PESARO – Elite holidays in dream villas. The glamorous side of hospitality. Laura Sabbatini and Enrico Grassi have sold Marche Holiday Villas to the Tuscan operator Emma Villas Spa and Laura continues her activity within the company. How does the season in the Pesaro area look like for the group?
«I would say very good with interesting news: bookings are growing with requests for holidays in off-season periods such as May, September and October».
Is the Pesaro area a VIP destination?
«Much more than you think. In fact, very well-known people often come, are enchanted and ask to buy a home which they then renovate with us to also make it into a villa to rent.”
Why villas rather than a five-star hotel?
«Because we offer a completely different potential. A comfort similar to that of a luxury hotel but with the privacy and freedom of an entire property.”
What type of comfort do they ask for in the approximately 20 villas in the Pesaro area?
«Large swimming pools, air conditioning, in short, an obvious comfort-price ratio that we enrich by, for example, finding an area equipped with a barbecue, ping-pong, table football or an ice maker. Then, we offer a series of services such as the chef in the villa, truffle hunting, trekking, visits to museums, the Pasta Academy where you make the pastry at home. Finally, and this is important, we are connected to the territory. But not with brochures but with wines, beers and gastronomy products in a welcome basket with specially designed packaging which includes invitations to visit cellars and laboratories. Obviously the heated swimming pools and Turkish baths allow the proposal to be deseasonalized.”
You are not the traditional agency
«Marche Holiday Villas is a property manager because we are able to support the owner of the home at all times including permits and communications with the Police Headquarters and everything rests on the shared principle that we do not rent villas but provide hospitality».
Is this concept really understood by the owners of villas in the Pesaro area?
«Now yes but when I started no. I confess that I paid the price for innovating in the area with this proposal to rent luxury homes but we have reaped the results. Especially now that we are witnessing a change in mentality. First we had to convince them to focus on beauty, to impress with design. It has even happened to us to make agreements with specialized companies to purchase comfortable and more valuable furnishings or even to invest ourselves by paying the owner the cost of some specific equipment in advance. Today, the owners take our advice, both Italian and foreign, very much into account because we have a common goal: to rent the structure for the greatest number of weeks and make it more appealing.”
How important is the valorisation of a villa?
«It depends on the offer but basically let’s say from 18 thousand euros up per season».
What is missing in the Pesaro area’s offer?
«Updated proposals of all events and opportunities, even in small towns. Because those who come want to share the lifestyle of the area, to be seduced by the heritage of the little things, by the gentle soul of the villages. It is not only the villa that attracts the holidaymaker but the destination. And then we sometimes have to cancel visits to small towns because the museum opening hours do not correspond to the requests of our guests. On the other hand, the guide system works very well with a consideration for environmental guides who should improve their English.”
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