In 1962, Trust House Forte acquired the land, which became Vale do Lobo, with the intention of turning it into a luxury resort.

An 18-hole golf course designed by Henry Cotton was built, and Vale do Lobo quickly became a popular destination with the British market.

In 1968, Trust House Forte and Costain Group opened the first five-star hotel in the Algarve, the Dona Filipa, named after Philippa of Lancaster, whose marriage to John I of Portugal confirmed the 700-year-old Anglo-Portuguese Alliance.

In 1977, the Venlo-born Dutch entrepreneur Sander van Gelder acquired the resort out of receivership after it had struggled financially following the 1974 Carnation Revolution.

[2] The resort was run under van Gelder's ownership for the next thirty years, adding another eighteen-hole golf course and many facilities, including bars, restaurants and shops.