Fire Safety Plans (MAP) for Hotels and Tourist Accommodation
What changes when guests sleep in the building overnight.
Why hospitality is different
Hotels, hostels and tourist accommodation generally fall under Utilização-Tipo VII. The factor that weighs most is people sleeping in the building, often without knowing the exits, and that puts almost all of these spaces, even small ones, in risk categories that require a MAP.
The number of beds, the building's height and the presence of below-ground floors set the category. A ten-room hostel and a four-storey hotel both have a MAP, but with different levels of requirement and safety organisation.
When this usually becomes urgent
- Opening or registering a new tourist establishment: an approved MAP is usually required before classification
- Converting a building to hotel use, for example an old building turned into a boutique hotel
- Increasing the number of rooms or beds
- Renewing the tourism classification
- An ANEPC inspection that flagged gaps in detection, emergency lighting or drills
What usually gets assessed
Automatic fire detection throughout the building, with an alarm audible in the rooms. Emergency lighting and exit signage in corridors and stairwells. Fire doors on stairs and in risk compartments, working and not wedged open. An internal emergency plan with instructions for guests, a safety team with shifts covering the night, and regular drills. In larger buildings, smoke control in the evacuation routes. The exact risk category and specific obligations are set by a técnico autor.
Need to sort this out?
Frequently asked questions
Does a small hostel or guest house still need a MAP?
As a rule yes. Once capacity exceeds the simplified short-term rental threshold, the space is treated as a tourist establishment (Utilização-Tipo VII) and a MAP is required. Below that threshold the short-term rental regime applies.
How is this different from a short-term rental?
A short-term rental with up to ten guests has a simplified regime, with no formal MAP. Above that, or when registered as a tourist establishment, Utilização-Tipo VII applies with a full MAP. We have a separate guide for short-term rentals.
Do I need someone on security duty overnight?
In establishments with a MAP, the safety organisation has to cover the whole operating period, including the night. The number of people and their roles depend on the risk category and are set by the técnico autor in the internal emergency plan.
This guide is general orientation and doesn't replace legal or technical advice. Your building's exact risk category and obligations are determined by a técnico autor registered with ANEPC.