Venice, the Dolomites & The Truth About Luxury Hotels

In this solo episode of Maison Voyage: The Art of Luxury Travel, Vanessa picks up where Episode 1 left off — delivering the full debrief on her June research trip to Italy that she's been teasing across social media. She walks listeners through the entire journey: the Delta One experience out of Jacksonville through Atlanta, the private water taxi arrival into Venice that her husband called a "chef's kiss" moment, and a surprisingly candid behind-the-scenes account of their stay at the brand-new Orient Express Venice. The hotel itself? Jaw-dropping — eight years of renovation, frescoes, original stone floors, canal views, auto-closing velvet drapes, and a skylight room she'll never forget. But Vanessa doesn't sugarcoat it: waiting 45 minutes after arriving exhausted from an overnight flight, only to be told the room wasn't ready — at a minimum $2,500-a-night hotel — is a real conversation worth having about what luxury service actually means and where the gap between price and experience can quietly exist. She contrasts that with a flawless early arrival experience at the Mandarin Oriental Milan to make the point: luxury isn't just about the property, it's about how you're treated in the moments that matter most. From there the trip only got better — a rainy, moody arrival at Salt House Hotel in Bolzano that felt like a scene from Twilight, rooftop infinity pool swims in the Dolomite rain, blue skies over Cortina d'Ampezzo, and a final Venice night at the Venice Venice Hotel that she called one of her favorite hotels she's ever stayed at — period. She also teases her new Substack, The Private Edit, where the full unfiltered story lives for subscribers who want to go behind the curtain.

Maison Voyage: The Art of Luxury Travel is the official podcast of the Maison Voyage brand, hosted by luxury travel advisor and founder Vanessa Kromer. With more than 16 years specializing in Italy, Europe, and bespoke international journeys, Vanessa sits down with the hoteliers, DMCs, destination experts, and industry insiders who are quietly defining what luxury travel looks like today — beyond the price tag, beyond the postcard, and beyond what you'll find on a typical influencer reel. Whether you're an affluent traveler researching your next unforgettable trip or a travel professional looking to sharpen your craft, each episode is designed to inspire, educate, and reveal the access, relationships, and intentional design that turn a vacation into something truly extraordinary.

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Water taxi: Venice https://www.motoscafivenezia.com/en/

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:19

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Maison Voyage Podcast. I am Vanessa Cromer, your host of this podcast, luxury travel advisor with over 16 years in the industry, and also the founder, CEO, slash editor in chief of the magazine Maison Voyage. I had to come back on here and do part two of the introductory podcast episode, episode one, because I left you guys hanging. And unless you are watching every single social media post that I have out there on every single avenue that I post things on, you might have missed the information and the whole experience of the Italy trip that I was mentioning. So again, always follow me on Instagram, Vanessa Cromer, MMV, and then Facebook as well. All these links will be in the bottom. But also, of course, the magazine, which I'm going to be highlighting a lot of this Italy trip in the fall issue that will come out October 1st. So make sure you subscribe, digital or print. It's quarterly. But even more importantly, I also started writing inside the private edit, which is held on Substack. And inside of that, you can actually upgrade to become kind of behind the curtain. Okay. And if you upgrade to come behind the curtain, you also get access to the magazine. So it's kind of like if you subscribe to the magazine, you automatically get my upgraded Substack, and vice versa. So some of you who are already part of that world behind the scenes have kind of seen some of my more private takes on some of the luxury and not so luxury accidental experiences we might have had well in Italy this June. But I'm gonna share a couple things. I'm of course not gonna give away all of the dirty secrets, the good, bad, and the ugly, because some of that is held uh in a more private avenue. But the trip was amazing. So I thought I need to come on and do a little podcast, part two of episode one. So today let me walk you through. Okay, so it was the beginning of June. My husband and I flew Delta One, which was amazing. We flew to from Jacksonville, Florida to Venice. I love Venice Airport. So can I just say because we live in Jacksonville, Florida, and I'm not gonna give you my exact address because that's even already too much information that you know I'm flying out of Jacksonville, Florida. Um, I watch a lot of true crime, so please just forget that I live in Jacksonville, okay? Anyways, we are spoiled here with this airport in a way. I mean, it there's a good with a bad. It's small, it's quick, you it's wonderful. You're in, you're out, right? But of course, you know, we don't have any non-stop international flights. So, you know, we have to lay over in Atlanta or JFK to get over the pond. But I will say we're very