César: Hello, welcome to another episode of Colivers Club powered by Mapmelon. Today we have Claire and Hadrien from Pomar. Welcome!

Claire: Hello, good morning!

Hadrien: Hello, how are you?

César: Great! Even in sunny Algarve it’s been rainy lately. I hope it ends soon so we can enjoy the sun.

Claire: Yes, it’s been intense, but the rain is good for agriculture.

Hadrien: We’ve had more rain this year than in the past 20 years. Now the reservoirs are full; we’re just waiting for the sunshine.

César: True. In summer we’ll have plenty of sun and beach time.

Claire: Of course—we’ll start going to the beach in a few days; it’s already March.

César: I see you post a lot on Instagram. Those beach pics make office workers jealous and eager to join you at Pomar coliving.

Claire: Exactly—picnics, beach clean-ups… Thanks for having us.

César: My pleasure. I loved your project in the Algarve. How did it all start?

Hadrien: We’re French and worked corporate jobs for about ten years. Claire was tired of that life and wanted something meaningful. She’s half-Portuguese and wanted to live here. I agreed, but only if it was a solid project. Claire suggested coliving. At that time there were zero colivings in Sotavento Algarve—from Faro to the Spanish border—so we jumped in.

Claire: We had zero hospitality experience, but we renovated the family houses, got permits, loans—everything. That’s how Pomar began.

César: Wow. What were your corporate roles?

Hadrien: I’m an IT product manager for an insurance company—and still am, working remotely.

Claire: We met at work; I was a product owner in advertising.

Hadrien: Digital products are one thing; bricks-and-mortar hospitality is another.

César: Biggest challenge?

Hadrien: Construction and bureaucracy. Everything needs a permit and each permit costs money. Patience is essential.

Claire: As a woman on site with our daughter, the builder ignored me for five months. I had to learn fast—design, 3-D plans, even the electrical layout overnight.

César: You learn a lot that way.

Hadrien: Building something physical from nothing is very rewarding.

Claire: Opening in winter was tough—empty garden, just two beta colivers—but now winter occupancy is good.

Hadrien: Algarve is known for summer vacations, so we needed reasons for people to come in winter. Luckily the weather is usually great.

Claire: Except this weekend—though one coliver got sunburned in February!

César: Perfect testimonial: “I got sunburned in February.”

Claire: Exactly.

César: Pomar 1 is moving to long-term rentals, right?

Claire: Yes. The government expropriated part of our land. We were shocked, but you can’t stay stuck. Pomar 1 will house locals who need rentals, and we’re focusing on seasonal colivings.

César: So now you have Pomar na Serra in the countryside and Pomar na Cidade in winter. What’s next?

Hadrien: Pomar na Praia—near the beach—opens in January. Big communal areas, pool, 15-minute walk to the sea.

César: Congrats!

Hadrien: Our model: rent large houses that sit empty in low season, turn them into colivings Sep–Jun, close in summer. Owners earn off-season income, and we boost the local economy.

Claire: We like energising the Algarve beyond retirees.

César: Seasonal ops mean moving furniture every year. How do you manage?

Hadrien: Storage, a solid local team, and recurring partnerships with the same owners. Each season gets easier.

César: You also partner with other colivings—Cactus (Tenerife), Same Same (Lisbon), Bitcommunity (Palermo). Why?

Claire: Collaboration beats competition. We share best practices, monthly problem-solving calls, common standards, and cross-recommend trusted, community-oriented colivings against the rise of “fake” colivings.

César: Love that. Hadrien, what’s it like raising a family alongside coliving?

Hadrien: We keep a separate home but bring our five-year-old to the houses often. She speaks French, Portuguese, some English, and recognises other languages—great diversity exposure. Boundaries were hard at first, but we found balance.

César: Before building Pomar you’d never stayed in a coliving. How did you design it?

Hadrien: By doing our own thing, not following trends. Authenticity, owner presence, and a balance of privacy and community.

Claire: People are lonely and disconnected. We wanted real, offline human interaction.

César: Remote work at home can feel terrible; a good coliving makes it awesome.

Claire: Exactly.

César: Quick recap: Pomar na Serra (mountains, Sep–Jun), Pomar na Praia (beach, from January), Pomar na Cidade (urban pop-up), plus a future workation service.

Hadrien: Yes—building a network under the Pomar identity and offering locations to companies for short workations.

César: Final question—what does coliving mean to you?

Claire: Connection and a sense of belonging. I’ve seen burnt-out guests sparkle again after two weeks. Tech can’t replace that.

Hadrien: Meaningful community and lasting friendships—that’s why we moved here.

César: It’s been a pleasure. Pomar sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing and see you soon!

Claire: Obrigada! See you in Algarve.

Hadrien: Thank you, bye!