I tried two hotels in Venice, one in Rome. By some distance, the Regina Hotel, Rome, one of the elegant Baglioni chain, was the best. Here is the personification of elegance, comfort and charm. Luxurious drapes line windows and rooms are generously sized.
Afternoon tea or evening drinks beside a real log fire in an elegant drawing room/lounge was a wonderful experience. There is, too, a spa in which you can have a massage and relax.
Situated conveniently in the Via Veneto, the Regina is one of the finest hostelries in the Eternal city. In normal times, prices might seem beyond the reach of many budgets yet in this era of straitened finances, it is very different. Opportunities abound.
Chiara Visentin, director of sales and marketing for the Luna Hotel Baglioni, Venice, told me: "We find that flexibility is essential in these times. One thing we are not prepared to do is reduce the quality of our product. Indeed, we are one of the very few hotels groups I know in Italy which have continued to invest even in these difficult times.
"The owners here have improved and updated all the rooms. It has meant we can offer even better facilities, very often at very realistic rates."
Negotiating a deal has become endemic in the travel business. Rack rates, the prices hotels might normally charge, have become in most cases merely an aspiration. There are few nowadays who will not listen to offers and seek to find a compromise with potential clients. It may be in some cases that, if prices cannot be lowered as far as the customer might wish, other factors such as upgrades can be applied.
The end result is that some genuine bargains are available. Suddenly, luxury hotels such as those in the Baglioni group can come within reach of many travellers.
They have had to extend their potential client base well beyond just the jet setters and multi millionaires. And if you can agree a deal within your budget, you will experience the stay of a lifetime.
Dinner at the Luna Baglioni Hotel in Venice, sited right on the Grand Canal near St Marks Square, was a gorgeous experience - beautifully cooked food and elegant wines you expect at a hotel of this quality. But it is the surroundings that make such an evening so special. Comfortable and elegant, the dining room and service reflected the standards of the hotel itself.
Nearby, the Liassidi Palace hotel, discreetly situated off one of the labyrinths of smaller canals, also offered a valuable deal, of three nights for the price of two. A four-star hotel, it was not of the standard of the Luna Baglioni, especially in terms of attention to detail. Breakfasts were sufficient but hardly inspiring and leaving an empty bottle of wine and the dirty glass in the room for three days seemed odd.
The room was large with plenty of space and lovely views down the canal. Front desk staff were most helpful. But the lack of an actual bar in the hotel was a pity.
If the tougher economic times mean luxury hotels have to be far more flexible to attract customers, they must provide the best facilities. After all, you're still paying a decent amount and you're entitled to expect the best. The Baglioni group offers that. They can transform your Italian trip from a pleasant experience into a lifelong memory.
That, at the end of the day, is what makes any trip special.
CHECKLIST
Getting there: Air New Zealand flies daily via Hong Kong or Los Angeles to London with connections to Milan and Rome with partner airline Alitalia.
Where to stay: See baglionihotels.com or liassidipalacehotel.com.