spoiled, okay? Especially if you are flying just domestic, which I don't really do. I'm always flying international. However, it's very easy, in and out, quick, right? But we flew to JFK, actually, yes, no, Atlanta. We flew to Atlanta, and that was the first time actually that we flew from Jacksonville to Atlanta before going over the pond. Usually for whatever reason, it's on the way home. So this was kind of like a different experience because normally we fly uh to JFK first and we'll go to the uh Delta One lounge there. So in Atlanta, we they don't have the Delta One, but they just have their Delta Sky Club uh lounges, which are wonderful. So that was kind of interesting because we usually are used to being in JFK for that. Um and we had a great time. It was it was beautiful. We got to eat, rest, go online for a little bit, and just chit-chat and people watch and you know, have some cocktails and all that good stuff. Long story short, the reason I'm telling you about the airport is because we are spoiled in Jacksonville, it's so small and easy to maneuver. But Venice, I feel like, you know, besides the fact that it's in Italy and everything's written in Italian and all of that, it's amazing. And so when you're comparing like London Heathrow to like Venice Airport, I'll take Venice any day of the week, right? Because it's smaller, it's easier to maneuver. Um, and it was just fabulous. So, of course, even though we were in Delta One, we did not uh sleep very well. We just were type A. It just, you know, Benadryl and cocktails, it didn't matter. You know, we we definitely rested better than we would in main cabin, obviously, but it's not like we were out cold or anything. So we were very exhausted when we um sat up and was like, oh gosh, breakfast, you know, it's light out, they're serving breakfast and all of that. Um but fabulous, Delta One. They did a great job. The it was amazing. The food, everything, the service, the the workers were just fabulous. So everything was like wonderful. Um with that being said, um, it was great because as soon as we got off the airplane, you know, we went through everything. We had one checked bag, um, and you know, we were on our way. And we did have a private water transfer set up, and I will actually link that to this podcast because it's my favorite private Venice water transfer. They're like the it water transfer, and it's private. And the funny thing is, and if you guys find me online, please reach out. But we met some people waiting to get on the Venice plane, and it was funny because they're like, Well, we're not in Delta One, so we won't see you again after this. We're gonna be way in the back. And we did not see them again. Um, I think because for whatever reason, our luggage came off pretty quick. And I even said to my husband, Oh my gosh, we didn't even get to see them down at the um, you know, the baggage claim. But we it was so funny because they had done their Venice trip or their whole Italy trip by themselves. And she said, The I my husband always kind of beefs me up a little bit, and he'll be like, Well, you know, that's what she does. And I never push my business on people, or I always feel awkward in those situations. So he always does that for me very subtly. And of course, they were like, Oh my gosh, give me your card, we'll connect with you next time. And and I said, Okay, we got 20 minutes before we board, go. Like, this is your QA. You got me. I'm an Italy expert. Go! And they were so cute. They were, they were, you know, older. I mean, we're old, but they were they were older. Um, and we just were having a great time with them. We took a selfie, um, all that. It was it was a great time. But she said, Well, we don't have our transfer when we get there. So I'm a little nervous and I don't know what to do. And I said, Oh, well, it should be fairly easy. Like, you just go up, they have boats, they'll take you. I said, You know what? And and I and we were very pressed on time because we were Delta One, they were gonna be calling for boarding. And I said, Oh my gosh, let me give you our people. You might be able to book this online very quickly. And I we literally they booked it online, my exact private transfer, which I will put in the comments below. And they were so excited. They were like, Thank you so much. And I'm like, You're gonna die. It's private. I feel like the money is great, it's like bougie, you're not gonna have to go on the public water boat. You got this, right? So, but I never saw them again. And he took they, I think I did give one of them my card, but I haven't heard from them yet. So if you see this, please let's connect. I just want to see how your trip was, if anything. Um, if you know these people, maybe I'll drop our selfie in there and it's kind of like find this person for me, right? So I I want to connect with this family, these people, they were amazing. Um, anyways, fabulous. Now, my husband had never been to Venice, so this was like the James Bond Hollywood moment, right? We were exhausted, but we were like excited. It was a beautiful day. I think it was like 8 45 in the morning. We're walking out. I had never arrived in Venice Airport before, actually. So I was like, oh my gosh, this is amazing, right? We're just following the signs, private water transfers, follow the directions. There I was. And of course, we walk up, and there's like three