Villa Romana: Authentic Amalfi Cuisine

The staff was excellent and I would highly recommend it for a family. I expected a bit better hotel-- the staff was wonderful, food, good-- but the room was not a 4-star accommodation. Tours were excellent; cooking classes were fabulous. Pat & Lou M., TX

From arrival to departure this was a great travel experience. The cooking school was very well organized and personal. The time allowed for touring the surrounding countryside was delightful, and the personnel were most pleasant and professional. Highly recommeded. Phil & Maggie S., WA

This trip was the best one EVER! The cooking lessons, the hotel, the meals, and most especially, the people we met who were with The International Kitchen were incredibly special! We were expecting one notch above mundane; instead, what we got was superb -- couldn't have been more perfect. Ezio, Sandra, Barbara, Andrea, Michele -- everyone associated with our experience made it more memorable. We made lasting friendships that will call us back again. We can't wait to participate in another International Kitchen adventure! The lessons in conjunction with the tours AND THE MEALS were incredible. Ezio and Sandra were so knowledgable about the area and the subject matter! We were never bored and were genuinely disappointed that the days had to end. Debra H., CA

We are writing because your short questionnaire would not give us enough opportunity to properly express ourfeelings about our experience, which was outstanding beyond our best expectations. As you undoubtedly know, the secret to success with these programs is people, people, people, people and people. In this case, every one of the people connected with the cooking school and the hotel were exceptional in every way. The lead instructor was absolutely delightful. He developed the various menus for the four days of instruction, and he participated as we prepared the various dishes in the kitchen. He would meet with us for half an hour before each session in the kitchen to give us some historical insight into the recipes that we would be preparing that day. Also, he took us on a tour of the town of Amalfi, to a mozzarella factory, into various local food shops (pastry, pasta, fish, meat and bread) and to the Limoncello producer. He is very knowledgeable and professional. His charm and enthusiasm made for a very pleasurable experience. The chef welcomed us into his kitchen and taught us many valuable techniques as we prepared appetizers, pastas, veal Amalfitana, various seafood dishes and various desserts. Our translator, Sharon, was proficient and personable. She gave us a tour of local Roman ruins and of the town of Ravello. Alessandro, son of the owner of the Hotel Villa Romana and sommelier in the dining room, was courteous and helpful as he assisted during our lessons and when we dined in the hotel. Michele, the driver, was polite and congenial. Lastly, the entire Reale family, owners and operators of the Hotel Villa Romana, were gracious and accommodating to our every wish as guests in their hotel. Beyond what has already been mentioned, the cooking school package included a guided tour of Pompei. The school arranged for comfortable transportation and an English-speaking guide. We found this very worthwhile. In summary, we had a very pleasurable and memorable experience at the cooking school. We believe that we received exceptionally good value for the price we paid, and we highly recommend this particular school to your clients. Jack & Carol P., NJ

I had a great time on the vacation. I loved our guide, Sandra. She was so informative and interesting. I don't think there was anything she didn't know about the area. I loved Etzio. He too was very informative and his knowledge of food is amazing. The only thing that I was disappointed with was there was no real hands on cooking as such, but if we did that, we wouldn't have got to go to all the little towns around the area and Pompeii. I am so glad I booked the tour. Coming hame and recreating some of the dishes so far have been great and seeing the delight on friends and families faces has meant that I have learnt a lot. Going to see Pompeii was also a big highlight. Our guide was fantastic. Christy H., AU

I had a great time on the vacation. I loved our guide, Sandra. She was so informative and interesting. I don't think there was anything she didn't know about the area. I loved Etzio. He too was very informative and his knowledge of food is amazing. The only thing that I was disappointed with was there was no real hands on cooking as such, but if we did that, we wouldn't have gotten to go to all the little towns around the area and Pompeii. I am so glad I booked the tour. Coming home and recreating some of the dishes so far have been great and seeing the delight on friends and families faces has meant that I learned a lot. Going to see Pompeii was also a big highlight. Our guide Claudia was fantastic.

Villa Romana was beautiful; Chef Juliano was wonderful. Classes were informative and fun. Translator could not have done a better job. Every side tour was on time and very interesting. Can not pinpoint any one special moment as the entire vacation was special, from the hotel personnel, the chef and translator and the Italian people. I was sad to leave and will definitely plan a return. If every participating group is as great as this one, you have a winning organization... The program packet was fine. Gave us a complete itinerary (which we had to adjust because of a closing) but it all went exceptionally well. Recipes were clear and "hands on" cooking class is the best. Everything went like clockwork from the time we left USA until we returned. Kudos. Lynne S.