bella villaggio

Relax, Resort-Style

Bella Villaggio is a boutique senior living community that looks and feels more like a 5-star resort than a traditional retirement community.

Marissa Willman Current PSL, Home & Design, Real Estate

bella villaggio

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS MILLER/IMAGINEIMAGERY.COM

The Coachella Valley has long cemented its reputation as a destination known for resort-style relaxation. It makes sense, then, that more and more residents and visitors alike want to call the desert their home for a resort-inspired retirement. With endlessly sunny days and stunning palm tree-lined views, who wouldn’t want to enjoy their retirement years in this desert oasis?

When it comes to a retirement community that truly reflects the best of this resort destination, look no further than Bella Villaggio, a boutique senior living community that looks and feels more like a five-star resort than a traditional retirement community. “The beauty of this community is unmatched. It’s soaked in sunlight and views,” says Jim Germyn, general manager at Bella Villaggio. “It isn’t like a typical retirement community.”

Welcome to Bella Villaggio

Indeed, Bella Villaggio exudes resort-style luxury from the moment you step foot onto the Palm Desert property, with its beautiful fountain terrace entryway and beautiful views of the neighboring San Jacinto mountains. Built in 2019, this 144-unit community also features the area’s iconic hacienda-inspired architecture.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS MILLER/IMAGINEIMAGERY.COM

Each of the 144 studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments offer plenty of space, 9-foot ceilings and ample natural light so residents can enjoy the desert’s sunny days from the comfort of their rooms. Each room is also equipped with emergency pull cords, with resident care staff available to respond 24/7.

All of this was thoughtfully designed to offer residents an experience on-par with their lives before moving in, and Bella Villaggio leaves no detail overlooked. With amenities including a dining room, bar and lounge, several activity rooms, an onsite gym and outdoor swimming pool, this community offers endless opportunity for residents to enjoy their independence while maintaining a robust social calendar. The architectural design of the building is functional, as well: all apartments are connected to the common areas by hallway, so it’s easy to make your way to your next social appointment.

Sales Advisor Marc Sorensen compares the Bella Villaggio experience to the social model of a cruise ship. “When you’re on a cruise ship, you have your cabin but you don’t spend all of your time there,” says Sorensen. “We have a social model in everything from meals to activities.”

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF BELLA VILLAGIO
Daily activities keep residents 
social and engaged, whether partaking in an arts and craft class or meeting friends for a game of cards.

A Day in the Life

Beyond the beauty of the property, Bella Villaggio offers all the amenities one could want when choosing a senior living community. Operating under the Leisure Care umbrella, Bella Villaggio focuses on what they’ve coined as “inspired aging,” where residents are empowered to continue their independent lifestyles through physical, social and mental stimulation in the form of in-house activities, outings and fitness programs, all conducted in a social setting.

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF BELLA VILLAGIO
Residents have plenty of opportunities to stay active, with an in-house fitness center featuring group classes throughout the week and an outdoor pool where residents can enjoy stunning views and sunshine.

Dining, for instance, takes place in a serene onsite restaurant with ample views across from a copper oil fountain. Here, residents can break bread with friends during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Everything is served restaurant-style, and the culinary team takes pride in accommodating the various dietary needs or restrictions of the residents. Or, residents can opt to share a drink with friends at The Bistro, an onsite bar and lounge that regularly screens sports and hosts live entertainment.

Throughout the day, Bella Villaggio features a robust activities calendar with daily offerings ranging from card games to craft classes. Card tables in the activity room are often filled with small groups of residents playing a game of bridge or Mexican train, with games scheduled every hour. Meanwhile, the expansive in-house theater offers regular movie screenings and doubles as a house of worship on Sundays.

As COVID-19 restrictions ease, Program Supervisor Shelly Agnoletto is working to bring live entertainment back to the property. “The residents love live entertainment more than anything,” Agnoletto says. This could take the form of a live singer on Friday nights at The Bistro, Bella Villaggio’s bar and lounge area, or a harpist setting up in the dining room to provide an elevated ambiance during dinner. Agnoletto plans to bring in a variety of entertainers and vendors, ranging from comedians to line dance instructors to lecturers.

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF BELLA VILLAGIO

Active Opportunities

“Daily mental and physical activities are a must for our residents,” Agnoletto says. “There’s always an activity offered to keep our residents active and engaged.”

And while there’s always plenty on offer at Bella Villaggio, residents can also take advantage of the regular outings to take shopping trips or explore local restaurants.

As COVID-19 restrictions ease, Bella Villaggio also hopes to reintroduce Travel by Leisure Care, a full-service travel agency that assists residents with planning and booking trips.

Taking care of physical health is another key element to the Bella Villaggio approach. To this end, the community offers a PrimeFit gym with fitness programs and personal training by group fitness instructor Fred DeStefano. Upon move-in, residents meet with DeStefano for a fitness and wellness assessment to help set and achieve achievable goals.

“Exercise is so important in helping people live the very best life they can,” DeStefano says. “It can make a dramatic impact on quality of life and gives our residents the best opportunity for success at maintaining an independent lifestyle.”

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PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS MILLER/IMAGINEIMAGERY.COM
The spacious theater offers movie screenings for residents throughout the week. On Sundays, the space transforms into a house of worship for church services.

Quality Continuum of Care

Two daily group classes are offered Monday through Friday, focusing on a variety of goals ranging from balance and leg strength to flexibility. DeStefano says residents enjoy the ability to try exercise classes in the company of their friends, whether they’ve led an active lifestyle or are trying a group class for the first time. Personal training is also available for residents who desire an additional resource for their wellness journey.

An outdoor pool also allows residents to stay active while soaking up the iconic beauty of Palm Desert. DeStefano plans to add daily aquatic exercise classes later this year to give residents even more flexibility in how they keep moving. “We are very dedicated to making sure our residents stay active,” DeStefano says.

Perhaps most importantly, Bella Villaggio is equipped to meet residents’ needs should they change over time. The continuum of care includes not only independent senior living, but also assisted living services and memory care. This allows residents to access the care they need and age in place without having to leave the community.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS MILLER/IMAGINEIMAGERY.COM

Assisted living services are tailored to a resident’s unique needs and can include medication assistance, showering and bathing, dressing, personal appearance and hygiene, care coordination, mobility assistance, health maintenance and cognitive support. Every resident’s needs are different, so Bella Villaggio tailors their assisted living services so the help offered is based on what the resident wants, when the resident wants.

Bella Villaggio’s memory care program, Opal, is based on a seven-pillar, holistic approach to wellness, with pillars focusing on physical, social, experiential, emotional and spiritual, creative and artistic, therapeutic and sensory wellness.

No matter what your needs are or how they may change over time, Bella Villaggio offers opportunities to engage physically, mentally and socially in an active community that you can call home.

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