or four of these Italian workers that work for this private water taxi. Amazing, right? Oh yeah, right here. Wait, wait, wait. We're gonna get you right on, and boom, my husband and I were on a boat, just the two of us, hair blowing in the breeze, 25, maybe 20, 23 minute ride to the Orient Express. He was dying. I mean, we probably took 200 pictures, pictures just on that 20-minute boat ride. We looked horrendous because again, overnight flight. Um, but wow, right? So I that that is the only way, guys, to go to Venice. So please let me do that for you, okay? You have to do that. So that was just like setting the bar really high, right? Like my husband was like, this is this is like the chef's kiss, right? And you know, we've been to Italy, but like the Venice thing, he was like, This is fabulous, right? I'm like, I know it's insane. We're just like, wow. And so, of course, we pull up to the Orient Express, and um, I think I mentioned it in episode one, you know, super excited, right? It's the one of the hotel openings of the year. Absolutely fabulous. Eight-year renovation for this palazzo, okay. I was invited to stay there. I mean, I could not wait. We get in, your jaw drops. I mean, we pull up on the private, you know. So, Venice, you're pulling up on the boat right up to the hotel. Like, that's a lobby. You literally just step out, you're on a little deck, boom, you go in the lobby. That's just how Venice rolls, okay? I mean, stunning, right? The minute they're waiting for you, they see you coming, right? Like the workers. It's like they're waving as you're like, you know, 30, 40 feet away. They know you're coming. Take your bags, help you out. So everything was like fabulous. And you know, you walk in this building and we're like exhausted, but like high off of the adrenaline because it's like this is like a dream, right? And it's just spectacular. Like, I cannot tell you how beautiful this hotel is. You could go look at the pictures on my social media. I will tell you that the pictures on the website, the pictures on my social media, even though they're real, do not compare to physically pulling up. Okay. It it's like this place is just absolutely phenomenal. Okay. Um, the splendor of it and the beauty of the renovation and just everything, the furniture, the colors, the textures, the stone, the marble, the staircase. I mean, it's just a lot for you to wrap your brain around. And of course, they, you know, you it's not like a and a lot of um Italian and European hotels are like this. It's not like your typical check-in, right? You're not like walking up and waiting in a line. They kind of like have an iPad, or sometimes they don't have anything. And they, would you like water? Still or sparkling, of course, and still. Okay, do you have any allergies or anything? No. Okay, great. Go have a seat. We're gonna bring you, you know, a welcome platter and some hot washcloths and some inviting welcome teas, and we'll be right back. And then, okay, we're gonna check on some things. Oh, you know, we need your passports, or oh, you already uploaded your passports. Thank you. So go have a seat, we'll be right with you. So it's like now you're in this beautiful lobby, and there was like nobody there. Like we were like the only ones. There was workers all over, and there was like a business meeting, like walk around happening, or something. You could tell it was like the general manager, possibly, with like another very important person in the industry, possibly, or um, something like that. They were kind of talking and walking. It definitely wasn't like a travel advisor or a guest, it was definitely someone in the industry or somebody important in Venice, right? So they're kind of, you can tell they're walking around, they're pointing at things or talking about things, and then they come with this tray and the washcloths and this cocktail that was like infused tea with like elderberry, and I think there was alcohol in it. Um, and you know, so okay, and oh, we hope our room's ready, you know. Um, it's Europe. Uh, you know, some flights land at 5 a.m. in Europe. So they're used to Americans getting there. And by now it was probably 9:30, 10, maybe 10 a.m. Um oh well, I'll have to check. Okay, yes, yes, yes. But they don't forget, they whisked our um all of our stuff from us. I literally just had my YSL purse. That was it. And my husband, I think, had a fanny pack like under his shirt. Like I we had no luggage with us. I didn't even have like my carry-on personal bag. I literally just had my YSL. So we have nothing. Like, I don't have my toiletries, I don't have, I mean, I look a hot mess. Like, it's bad, you know? And um whatever. I think we use the bathroom. I'm taking pictures. My husband drank his drink. I let him finish mine because it was just it was good, but it's like, okay, I'm just excited, right? So he was like, I'll drink this if you're not going to. And I'm snapping pictures, and it was about 40 minutes of us just kind of, okay, what's happening? This is where I am confused a little bit because um I've been to Europe many times, and especially with Italy, it's like, you know, it's a little slower than you might be used to, just in general. Um, but I was kind of like, what's going on? Like it's a yes or a no, right? Like, what's happening? Um, and it was kind of a lag. It took a while. So surely I'm thinking, because it's taking