Meet the Founder
of Smartavillas
I believed this beautiful corner of the Algarve deserved a property management and rentals company built around excellent customer service, genuine care, and a personal approach.
So, I started SmartaVillas on my own. One person, a handful of properties, and a simple belief: if you look after people’s homes as carefully as you would your own, and put your customers first, everything else will follow.
What began as a small, personal venture has grown from that same foundation, with the same commitment to looking after properties, owners and guests with care, honesty and attention to detail.
Seventeen years later, the company has grown into something I’m genuinely proud of. A team of people who care. A portfolio of over 150 properties. A group of services that has expanded to meet the real needs of owners and guests in this region.
Rachel Robinson, Founder & CEO
Years of experience
rental properties
guests
reservations
Meet Our Leaders
Rachel Robinson
Founder and Director
Prior to founding SmartaVillas, Rachel enjoyed a successful career in food retail, culminating in her role as HR Director for ASDA Walmart in the UK.
Rachel moved to Portugal in 2002 and quickly developed a passion for the region, its approach to tourism and, above all, for delivering outstanding customer service.
This customer-first philosophy became the foundation of SmartaVillas and continues to shape the business today.
Charles Robbins
Reservations & Revenue Manager
Charlie brings a strong and proven track record in the holiday industry, having worked with some of the UK’s leading brands before moving to Portugal in 2006.
As a key part of the SmartaVillas team, Charlie leads the reservations team, managing bookings and rental rates while ensuring guests receive excellent service.
His experience and dedication help create a smooth experience for every guest.
Lydia Hearne
General Manager
Lydia joined SmartaVillas as a part-time administrative assistant, and it quickly became clear that she had a natural talent for organisation, efficiency and keeping things running smoothly.
Today, as General Manager, Lydia plays a central role in the day-to-day operation of the business. Her responsibilities include owner liaison, coordinating maintenance, managing the team and overseeing staff welfare, helping ensure our owners and guests receive the high level of service SmartaVillas is known for.
We are so much more than just a rental management company.
We are part of SMARTA family, a trusted, branded group offering complete property solutions under one roof.
Our joined-up approach ensures your property is we called for, professionally presented, and positioned to achieve strong and sustainable financial results.
Together, these services help property owners at every stage, from purchase and improvement through to rental readiness and long-term performance.
Trust Highlights
17 years, +150 properties, and the kind of results that only come from doing things the right way.
Airbnb Superhost
Recognised by Airbnb for consistently exceptional hospitality, a standard we've maintained across our entire portfolio.
Since 2009
Over 17 years managing properties in Tavira and the eastern Algarve, that depth of experience is simply not something you can shortcut.
150+ Properties
A portfolio built entirely on word of mouth and owner trust, not aggressive sales. Every property we manage is one someone chose to place in our hands.
A team that stayed
When Covid hit, we kept every one of our 16 employees. The team you deal with today is the same team that weathered the hardest years in travel, together.
The Smarta Journey
Smarta+. A rebrand. A new shop in Tavira.
The launch of Smarta+ and a comprehensive rebranding initiative marks a new chapter for the group.
As a new shop opens in Tavira, providing a physical showcase for our expanded services, we strengthen our presence in the East Algarve commercial landscape. The rebrand unifies our various services under a cohesive visual identity whilst retaining the trust and recognition we have built since 2009.
This evolution represents confidence in our future and a commitment to remaining at the forefront of property management and hospitality services in the Eastern Algarve.
Smarta Condo and Smarta Dēcor complete the ecosystem.
Smartavillas evolved into a group structure with the creation of Smarta Condo and Smarta Dēcor, addressing specific market needs we had identified.
Smarta Condo focused on condominium management, whilst Smarta Dēcor provided property styling and furnishing services. These additions created a comprehensive ecosystem where property owners could access multiple complementary services under one trusted brand.
The expansion reflected our ambition whilst staying true to our Eastern Algarve roots and commitment to quality across every service we offer.
The Captains take the helm.
Continued growth prompted the creation of a Management Board our “Captains”, to strengthen leadership structure and distribute decision-making responsibility.
This evolution recognised that sustainable scaling requires empowered leaders throughout the organisation, not just at the top. The Captains brought specialised expertise to different business areas whilst maintaining alignment with our core values.
This structure prepared Smartavillas for the next phase of development, ensuring quality and culture could be preserved even as complexity increased across multiple business units.
Covid hit. We kept everyone.
When Covid-19 devastated the tourism industry, we made a defining decision: retain all 16 employees despite the crisis. This choice protected both our team and the company culture we had carefully built over a decade.
Whilst competitors downsized, we invested in our people, maintaining relationships with owners and preparing for recovery.
The pandemic tested our resilience and values like nothing before, but emerging intact with our team and reputation strengthened proved the worth of prioritising people over short-term financial pressure.
A new brand, a sharper focus, a stronger market position.
The creation of Tavira Suites strengthened our local market positioning with a distinct brand focused on premium accommodation experiences.
This strategic move allowed us to segment our portfolio and target different guest demographics more effectively. Tavira Suites represented our evolution from property manager to hospitality brand, with a clear identity and market presence.
The brand extension demonstrated our understanding of marketing dynamics and our willingness to innovate within the competitive Algarve holiday rental landscape.
Smartamoves and Tavira Suites join the group.
