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Villa Roma - Part 1
Family run resort in the catskils
Written by: Janet Pope
A family run resort in the catskills that still has that family run intimacy even after decades of growth.
I mentioned to my Mom that I was going to Villa Roma for a few days, and she commented, "My Senior club went there a few years ago and they all said it was very nice." Evidently, seniors can go there, so they must have bingo and the compliment, "It was very nice," meant it must have good food.
That was all I knew about Villa Roma...until my trip changed everything.
All of my preconceived notions of a nice little Catskills Resorts were
shattered as we drove onto Villa Roma's grounds. It was huge. We passed
time-share units, pools, playgrounds, bumper boats, and finally, the main
building. At the registration desk, we met Debbie Hunt from Group Sales.
She gave us a walking tour of the main building and then a jitney bus tour
of the surrounding area. I was struck by the thought that this was not an
ordinary resort, but a vacation complex -- a destination with it all.
Villa Roma is a family-run business purchased by Marty Passante in 1969, and
there is pride and progress in everything he adds. As we explored the
facilities, my husband Donald and I felt like villa Roma was a secret
hidden in the heart of the Catskills, a three-hour drive from New York
City. Since there 270 rooms were filled to capacity during our visit, the secret was out.
Our tour took us past conference rooms, a beauty parlor, gift shops, an indoor pool, a Jacuzzi and sauna, a 1,000 seat night club, 3 outdoor pools, a game room featuring bocce, ping pong, billiards and an arcade, a card room, a dining room, a club house and even an 18-hole PGA-caliber golf course. Oh, they also have tennis, shuffleboard, and an indoor driving range, a fitness center with its own bowling alley.
On our jitney bus, we met a time-share owner, Dori Edivan from Virginia. Dori was like a walking, talking commercial for Villa Roma. She and her family with children of ages 6, 12 and 16 have come to Villa Roma every year for the last 6 years. She was returning from a body mud wrap by Maxine. Did I forget to mention there were also full spa facilities?
We joked with Debbie that Dori must be a "plant" for the marketing team. Being a Brooklynite, we tend to have a healthy mistrust of things seeming too good to be true. Dori assured us she was not a paid commercial announcement, and she continued to gush. "We absolutely love it here."
The Edivan family came here as guests for two years, and the children were so occupied and happy, they decided to purchase a time-share. Dori was on the bus alone, and each member of her family was off to a different activity. There is a free camp at Villa Roma for kids, pre-teens and teens -- each with their own counselors and diverse activities. Having raised my two children past the terrible teens, I was amazed all of the teens seemed to find friends, and there's even night camp.
We left Dori and headed to the indoor gym. It seems one of the reasons Villa Roma is so successful is the family atmosphere promoted by the family who runs it. In the gym, we met Craig Passante, one of Marty's sons, who hopes to manage this huge complex. He was so proud to talk about Villa Roma, and it's obviously not a subject he gets bored speaking about.
His dad, Marty, is quite a character. As the story goes, he had gotten lost while hunting in the Catskills in 1968. He stumbled upon the original Villa Roma in order to get a cup of coffee and come inside from the cold. After getting into a conversation with the owner who was looking to sell, Marty decided to buy. With no experience in the hotel business, Marty sold his house, his boat and his car and moved his family here from Seaford, Long Island. This was either a man with great vision, great luck or perhaps both. Through the years, Marty worked hard, constantly putting profits back into the business. Always expanding and modernizing. Villa Roma, as Craig put it, now has $30 million invested in the ground.
When asked what he felt was the resort's greatest asset, he said, "This is
our home." Somehow this sense of pride and ownership must be contagious
amongst his 300 employees because as Debbie walked through the halls, I
noticed her stop 3 times just to pick up a candy wrapper on the floor.
Craig was also quick to talk about the Villa Roma time-shares. They
currently have 21 buildings with 8 units each. What's even more impressive
is their exceptionally high return rate. Even though time-share units can
be exchanged for other five star resorts, Villa Roma time-share owners
return here 85% of the time.
Speaking of returning customers, we met guest after guest who come back to
Villa Roma with their family at least once a year, sometimes more. Later in the
day, while waiting for "pitching pennies" to begin, we met Anna and Adone
Basilico who have been coming to Villa Roma for 40 years. They were here
when the original owners were involved, and the facilities consisted of the
main building, some cabins, a pool and ping-pong. There were no organized
activities as there are now, and their evenings consisted of visiting newfound
friends in each other's cabins for coffee and cake -- a real Brooklyn tradition!
Well, the Basilicos have seen a lot of changes through the years. Anna
actually has a scrapbook of photos showing the growing Villa Roma as well
as her own growing family. Her two sons now join mom and pop here with
their own children and friends. Twenty years ago, they were one of the
first families to purchase time-share units. When asked to pinpoint why
they think Villa Roma has survived through changes in our economy and our
family structure, Anna replied, "Marty (the owner) loves families and kids.
When he sees us it's like he sees old friends. We meet many of the same
people every year. They don't even need to advertise; They fill up by word
of mouth."
Read part 2
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