Testimonials – Hidden Treasures of Italy

It can be potentially embarrassing to talk about oneself (even if that is what our web site is indeed all about!), but we are constantly gratified by the regular unsolicited feedback we receive from so many of our clients.

This gratification comes not only from the personal satisfaction we receive from hearing about a job well-done, but our true gratification comes especially from the implied confirmation that our way of doing business is the right way of doing business in today’s world of increasing stress, no time-outs, and information overload.

Hidden Treasures’ philosophy of highly personalized and customized service for each individual client, is time-consuming, and would seem to go against the “better business practices” espoused by larger, voice-mail, web site, call center-driven service companies, even in the travel industry.

Profit-at-any-cost in the Digital Age has pushed many businesses, even in the service sector, to lose sight of one very important fact: that it is the individual, satisfied client who makes a business enterprise successful over time. Personalized service may cost us more, but it most definitely represents the way to business success in the future!

We therefore will let our clients themselves tell you below what they think about Hidden Treasures…

Tom and I just want to take a moment to thank you for the trip, reservations, extras, all the times you went out of your way to answer my frantic calls. You have been delightful, patient, and so kind. We are really looking forward to our next trip with you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Please let everyone know how great we think you are.

M.L.

Dear Mariella... We had the most wonderful trip. Thank you very much. The accommodations in Venice and Positano were simply outstanding. Thank you. I look forward to planning another trip with you, Mariella ñ you're wonderful!

G.A.

Hi Mariella... We have just arrived back from our trip to Italy. What a wonderful time we had! I want to thank you for all your individual attention that we received from you! You were the best provider of information and help that I have ever received. You can be assured that all of my friends and our family will be using your services for future trips to Italy... I thought I would go over a few of the high points of our trip and make some suggestions for your future clients... All in all we had a memorable stay in Italy that will stay with us forever. Thanks again and will be talking to you for future trips to Italy.

V.L.

Dear Mariella... We are just back from Italy where we had a marvelous time thanks to you... Dinner at your favorite restaurant in Milan was a treat and we enjoyed it very much... All in all, we had a wonderful trip thanks to your help. We will let you know about our future plans for a villa in Tuscany, possibly May, for 6 people. Maybe you can give us an idea of the possibilities - weather, casual cooking classes, leisure activities, etc . for that kind of vacation in a beautiful, restored old villa... We thank you again for your help. I wouldn't go to Italy without you!

S.L.

Dear Rick... I wanted to drop you a note to thank you for recommending the Palazzo Alexander in Lucca. The property is spectacular, the breakfasts were to die for, but most of all, the "three gentlemen of Lucca" were the key to an unforgettable vacation. They were all funny, charming, knowledgeable and did everything they could to make our family comfortable. This place was a real winner... If anyone ever asks for a reference, have them contact me as I am now your biggest fan! Thanks again and we will be in touch with you for our next adventure in Italy.

D.J.

Dear Mariella... I want to thank you for your wonderful service. Mr. C and Ms. B said their trip could not have been better. They had an absolutely fantastic time. They loved their guides, the true personal touch, the itinerary, the hotels though small, and said your restaurants were absolutely some of the best food they ever had. Thank you and your wonderful staff in Italy for a great, great job.

B.W. (Travel Agent)

Dear Mariella... A great thanks goes out to you for all your excellent planning on our trip to Italy. Everything you said and did for us went extremely well and we especially enjoyed the accommodations at the Hermitage and Splendido... Thanks again for all your help. Next time we will certainly use your services again.

D.K.

Dear Mariella and Rick... Landed safely in what a beautiful spot to begin our wonderful trip. All is perfect so far. We are taking the recommended boat trip on Lake Como today. Rooms overlook the lake - bright sunshine - great food - We are having a wonderful time. Many thanks.

M.P.

Dear Mariella... Well, I'm back... even though I could have stayed longer. All the hotels you recommended us were excellent... Domus Nova is a surprise jewel!! Hotel Flora is in a terrific location and our room was right on their beautiful garden... Villa Gnocchi was very picturesque, the dinners were excellent... but the climb down the hill to town was a bit much (I'd still recommend it!). Bressanone was unexpectedly VERY Austrian. Terrific park setting for the hotel. Lucca and the Alexander terrific... Sirmione is a great beach and water sports town looking like Disneyland with the castle... everywhere we went was very enjoyable. Next time we're thinking about a villa... what do you have available? Thank you so much.

C.M.

Dear Mariella...Well, we're back and I can't express to you just how wonderful our trip was! It far exceeded our hopes and dreams - what a marvelous country... I want to thank you again, Mariella, for all your suggestions and help in planning this memorable trip. I couldn't have done it without you! I hope to be able to call you again some day to help plan another holiday in Italy!

C.J.

Dear Mariella... I would like to thank you ahead of time for all of your help. We are really looking forward to our trip and you have been such a pleasure to work with. I have already forwarded your information to a few of my friends who are also planning trips and would love to work with you. Thanks again, I'll give you an update when we get back.

C.F.

Dear Mariella... Just to let you know that your large envelope arrived safely this morning with its exciting bundle of vouchers, brochures, car hire details, and a most helpful letter from you with ideas of how to make the most of each place we visit. Thank you so much for all the trouble you have taken to organize this trip for us. Now it's over to us: we shall report back on our return. Ciao; molto grazie.

R.M.

Dear Rick... Hello! I just wanted to thank you so very much for my wonderful time in Venice... I am at a complete loss on how to thank you for all your time and patience, Rick. You were wonderful to work with. As with any relationship, trust comes into play. You certainly earned my trust, Rick. You may certainly use me as a reference. Of course, when I return to Italy, I will contact you and Mariella. Again, thank you so much for helping me to make my first trip to Venice so memorable.

