The 26-year-old Inn at Villa Bianca is getting a major upgrade.
Owner Tonino Mavuli said he is renovating the bridal penthouse, replacing the dance floor, installing a cobblestone driveway and resurfacing Villa Bianca’s exterior walls.
The renovations, which started three months ago, will cost about $400,000 and should be completed in August.
Mavuli’s motivation is simple — keep up with the ever-changing bridal industry. The facility hosts some 200 weddings a year, but one can’t become complacent in the wedding biz.
“The bride is always asking for something new,” Mavuli said, laughing.
The work will modernize Villa Bianca, at 312 Roosevelt Ave., Mavuli said.
“Brides want modern, new stuff,” he said “They want gardens, too. We have a chapel. We have a 16-room hotel in place and even a penthouse for the couple.”
The penthouse is where a newly married couple often spend their first night together.
Mavuli is putting in all new furniture in the penthouse, where he painted all the walls and refinished the hardwood floor.
Mavuli, 58, came to U.S. in 1976 from Sardgna, Italy, where he trained as a cook and later worked on cruise ships.
Villa Bianca’s renovations will also include new marble, new tiles and new lighting.
Mavuli said business is still doing well, despite the twin challenges of a recession and a renovation. Most of the renovation is being done during the week so as not to interfere with weddings.
