The vision: what "smart" means here
"Smart" does not mean lights that change colour by remote. It means removing friction without imposing technology. When you arrive at Rapallo Smart Home you find automatic door access, shutters that open and close on their own at dawn and sunset, the intercom forwarded to your phone, lights that respond to simple commands. No app to learn: everything works pre-configured, and if you prefer you can switch everything off and use normal switches.
The goal is one thing only: that you feel at home faster. No 4 PM check-in standing in front of a desk. No paper forms. No "ah, you'll have to wait for the caretaker". You wake up, make coffee in the fully equipped kitchen, catch the train to Portofino. When you come back the house is already cool because the shutters closed when the sun hit them.
Why Rapallo
Rapallo isn't the first name people associate with postcard Liguria. Portofino and the Cinque Terre get more press. But Rapallo solves three constraints the iconic destinations don't solve together:
- Connections: the station is on the Genoa-La Spezia mainline, one train every 20 minutes. The harbour has direct ferries to Portofino, Camogli, San Fruttuoso. You can leave the car in the garage for the entire holiday.
- Mid-range pricing: prices in Rapallo are 30-50% below Portofino and 20-30% below the inner Cinque Terre, for equivalent quality. Restaurants, groceries, services follow the same gradient.
- Real town all year: Rapallo has 30,000 residents, a pharmacy, hospital, schools, cafés open in winter. It works in January as well as in July, unlike Portofino (mostly closed off-season) or some Cinque Terre villages.
The architecture: a Linearama project
The apartment was designed by Linearama, a Genoa-based architecture studio. We wanted a rational layout: two real double bedrooms (not twins relabelled), one well-sized bathroom, a kitchen that actually cooks (dishwasher, classic oven, microwave, hobs, coffee machine), spaces designed for four guests who don't trip over each other. No decoration that dates fast: durable surfaces, warm lights, furniture that survives a busy weekend.
Project status: pre-launch
At the moment the property is not yet bookable online. We're finalising the last details and completing the paperwork for the official opening. That's why the site shows no calendar, asks for no deposit, sells no nights.
What we do for now is simple: collect people interested in being first to know when we open. Waitlist subscribers receive opening dates, first availability, a free guide to Rapallo and surroundings, and occasionally relevant updates (Riviera events, seasonal mini-guides). No spam, no data sales: just name + email, one-click unsubscribe.
LigurIA, the AI concierge
Alongside the property we built LigurIA: a bilingual digital concierge that produces personalised mini-itineraries for travellers in Liguria. It's designed to be useful before and independently of any booking: even if you never stay at Rapallo Smart Home, LigurIA gives you a coherent plan for your Tigullio holiday. The conversation is anonymous, the generated PDF is personal and temporary (deleted after 30 days), the email is requested only if you want the PDF delivered.
How to reach us
For anything: rsh@alessandrobalboni.com. I reply personally — there's no customer-care team. If you want to be notified when we open, the fastest way is the waitlist on the homepage.
Updated: 17 June 2026.