A big home for an extended family in central Naples, one apartment per household

When grandparents, parents and grandchildren travel together, a single house for 15 in central Naples is hard to find, and the ones that exist usually mean one kitchen and two bathrooms for everybody. In Chiaia, at Vico Santa Maria a Cappella Vecchia 8b, five apartments share one landing and sleep up to 20, with 5 kitchens and 6 bathrooms.

Why does one big house rarely work for three generations?

It rarely works because three generations keep different hours, and one house makes them share a kitchen, the bathrooms and the quiet.

Grandparents turn in early, small children are up at dawn, the adults come back late from dinner. Under one roof everyone hears everything. On top of that, apartments in central Naples rarely sleep more than six, and the ones that do often get there with sofa beds in the living room.

How do you split an extended family across several apartments?

You split it by household: each couple or family gets its own apartment, with its own door, kitchen and bathroom, and everyone meets on the landing.

At Vico Santa Maria a Cappella Vecchia 8b the five units sit on the same floor, 330 square metres in total:

• Apartment 1, 95 sqm, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, bath and shower, 6 guests
• Apartment 2, 60 sqm, bedroom with en suite bathroom and bath, sofa bed, 4 guests
• Apartment 3, 70 sqm, bedroom and sofa bed, 4 guests
• Apartment 4, 60 sqm, bedroom and sofa bed, 4 guests
• Apartment 5, 45 sqm, studio, 2 guests

Which combinations work for 8, 12, 16 or 20 people?

Two apartments take 8 or 10 people, three take 12, four take 16 or 18 and the whole floor takes 20.

• 8 people: Apartments 1 and 5
• 10 people: Apartments 1 and 2, or 1 and 3
• 12 people: Apartments 1, 3 and 5
• 16 people: Apartments 1, 2, 3 and 5
• 18 people: Apartments 1, 2, 3 and 4
• 20 people: all five

One way to arrange 16: the largest family in Apartment 1, the grandparents in 2, two families with children in 3 and 4.

Which apartment suits the grandparents?

For a grandparent couple the easiest is Apartment 2: 60 sqm, a bedroom with the bathroom inside it, a living room sofa bed that stays closed if there are only two of them.

That bathroom has a bath. If they prefer a shower, Apartments 3, 4 and 5 have one, and Apartment 1 has both. The building has a lift and all five front doors open onto the same landing. Anyone with specific mobility needs can ask for access details when they send the request.

Where do the children sleep?

The 20 places include the sofa beds in Apartments 2, 3 and 4, which in a family with children can go to the kids while the parents take the bedroom.

Ask for cots and travel beds in the booking request, with the children’s ages, so the owner can confirm what is available for your dates.

Where does everyone eat together?

There is no single dining room for 20: each apartment has its own kitchen and its own table.

For a whole family dinner Apartment 1 has the most room, 95 sqm with a living room. For a bigger table, Chiaia has restaurants a few minutes’ walk away, and Piazza dei Martiri is 70 metres from the front door.

What does the building offer drivers and downtime?

Garage Santopaolo is in the same building: covered, 100 spaces and 3 metres of clearance, so SUVs, vans and 9 seat minibuses fit, at 30 euro a day for guests.

The wellness floor is reserved for guests of the five apartments, with a gym open 24 hours and a steam room with chromotherapy showers. Without a car, Chiaia station on Line 6 is a 5 minute walk.

How do you book for the whole family?

You book with one request to the owner, giving dates, adults, children and how the households split, and the proposal comes back with a single total for every apartment.

The Apartments page shows the five units with photos and amenities. For an extended family a direct request saves you piecing together availability across several listings.