A Conversation with Emmanuel Santopietro

LEARNING

Today I’m interviewing someone who once had a dream and, years later, managed to make it a reality through perseverance and determination. Emmanuel is one of those people who is always smiling, carries himself with composure, and approaches life with a positive attitude. You can tell that he knows how to wait for the right moment to say and do what needs to be said and done. Together with his brother, he runs the Italian glamping site Le Perseidi, one of those projects that offers something more than glamour, something with soul that goes far beyond simply providing accommodation.

P. When does someone decide to open a glamping site centered around bubbles?

E. When you see them! In my case, it was in 2010, during a trip to France. When I saw them, I thought it would be a great idea to bring them to Italy, as I hadn’t seen anything similar in the country at that time.

P. What were you doing before that?

E. I was working in construction.

P. Quite a big change—how brave!

E. Yes, I had always been clear that I wanted to develop my own business, and when I saw the Bubbles, I knew it was what I wanted to do!

P. And when did you open the project?

E. In 2021.

P. Oh my goodness, 11 years! Isn’t that a long time?

E. Everything has an explanation. We were clear that the project depended on three important factors. The first was having sufficient resources to open with confidence; the second was finding the ideal piece of land on which to install the bubbles; and the third was bureaucracy, which can be complicated in Italy.

P. It all sounds very logical. How complicated is bureaucracy in Italy?

E. Well, from the moment you start the process of obtaining the permits until you can actually get started, years can easily go by!

P. Sounds like quite a headache… Why Le Perseidi?

E. At our glamping site, we want everything to have a reason behind it. We’re not only aiming to give our guests a great experience; we always want to offer something more, and that starts with the name and its meaning. Le Perseidi is the scientific name for the Perseid meteor shower, which can be seen spectacularly from our glamping site every August 10th!

P. And how do you decide on the location?

E. We knew what we wanted from the start. The surroundings and the distance from cities are key. Bubbles are a highly visual product that also allow guests to enjoy a 360º view of their surroundings, so the location has to live up to the guest’s expectations. Being easily accessible is also essential. We are two hours from Florence and Rome, which is an ideal distance for a getaway!

P. Which supplier did you start with? In other words, where did you buy your first bubbles?

E. We started with Chinese bubbles and later discovered Skybubbles.

P. How did you discover them?

E. Through a Spanish glamping site, I think it was Miluna. We saw them, looked up the website so we could get in touch with them, and they put us in contact with Alberto Burro, the Italian distributor.

P. And did you switch?

E. We’re in the process of doing so. Right now, we have one, and we’re going to replace the rest. The quality of Skybubbles and the service you receive are, today, the best on the market. I highly recommend them! We currently have four bubbles, and the one we have from Skybubbles is our premium bubble, the luxury one. Little by little, we’ll replace the others.

“The quality of Skybubbles and the service you receive are, today, the best on the market. I highly recommend them! We currently have four bubbles, and the one we have from the Skybubbles brand is our premium bubble, the luxury one.”

P. How did you get the business off the ground? What strategy did you adopt to attract customers?

E. We made the decision not to use Booking.

P. Brave move!

E. Haha, yes. Instead, from the very beginning, we focused on social media campaigns through Meta platforms: Instagram and Facebook. We spent €10 per day for 15 days, with prices varying depending on the time of year and whether it was a weekday or weekend.

P. And the result?

E. We were fully booked for the first two years.

P. Wow! What was the average price per night?

E. €250.

“We chose to invest in high-quality furnishings and amenities for our accommodations, as guest comfort and convenience are key.”

P. It’s clear that when you have a good strategy and know how to put it into practice, the results follow! What services do you think set Le Perseidi apart?

E. We chose to invest in high-quality furnishings and amenities for our accommodations, as guest comfort and convenience are key. Two other clearly differentiating aspects are that each bubble has its own small pool or spa, as well as the breakfast we offer.

P. Emmanuel, and what about the future? How do you see it? Where do you see yourselves in a few years?

E. Growing, haha. We’ve bought a new piece of land in a great location near my hometown, and I believe that, after a thorough analysis, there will be an opportunity to install six bubbles!

P. You’re going to become the Skybubbles man of Italy!

E. Haha, I hope so! I think we have plenty of room to grow, and we can do so sustainably, especially now that we have the experience we’ve gained over these three years.

P. Thank you very much, Emmanuel!

E. Thank you!