Opening an Albergo Diffuso

The 'albergo diffuso ' is a non-hotel accommodation structure, managed as a unit, with at least seven accommodation units located in different buildings, integrated by centralised services and organised through the valorisation of several existing buildings.

This form of hospitality is conceived with a view to making better use of the existing building stock and recovering disused properties, promoting new forms of accommodation and enhancing tourism in natural, environmental and cultural assets in rural and urban areas.

The buildings to be used for the albergo diffuso should preferably be located in municipalities or their districts, subject to progressive abandonment of the population or with a low rate of tourism.

In order to facilitate the creation of this type of accommodation, the Autonomous Province of Trento, with its Provincial Urbanistic Regulations, has established that a change of use does not constitute a change of use from a residence to an Albergo diffuso, as long as the zoning regulations foreseen in the PRG are respected.

Moreover, again with the same planning instrument, the Province, with regard to the 'Works of public interest for the purposes of issuing the urban exemption', has also included 'the realisation of interventions for the recovery of buildings included in historic settlements, even of a scattered nature, and buildings of historic interest, to be destined, even partially, for accommodation activities (with the exclusion of holiday homes and flats) that do not entail the demolition of perimeter walls and do not entail an increase in urban volume'.

The Albergo diffuso must provide breakfast service as well as any food and beverage services and other ancillary services.

The residential units of the Albergo diffuso must be located in the municipality where the reception office of the Albergo diffuso is located or in neighbouring municipalities. The maximum distance between each accommodation unit and the buildings in which the central services are provided must not exceed 500 metres and is calculated by measuring the footpath between the respective main entrances. Upon justified request, this distance may be waived by the competent municipality limited to a number of housing units not exceeding 50% (within the 500 metre pedestrian route).

Subject to compliance with the applicable town planning, health, fire prevention and safety regulations, the Albergo Diffuso may have accommodation units with independent kitchen facilities for no more than 30% of the beds.

The manager of the activity has the following regulatory obligations

• Acquiring, indicating and displaying the CIN(see all information)
• Communicate the names of guests to the Public Safety Authority, within 24 hours, exclusively via the weballoggitati.it portal accessible with the credentials provided by the Trento Police Headquarters.
• Enter tourist presences online (C59-ISTAT forms) in the Provincial Tourism System (STU) for the ISTAT statistical survey.
• Pay the provincial tourist tax, collected from guests, via the Pagosemplice portal on the established deadlines. All information on the application of the provincial tourist tax can be found on the Trentino Riscossioni S.p.a website in the section dedicated to the tourist tax.

The application may be submitted by owners or proprietors who have at their disposal buildings and/or buildings suitable for carrying out the activity

The building permit for the construction of an Albergo diffuso is issued by the local municipality after ascertaining the possession of the required facilities.

The opening, relocation and extension of the Albergo diffuso activity is permitted following the submission to the Municipality of the SCIA - segnalazione certificata di inizio attività - by contacting the Economic and Productive Activities Office or by logging on to Suap/Impresa in un giorno.

In the case of objective structural impossibilities related to the need to maintain the original and traditional architectural, typological and constructive characteristics of the buildings intended for the operation of the Albergo diffuso, the general town plan and the building regulations may provide for specific provisions concerning the internal heights, ventilation and lighting ratios, and minimum room dimensions, in relation to the provisions of the provincial town planning regulations in force.

The documentation is that provided by the territorially competent municipality