The Project...

The Hostel:

Last year, I established a hostel on a beautiful island in the Gulf of Naples. It looked out at Mount Vesuvius and Capri, and now rates between the 4th and 5th best in the whole of Italy, according to the main hostel booking-sites' customer reviews. Over the year, we had roughly 70 reviews, and most of these were around 90-95%. Here are some links...

Hostelworld Hostelbookers Hostelsclub Tripadvisor

What's needed:

I set the hostel up inside a local hotel and while this gave the hostel a good start, it was not an ideal arrangement because hostels are an unfamiliar concept to the islanders here and it was difficult blending the two types of guests. Also, because this is such a "pleasure-island", the hostel needs more of a "social/party" image but this was impossible inside a working hotel.

I want to rent a small hotel and continue the concept. The hostel will be the #1 place to stay in Italy and, with help from a new business partner, I have the skills and experience to make it happen. I need someone who shares this vision and can help make it work. I also need money to rent the property, because in this part of Italy, landlords expect payment annually, in advance.

There are a number of small hotels for rent here, mostly set in locations with amazing views, close to beaches and cafes and villages, and these would all make amazing hostels. The season here starts in May, but there is an unexploited demand now, and it will be busy by March. I have many, many bookings through to June and these are steadily growing, despite the fact I have not done any promotional work yet (because I need a permanent base for the hostel first). This year is going to be extremely busy with the busiest months being July, August and September. The hostel would be a 12 month operation, unlike most hotels on the island, which have a 6 month season. The northern European and English-speaking market would love the island even when it is snowing.

About Me:

I am from Australasia where I owned two underground-music bars, having previously worked in investment banking. I came to Italy because I love Italians, beaches and sun. I have lived for two years here and am steadily learning the lingo. I now understand the island and Italian bureaucracy, and how to get things done. I also have some good networks now which help in this very old, sunny, Mediterranean society.

The Market:

The market is very underdeveloped on these islands. The locals understand "ma's and pa's" style hotels but have no idea about a modern hostel or what, say, an 18-year-old girl or guy from Sweden, Quebec or Australia wants. The market is definately English-speaking, although many customers come from northern Europe and South America, notably Brazil and Argentina. Roughly a third are Americans and another third are from Britain and the Commonwealth. The hostel has a mix of about 3:2 females to males.

Some Plans and Numbers:

I have a conservative cash-flow forecast and a business plan. I have also prepared a marketing plan.

I am looking for an investment of 30,000 €. It can be as

1 a loan with regular, monthly repayments over 2 years,

2 a silent investment with benefits, or

3 an active investment and partnership.

I am open to suggestions and ideas. It would be great to have an active partner here because it was a lot of work by myself last year and I could not even find time to develop the business. For example, I still need to create a webpage and an proper image.

If you want to talk about this more...

Please email me and we can discuss the project further.

I'm pretty passionate about this project and this part of the world so I can talk for ages.

Shaun