We launched Smartamoves, expanding beyond property management into property sales and relocation services. This diversification reflected our deep understanding of the local market and the natural synergies between holiday rentals and property transactions.
Many owners we managed for began asking for help with buying, selling or relocating, and Smartamoves provided the answer. By keeping these services within the Smarta family, clients benefited from our established local knowledge, trusted relationships and commitment to transparency throughout every transaction.
100 properties. A milestone that meant something.
Smartavillas reached 100 properties under management, a significant milestone that validated our approach and reputation in the market.
This achievement reflected years of consistent service quality and word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied owners. Managing a century of properties required sophisticated systems, a larger team and unwavering attention to detail.
Yet despite the scale, we maintained the personalised approach that had always differentiated us. This balance between growth and quality became our defining characteristic, proving that a company can expand without losing its soul.
From sole trader to Lda. From handful to ten.
The business transitioned from Trabalhador Independente status to a Company Limitada (Lda), formalising our structure as growth continued. This legal evolution reflected our maturity as an organisation and provided a stronger foundation for future expansion.
The change brought increased credibility with property owners, suppliers and financial institutions. More importantly, it demonstrated our long-term commitment to the region and our confidence in the business model we had developed over five years of steady, organic growth.
First office. A home base in the East Algarve.
Smartavillas opened its first dedicated office in Mato, providing a professional base for our growing operations. Having a physical presence strengthened relationships with both property owners and the local community.
The office became a hub where team members could collaborate effectively, and owners could meet us face-to-face to discuss their properties.
This milestone signalled our commitment to the Eastern Algarve and our intention to become a permanent, trusted fixture in Tavira’s hospitality landscape.
Rachel starts it all - on her own.
Rachel launched Smartavillas as a one-woman operation, personally managing every property with the support of a single cleaner.
Those early days established the foundation of hands-on care and attention to detail that still defines our approach today.
Starting small allowed us to develop the systems and standards that would later scale across a much larger portfolio, proving that quality always matters more than quantity when building trust with owners and guests alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Smartavillas based, and which areas do you cover?
Smartavillas is based in Tavira, in the eastern Algarve, and that’s very much our heartland. We also manage properties in the surrounding areas, including Cabanas de Tavira, Manta Rota, Cacela Velha, and the broader eastern Algarve coast.
Being genuinely local matters to us, not in a marketing sense, but in a practical one. Our team knows these villages, these roads, and these property quirks. When something needs attention, we’re not dispatching someone from a head office two hours away. We’re already here.
How long has Smartavillas been operating?
Smartavillas was founded in 2009, which makes us one of the most established holiday rental and property management companies in the eastern Algarve, with over fifteen years of continuous operation in the region.
We started as a one-person operation and grew steadily, always prioritising quality over speed. The fact that many of our original owners are still with us today tells you more than any founding date can. Trust is built over time, and we’ve had the time to build it.
Is Smartavillas an Airbnb Superhost?
Yes, Smartavillas holds Airbnb Superhost status, recognising our consistently high ratings, reliable communication, and commitment to exceptional guest experiences across our portfolio.
Superhost status isn’t awarded once and forgotten, it’s reviewed regularly and reflects ongoing performance. For our owners, it’s a meaningful signal that their property is being managed to a standard that guests recognise and reward.
For guests, it means you can book with confidence knowing the team behind your stay has a proven track record.
How many properties does Smartavillas manage?
We currently manage over 150 properties across Tavira and the eastern Algarve, a portfolio that’s grown almost entirely through owner referrals and long-term relationships rather than aggressive marketing.
We’re proud of that number, but we’re prouder of how we got there. The portfolio reflects over fifteen years of owners choosing to stay with us, and recommending us to friends, family, and fellow investors. Growth built on trust is the only kind we’ve ever been interested in.
Who founded Smartavillas and is the founder still involved?
Smartavillas was founded by Rachel Robinson in 2009, who launched the company as a one-woman operation in Tavira and built it from the ground up.
The hands-on ethos Rachel established in those early years, personal attention, genuine care, no shortcuts on quality, is still the DNA of the business today.
The company has grown significantly, with a full management board and a team of dedicated professionals, but the values that shaped it from day one remain unchanged.
What makes Smartavillas different from other property management companies in the Algarve?
The most honest answer is longevity, local depth, and the fact that we genuinely kept our team together through the hardest period the travel industry has ever faced.
There are plenty of property management options in the Algarve. What’s harder to find is a company that’s been operating in the same region for over fifteen years, knows its owners and guests personally, has an in-house team rather than a network of contractors, and made the decision in 2020 to retain every single employee despite the pandemic.
That kind of stability and commitment isn’t something that can be built overnight, and for owners and guests alike, it’s what makes the difference when things need to run smoothly.
Does Smartavillas only do holiday rentals, or do you offer other services?
Holiday rentals and property management are our core, but the Smarta group now covers a wider range of services, including property sales, relocation, condominium management, property styling, and our Smarta+ guest rewards programme.
Each service in the group exists because owners and guests kept asking for it. Smartamoves handles property transactions and relocation. Smarta Condo covers condominium management., and Smarta Decor helps owners prepare and style their properties.
The new Smarta+ rewards guests who book directly with us. The group has grown organically around the real needs of real people, which is exactly how we’d want it.