A VISIT AT THE BAJA HOTELS’ GROUP IN BAJA SARDINIA

A TRUE STORY, LIVED AND TOLD BY A GREAT WOMAN
by Salvatore Cifalinò

One of the most fascinating regions of Italy is certainly Sardinia, a land that attracts tourists from all over the world for its crystal clear sea, the beaches with one of the finest sand worldwide, the unspoiled landscapes and the kindness of its people.

Among the many corners of paradise that this land offers, just a few minutes from the renowned Porto Cervo, there is Baja Sardinia, where we met Eliana Testoni, owner together with her husband Renzo Bongiovanni and her son Marco, of the Baja Hotels group that counts the hotels: La Bisaccia, Grand Relais dei Nuraghi, Club Hotel and Le Palme.

It is said that behind a successful man there is a great woman; in this case we confirm.

Eliana, would you like to talk about your hotel group?

With pleasure. We started as owners of the 'Club Hotel' which had already existed for two seasons. My husband, when he arrived here, literally fell in love with Sardinia and, in particular, with this place. I was at home with two small children; he phoned me and said: "Eliana, you and I will come and live here, in Costa Smeralda, you'll see, it's a wonderful place; I'm sure you'll like it!". For a moment, I was perplexed; I thought it was a joke but instead he was serious. In fact, he began to take an interest in building a hotel. Meanwhile the "Club Hotel" was put up for sale and we, with two other partners, bought it in 1969. Our first season was in 1970 and it had a great success; those were the golden years in which Sardinia was visited, as also now, by elected guests: journalists, artists, singers and very famous names came to visit us every year. In 1984 we entered in the company at ‘La Bisaccia’, which we slowly took over to become unique owners. Later, thanks to the intuitions especially of my husband, who has a creative mind, we built the group we are talking about that belongs to our family.

Are there any apartments in your facilities?

Once upon a time there were, then we restructured them to turn them into suites called logge.

How much personal do you have in total?

About 450 employees.

Do you work only in the summer season?

Usually we start at Easter or just before Easter and generally we go on until mid-October, depending on the reservations.

What do the 4 hotels have in common and what differentiates them?

They differ in the type of customers, each of the 4 hotels has a different clientele. They share the quality, which for me, without wanting to exaggerate, is up to the ‘5 stars’. The ‘Grand Relais dei Nuraghi’ has a peculiarity that consists of small, very reserved housing units and a private swimming pool, ideal for couples.
We noticed that the service in the restaurant is impeccable.

Yes, it is true, our guests confirm this. We have a great, very close-knit and very professional team, which is masterfully directed by the first maître, Antonello Fresi and the second maître, Riccardo Centamore; the food that is served at the table is of the highest quality.

Can you tell us some anecdotes?

Eliana Testoni with her husband
Renzo Bongiovanni

In these years we have had a lot of fun, because we have retrieved many festivals of the past, like the ‘farmer's festival’. We even create the farmyard in our large dining room, bringing the straw and putting rabbits, chickens and whatever else in it; a very appreciated show.
Going to the conclusion of this interview, who is Eliana Testoni?

Eliana Testoni is the daughter of a great man, who was honoured with the title of Cavaliere della Repubblica for being one of the first in the pre and post-war years to owns cinemas. My mother was one of the most beautiful women in Rimini. I lived my youth happily without ever having thought that as an ‘adult’ I would run hotels, even if my grandfather, actually, my mother's father, had one of the most important hotels in Rimini.

How did you meet your husband?

I was 17 and one day, while I was visiting a friend of mine who lived near his house, he noticed me; we began to date and we fell in love. In 1965 we got married; we have 2 children who gave us 6 grandchildren. A beautiful family.

The story of Eliana is a significant example of entrepreneurship that aims to give value to the territory and the local resources.