this long, like, surely our room, it must be ready. Or she was just kind of stalling so it would be ready. And we're running out of things to do at this point. I've gone to the bathroom. I'm hopeless looking. There's nothing's gonna fix my current state, right? Um, oh, and by the way, it was like 85, 90 degrees that day, which was early June. Um, not even near what it will be or was the rest of the summer. So hot. And we had actually, I think I actually had this tank top on with jeans that I had worn for at this point, probably like 30, 36 hours in travel time. And by the time I put it on at home before we left. And I'm feeling a little like I'm I need to know what's happening. And uh she comes back, and everyone's so sweet, right? I mean, everyone's lovely. And she's like, it's not gonna be ready, probably for a few more hours. And we were like, okay, that's fine. Okay, thank you for, I mean, 40 minutes later, thanks for letting me know. Cause I'm also starving, right? So it's like, okay, can we move on with the day at least? Or, you know, because we're thinking, okay, that's cool. Like, I'll walk him around a little bit and we'll come back for lunch. Um, and so that's what we did. So I looked the way I did, and nothing was gonna change that. And off we went. Um, and we killed two hours at least. I think it was 12:30. Um, and we were both very tired at that point because we were going up so many stairs. It's Venice, and we were exhausted um mentally and physically. Um, and so, and it was hot, and it was like, okay, well, we need to eat lunch. Like, I'm gonna need to eat now, and like if we keep walking farther that way, we're just gonna be farther from the hotel. So let's why don't we go back to the hotel and we'll eat lunch there, have a cocktail or a cappuccino or something, and eat there. And then surely our room's gonna be ready, right? Like, I mean, there's like nobody there. Like, I'm it's gotta be ready by the time after we eat lunch there. So, okay, yeah. I mean, otherwise we're just aimlessly walking and we're both physically ill. We need to eat something. So we thought, well, we'll take our chances, we'll go back. So we walked back to the hotel. Um, I think my husband asked real quick, any chances? And she's like, no. And he's like, Okay, well, we're gonna eat lunch. That's what happened, I'm pretty sure. And so I said, Okay, we're gonna we'll eat lunch in the garden. So we did, and lunch was beautiful. And I mean, we were eating lunch for I mean, it's Italy, so I would say at minimum an hour. Um, we didn't get a lot, I will say, I think what we did was we had wine, and then we had the bread service, of course, and then we had two appetizers that we shared. So, because again, it was like we just flew overnight, and so you're kind of almost physically ill, but you know you need to eat because you're hungry, but you're also physically ill. So you kind of ease into the day a little bit. And um, so we we had the two appetizers, we cleaned the plates, um, ate all the bread, wine was great, took pictures. Great! It's like two o'clock, it's gotta be ready. No, it was not two o'clock. Yeah, it was close to two o'clock. It's not ready. So, again, now I am not pleased. The disclaimer is this I am a big proponent of rules. I get it. Check-in time, like hugely. I will say though, however, knock on wood, I've never waited that long for a European hotel on arrival day from an overnight flight. It's just I may maybe I've been lucky again. So, again, like there's nobody there. Like the restaurant, there was one other couple. Like, there's nobody, like, we did see some people leaving when we came in at one point, like to go explore, but like, and I think there was like a mom. I I think I saw a mom with like a toddler, but like we're not talking like a lot of people. So I was feeling a little upset, and now I need my carry-on because I need to brush my teeth. Like, we just ate lunch, and you're now I gotta go back out. I still look like this, so I need to at least brush my teeth and like maybe squirt some perfume and put some lipstick on something, right? So we had to get the bag from the Bellman, and then they put it back, and we decided to head out again. Now we were were pretty mentally defeated at this point. Like, there, you know, if you know, you know, because that's just what overnight flights will do to you. And I, because it was so hot out, and now it's like 2 p.m., so now it's the hottest time of the day. I I had a plan and was like, we're gonna head towards open water, we're gonna head to the edge of the island because at least it'll be windier. So let's walk the parameter. So we walked to the marina area, and it was significantly cooler and windy, and and it was nice views, and um, we were walking, walking, and but then of course, at a certain point you gotta walk back inland, and so then it's a little bit hotter because you know now you're in the canals and you know there's not as much breeze coming through, and we're shopping, we're trying to duck in and out. I don't know if we bought anything that day. I don't think we did. Did we buy anything? I think no, we didn't do any shopping. Um, we were just spent and we didn't even barely talk. It was kind of like he was just following me and we were just maneuvering, and I would point things out to him. We were exhausted. So I think it was like three o'clock. Like we probably