Clothilde DIEMUNSCH

Clothide helped us put together a memorable two week Fall trip to Switzerland. We were a party of 8 - ranging from mid-thirties to early 70’s. She was incredibly patient and helpful, as it took us some time to decide what we wanted to do/see.
The final itinerary worked out perfectly. The guides for the tours she arranged were all fabulous (LaVaux Vineyards, Thun Castle, Lauterbrunnen walking tour, Lucerne evening city tour). The advance purchase of the tickets for Gornergrat, Matterhorn, Jungfraujoch and Mount Pilatus made these excursions seamless.
She also arranged for the use of AlpTransfer for most of our transfers from hotel to train to airport and also for longer travels (e.g. getting from Zermatt to Montreux). Our experiences with AlpTransfer were excellent – the drivers were on time/early, courteous, helpful and the vehicles comfortable.
She notified us promptly of any changes in the itinerary and provided options for resolution, including a refund for the difference when there was a change in the type of hotel room. We had some reservations issues with a couple of hotels, but these were resolved in a timely fashion. She or a colleague was always available to help resolve any issues.
We enjoyed working with Clothilde and she helped us put together an incredible family trip.

Our thanks to Clothilde for working with us to build a memorable trip. She was responsive and timely in helping us lock in an itinerary on relatively short notice. Our thanks also to Joel for stepping in to assist Clothilde while she was unavailable.

We were pleased with our main activities:
Funky Chocolate Shop - fun family activity, I don't remember our host's name but she was very good
E-Bike Tour - good outdoor activity, the Trummellbach Falls were the highlight. Pedro was an engaging guide and he helped us with medical attention when one of our sons took an unfortunate fall.
Trip to Jungfrauloch - maybe the highlight of the week, a unique and unforgettable experience
Riffelsee and Riffelberg Tour - Guide Herbie had the good idea to visit the mirroring lake to the Matterhorn first, before the crowds got there
Likewise, we were generally pleased with the accommodations.

A couple of items didn't meet our expectations:
After agreeing to our itinerary and paying the amount in full, we were notified that the E-Bike Tour we signed up for was not available. After some discussion, we were left with no choice but to pay an extra charge to secure the Tour we had already paid for. That still doesn't seem right to me.
For the private transfer from Zermatt to Zurich, we had instructions to meet our driver at our hotel. When he didn't appear, we had to contact him to find out that he was waiting for us in Tasch, as cars are not normally permitted in Zurich. We then had to get ourselves to the Zermatt train station and find a train to Tasch. This should have been avoided and in fact, I sent an inquiry that night prior asking for clarification on that issue.

But overall, a very enjoyable trip.

Hotel Reviews

Heart of Interlaken Apartments

INTERLAKEN

Hotel Alpenhof

Zermatt

Hotel Glärnischhof by Trinity

Zurich

Activity Reviews

Chocolate workshop in Interlaken!

Switzerland

E-Bike Adventure: Exploring Lauterbrunnen and the Enchanting Valley of 72 Waterfalls

Switzerland

Time at leisure in Interlaken!

Switzerland

Riffelsee and Riffelberg tour!

