerged is a retreat where comfort and conscience are not in tension but in harmony — where guests discover firsthand that living well and treading lightly are not opposing ambitions. The property’s Green Tourism Certification offers external recognition of that ethos, but Simone has always been clear: sustainability is not about earning a badge. It is about stewardship — leaving something better than she found it. She believes businesses must look beyond short-term gains and consider the world they are quietly constructing for future generations, and in demonstrating that environmental responsibility and commercial success can strengthen one another, she is helping redefine what sustainable entrepreneurship genuinely looks like.

From Entrepreneur to Environmental Advocate

Simone’s commitment to sustainability extends well beyond her business.

As an active member of Rotary Atlântico and the National Team Leader of End Plastic Soup Portugal, she has become a vocal advocate for addressing one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Her involvement stems from a deeply held belief that leadership carries an obligation to contribute to the well-being of society and the planet. Through educational campaigns, community engagement, and collaborative partnerships, she works to raise awareness about plastic pollution while encouraging practical action at both individual and community levels.

What distinguishes her advocacy is the ability to connect environmental responsibility with everyday life — empowering people to understand the tangible consequences of their choices and the collective impact of small actions. For Simone, environmental leadership is about participation: encouraging people to take the first step, and recognising that lasting change is built through collective effort rather than individual heroics.

Empowering the Next Generation to Lead Change

Among the many dimensions of her work, few bring Simone more optimism than her interactions with young people.

Through school visits, presentations, and environmental initiatives, she has engaged with students who are deeply concerned about the future of the planet. What continually inspires her is not their fear of the challenges ahead, but their determination to address them. She views these interactions as a two-way exchange: while she hopes to inspire younger generations, she frequently finds herself learning from their energy, creativity, and sense of possibility.

She is equally passionate about expanding the definition of ambition — and that means having conversations others often avoid. In a world where artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping industries, she believes the next generation deserves both honest guidance and a broader vision of opportunity. She champions trade schools alongside universities, not as a lesser path but as an equally worthy one, recognising that hands-on mastery and irreplaceable craft may yet prove the most resilient ground a young person can build their future upon.

Leadership, Resilience, and the Courage to Keep Building

Like every meaningful journey, Simone’s path has not been without obstacles — and some were less visible than others.

Building an innovative hospitality venture in a new country presented numerous challenges: navigating complex bureaucratic processes, adapting within a cultural and linguistic environment she was still reconnecting with, and establishing herself in a region where traditional ways of doing business remain deeply rooted. As a female entrepreneur, she also encountered something quieter but no less real — the subtle resistance that comes from operating in spaces not yet accustomed to women leading with vision and authority. She met it not with confrontation, but with something more powerful: consistency, competence, and an unwavering commitment to her purpose.

Over time, she learned the value of delegation, collaboration, and trusting others to contribute their expertise. Effective leadership, she came to understand, is not about controlling every detail — it is about creating an environment where people feel empowered to do their best work. The most enduring progress is rarely loud. It is built quietly, steadily, and with extraordinary patience — one relationship, one decision, one small proof point at a time.

A Legacy Built on Purpose

As Simone Lopes looks toward the future, her ambitions remain grounded in purpose rather than scale. The work is never finished — and she means that not as a lament, but as a commitment.

Her story serves as a powerful reminder that leadership is not measured solely by business achievements, but by the lives it touches, the opportunities it creates, and the positive change it inspires. In creating a sanctuary where people can slow down, reconnect, and rediscover what matters most, Simone has built something far more meaningful than a successful business. She has created a legacy of care, responsibility, and hope — one that will continue to inspire long after guests leave the peaceful landscapes of Ribatejo.