FIT Latin America: Jardel Couto, CEO of Rede Axégu and VCA, plans a hospitality network with 50 establishments in the Northeast

From first residence to leisure tourism

A native of Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Jardel Couto began his career in the real estate market in 2017, heading up VCA Construtora e Incorporadora. His first step was into the first-home segment, serving both housing programs and high-end properties. However, he soon realized the strong demand for beach houses. "The Brazilian public has always dreamed of a second home on the coast, but the timeshare model had many limitations. We wanted to create something more accessible and efficient," said the CEO.

During the pandemic, the idea of ​​a tourism-related project emerged, capable of uniting different ventures on the Northeast coast and offering greater freedom to consumers.

A model that brings together different industries

Couto explained that Rede Axégu was born from a combination of elements from the hotel industry, timeshare, and construction. "Perhaps we're innovative because we combine components from other industries and deliver the best of each. We market the property, but we also offer post-key delivery services, something most construction companies don't do," he noted.

Services include condominium management, complete furnishings, linens, maintenance and technical support, as well as short-term rental management. "The client owes money for expenses like property tax, water, and electricity, but also has credit for the rental income. We handle check-in, check-out, cleaning, and the entire operation," explained Couto.

Connectivity between destinations

One of the project's unique features is the ability to exchange periods between different properties in the chain. "If a customer purchased a unit in Porto Seguro but wants to spend New Year's Eve in Cumbuco, they can hand over the unit to us and use another in exchange. It's buy, use, rent, and exchange," the executive explained.

The proposal eliminates common concerns about timeshares, such as differences between high and low seasons, and increases the property's added value. "Our goal is to build 50 properties on the Northeast coast, creating a structured network that will transform the region's hospitality scene," he emphasized.

The goal of becoming a large hospitality chain

Couto emphasized that the Axégu Network model responds to a current challenge facing the sector. "Today, large chains face barriers to building new hotels in Brazil, mainly due to interest rates and investor perceptions that the hotel industry isn't a good business. Our challenge is to prove that it can be profitable, offering fair prices and a network structure," he said.

He also sees room for strategic partnerships. "Nothing prevents us from building projects for major hotel brands. It's entirely feasible to leverage synergies to maximize client profitability," the CEO stated.

Report and photo: Mary de Aquino.