THE BRIEF
A short haul, three night incentive for 80 couples. With Monte Carlo and Dubrovnik done in previous years, the incentive had to be a city break, staying at a 5 star hotel with a pool, group cultural activities, exclusive group dinners and a gala dinner with a real ‘wow’ factor.
Day one
After a short orientation tour of Rome, the group arrived for a sumptuous welcome lunch at the Parco dei Principi Hotel, where they would be spending the next three nights. One of the only hotels in Rome with an outdoor pool, the Parco dei Principi, with its Royal Italian décor, is a calm oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the city streets of Rome. After a couple of hours in the sun, the first night dinner kicked the trip off in true Italian style with a huge feast served in Roman open-air gardens. The food and wine were endless, including platters of cheese, meats, salads, pastas – to name a few! The guests had the fun of making their own pizzas under the watchful eye of Chef Luigi and his team, cooking them in traditional pizza ovens and dining to the sound of a local five-piece band who played at the tables. And to cap off a fabulous, immersive and truly Italian first night, a group of pizza acrobats dazzled with some unusual but nevertheless very impressive entertainment. Who knew you could throw a pizza that high?
Day Two
What better way to spend the first morning than with a walking tour with one of our carefully selected, knowledgeable and charismatic guides. The guides told historic tales as guests took in the wonderful sights, including Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona (and many more!). There was of course a mid-tour gelato stop at the superb Giolitti, the oldest gelato shop in Rome. Huge helpings of hand-picked gelato (yes, the hand-picking was done by us!) were served by the most fantastic waiters with the talent of carrying out 10 glasses of gelato out at a time. It’s safe to say, no one was waiting longer than a minute for their ice cream! A well-deserved lunch stop and cold beer was awaiting us at the fabulous Casa Bleve, where we had exclusive use of this famous Rome trattoria before the group returned to the hotel. A busy day meant that guests were happy to take a short walk from their bedrooms to the hotel swimming pool where dinner was served. A beautiful open-air setting, on a summer evening, with tables set up around the outdoor pool, ambient lighting and classical Italian background music made this a very special evening.
Day Three
A tour of the Colosseum was in store for day three, again accompanied by our second-to-none guides who helped guests to visualise the magnificent structure and its gruesome history. The group then made their way to lunch, where Mama’s famous lasagne was accompanied by a fine Chianti and followed by home-made tiramisu. The group sat, chatted, ate and drank before heading back to the hotel for a dip in the pool. What had been a fantastic trip, was topped off by a gala dinner held in the Palazzo Colonna, a glorious and private palace in Rome. Privatised for the dinner, guests got to see the magnificent palace in all its glory, which included a walk through the breath taking Gallery for drinks and canapés in the beautiful palace garden. A sumptuous four-course dinner, fine wines and impeccable service was enjoyed in the spectacular ballroom with three tenors evoking tears of emotion as they filled the room with operatic indulgence. This was truly a night that will live long in the memory.
Rome is simply astonishing. A city with wonder at every turn and this programme was simply spectacular. If you would like to discuss Rome in more detail then please get in touch with us to hear more.
