I am not as ironic as I would like to be, I am not a copywriter, I am not able to sit still and neither is my head. Finally, I am a tourism entrepreneur. I was born a newspaper journalist and when magazines started to disappear, as a communication lover I follow the evolution and turn into a digital journalist.
And then, I work on the web and enjoy being professional in the midst of trolls and fakes, i.e. nonsense and fake news. Then, if you have a good wifi connection, you can be anywhere. So, after more than 30 years in Milan, I decided to change my life. I chose Menorca because it is close to Italy, it is a cosmopolitan island in the Mediterranean with its own identity and sustainability. From the first moment I set foot there, in 2016, I felt at home.
Finally, I also chose the most discreet island in the Balearic Islands to dedicate myself to hospitality, a passion of mine since I was 20 years old. I spent five years at sea, working on sailboats, and my job as sailor, cook and skipper was to make guests’ holidays on the boat unforgettable.
In Menorca for six months I am a journalist, writing (in Italian) for the Casa Bonita blog and the portal Isola di Minorca. Then, for another six I welcome travellers from all over the world to Casa Bonita Menorca and share experiences of sustainable tourism.
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2017. Opening of Casa Bonita Menorca
I wanted a horizontal house, only on one floor, with 4 rooms with bathrooms, in an area where there is life all year round. I visited over 50 houses, scattered here and there on the eastern side of Menorca and one Wednesday in February I crossed the threshold of Casa Bonita. It was already called this. I imagined what it could become and inside I felt it was my home and the sustainable hospitality project that was growing inside me. A project that began in June 2017, once I obtained the Balearic Islands Tourist Licence.
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2019. TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence
Obtaining TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence was not challenging: reviews count above all, and Casa Bonita Menorca’s are all true! I am not a fan of accolades. I came to Menorca as an Airbnb Super Host, a title you get when you get great reviews and host a minimum number of people a year. I held it for seven years and lost it after the pandemic. Because now guests come to Casa Bonita mainly by word of mouth and through this site. Fewer and fewer come via the international platforms and…. that’s good enough!
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2021. Opening of Casa Binimares
The beach house was another dream of mine. In Menorca it’s customary to live in the city or the countryside and have a beach house to spend the summer in. A few kilometres from the main house, of course! So it was for me. I passed by Biniancolla dozens of times on my way to the island’s southern beaches. And each time I thought: ‘One day I would like to have a house here, almost on the water’. This dream became reality in 2020: I only saw the house once and at the end of August renovation work began on Casa Binimares, from 2021 an ideal solution for those who love a holiday home facing the sea.
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2022. Menorca Reserva Biosphere Brand
At the end, I am proud to have received the Menorca Reserva de Biosfera brand for Casa Bonita Menorca. It’s a sustainability distinction given to local products and services based on criteria that promote Menorca’s environment, identity and culture. The process to obtain it is long and challenging. In fact, once the documentation is submitted, the all-round verification begins. It takes 10 months from the first step to the inspectors’ visit home and finally to the receipt of the brand, which lasts three years. A brand that unites people around the sustainability of Menorca and guarantees guests and consumers. Indeed, by choosing certified products and services, you promote a positive environmental, cultural, social and economic impact on the island of Menorca.
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2022. Plastic Free Balearics Certification
Obtaining the Plastic Free Balearics certification was also a laborious process. Either because the documentation to be completed is in Menorcan. You want because it’s not easy to interpret mandatory requirements and rules. However, in the end came the four stars for 2022 of a certification that is annual. So, every year it has to be redone! It’s worth it. Beyond the 2019 European directive – EU Sup (Single use plastic), transposed by Spain on 3 July 2021 and by Italy on 14 January 2022 -, the elimination of single-use plastics is essential to limit their dispersion in the environment and oceans. According to the latest studies, 78 tonnes of plastic are thrown into the sea in Menorca every year. At Casa Bonita Menorca, single-use plastic has long been banned!
Vision & Mission of Casa Bonita Menorca and Casa Binimares
I really believe that travelling is one of the most beautiful experiences in life and I love to propose what I would like to find when I travel. Therefore, I believe in challenges that make me better and I love to make the place where I live better. And I believe in taking care of myself, others and the environment. I believe in collaboration and sharing, in excellence and the luxury of simplicity. I want to be a reference in the world of personalised and sustainable hospitality. One of my goals is to share the best of Menorca and my knowledge is constantly evolving. I offer experiences that must satisfy desires and small, big dreams.
INSPIRATION
There is always something to do
Style, Made in Italy, taste, experience, attention to detail, sustainability and environmental protection. These are my sources of inspiration, fuelled by passion and endless curiosity, with the awareness that perfection is not of this world but doing better is possible, every day, knowing that beautiful things are challenging!
COLLABORATION
Contributing to eco and zero km projects
Casa Bonita Menorca and Casa Binimares have been in a Unesco Biosphere Reserve since 1993. Participating in projects to defend the territory, identity and culture of Menorca is a privilege. Indeed, it is a pleasure to clean beaches, plant trees, support the local economy by buying from Menorcan producers. These are commitments that I share with guests and friends.
SHARE
The luxury of small pleasures
Casa Bonita Menorca and Casa Binimares have the ambition of being 'homes where you feel at home'. Homes where you can share the luxury of small things: the freshness of linen sheets and fine cotton towels. And again, the flavour and fragrance of organic products from Menorca's gardens and farms. Then, cakes, jams, ice cream made fresh every day...
Today and tomorrow in Menorca
I don’t think I will have three homes, two are already a big commitment. And I don’t think I will be a full-time retired person: I love too much snooping, travelling, dreaming, living. As I said, I’m not able to sit still so every year I say: work is finished on Casa Bonita Menorca and Casa Binimares.
Then, it happens that something breaks, and so, Confucio has a new bathroom. It happens that the summer of 2022 was very hot and from 2023 all the rooms in Casa Bonita and Gandhi in Casa Binimares have air conditioners. In short, there is never an end to improvements and changes. In any case, I find time to experience Menorca and continue discovering its unknown places and aspects. Otherwise, how could I propose them? The truth is that I love what I do! Do you want to know more about me? Follow me on social media: