Accommodation Department of the Shrine of Fatima launches online booking portal

Accommodation Department of the Shrine of Fatima launches online booking portal

The portal “booking.fatima.pt” allows pilgrims and visitors to pre-book in accommodation units and events at the Shrine.

Staying in the retreat houses of the Shrine of Fatima or renting one of the spaces for events is now easier and quicker. The Shrine’s Accommodation Department launched the online booking portal “booking.fatima.pt” this Monday, 29 April, through which it is possible to find out about the accommodation and event units and make a pre-booking.

The launch of this project stems from various needs identified in contact with pilgrims and visitors. Firstly, to publicise the Shrine’s accommodation services, which many people don’t know about. The portal will thus help the organisers of pilgrimages, congresses, meetings and retreats to speed up bookings, providing quick and easy access to a gallery of images that they can visit and explore.

Another reason for creating the portal is the increased demand for a type of accommodation that offers a different and unique experience: sleeping in a holy place. In recent years, the Accommodation Department of the Shrine of Fatima has seen a growing demand from pilgrims and visitors who express the desire and need to rest, find meaning in life, be in silence or experience simplicity, as they describe it.

This pre-booking channel offers greater convenience and speed compared to traditional means. It allows access to prices, images and descriptions of the spaces, and complies with web accessibility rules, meaning it can be accessed by people with special needs.

The Retreat Houses of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Our Lady of Sorrows are primarily intended for pilgrims. They fulfil the aim of providing guests with close, in-depth contact with the spirituality and atmosphere of contemplation typical of the Shrine. The Paul VI Pastoral Centre, on the other hand, is designed to host events of different kinds. It welcomes groups for training sessions, congresses, meetings, conferences or retreats. Both the Retreat Houses and the Pastoral Centre have private chapels which are also accessible to guests for prayer and for celebrations by the groups staying there.

The pre-booking process via the Accommodation Department portal is available in seven languages: Portuguese, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish and German. Despite the creation of this new service, it is still possible to make bookings by email and telephone.