A camping family's hotel service

How two generations run a resort

I am writing this column from the terrace of my luxury glamping accommodation at Chianti Glamping Resort, on a sunny hill in Tuscany. In front of me, the swimming pool sparkles in the light of the late afternoon sun. At the edge, children play hide-and-seek in the playground among the olive trees. Behind me, laughter and murmurs can be heard: a new family is just being welcomed to the restaurant. The reception lady walks towards the reception with a clipboard, while the lifeguard straightens the deck chairs by the pool. This is no accidental scene, this ís the concept: a family business that literally two generations breathe the whole resort.

Vacanze col Cuore - literally: holiday with the heart - started as a small Italian family business founded by Loek and Chicca van de Loo, driven by a love of hospitality. Meanwhile, the second generation - sons Alessandro and Leonardo - is at the helm and the company includes several glamping resorts in Italy as well as one surprising Country Resort in Twente. But despite the growth, the core has remained unchanged: a brand built on family spirit. That is not a marketing trick, but the basis on which everything runs. Here, you don't work with staff employed by a company; here, you work with family members who treat their guests as an extension of their own circle.

And you feel that as a guest. It starts with the welcome: no check-in desk with forms, but a warm welcome with eye contact and a chat about your trip. The accommodation - from stylish safari tents to charming cottages - is immaculately maintained, but what you remember is how personal everything feels. Even the entertainment team is not a standard recreation crew, but a kind of lifestyle crew that takes guests into the family's holiday spirit.

As a specialist in glamping & outdoor hospitality, I visit many campsites and glamping sites. The focus is often on the hardware: new lodges, large swimming pools, neatly laid-out gardens. Of course you'll find that here too, but Vacanze col Cuore invests at least as much in the 'software': the people, the atmosphere, the culture. Everything is aimed at making guests feel part of something bigger - a story, a home, a family.

Therein lies a lesson for many hoteliers. At a time when guests demand more than just a bed and breakfast, the family feel is a powerful differentiator. It gives your brand a soul, a recognisable identity that guests attach themselves to. And that is not just emotion, it is smart strategy: those who feel connected to a brand will come back and pass it on.

So my advice to hoteliers: dare to build a concept that is not just about design and facilities, but about identity and human connection. Let employees be ambassadors of that story. And realise that the ultimate luxury is not in the thickest mattress or the biggest pool, but in feeling welcome; not as room 203, but as a human being.

Whether you run a boutique hotel, a high-end resort or rent out a luxury safari tent: hospitality is universal. But a real family feeling: that is perhaps the best gift you can give your guests. Salute!