There were a few minor glitches. I would hav...
Italy | Aug 21 - Aug 29, 2021

K
Karan o.
Manhattan, NY | Reviewed on Sep 05, 2021

There were a few minor glitches. I would have liked to have had St Peter's Basilica included in the Vatican trip, but it wan't and I wasn't given that option. Most guides were super informative and delightful, but there is a parking problem in Tuscany tour and the guide couldn't accompany us on the sights. Again, it would have been good if the Pisa was arranged in a way so we could have entered it, but that was not an option.
In Rome, I would have liked to have had a tour of the first level of Coliseum.
The hotel at Spainsh Steps was not great. For the prices that I paid, I would have liked to have better luxury.
Since you asked: David was the highlight. Sisteine chapel was underwhelming (Sorry Michaelangelo! I expected to be blown away like seeing Mona Lisa. I wasn't)
Except for these two minor glitches (4 1/2 stars but you don'e have 1/2 stars), everything was out of this world. They even tried to pick pocket us in the subway in Rome. Speaking of the complete experience!
Monica was outstanding. A definite 5. Alessia in Venice was great. Another 5.
Hope to work with you again next year for Greece!

Local specialist: Monica Pellizzari
Monica
Monica Pellizzari
Local specialist in Florence and Venice | Replied on Sep 18, 2021
Ciao Karan,
thank you so much for taking the time to submit a review for your recent trip to Venice, Florence, and Rome. It was a little challenging to arrange everything in a short time, during this “special” period, but I am delighted that you had a great time in Italy. Alessia (your Personal Concierge) and I are very grateful for your 5 stars feedback on our service. It's a pleasure to read that you liked the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and ancient Rome 3-hour private tour, wishing to have...
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Ciao Karan,
thank you so much for taking the time to submit a review for your recent trip to Venice, Florence, and Rome. It was a little challenging to arrange everything in a short time, during this “special” period, but I am delighted that you had a great time in Italy. Alessia (your Personal Concierge) and I are very grateful for your 5 stars feedback on our service. It's a pleasure to read that you liked the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and ancient Rome 3-hour private tour, wishing to have the opportunity to extend the visit to see also the 1st Tier of the Arena. The same goes for Pisa: after a full day visit to Siena, Chianti area, and San Gimignano, your last day stop in Pisa was arranged as a relaxing stroll to see the Miracle Square and the Leaning Tower, just not to overdo this day tour. By reading your review, I'll definitely take under consideration your precious comments, and try to offer an even more complete experience.
Other than that, I am terribly sorry to hear now about St.Peter's Basilica. Your Personal Concierge was there for you, above all for those "little glitches", to offer solutions, and make you happy 100%.
Unfortunately, due to the covid-19 physical distance measures, the direct passage between the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's basilica is currently closed. This means that to enter the Church the tour will need to go around the Vatican State walls. I don’t know if there was a misunderstanding about that or an unexpected problem, but the program of your tour always includes the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica. I’ll double-check with my suppliers, just to make sure that nothing has changed. Once again, thank you for the information.
Thank you also for providing the critique of your hotel in Rome. I strive to provide the best experience for my guests and take negative comments seriously. This is a 4* hotel we have used many times with great traveler reviews, but your comments have prompted us to make an inspection ourselves and reconsider using it for future guests. I would like to highlight that all of the accommodations we included are rated at a 4* category with views and centrally located, which I well understood suited your preferences and specific needs based on our phone conversations. All the hotels were in the city center (in Venice in front of St Mark basin, with a view on St. George Island, in Florence next to Santa Maria Novella Basilica, and Rome in Via Condotti, at the Spanish steps).
Thank you again for providing us your feedback, so that we can improve and perfect our services. It would be my pleasure to host you again in the next future for another exciting journey in Italy.