We had limited time at our locations. Chris w...
Italy | Jul 7 - Jul 14, 2025

Surinder
Surinder D.
Ashburn, VA | Reviewed on Jul 15, 2025

We had limited time at our locations. Chris was able to arrange seamless car transfers and tour bookings to maximize our exposure to each site with days of respite in between. All the car drivers arrived a few minutes earlier than scheduled time, which was amazing! Communication via text and WhatsApp was detailed and appropriately frequent.

One of the tour guides was running late and Chris and Maria were able to sort out the situation early on a Saturday morning!

Hotel Reviews
Sheraton Lake Como
Como

Excellent hotel, plush and beautiful. Great staff and food quality and choices. By far the most amazing brunch I’ve seen with fresh juicing station and fresh omelettes. Spa and gym lounge ones clean and equipped enough. It’s not downtown in the lake como village but walkable to the next town Cernobbio. Easy water shuttle service around the lake. Nighttime travel may be challenging without a car but plenty of walkable restaurants. Nice pool and outdoor seating options and outdoor restaurants as well on site.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Very courteous and helpful. Give good advice about local activities and sites
Cleanliness & Comfort
Nice and modern rooms with bathrobes and slippers. They even had a steamer iron!!
The Poet Hotel
La Spezia

Nice location, close to walking to downtown shopping and restaurants. Wonderful front desk staff Glulia and Gaia. Some knowledge about local restaurants. Rooms were clean but dated, in need of new paint with unfinished wood floors and deep gouges. End rooms were very spacious.

Authenticity & Character
Has character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Rooms need a paint job but that’s about it
Hotel dei Cavalieri Milano Duomo
Milano

Fantastic hotel and location. Walkable to all sites and good choice of walkable restaurants. Very close to the Duomo cathedral and Gucci/LV flagship stores! Only stayed one night but very peaceful and plush rooms with spa like bathrooms, marble walled, slippers and bathrobes too. Went to be rooftop bar but was very pricey for a drink so just enjoyed the views which are great. Good breakfast buffet but no omelette station.

Authenticity & Character
Large big box high quality hotel like ritz Carlton
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Half day food & wine tasting in Lake Como
Half day food & wine tasting in Lake Como
Italy

Nice walk of the town and some boating on the ferry. I hadn’t realized the huge size of the lake and expected more lake time so I rented a boat the next day! Went through some churches, shopping and limited wine tasting. Lunch selection was great. Had a nice walk through Torno, with narrow streets and small coffee shop for a rest. Renzo was great but I wish he was louder!

Quality of Experience
Food
Nice pasta place for lunch. Wine tasting offering was on the skimpy side.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Timely and very pleasant young Shuttle driver from town to the hotel (Yuri)
Cinque Terre Tour With Limoncino Tasting
Cinque Terre Tour With Limoncino Tasting
Italy

Be aware that this is a cruise ship tour. We had some delays in the morning as a result. However Lisa the guide was fantastic. You get to see many sites in a short time. The best part was after the last stop and the cruise ship passengers had to depart, you can keep the train tickets and ride from site to site all night if you like. However the crowds did get worse during the day. Luck selections and souvenir shops are plentiful

Quality of Experience
Beautiful scenery
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Good trains but lots of crowds
Local specialist: Chris Gravas