— In a nutshell, how would you describe Villa Rosmarino?
Mario: “Villa Rosmarino is an old Genovese villa which was built in 1907 turned into a small boutique hotel. It is located on the mount of Portofino in Camogli, Italy.
It was a very big renovation project because the house had been abandoned for 30 years. We kept the original elements of the building, like the traditional decoration of the façade, but we renovated the interior in a more contemporary style. We even renovated the original gazebo.”
It was a very big renovation project because the house had been abandoned for 30 years. We kept the original elements of the building, like the traditional decoration of the façade, but we renovated the interior in a more contemporary style. We even renovated the original gazebo.”
— Villa Rosmarino
— What was your inspiration to buy a derelict villa, renovate it and rent it out to holiday guests as a small hotel?
Mario: “First of all, it’s important to say that we bought the villa for ourselves because we wanted to leave where we were. We paid particular attention to the details and materials during the renovation because it was supposed to be our home.
We based the design on places we’ve always liked to go for vacation, where you can feel at home but receive the hospitality of being a guest.”
We based the design on places we’ve always liked to go for vacation, where you can feel at home but receive the hospitality of being a guest.”
— The Corner Room bathroom
— What was your area of work before you started?
Mario: “I used to work in advertising in Milan for more than 20 years. In 2007, I left my job because the house was ready. I thought I could live a less stressful life near the sea in a beautiful house in a beautiful environment.
Now, it’s a different type of stress because we take care of all the guests. We are lucky because most of the guests who visit are people looking for a place to relax. They are not stressed out people who complain, and if they are stressed, they leave feeling very rested.
On top of providing a place for them to sleep, we provide information on the best places to shop in the area, things to see, and so on. That might be stressful for some, but not for me.”
Now, it’s a different type of stress because we take care of all the guests. We are lucky because most of the guests who visit are people looking for a place to relax. They are not stressed out people who complain, and if they are stressed, they leave feeling very rested.
On top of providing a place for them to sleep, we provide information on the best places to shop in the area, things to see, and so on. That might be stressful for some, but not for me.”
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— Your philosophy is that you don’t simply ‘stay’ at Villa Rosmarino, but you ‘live’ in it.
Mario: “Yes, that’s right. In the villa there are a couple of living rooms where people can relax and listen to music or read a book. We have a very big library with books of every kind — fashion, art, design, etc. It’s a place to spend some time living with us.
In fact, most of the time I don’t accept reservations for people wanting to stay just one night. It’s not the place to stay for one night. You just can’t experience the place that way.”
In fact, most of the time I don’t accept reservations for people wanting to stay just one night. It’s not the place to stay for one night. You just can’t experience the place that way.”
— Swimming pool
— Can you talk a bit about the style of the hotel rooms?
Mario: “Some of the rooms have vintage furniture mixed with contemporary furniture. Others only have contemporary furniture. I like some of the rooms better than others based on the artwork in them. We have a collection of contemporary art, mainly photographs, but also paintings and sculptures.
During the renovations, the interior had to be almost completely redone. One of the things we were able to keep was the floor on the first level, which is a beautiful mosaic. But the floors in the rooms are all new teak wood floors. The bathrooms have natural beige-colored stones. We tried to maintain the nice things about the original building.
We don’t have anything antique in the rooms because we don’t particularly like that style. We stuck with vintage ‘50s and ‘60s, especially the Italian and Nordic designs, and mixed those with more contemporary pieces.”
During the renovations, the interior had to be almost completely redone. One of the things we were able to keep was the floor on the first level, which is a beautiful mosaic. But the floors in the rooms are all new teak wood floors. The bathrooms have natural beige-colored stones. We tried to maintain the nice things about the original building.
We don’t have anything antique in the rooms because we don’t particularly like that style. We stuck with vintage ‘50s and ‘60s, especially the Italian and Nordic designs, and mixed those with more contemporary pieces.”
— The Swimming Pool Room
— To you personally, what is so special about Villa Rosmarino?
Mario: “It’s a place where you can really relax. We are close to the village, so you can walk into town. We have a nice swimming pool and garden.
Also, the location is beautiful. We are on the mount of Portofino, which is a protected park. We are near the sea but not on a busy Italian coast.”
Also, the location is beautiful. We are on the mount of Portofino, which is a protected park. We are near the sea but not on a busy Italian coast.”
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Transportation
Eat & Drink
Activities
Sights