Zermatt

My husband and brother in law teamed up on planning this trip with KimKim support and their close coordination with Clothilde was essential. The hotels were well located and for the most part the service staff were charming and kind. Our guides and drivers: Fernando in Zurich, Mateo in InterLaken, and the 2 gentlemen from Zermatt to Geneva (from Alps transfer) were prompt, knowledgeable, and engaging, as was Aude who was beyond kind. The concierges at Lucerne- Patrick, Isabelle and their colleagues gave us excellent recommendations to spend our time in the lovely city and where to dine for an authentic experience.
Some suggestions on improved communication:
1. emails - when informing customers of changes, it would help to specify what items have been changed in the body of the email itself, rather than have the customer check the 11 page itinerary against the last version, for what could possibly have changed. for example, "Dear Customer, we are enclosing an updated itinerary with the following changes:
page 1 paragraph 2 line 4, Please note that pick up time has changed as the local tour company does not have availability at 10:00 am. Instead, your local city tour will start at 2:00 PM pm on the same day."
2. for airport pickups it might help to instruct travelers about specific locations to meet drivers - our pickup was on the lookout at one end of the airport and we were at another. It could help to be specific - "upon exit from the double doors take the exit to the left where your pick up will meet you next to the cafe illy sign (example)". It would save time and the cost of calls.
3. Inconsistencies between itinerary and vouchers based on last minute changes between the company, its distributors or local contacts need to be coordinated by you and not your customer as that is an expected part of service.
4. The hotel Bristol was wonderfully located and was clean and offered excellent value. The lady in registration expected us to have signed in online but that expectation was not communicated to us ahead of time. The pad offered to accomplish the online check in was nonfunctional and the staff's frustration with the technology reflected in their treatment of the guests. Our pick up was scheduled for 9 am, but we were told we were late at 8:30 - it turns out our driver had also just called them to inform them they would be at the pick up at exactly 9 am. We objected to a drop off at the train station as we needed to meet our driver at the pick up for private vehicles. This showed a clear lack of coordination unexpected of a professionally run travel outfit.
These minor irritations are all fixable with personal attention, interest and care. We are hopeful KimKim can address these issues .

We had an amazing trip with short stays in Zurich, Lucerne, Grindewald, Lugano, Stressa, Chamonix, Montreux and Zurich. Each city had its own character and April was a great time to visit with the spring blossoms! Our activities ranged from city tours, bike tour, hiking, mountain and glacier tours, relaxing spas, vineyards with wine tasting to free time where we explored on our own.

We had a series of very personal interactions with thoughtful, knowledgeable guides - all effortless, thanks to Clothilde. A very easy way to get introduced to the city.

Switzerland was the most beautiful country we’ve seen! It was simply breathtaking. Our local expert Clothilde worked with us to find the perfect hotel and excursions. She was always timely and courteous and we appreciated her knowledge.
The hotel was lovely and we liked the convenient location. We really enjoyed the complimentary breakfast each morning. It was always delicious and the staff were very nice and helpful. Only downsides were the street construction in front of the hotel. At night it was quite loud when cars drove over the metal covers on the ground. They also seem to not have enough towels. Oddly we kept having to ask and they kept running out. Otherwise this hotel was perfect for us.
I cannot say enough about our guide Celio and his knowledge about all things Switzerland. He was funny, engaging and just a fantastic guide. We had no idea what we would be seeing and he showed us some little known spots that were just…. Awe inspiring. We could have sat there all day. We really enjoyed our time with him. The trips to Lucerne and the glacier are not to be missed!! I’m so glad we made the last minute change in plans. Big thanks to Clothilde and her local contacts for making it happen on such short notice! Also a shout out to our airport transportation. They were on time and courteous; the cars were spotless. Overall our vacation was just outstanding!

Hotel Review

Boutique Hotel Wellenberg

Zurich

We really enjoyed their location in the heart of things. It was an easy walk to everything. The room was big and lovely. We appreciated the hot showers. The complimentary breakfast was really good and the staff was so kind and helpful. The only downsides were the street construction in front of the hotel. Primarily the metal plates that cover the ground. It was really loud at night when cars drove over them. Also they seem to not have enough towels. We kept having to ask for them and they kept running out. The staff though was very courteous and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

I loved the history of this hotel

Location

Many good restaurants and shops within a 5 minute walk. Also close to the public transportation

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless- we enjoyed the convenience of the fridge and the hot showers

Activity Reviews

Rhine Falls & Stein am Rhein medieval village!

Switzerland

So beautiful and powerful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Celio is the best!

Transport

Titlis - Eternal Snow and Glacier!

Switzerland

Although it was cloudy and we couldn’t see at the very top, The ice cave was very cool! We also loved the ride up and down the mountain. On the way down, it cleared up and made it all worth it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

THE HEART OF THE BERNESE ALPS ! (Interlaken)

Switzerland

I just can’t say enough about how beautiful the countryside is. The knowledge of our guide Celio was everything .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lucerne Full-day trip

Zürich

We almost missed out on this beautiful city. We loved everything about our day. Celio recommended a restaurant and the food was outstanding. The transportation's museum was really fun and the lake cruise was not to be missed. It was probably our favorite part of the day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport