Camping Village Roma Capitol: a new water park and excellent prospects for the season

Interview by Raethia Corsini Levi

In the heart of the protected reserve of the Pineta di Castelfusano, in Ostia Antica, far from the noises of the Capitoline metropolis, yet very close to its Great Beauty, as well as to the Roman Castles, the coast and also, if desired, to the spa, stands the Camping Village Roma Capitol, a Baia Holiday accommodation that, offering since 1974 exclusive services in the best locations, has become a guarantee in the outdoor holiday sector.

Design mobile homes, bungalows, lodge tents, and hotel rooms, but also pitches for campers and simple tents are set in an ever-green nature. At the Roma Capitol, for example, mobile homes, pitches for caravans, motorhomes, and tents are in the shade of pine trees and designed to meet the needs of those traveling alone, as a couple, with the family, and even with their pet.

One of the strengths of this structure is certainly its geographic position, which is decidedly strategic: far but close to Rome, a city of art, a Unesco heritage site, one of the most important centers in the world for its tourist attraction; within easy reach of Ostia Antica, which together with Pompeii is the largest archaeological site on the planet with an area of ​​150 hectares.

In Rome Capitol an excellent entertainment offer is also recognized, starting from the swimming pools and, precisely on this front, 2022 brings a great news about which we spoke with Marco Bernasconi, coordinator of the structure.

You have set up a gigantic work: a water park with an Olympic-size swimming pool and also a spray park with slides for children, which is added to the current park with a wellness pool, a semi-Olympic pool and a children’s pool. How and why was the idea born?
Marco Bernasconi – The new water park, a swimming pool with an Olympic pool of 6,000 square meters, which will also host competitive training and competitions, is an important work on which we have concentrated all our efforts for this 2022 season: being close to the sea but not by the sea, we wanted Camping Village Roma Capitol to be enriched with something special, to become even more attractive from the outset. For example: we did not use PVC, but only tiles and around the 6,000 square meters of swimming pools there are only mosaics and the precious Santafiora stone, which comes from a quarry in Tuscany.

Isn’t there a risk of overshadowing the more traditional area, the one with the smaller pools?
Marco Bernasconi – No, absolutely. Indeed, in this way we expand the offer: the water park, intended for super entertainment for young and old, built as a real holiday village, but with refined details given by the choice of materials and the combination of colors; the other area, which until now has welcomed thousands of tourists, will become a sort of relaxation center, thanks to a large lawn with an immense and solitary plane tree in the center. Very contemplative. It seemed to us a perfect place for those who prefer tranquility.

From when will guests be able to enjoy it?
Marco Bernasconi – We hope that tourists will be able to access it starting from August: I use the conditional because at the moment we are still completing the works, which have been really demanding.

Other novelties for 2022?
Marco Bernasconi – Our efforts have been entirely concentrated on the water park. The only novelty is the addition of an option that after the pandemic seemed to meet new needs: our structure has always offered, in the camper areas, bathroom blocks complete with shower, sink and toilet, all in a single cabin, for total privacy. After Covid, we realized that even those who do camping prefer more attention to hygiene and therefore privacy. We have thus created a pitch with a bathroom reserved for everyone. A man’s door and a woman’s door. Each guest has the keys to his “lock” for the duration of the stay. It is a service that we offer at an additional cost of €20 per day.

In addition to hygiene and privacy, sustainability is a theme that is deeply felt especially by those who love open-air holidays and among the new generations. How is Rome Capitol equipped?
Marco Bernasconi – We have solar panels to heat the water in the bathroom blocks where, moreover, drinking water is not used for draining the toilet, but recycled. The structure is surrounded by greenery and moreover in a protected reserve: we take care of the plants and, since the reserve is practically all pine forest and the pines this year suffered from the attack of a virus, we have occupied a lot of less invasive endotherapic treatments. Out of 1,200 plants we managed to treat 800. It must be borne in mind that there is no contribution from the Municipality, because the area is considered private, even if it is a protected park. On the front of sustainability, it goes without saying that we are organized with separate waste collection. Finally, there is practically no cash in circulation because we have been favoring credit cards or similar payments only with for a long time. This too feeds a virtuous circuit.

What is the identikit of your customers?
Marco Bernasconi – Our core are families, 30-50 years old, with children between 3 and 12 years old. Regarding the type of stay and services, in a nutshell I would say that 60/70 percent of guests book mobile homes, 25 percent of motorhome areas and 5 percent of tents, in this case above all young and low-budget guests or those who make the tour of Italy by bike. Among these are many Danes, for example. Regarding the geographical origin, let’s say that mainly RVers and campers from Northern Europe come to us: 50% of the mobile homes are booked by Northern Europeans and Italians. Our fellow RVers almost always move in groups and most of them come from Campania, Tuscany, and Lazio.

What are they looking for and, above all, what are the strengths that are most recognized by customers?
Marco Bernasconi – Space and strategic position are at the on top of their list of preferences; then the bathroom blocks which, as I said, guarantee hygiene and privacy; finally, leisure: sports fields, playgrounds, ancillary services. On the entertainment front, the demand is always high, especially for families.

Are there any preferences among the ancillary services?
Marco Bernasconi – Most of our guests give high ratings to the patio in the pool, they consider it chic and not infrequently they also ask us to organize special events: birthdays, celebrations, small parties with friends. They also love the in-house restaurant.

Do you pay any attention to our four-legged friends, who are now “family members”?
Marco Bernasconi – We welcome all pets without problems, in every area. It is clear that the owners are responsible for their behavior and care, but four-legged friends are welcome. We do not charge extra except for dogs, because they generally use the spaces and common areas more than other pets, which are more like living rooms. For Fido of all breeds, however, we have a welcome kit, thanks to the partnership with Monge, the most important Italian industrial group in the dog and cat food sector. And then to man’s best friend we offer large spaces where they can kick around, always respecting the rules.

The last two years, in terms of the flow of activities and bookings, are not valid for obvious contingent reasons. And no comparisons can be made on market trends. Keeping this in mind, how is this year going?
Marco Bernasconi – Considering that we can accommodate up to 5,000 people, this year we will fill half the structure, with about 2,500/2,800 guests in July and August. 30/40% more than last year, which is encouraging for everyone. Traditionally July is booked more by foreigners, August by our compatriots. We do not have concrete forecasts for September, it is still early.

You say it is still early to make a forecast for September: why has the market not yet returned to full capacity between the pandemic and the war?
Marco Bernasconi – I don’t think it’s just that. We are witnessing a change in tourism and in the way of planning and preparing holidays. Everything has become more last minute, a more fluid job. And holidays are being planned more and more at the last moment, because the time available depends on numerous variables, which did not exist just a few years ago. It is one of the challenges that accommodation facilities are taking on.

What is the added value of being part of a company like Baia Holiday?
Marco Bernasconi – The excellence it has guaranteed for 50 years in the open-air holiday sector is an indisputable plus. As well as being part of a corporate structure where every procedure, services, and recruiting are standardized with high quality. The company also pays particular attention to detail and the pursuit of excellence, and this is another guarantee, not a small one.