[size=18][/size]I have never been on a Globus tour.. .. . How are the hotels they select?

I have been on two and was very pleased with the hotels.

Debbie

Just got back from a Globus tour of Italy. Stayed at four different hotels, three were very nice and one was awful. (But even the awful one was clean, just not very nice and the staff was rude)

We were on the Best of Italy in October 2005. The staff at the Visconti Palace was very rude. As well as the Plaza at Mestre and the LaPalma Hotel on Capri.

Cheers

General Max

Was on the BOI tour 10/22. We didn't experience rude staff, but we really did have any interaction. We were only in the hotel long enough to sleep. Only contact we had was to ask for a map of the city in Rome - no problem then.

The La Palma in Capri was beautiful. A historic hotel built in the 1800's, but updated, of course. The floor tile is gorgeous. The free-hand painted murals on our room walls were awesome. Our room had a balcony. Location of the hotel is great and the hotel's front patio is a prime spot. On the front patio, there are comfy couches & tables & chairs for sitting & enjoying the passersby. Beautiful flowers & landscaping. One evening we bought a carryout pizza at another place, brought it back to our hotel, & ate it on the front patio - very nice. The breakfasts were good; the dinner was not the best, but not bad - just OK.

The Visconti Palace was as good. Very nice & within walking distance to the Vatican - be sure to browse the open air market by the Vatican. Tables full of "stuff". . The Visconti breakfast was very good. No dinners there.

The Settentrionale Esplanade in Montecatini was OK. Our room was nice, but some folks said their rooms were the worst of the trip. Several times it seemed the room quality varied in each hotel. Safe, clean, no bugs. Just maybe "tacky" is the word - such as, woodwork along the floor missing or loose; chipped or marked paint, etc. Not a problem for one very short night because of the schedule. The included dinner at the hotel was the worst. One couple walked out. The poor 2 servers were getting the heat from the group & so they were arguing with each other, & not giving any quality service. The poor food wasn't their fault - I felt sorry for them. But we looked at it this way - you are guaranteed better hotels & food if you pay for one of the higher end tours, such as, Tauck. But for the difference in price, you could skip the Globus included meals & dine quite well on your own & still save a lot of money! And as long as the hotels are safe, clean & no bugs, we were happy - & they were. The time in each hotel, except Capri, was so short. We took the optional Tuscan Dinner (not to be missed), so hotel location did not matter because we did not have any free time.

The Plaza in Mestre (not Venice) is not in a nice looking area. But no one wanted to tour that area anyway - we all went to Venice. If we had stayed in Venice, the price of our trip would have been much higher. The hotel itself was nice. The included dinner was one of the best. The breakfast was good also. The train station is directly across the street & convenient for free time in Venice. We plan on going back on our own. I have checked out the prices of hotels in Venice - unbelievably high. We will probably stay at the Plaza & take the train.

The hotel rooms in Assisi were probably the worse (most tacky) - but still, safe, clean, & no bugs! However, the hotel lounge was probably the most fun hotel spot of the trip. There was live music & a singer & dancing. Great overstuffed couches & chairs in the lounge & plenty of them. Some of the folks stayed up very late & enjoyed. Location did not matter because we did not have any free time.

Julie