walked for 45 minutes, and I was like, I can't do this. I'm like, I got we're going back, we're we're going back to the hotel. So we made our way back. And I think by the time we got into the lobby, it was like 3 30. And she had taken my cell phone. I, and you know, this whole time, you know, I never got any. I'm checking my email, I'm checking my text, WhatsApp, nothing, nothing, nothing. So we walk in, and I think I had to go right to get ice water. And he he asked and was like, it's 3:30. Like, what's what's going on? And um I was in the beautiful lobby that I had already taken every possible picture you could have from every single angle because we spent so much time waiting in there that I um at this point was like, I just want to shower and go to the bathroom and go to bed. Like, I'm done. And so finally, like he had was in the up where they're standing again. It's not like a typical, like you're thinking of a hotel situation. So he was missing MIA for like maybe 10 minutes, and then he walks back in and he's like, Okay, they're getting it for us. I'm like, okay. So it was after 3:30 when we got up to our room. Um, all that to say it can happen to you, it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone, right? A rule is a rule. Although I feel like it was past check-in time, I'm still so very confused because first of all, the entry level to even get into this hotel is like a minimum of like $2,500 a night for like the least expensive room, right? So I was kind of like, this place is not booked. Like, I I assure you, it was not. Like, I know what hotels look like when they are booked, and this was not their the I I think our room was ready. Um I can't imagine that they were actually physically cleaning because we didn't even have the entry-level room. Ours was like one or two up. Um, but by no means was it anywhere near what they offer because it goes way, way, way up, way, way, way up. With that being said, um this is what we're talking about with luxury experiences, right? So you can spend, you can be staying at the nicest place in the world and still not get your room till 3:30. And if it was a mid-trip travel day, probably not going to be a big deal, right? Like if we were already in Italy for several days, but they they knew we were coming from our flight. I mean, they knew because they had our flight times and they had our arrival time the moment I connected with them as a media collab, they knew my arrival was early because that was my first stop. So does the staff there checking me in know that? Is it flagged? Does anyone know? Did that does that get lost in translation somewhere? Does that get lost in the people who had my emails and communicated with me all of these months prior, have nothing to do with the people there that day, right? And maybe there that day, it's like, well, check-in's three o'clock, even if the room's ready, we're gonna stick to it. I don't know. Um there's no one to blame here. I tell my clients it can happen. And it did happen to a client. I mean, it happens to clients all the time. It did also happen in London to one of my families, but I think it was like 12:30 p.m. Um, and trust me, 12:30 p.m. seems like forever when you are landing at 7 a.m. on an overnight flight. Um, so 3:30 p.m. felt like days. So, needless to say, our tradition of room service on arrival day to Europe has continued. And at this point, it is now going to be a tradition, probably, um, because it seems like, well, even when we've gotten our room, like the Mandarin Oriental in Milan, we got our room, gosh, what time was it? 10 a.m. But we were still spent and didn't and we did room service. We did go out for lunch and we were out for hours, got showered, got all juzed up and had a great, you know, afternoon out. But then when we got back from there, it was kind of like, you know what? Let's shower, get dug in, enjoy this room, unpack, and let's order room service, right? Different reason for room service. Trust me, you'll be sick regardless, okay? But when you don't get your room till 3:30 and you're staying at a hotel that costs that much per night, it was I was disappointed. Um is there someone to blame? No, there's absolutely not. It just stinks, right? Like it's just it's not ideal. Um, there's no one to blame for that. But it does take away from the experience, and it definitely put a stall on our first day. Um, because I think if we would have been able to get into our room when we got there, we would have obviously showered, freshened, I mean, showered, obviously, um, been able to, you know, dress appropriately for the heat. Um I mean, we both had jeans on. My husband had a black shirt on, and like I said, it was blazing sun. Um, I did actually have this shirt on, so I had a tank top on, thankfully, but I had jeans and like loafers on. Um I was not wearing what I was planning to wear in Venice for photos and for shopping. So it just, it just didn't, we looked like we just got off the plane, right? And and that can happen. Um just note to self. Outside of that, the hotel was absolutely fabulous. Um, we only did stay the one night. It was a media collab. Um, although I didn't have like an arranged site visit, but the next morning after breakfast, um, they did take us on a site visit, and I was able to see up into the suites and into all of the spaces. And so it's fabulous. I mean, I took so many pictures, it's