Christophe Trognon, a former researcher for travel guides on Italy, is struck by the poor price-quality ratio in Italy’s hotel industry and the general lack of alternative accommodations in Italy’s art capitals. He decides to set up an agency specializing in seasonal apartment rentals, which he names Italie Loc’appart.

The company takes its first steps in Rome, offering apartments on Via Laurina in the city’s historic centre and Piazza San Cosimato in Trastevere. These initial accommodations are still available for rental today.

Italie Loc’appart begins building a team of perfectly bilingual representatives responsible for welcoming clients and managing the properties, a key role in the company’s day-to-day operations.

1997: After its first taste of success in Rome, Italie Loc’appart moves north to Florence. Word spreads quickly among property owners and the company is soon able to offer centrally located apartments such as San Niccolo and Il Prato. Even today, Loc’appart’s choice of accommodations continues to grow thanks to word of mouth.

1998: The Most Serene Republic of Venice was born in the Rialto area. Like the Floating City’s original dwellings, Italie Loc’appart’s first apartments—such as San Lio, a favourite among clients—are situated a stone’s throw from the famous bridge. Meanwhile, the number of accommodations in Rome and Florence continues to grow, making Italie Loc’appart the go-to agency for apartment rentals in Italy’s art capitals —even before the Internet era! 

1999–2000: Italie Loc’appart makes its first forays into the Italian countryside in the magnificent Tuscany region. The number of properties offered by Italie Loc’appart in Rome, Florence, and Venice is on the rise, with apartments in every rioni and sestieri (Roman and Venetian districts).

2001: Italie Loc’appart dives into Southern Italy, adding Naples to its portfolio. Marinelli, one of the original apartments in Naples, features a terrace overlooking Mount Vesuvius and the Certosa di San Martino—a stunning view that continues to captivate clients.

2002: Due to mounting demand from both French and Italian clients, Italie Loc’appart decides to enter the Parisian holiday rentals market—a fitting move, considering the agency’s Parisian headquarters.
The company changes its name to Destinations Loc’appart to encompass its two components (Italy and Paris).

2003–2004: The Parisian saga continues with the addition of new Italian owned apartments in Paris, further strengthening the Italy-France connection.

2005: Destinations Loc’appart crosses the Bay of Naples to establish a presence on the Amalfi Coast. Down the mountain from Ravello and near to Amalfi, the beautiful village of Minori is home to Loc’appart’s Amalfitan jewel, Torre Paradiso. With its windows and patio offering breathtaking views of the mountains and sea, vacations here are unforgettable.

2006: Two new Italian destinations—Umbria and Sicily—are added to the portfolio. 
The “green heart” of Italy may be somewhat overshadowed by its Tuscan neighbour, but Loc’appart is so taken with Umbria that it decides to include Todi.
Palermo completes the southern offering, with a number of apartments situated in the historic palace, Palazzo Speciale. The location is ideal, just steps from the famous Ballaro market and Quattro Canti, a Baroque crossroads that divides the old city into its four quarters.

Shortly after moving their headquarters to Paris’ 11th arrondissement, the French and Italian teams celebrate Loc’appart’s 10-year anniversary with close friends and loyal clients.

2007: Destinations Loc’appart heads in a new direction and expands its Sicilian offering by closing agritourism deals in Trapani, Ragusa, and Piazza Armerina in Enna. Several new agritourism ventures complete their trial period and round out its Italian portfolio.

2008–2010: The company embarks on a period of expansion and development.

As part of a plan to expand throughout the world, the company partners with a Canadian wholesale travel agent based in Montreal. Managed by Erwan Even, a tour operator originally from Brittany, this new venture responds to the needs of Loc’appart’s Canadian clientele.

Destinations Loc’appart intends to replicate this Canadian model in other countries, such as Brazil.

Destinations Loc’appart shows its dedication to meeting the needs of its clients by expanding its network of local wholesale travel agents and enlarging its teams’ repertoire of languages.

Italie Loc’appart and Paris Loc’appart finally merge to become Loc’appart, with a new logo and a multilingual website that will better serve its new international clients, as well as its original client base.

While continuing to develop its choice of vacation rentals in its current regions (Tuscany, Umbria, Sicily, and Campania, among others), Loc’appart decides to offer a wider variety of international destinations and hopes to offer apartments and houses in Pulia, Liguria, and Italy’s Great Lakes region by 2012 or 2013.