M.M.

Mariella... You are indeed a hidden treasure! I came home from a lovely long weekend in Maine to find your packet of vouchers and information. Thanks so much for including so much. We are really looking forward to our trip and greatly appreciate your detailed suggestions.

E.A.

Dear Mariella... Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU for arranging the loveliest vacation we have ever experienced. Bellagio was so beautiful, Riccardo's house and garden were so welcoming, Lake Como was sublime, Milano was a blast, nothing could possibly have been any more wonderful, and thanks to you, all of our unwieldy group's complicated logistics came together perfectly. Because of you, our family had a time together that we will always treasure. Better yet, we all hope to return again and again. Much gratitude for your professional travel magic! Ciao.

S.K.

Dear Rick... I must thank you for your help in making recommendations and reservations for our recent trip to Italy. You never missed. We loved the whole trip and never would have found the places you steered us to. Your experience and travels are an obvious asset. We especially appreciate the fact that you listened and were sensitive to the kind of trip we hoped to have. You understood. Grazie. .. I have recommended your firm to my friends and will continue to do so. I'll also keep in touch for any future trips. Ciao.

A.G.

Mariella... I want to thank you for planning the perfect trip for us. Everything worked out so well and your advice on where to stay couldn't have been better... You gave us an overall sense of what Italy is really like and now we want to plan another visit so we can return to our favorites. Thank you so much.

C.F.

Hi Rick... I've been meaning to send you a note about the trip. Seems there is never enough time. First off, it was wonderful! We had a terrific time and enjoyed every hotel you recommended... Thank you so much for your help. I will recommend you to my friends - I can't think of a better compliment!

C.P.

Hello Rick... Just wanted to thank you for all your assistance on a most wonderful trip. Almost everything was perfect... We were not able to make reservations at your favorite restaurant (closed on Mondays), but survived. We will definitely return to Italy, and certainly use your service. Many thanks, again. Ciao.

R.G.

Dear Mariella... Just a note to say that we greatly enjoyed our Italian trip. Thank you so much for all you did. The hotels were great, and our cooking lesson and Chianti tour were perfect. I'd happily recommend you on to my friends.

J.L.

Mariella... Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you about our trip. I thought my wife had e-mailed you. Anyway, we had a great time, everything was as you said. Tuscany was beautiful. We were ready to move. Then we went to Como. What a great place. Can't wait to go back. I've told friends about your company. Hopefully they will call and use your services... Thanks again for all the help.

D.O.

Rick... Per telephone message, Jean and I would like to thank you for your superb and most personal services. As an overview, your selection of locations and days allotted for stay were perfect (e.g. one day at Cinque Terre was enough). Also perfect were your directions for driving. Wonderfully helpful were suggestions of a few well chosen points of interest along the way. In short, a superb itinerary which proved indispensable in making a wonderful vacation - the best in recent memory... Thank you for everything. Feel free to use us as a reference, a quotable and great supporter. Be assured that we will sing your praises far and wide.

D.H.

Mariella, just a note to let you know that Diane and I feel the trip to Italy over New Year's was certainly one of the most memorable. The hotels, the beautiful scenery, the friendliness everywhere we went is something we'll remember for a long time to come... We are still amazed we were able to plan so much for so little time. Much of the credit for that goes to you. Thank you for your patient and careful planning. You helped make the memories of our first trip to Italy truly special and we are already wondering when we will return to visit Tuscany, Florence, Venice, and the other hidden treasures of Italy.

D.M.

Good morning Mariella... My daughter and I had a wonderful trip to Italy. She enjoyed it very much and even learned a few words of Italian! Umbria and Spoleto were everything you said they would be, and was probably the highlight for me. Nicole, of course, liked Florence the best and felt that Spoleto was a little too remote, but she liked touring all the castles and little towns. The accommodations were lovely. You did a great job in selecting them... I will continue to refer all my friends who are going to Italy to contact you.

M.H.

Dear Rick and Mariella... This is a very belated "thank you" for all the arrangements you made for various aspects of our two week stay in Italy this past June. We had a wonderful time!! We want to go back... I enjoyed meeting both of you, and working with you to fine tune our arrangements. Thank you for all the help you gave us, especially the articles and specific information on Florence and Rome. We were extremely happy with everything!

A.S.

Dear Mariella... We wanted to send you a very big thank you for everything you did to help with our wedding arrangements - most especially the room bookings at Corte del Sole. We greatly appreciated all your time and efforts - we know that you worked very hard on our behalf and for that we are most grateful. Our wedding in Cortona was a dream come true - everything we hoped it would be x 100 times more! So much love and happy memories with all our friends and family... Thank you again.

G.B.

Hi Mariella... How wonderful to hear from you! Yes, I'm very married! I'm dreaming of Italy every day and wishing I was back there so much... How lucky you are to have been born and come from this most beautiful country... I know we will be in touch many times in the Future! I will be recommending and giving out your number to everyone I know who is going to Italy - watch out! All my best wishes to you and, again, many many thank you's for everthing you did for us - we'll never forget it.

G.A.

Dear Fabulous Folks at Hidden Treasures of Italy... We just wanted to write to say THANK YOU for all your help and guidance with our wedding plans last April. We had the most wonderful experience and wanted to share some of the details with you. I should have written sooner, however we got busy with other things... Needless to say, your planning and ideas were perfect for us!! We had an incredible vacation, a perfect wedding day, and many, many fond memories of Italy. We will definitely be going back there again, to Positano and other parts of the country. All of the people who accompanied us to our wedding traveled further into Italy, and they all had fabulous trips. I have recommended Hidden Treasures to several people and hope that they will contact you soon for information.

K.L.