absolutely gorgeous. Um, but that is a whole conversation, and I do go much deeper into the good and to the amazing and to a couple of my other thoughts on the location, etc., in my private edit upgrade. So you can peel back the curtain if you are in there. Um, but I won't go into details. It was fabulous, beautiful. Um, but again, there's a couple things that are more behind the scenes that are a little bit more private. That being said, our trip just got more amazing and more amazing as the trip went on. So I don't want to go too long on this. I did want to touch on the Orient Express. Absolutely fabulous, gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I mean, eight years to renovate this property, and it's absolutely stunning. The art, the just the touches everywhere, the aesthetic, the colors, um, the frescoes, just the floors, the original floors everywhere. It's just absolutely phenomenal. Um staying in a place like that is magical and luxurious on its own. Um, the room was absolutely fabulous. Um, it was just we had a skylight, it was crazy. Like it was we had canal views, we it was beautiful. The um the shades, there was a button. So, and we stay at very nice hotels. So a lot of times they're all very similar with like the um the logistics of a room when you're staying at a property. That's like a five, six star property. Logistically, they have a lot of similar um things happening, but I will tell you the button with the room darkening velvet heavy drapes was awesome. And it took us a while to figure it out. But it was also cool because they were not only was there a button, which I didn't see that until I think bedtime, but I did notice when you pulled or touched them, like if you if they were open and you went to kind of tug them close, they would one tiny tap like this to pull it would just automatically start going on its own. And then the same thing. So like I was like, oh my gosh, all I did was barely like pull it towards me, and then and then the same thing would happen when if I so we closed, and then I was like, oh, that's dark. So then it was like, if I went like that, it would open on its own. Not only that, it had a button on the wall, which we did not know till later that night. So I thought that was really cool. Um, I don't think unless we missed a button, which we probably could have. I mean, we stay at a lot of um very high-end hotels. So that was very cool. And I will say, probably the most dark, which I am the type of person, if there's a little tiny light, I won't sleep. Um, I was worried about the skylight, but I think because, and there actually was like a canvas like cover on the skylight, so it's not like a direct skylight, like it's a skylight, but they have like a curtain thing up there. But I was worried that that would be a problem for me because any moonlight, starlight, any outdoor lights that would come in would like I would focus on that. But I think it was because it was arrival night and I was that exhausted it didn't bother me. But if we stayed there all week, I probably would have been like, I need that skylight covered, like this is not gonna work. Um, but it was fine for the one night. Um, but what I was gonna say is like room darkness, those windows and the blackest blackout I've ever had at a hotel with like no gaping light coming in at the bottom or top. So whatever they got going on with those drapes. And again, I didn't ask if it's like that in every room. We I didn't play with the drapes in the suites, but I'm sure all the rooms are a little bit different and decorate a little bit different. But whatever the room I was in, and I can give you that number, just text me or DM me. I'll let you know my room number. Phenomenal. So good job. Bathrooms were amazing, shower pressure, the hot, hot water, everything was spot on. Um, but our trip just got more and more amazing as we went on. Of course, you know, then we went to the dolomites if you are paying attention, which was phenomenal. Definitely I'll I'll I'll wrap up quickly here because we want to keep these short and sweet. I definitely am obsessed with the Bolzano area and north. Um absolutely unreal. Like, I cannot describe, like, I cannot even put it into words. I can't put it into speech, I can't put it into writing, the photos don't do it justice. You just have to physically go. So let's get you there. Bolzano is one of one of the, I think it's like number two, um, and it may change a little bit, but one of the top wealthiest cities in Italy and in all of Europe, I believe. Um, spotless. Like, there's no garbage. There, it's literally pristine. Um, our time at Saltus Hotel with my dear sweet friend and hotel owner, Claudia, was absolutely fabulous. So you'll have to go to look at my social media to go look at those recaps. And it will be in episode um, not I'm sorry, not episode uh issue three for the fall. Phenomenal. Um, that was a whole vibe. Like we had one rainy day, our entire trip to Italy, and it was our day transferring from Venice to Saltis. It didn't start raining until like the the last maybe hour and 20 minutes of the like three and a half hour drive. And it was such a vibe. I was not even mad about it. Like the only thing that I was upset about, which was fine because we we knew we'd be coming home and hopefully it would be sunny. But the only thing that was not ideal is you couldn't see like how