What is the name of your accommodation? 

La Grande Bellezza and Dolomiti Dreams

Could you introduce yourself and share a bit about your life, such as your interests, hobbies, or background?

I am Herman Pruijssers. I used to run a business in financial services, and I have been retired for ten years. My hobbies are cycling (graveling on the Italian strade bianche), skiing, painting, and cooking. My partner, Tessa Bosman, is a journalist and creative all-rounder. She has her own company, Gloei.eu, in which she designs and makes lamps. Her hobby is styling our accommodations. We have two daughters: Senna and Isis. They truly grew up with our accommodations. Many beautiful memories exist of summer and winter vacations with the family in La Grande Bellezza and Dolomiti Dreams.

How did your property become part of your life? When did it happen, and what inspired or motivated you to take it on? 

Ten years ago, we bought our first accommodation, La Grande Bellezza. After much searching across all regions of Italy, we decided that Umbria is the most beautiful. We fell in love instantly with the house, its location, the olive trees around it, and the stunning swimming pool. After renovating and furnishing the house, we felt the itch to start another project in Italy—something very different, with a completely different style. That became Dolomiti Dreams: an apartment in the Dolomites, in northern Italy. But the itch persisted. So now we are working on realizing yet another type of accommodation in Italy — an apartment by the sea in Liguria, in the picturesque village of Tellaro, near the Cinque Terre. We hope to finish Sotto le Stelle early next year and open it for rental.

What was the process of creating your property like? Tell us about renovating, furnishing, or styling it.

An old house like La Grande Bellezza never stops needing work. But that's exactly what we like. Staying still is not for us. Because it had stood empty for years, it took almost two years to bring everything back into shape. Tessa and I make a good team: I make sure everything is technically and structurally sound, and Tessa handles the styling and pays attention to aesthetics. The same approach applied to the renovation of Dolomiti Dreams. We first stripped the apartment completely—nothing had been done since the 1960s—then we designed a new layout and style and rebuilt it. We do almost everything ourselves. Only the construction of the wooden bed structure we subcontracted.

What makes your property truly special to you? Do you have any favorite spots, cherished memories, or personal touches that make it dear to your heart?

With La Grande Bellezza, we found our dream home. We immediately fell for the location, the many cypresses, the long drive, the covered outdoor terrace, and the swimming pool. Over the years we have continually improved and dressed up the house. It truly feels like coming home now. And it doesn’t stop here: every year we make further improvements or modernizations to make it even more pleasant. In Dolomiti Dreams we enjoy not only the comfort and the interior, but especially the fantastic, open view of the rock formation of the Sella Massif — from sunrise to sunset when the lights in the valley turn on. That never tires.

How would you describe the atmosphere and interior of your property?

La Grande Bellezza is a cozy family home, with a large swimming pool, table tennis table, pool table, mountain bikes, and all kinds of toys and games. The interior is a creative mix of classic and modern, and we find it important that everything is also technically top-notch and up to date. We wanted to create an ambiance in which guests feel at home quickly, can fully relax, and surrender to the Italian dolce far niente. In Dolomiti Dreams, comfort, luxury and design take center stage. The abundant altholz wood we used in the apartment certainly contributes to that. A warm welcome in a cozy stay after a day of skiing or hiking in the mountains: put on thick socks and relax.

Are there sustainable or eco-friendly features in your accommodation that you are proud of?

On the roof of La Grande Bellezza lie twelve solar panels. I installed them myself. I had never done that before, so I am quite proud of it. Additionally, we devised a system to separate waste as simply as possible. With large groups this is really necessary to manage well, as we have learned.

What motivated or inspired you to rent your property to guests?

During the early years of the renovation of La Grande Bellezza, friends and their children from the Netherlands often visited to stay over. That’s when we noticed how well the house lends itself to multiple families — and how fun it is to see guests enjoy the home in which we had invested so much love. That feeling has remained. The many wonderful reviews from our guests make us happy and proud every time. And that also applies to Dolomiti Dreams.

What can guests expect when staying at your accommodation? Share the experience, the highlights, and perhaps the best compliment you’ve received from past guests.

La Grande Bellezza is above all a very spacious house, with three separate living units, each with its own entrance, kitchen, bathroom and living area. A warm, cozy home in which you feel at home quickly. The outside spaces are also generous — think, for example, of the enormous olive grove. Guests often praise the big swimming pool and the game room with a billiards table. The nicest compliments for Dolomiti Dreams? “This must have been designed by an architect, so beautiful!” and: “I feel so good here, I almost didn’t want to leave the apartment this morning to go skiing.”

What do you hope guests will take away from their stay, and do you have any special tips or recommendations to make their holiday unforgettable? 

A memory of a carefree, amazing holiday — exactly as they had imagined it beforehand. And perhaps even more beautiful.

Do you also have special tips or recommendations to make their holiday unforgettable?

In La Grande Bellezza we offer the option to hire an Italian chef. We receive nothing but positive feedback from guests who have made use of this option and thereby had an unforgettable evening or afternoon.