The history of the Hotel Fátima dates back to 1949, when a traditional family from the region decided to settle in Cova da Iria, on the site where the hotel stands today. It started out as a food and beverage business, and later opened its doors to lodging, thus giving birth to the “Pensão Fátima,” a unique place in Fátima. It was classified as a 3rd category guesthouse by the Directorate-General for Tourism. Over the years, and in line with the changes required by tourism and pilgrims, their sons also helped Manuel das Neves and Marta de Jesus, founders of the initial project, to modernize the facilities, gradually increasing their capacity. Since 1990, it has been classified as a 4-star hotel (the first hotel in Fátima to achieve this).