high you were because it was raining and it was foggy. Um, so you couldn't see past, like you couldn't see past a certain point, like your uh what do they call that? Your um, however far you can see, I forget what it's called, but you know what I'm saying was uh visibility was very limited. So, like you knew you were high because there was like clouds, and like you knew you were on the side of a mountain, but you couldn't really see what was down there. Um, and you knew you were on like a winding hill. So that was pretty awesome. And then pulling up, it was totally like all my Twilight fans, it was like we were in forks. Like I felt like what is happening, we're a vampire. Like, what is happening? This is Twilight right now. This is crazy. Like all the forests and the the it was just downpouring and like the mist and it was dark. I thought it was fabulous. And we walked into the hotel and it was all glass looking out. So as soon as you walk in, all you see is glass overlooking the mountains, and you can see the dolomites, you can see the rain, you can see the trees, and I'm just like, this is heaven. Like this rainy day was just nailed the aesthetic. So I was so we were so pleased with it. We swam in the rain, we went to the rooftop infinity pool in the rain. You can go see all my pictures, it was worth every single raindrop. It set the mood and vibe for that hotel, and I'm so glad we got to experience it in the moody rain. And then, of course, it was blue skies the rest of our trip. So wow, God blessed us with that because it was like the point of view of that rain arrival was just perfect. We just I loved it. I loved every single minute of it, and I was eating it up, literally. So Saltus was a dream in the rain and in the sun. Um, and then of course we moved to Altabadia, which is the other more ski uh charming villages where you would go if you were skiing and you can ski in and out, and they the cable cars and all the things, right? So that was wonderful as well. And Hotel Marmalada was absolutely charming. We got into our room right away. We got into our room right away at Saltis at 10, I think it was 10:45. We got our room at Hotel Marmalada, and then we spent, so we spent like a full week in the uh Dolomites, and then on the way home, it we went to Venice for another night. But again, we're rested, so now we're fine. But we got a room, and we stayed at the Venice Venice Hotel, which is a whole nother episode, it's a whole nother magazine issue, it's a whole nother substack. Like it, this hotel, mind blown. So I have a new favorite hotel in Venice. I it might be one of my favorite hotels ever that I've stayed at. Absolutely one of a kind. Location, vibe, the quality, the people, the music, the sights, the the I there's no words. So I literally got home, and when you're watching this is much later, but when I got home from Italy, mid-June, I had a client who I think we were talking during while I was gone, but then when I got home, okay, we're we're still working on the proposal, and Venice was on their list, and I had good hotels on there. But and I was trying to meet her budget, and I think we were doing Florence, Venice, and Rome. And so, you know, moving can increase your budget always, right there if we're moving that many times. So hotels, you know, it's kind of a trying to figure out budget-wise where am I gonna land with her and and making it work for them, but making sure that you know, I have some options. So I had an option. I always give an option, like, okay, here we are. I met your budget, it's great, it's fabulous, it's ready to go, it's turnkey. These hotels are. But then I always in the proposal say, but if you really want to juice this up, this is what I would do. I would do this private tour, it's gonna be like this much. I would do this hotel X amount to upgrade for that, blah, blah, blah. Well, I had the I had like three, I had like a Florence upgrade, I think I had a Rome upgrade, and then I had a Venice upgrade, and the Venice Venice was on there. Actually, I had like two different Venice ones. And I think in parentheses, I had wrote like, this is the hotel. Like, I just got back, this is where I just was. It's phenomenal. And I personally know the leadership team there, boots on the ground. And she's like, We're doing it, or yep, we're up the budget, we're going there. And so it's like, I had just gotten home and I'm already selling it because I was so passionate about it. And I was like, you will not be this is gonna be like the hotel. So very exciting. So, I mean, I could talk forever, obviously, about all of the things, but the moral of the story here is I loved the Orient Express, it was phenomenal. The details, the craftsmanship, the heart behind it, fabulous. Um just didn't go the way I had hoped it would go and didn't work for us on that day. Um, no one to blame. We're not throwing blame, and I'm fully aware of check-in times. If anyone is aware, it is me. That's just our experience. More behind the curtain in the Substack upgrade. But what I want you guys to take away from this is this is part of the reason why we're talking about luxury travel, because there's so many different ways you can define luxury. So for me, it's very much what is being presented and how we're being treated. So waiting 45 minutes to for somebody to say it's not gonna be ready doesn't seem weird to me. That's