The Art of Being a Guest: Why Your Hotel is Not an Apartment (and Why That’s a Very Good Thing)

In the world of hospitality studies, we spend a great deal of time analysing the science of service—the precision of a room’s layout, the mathematics of guest satisfaction and the ergonomics of a well-placed bolster.

But after decades of welcoming guests to our family-run villa on the Italian Riviera, I’ve realised that no lecture can quite describe the "Self-Service Muddle" we’ve seen lately.

It is time for a little heart-to-heart about the difference between staying in a flat and being a guest in a home.

The ‘Supermarket Suite’ vs. The Boutique Experience

We’ve noticed a curious trend: guests arriving with bags of groceries from the local supermarket and then heading to the desk to ask for a collection of forks, knives, plates and an ice bucket to take back to their room.

We understand the impulse—globalisation and a fast-paced world have made us all a bit too used to being self-sufficient.

However, when you ask for a set of cutlery to eat a plastic-wrapped sandwich in your room, you are accidentally opting out of the very experience you travelled for.

In a living, breathing ecosystem like Villa Edera & La Torretta, we don’t want you to worry about the washing up.

Why settle for a supermarket bottle when you can enjoy a selection from our extensive Boutique Cellar at "shelf prices" served in sparkling crystal on your private terrace?

An apartment is just a place to store your luggage, but a boutique hotel is a Rare Experience of being welcomed into a family.

The Kettle Conundrum and the 5 PM Ritual

The "kettle affair" is another classic symptom of the apartment mindset.

While we do provide kettles in our Superior rooms and above and Nespresso machines from Deluxe rooms upwards, we always hope you’ll choose the more soulful path.

Why huddle in a corner making a solitary cuppa when you could join us for our daily complimentary tea and homemade biscuits from 5:00 to 5:30 PM?.

It is a moment of conviviality and relaxation designed to nurture the soul before the evening begins. And if you truly need a late-night infusion, Francesco Badeli at the Verbena Bar is an alchemist of fresh botanicals, ready to serve you a blend harvested from our 2,000 m² private park with a grace no pod-machine can match.

Dining in Slippers: The Unhurried Joy

We also see guests asking for "takeaway" to their rooms because they are knackered after a day on the Cinque Terre trails. Unless your body is calling for a day of absolute, restorative stillness, we invite you to step out of your very own sanctuary—that private place of intimacy—to wander down in your favourite slippers and find a warm seat at our family table, with no formal fuss.

In a small villa like ours, you can quite literally join us for an intimate, quick dinner without the "theatre" of a formal restaurant. Whether you sit under the grapevine archway or the pergola, you will find a gorgeous dining room filled with our reimagined Campanino chairs.

Here you will find the unhurried joy of shared conversation and home-cooking rooted 100% in Ligurian tradition.

Don’t Be a Tenant—Be a Guest

There are plenty of impersonal hotels out there with self-service check-ins that give you a key without ever showing you the room.

If that is what you seek, the machines have already won.

But we still believe in human relations. From our "housekeeping girls" to our gardeners, our team is composed of "Monegliesi" who strive for perfection because they care about your experience.

When you ask to be self-sufficient, you miss the heartbeat of the house.

So, put down the supermarket bag and let us look after you!

You didn’t come to the Riviera to be a tenant; you came to be part of our community.

 

Travel light, live slowly and let us bring you the wine!

9 May 2026