“Luxury, Firmly Planted in the Sand”
Ahead of inVOYAGE Comporta, Oriol Juvé de Yebra, COO of Sublime Curated Hospitality, reflects on Comporta as a destination for luxury incentives, the estate's evolution and what it can unlock for groups and executive gatherings.
For incentive designers, choosing a destination usually comes down to a familiar list of questions: what can we do here, how will the group experience it, and what will they remember? Comporta adds another one: what if the best thing you can give a group is time to slow down?
This September, more than 200 senior event professionals, hoteliers and destination specialists will arrive at Sublime Comporta for inVOYAGE Comporta. It is a chance to see first-hand what makes this corner of Portugal so different — from the privacy and natural surroundings of the estate to the slower, more relaxed pace that runs through the experience. With the new Sand accommodation and Forum event space, there is also more room to bring larger groups here without losing what makes Sublime feel, well, sublime.
Ahead of the event, we sat down with Oriol Juvé de Yebra, COO of Sublime Curated Hospitality, to talk about how the property has evolved, what he never wants to lose, and why some things about Sublime are much easier to understand once you have actually been there.
Interview with Oriol Juve de Yebra
C.O.O. at Sublime Curated Hospitality
Joe, inVOYAGE: Oriol, we’re grateful for you taking the time to join us. Now we know Lisbon and Porto are well established for incentives. What does Comporta offer planners who want something different - and where does Sublime fit within that story?
Oriol: Comporta offers a barefoot luxury of disconnection that Lisbon or Porto cannot replicate in quite the same way. Those cities bring urban energy, historic monuments and substantial logistical capacity. Comporta offers something deliberately different: a low-density destination where time slows down and luxury is measured in space, privacy and silence.
For planners, that means understanding that Comporta is not a place for a frantic or tightly packed itinerary. It is a destination built to foster mindfulness, real interaction and deeper human connections with people and local culture. I firmly believe that true luxury lies in the security of what is authentic and down-to-earth; Sublime Comporta embodies that shift.
We do not see the resort simply as a container for events. We act as a catalyst for experiences, creating the sense of being entirely at home so attendees can drop their guard and connect more naturally with the destination. Forum, with its exterior spaces, sand and pine setting, natural daylight, local architectural references and extensive use of wood, is a clear expression of that approach.
Joe, inVOYAGE: Forum is a major part of the resort’s expansion [part of the wing known as Sand]. Beyond the additional villas and outdoor space, what does the opening of Sand now mean for luxury incentive and event groups?
Oriol: Before Sand, larger executive groups could face challenges around scattered room categories or a shortage of shared spaces at the right scale. The new villas and facilities now allow us to host entire board-level gatherings within a single, unified residential concept.
These spaces are tailor-made for leadership retreats, C-suite brainstorming sessions and high-level co-creation workshops. They give planners the opportunity to create true community dynamics: delegates can share a private villa with its own pool, have breakfast together on the private porch and spend time together in a way that naturally strips away hierarchical barriers.
That is what matters beyond the additional capacity. Groups can feel connected without losing the human scale of the experience, and those interactions develop organically rather than feeling forced or over-programmed.
Joe, inVOYAGE: Forum gives Sublime a modern, substantial dedicated events space, yet the wider estate retains the relaxed, residential quality that defines the property. How do you balance these two elements?
Oriol: Forum gives Sublime Comporta the high-end technical capability planners expect, yet its architecture and materials remain deeply respectful of the rustic, sophisticated aesthetic of the surrounding environment. It is high-end infrastructure held within a residential soul.
The secret lies in the transition. We use the top-tier technology of Forum for the strategic, focused parts of the day, then break the traditional conference rigidity by moving coffee breaks, lunches and workshops outdoors beneath the pine trees, into our organic garden or among the sand dunes.
The infrastructure works tirelessly for the event, but it never dominates the landscape. Guests can still hear the cicadas and smell the pine resin, keeping Sublime's signature sense of relaxation completely intact.
Joe, inVOYAGE: As the resort grows alongside the brand, what part of its original spirit is most important to retain?
Oriol: The truth of the territory is non-negotiable: the clean architectural lines inspired by traditional Comporta fishing huts, and our absolute integration with nature.
As the brand grows, my priority is also protecting the authenticity of our human interactions. We cannot allow rigid, scripted service manuals to dilute the personality of our local team. True security for a guest comes from trusting a team that shows up as real, warm and genuinely human.
Joe, inVOYAGE: Well this September, the local team at Sublime Comporta will welcome more than 200 members of the inVOYAGE community to this beautiful resort. What excites you most about hosting them?
Oriol: What excites me most is welcoming more than 200 of the industry's top professionals into our home and allowing them to experience a different expression of high luxury firsthand - one rooted not in opulence alone, but in provenance, sustainability and raw human warmth.
This is an influential community of planners, hoteliers and destination specialists who are shaping how future luxury events will be designed around the world. Giving them the opportunity to experience this hospitality model, rather than simply hear it described, is the ultimate excitement.
Joe, inVOYAGE: It’s safe to say we are beyond thrilled to be working with yourself and the team. When our community of event professionals do eventually leave, what do you hope stays with them about Sublime and Comporta?
That sophistication and having your feet firmly planted in the sand are not mutually exclusive.
I want attendees to leave understanding that true security and wellbeing for the modern luxury traveller are not created by protocol alone. They come from the freedom to be yourself, the warmth of an honest conversation and a profound connection to the land and people of Comporta. That is something which can only be fully understood by visiting.