all. Like, for example, when we got to Milan earlier in the year on a different Italy trip, on our arrival day, it was a Mandarin Oriental Milan. Paid client. I'm nobody to them, I'm just a paying client. They don't, I'm not special, I'm just another paying client, right? They were like, oh no, your room's gonna be ready in like 20 minutes. Why don't you guys go have coffee? You help your you you can have the breakfast, even though you know your first night is tonight. Complimentary breakfast, it's still right there, and then I'm gonna come and get you and I'll walk you up. Give me 20 minutes. What? It's 10 a.m. Okay, yeah, I'll go eat the complimentary breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental Milan and have a cappuccino, and you'll come get us in 20 minutes. Sure. That is luxury, right? Like, or she could have been like, you know what? Your room's not gonna be ready. I don't have a time for you either. But go eat breakfast. There you go, right? Complimentary. If you need your bags, I'll get them for you. But at least tell us right away. And also, like inviting us to have the breakfast, because the way my mind works, again, very rule oriented. I'm like, breakfast is for the next morning, right? Like you pay per night. So, like for me to have the complimentary breakfast upon arrival, it doesn't, that's like going backwards, right? She's like, no, no, no, help yourself. Like, no, you can, it's complimentary, like it's on us. Like, go enjoy. But I didn't get offered that at the Mandarin or at the Orient Express. Not that I was even expecting it, but like again, so like the hypotheticals and the way things can roll can really, really make someone's trip. It can make or break it. Now, our room was ready, so I was super excited. But I can guarantee you in Milan, if our room, if she would have said right away, no, your room's not gonna be ready, we'll Text you. But before you guys go and walk around, why don't you guys go to the restroom, freshen up, treat yourself to breakfast? We're open till 10:30. It's on us, like complimentary. Just be transparent, right? And so I don't love that we waited 45 minutes just hoping and thinking, because I'm thinking it surely it's going to be ready if it's taking this long to even tell us. Like, what is the problem? Like, you just make the phone call. What's happening here? To just be told no, and we don't know when it was really defeating in that moment because you know, it should only take five minutes to find that out, not 45, right? So again, what we're learning from this is it happens. And, you know, maybe psychologically it does mess with the rest of your experience at a place that can happen. Um, for us, for me, I will I go, will I personally go back? Not because of that. That's not the reason. I I think that location-wise, I would have other places in Venice that I would go to, especially at that price point. Was I blessed for being able to stay there? Yes, it was fabulous, and I'm never gonna forget that. Like it was absolutely phenomenal, the room and the aesthetics, and all of that. Um, but here we are. So, anyways, thank you for joining us today. I hope that you enjoyed hearing a little bit about our story and our trip. Um, I'm very passionate about Venice and Italy in general, obviously, as you know. So all of these links will be in the bottom. Please make sure that you are watching my social media. Instagram and Facebook pretty much always has similar content, except for my stories on Instagram. So you definitely want to make sure you're following stories on Instagram, especially when I'm actually traveling, because a lot of live stuff, and then of course it's gonna disappear. So you're gonna wanna make sure you're following my stories, especially when I'm traveling. Make sure that you are subscribing to the magazine because that is quarterly, it's fabulous. And if you do, you now get access behind the curtain, you get to come to the Substack, and vice versa. So pick one and come with us. Um, if you upgrade to the, it's gonna be more expensive than the print and digital magazine, but if you do the very, very upgraded Substack, you get a lot of other things plus the magazine that you're not gonna get vice versa, if that makes sense. So lots of included kind of, I don't want to say freebies because you're you're they're not free, you have to upgrade, but I've combined the magazine with the private edit, which is really amazing because we're really going deep and like really pulling back that curtain. And again, why listen to me? Why? Well, I've been doing this forever. I send people on vacation every single day of the year. I have clients traveling and I'm personally traveling. Not only am I personally traveling, I'm on Zoom calls meeting with the staff of these luxury hotels all over the world, like even just today, Africa. So you want to work with somebody who has those connections, boots on the ground, right? And that's what you're here for on the podcast, so that you can hear those stories. So I love having guests on the podcast. I don't love just talking to you guys on the podcast by myself, but I had to finish that story. And it's not even done. You gotta go somewhere else to find the rest of it. So thank you for subscribing. Thank you for watching and listening, and I hope that you guys have a fabulous day. And as always, I will see you guys later. Thank you so much.