Top Hotel RJ 2025: Vilarejo Hotels win double first place in Social Action and Entrepreneurship

Vilarejo Hotels took home double first-place honours at the Top Hotel RJ 2025 Awards, winning in both Social Action and Entrepreneurship with projects that combine social impact and innovative hotel management.

The group closes the year on a high note, with recognition coming for the second consecutive year.

Top Hotel RJ, organised by ABIH-RJ and Hotéis Rio, highlights outstanding projects in Hotel Expansion, Green Seal, Social Action and Entrepreneurship.

At the 20th edition of the awards, held on 26 November at the Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana, hotelier João Mello, director of Vilarejo Hotels, went on stage twice.

He collected first-place trophies in both the Social Action and Entrepreneurship categories.

Social Action: home renovations that transform lives

In the Social Action category, Vilarejo Hotels won with the project “A gente acredita. A gente reforma” (“We believe. We renovate”).

Launched in 2023, the initiative has already renovated the homes of 28 employees of the group.

Fully funded by the Vilarejo Group — which includes hotels and building-materials stores — the programme allocates up to R$ 40,000 per month to infrastructure works and improvements in workers’ homes.

The aim is to provide dignity, better health, higher self-esteem and direct positive impact in local communities.

Participants are selected through a rigorous process led by social workers, prioritising the most pressing cases.

To date, the project has invested more than R$ 746,000 in renovations.

Each project generates around 30 direct and indirect jobs, further stimulating the local economy.

Entrepreneurship: building an ecosystem beyond hospitality in Conservatória

In the Entrepreneurship category, the group was recognised for its work at Hotel Fazenda Vilarejo in Conservatória, Rio de Janeiro.

The property evolved from a traditional rural hotel into a full-fledged entrepreneurial ecosystem that goes far beyond accommodation.

With an estimated investment of R$ 5 million, the operations at Vilarejo Distillery (founded in 1987) and Vilarejo Dairy (1989) were repositioned.

Once seen mainly as attractions or add-on services for guests, these units have, over the last two years, been incorporated as standalone businesses within the group’s strategic planning.

At the same time, new investments in leisure and infrastructure at Hotel Fazenda Vilarejo were designed not only to enhance the guest experience.

The primary goal was to ensure the property remains a leading hospitality benchmark in the Conservatória region.

The result has been strong guest loyalty and the consolidation of the Vilarejo brand as a reference in tourism and innovation.

The hotel posts an impressive 98% average annual occupancy rate, a record figure for the state of Rio de Janeiro’s hotel industry.

In some periods, performance is as much as 30% higher than the regional average.

“Caring, innovating and delighting”: João Mello’s vision

“Receiving two of the four Top Hotel RJ 2025 awards is a milestone that moves and drives us forward.

These recognitions clearly reflect what motivates us: caring for people, innovating responsibly and delivering meaningful experiences for employees, guests and communities.

The ‘A gente acredita. A gente reforma’ project stems from a deep conviction that we can only offer our best when we also embrace and transform the lives of those who make Vilarejo happen every day.

Seeing this purpose recognised by ABIH-RJ fills us with pride and reinforces that we are on the right track.

Likewise, our new investments reflect our vision for the future: top-level infrastructure to generate memorable experiences at any time of year.

Conservatória is witnessing a new chapter in regional tourism, and knowing we contribute to this is extremely rewarding.

I would like to thank our teams, who work with passion, dream big and make things happen.

This award belongs to every Vilarejo Group employee.

We will continue to grow with responsibility, respect and enchantment — the pillars that shape our story and were celebrated today by the entire hotel industry.”

, says João Mello, Executive Director of Vilarejo Hotels.

A sustainable business model with regional impact

Through these tangible examples of entrepreneurship and management, the Vilarejo Group demonstrates how diversification, innovation and strong local roots can underpin a sustainable business model.

The strategy yields loyal customers, increased revenue and positive economic impact in the regions where the group operates.

The award-winning projects highlight the role of hospitality as a driver of social and economic development at local and regional levels.