From the moment Guus and Silvia traveled through France with a small tent, they dreamed of a life in the countryside, preferably abroad. Every holiday they would stop by real estate agents to look at houses, but it wasn’t until they were around forty that they began to search seriously.

At first, they wanted to start a campsite, until in 2004 they rented a luxury tent in France. The simple yet comfortable way of camping made such an impression that they decided to start a glamping.

In 2005, Guus traveled to Piedmont and was immediately enthusiastic. A week later, Silvia joined him and instantly fell in love with an old wine farm with stunning views near Acqui Terme. Without permits, reports, or guarantees, they decided to buy the house, pure love at first sight. When they discovered that their last name, Bont(à), means “goodness” in Italian, the name Casa Bonta was born.

In the Netherlands, they had a successful women’s fashion store. Despite their enjoyable work, beautiful house, and pleasant life there, the adventure and challenge beckoned.

In the summer of 2006, they moved to Cartosio, Italy. The children started their Italian schools in September, in the nearby city Acqui Terme. At that time, there were hardly any other foreign children, and their blond hair was quite a spectacle for their new classmates and the local villagers.

In 2008, Casa Bonta became the first Glamping born in Italy, opening with 2 tents. In 2009 they expanded to five tents and one apartment. The construction workers would return each year after the season to start a new project. The property was large enough to create additional apartments, besides the residence.

Casa Bonta has now grown into an agriturismo with four apartments and eight luxury safari tents.

The children, Yara (1994) and Joris (1996), are now adults and quite Italianized.
Joris lives in Madrid, where he completed his master’s degree and now works. During his holidays, he can often be found back at Casa Bonta.
Yara lives at Casa Bonta and, together with her Italian husband Kilian, will officially take it over from 2026 onwards.

Meanwhile, Guus and Silvia are restoring a house near Acqui Terme, just ten minutes from Casa Bonta, where they can enjoy a bit more peace. Silvia, however, will certainly still be found often at Casa Bonta, to help out, have a chat, or simply share a glass of wine.

Yara (1994) grew up at Casa Bonta. In the early years, she helped out as a side job, cleaning and serving during the pizza evenings.

At school in Acqui Terme, she met Kilian (1994). Kilian was born in Italy to an Icelandic mother. He also moved at a young age from Milan to the countryside of Piedmont. From the very beginning, he too helped at Casa Bonta as a pizza baker.

Yara had always said she wanted to take over Casa Bonta one day, but Guus and Silvia felt it was important for her to first follow her own path. That’s why Yara and Kilian spent ten years living and working in Milan. When Guus and Silvia decided to slow down a little, Yara and Kilian knew immediately: this was the moment to carry Casa Bonta forward.

From 2026 onwards, Yara and Kilian will run Casa Bonta. With the same warmth and dedication as Guus and Silvia, they will make sure guests feel welcome and can fully enjoy all the beauty that Piedmont has to offer.