It all started with a small family of sharecroppers like many others, in which poor farmers worked for the landlord in exchange for land products, and who decided to get in touch with the first tourism on the Romagna Riviera.
In 1956, Clementina Sarti started working at the Regina Guesthouse in Gatteo Mare, one of the first guesthouses in the town, first as a maid on the floors and then as a replacement cook.
With little Walter growing up and her husband Paolo ready to lend her a hand, Clementina decided to go further, understanding the economic boom of seaside tourism: she left Gatteo Mare in 1963 to take over the management of Pensione Pascoli, a small hotel on the main street of San Mauro Mare.
Clementina's culinary skills, nothing more than the passion and love of an "azdora" (a term which in Romagna indicates the woman who is queen of the house and the kitchen), contributed decisively to the success of this new adventure: so much so that the Tonielli family considered it a further step towards something more important.
The first management
Clementina's culinary skills, nothing more than the passion and love of an "azdora" (a term which in Romagna indicates the woman who is queen of the house and the kitchen), contributed decisively to the success of this new adventure: so much so that the Tonielli family considered it a further step towards something more important.
Like a return home, but on a grander scale: after only three years, Clementina, Walter and Paolo came back to their beloved Gatteo Mare to manage the Hotel Milano, a large facility for that time and one that required more commitment from the family. But this did not frighten them, on the contrary: from the many tourists who filled the hotel rooms they took strength and courage to plunge more and more into the world of tourist accommodation, with dedication and attention to detail. This happened mostly in the kitchen, where Clementina made guests feel pampered with the genuineness of
typical food: lasagne, passatelli and cappelletti, rabbit coniglio alla cacciatora and you can always find many other local delicacies.
They were seven unforgettable seasons, those from 1965 to 1971, so beautiful and successful that they made a dream come true that would never have been possible for a farming family: buying a hotel. But this dream came true, and in 1970 a modern and spacious building became the "home" that still welcomes tourists, guests and above all friends: the Hotel Estense.
The first hotel owned
Initially decided to run the Hotel Milano together, Clementina and Walter had to face the premature death of Paolo, who left his wife and son the arduous task of continuing this great family adventure.
But the combination mother-son proved successful: Walter as hotel and dining room manager, and Clementina as always busy managing the kitchen, were the key to the family business' success. Without forgetting the ever-present support of Clementina's parents: Paola and Natale, Walter's grandparents, who were true spiritual guides and were always there to help with the business.
Between the 1980s and the early 2000s, the Hotel Estense was refurbished several times, and little Riccardo's entry into the world of work gave even more energy to Walter and Clementina's plans, ready to take another step forward.
With the growth of Riccardo accompanied by his father Walter in managing the hotel, in 2011 the family decided to buy the nearby Hotel Portobello to merge everything into a new facility with more rooms and more services, but with the same passion and love as always.
THE TRADITION CONTINUES
but not the passion for Hospitality
After the untimely death of Walter and, later, of the historic "azdora" Clementina, Riccardo is now the soul of the Tonielli family, always present in his everyday Romagna smile, ready to carry on what started from the land and is now facing the sea.
Our close-knit team strives every day to exceed your expectations and make your entire stay a success, from the first welcome to the friendly greeting of goodbye.
We do our best so that you can ssame a beautiful and special memory of your holiday in Gatteo Mare, we try to make you feel at home ... but better! Pampering the Guest is a true vocation for us, joy and hospitality have always been the trademark of Romagna, and we cultivate them with dedication.
Let yourself be surprised by our genuineness and passion: we are here for you, the stay you are waiting for is here, at Estense.
