Your home away from home in the eternal city of Rome, Italy

The 4-star Atahotel Villa Pamphili, surrounded by one of the most beautiful parks of Rome, is situated in a strategic position close to the Vatican and will be your last home away from home from July 5, 2014 to July 9, 2014.
The hotel has 247 rooms overlooking the swimming pool open in the summer (from June to September) or the gardens, encircled by the green area of the “Valle dei Casali”. 
All rooms have balconies overlooking the park, garden or pool. General room features are magnetic locks, adjustable control air-conditioning, digital safe  and a direct telephone line. The rooms also offer a radio connected to television and satellite TV with premium channels and Pay TV.
It offers six tennis courts, a children's playground, a fitness center with equipment and a new SPA Wellness Center (including: swimming-pool with hydromassage; sauna and biosauna; Turkish bath;  emotional showers; relaxing area and beauty treatments rooms).

Pictures courtesy of http://www.atahotels.it/en/villa-pamphili

                                                                                                                                                                                           

The new H10 Roma Città Hotel for your group's last few nights in Italy from July 5, 2014 to July 9, 2014. This 4-star hotel is located in the Marconi neighborhood just a short distance from the district of Trastevere and features all amenities travelers enjoy including comfy beds, solarium, national and international newspaper, ice machines, laundry service and also a rooftop swimming pool. Another great perk is free WIFI throughout the hotel - and even in high speed so you can upload all your pictures and videos.
The hotel has 181 rooms, which are equipped with flat-screen LCD TV with international channels, smart temperature control, pillow top , MP3 (audio) and PC connection, safe box and professional hair dryer.

Pictures courtesy of http://www.hotelh10romacitta.com/en

Your first homes away from home with the Belcanto tour

From June 30, 2014 to to July 3, 2014 following two hotels will be your first homes away from home in Croydon, UK.

The Hilton Croydon Hotel, a 4-star hotel, was recently updated and is located in Croydon, which belongs to one of the eleven metropolitan centers in Greater London.

The hotel offers a fitness center, equipped with weights and cardiovascular machines, business rooms, as well as a British restaurant "The Larder Restaurant and Bar" and the "Hilton Croydon's Costa Coffee" café. Click here to take a look at the recent hotel restaurant menu. For families with children, it offers a special children's menu.

The guest rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows and offer internet access, a desk with chair, as well as a 32-inch LCD TV with on-demand movies.

Pictures are courtesy of http://www3.hilton.com/

                                                                                                                                                                                           

 The 4-star Croydon Park Hotel is centrally located and only a 7 minute walk away from Croydon town center. The hotel is family friendly and has its own restaurant, called Oscar’s Brasserie, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week.


The hotel has 211 rooms ranging from standard and executive double rooms to junior suites. All rooms include free WIFI, 24 hour room service, flat-screen digital TV, tea/coffee making facilities, hair dryer, iron and ironing board.

Croydon Park Hotel also offers free use of the H2O Leisure center, which boasts an indoor swimming pool, with children’s pool, Jacuzzi, squash court, sauna, and gymnasium.

Pictures are courtesy of http://www.croydonparkhotel.com/

Your home away from home in France

The 4-star Magic Circus Hotel, built in a manor style in the middle of a garden, is located right near Disneyland® Paris in Marne-la-Vallee and you will stay there from July 3, 2014 to July 5, 2014. It offers a fitness area, heated indoor pool, playground in the garden, and American-style air-conditioning among other amenities. The hotel will be able to accommodate all travelers on the main tour in their preferred rooms, so for two nights, everyone will be together here.

The 396 rooms and suites are reminiscent of the atmosphere of a circus. There are double rooms, family rooms and suites available. All rooms offer a view over the garden, the lake or the surrounding landscape and are equipped with high-speed internet access, flat-screen TV, cable TV with free children’s channels, coffee & tea making facilities, in-room safe, bathroom with bathtub, body care products from L’Occitane, hairdryer and beauty mirror and individually controlled air conditioning.

Breakfast and dinner are served in the restaurant l’Etoile. The restaurant serves traditional, seasonal cuisine and selected wines.

Hotel Overview for the Belcanto Companion Tour

The Hilton London Wembley, is just yards from the world-famous Wembley Stadium and the historic Wembley Arena, located in northwest London. The hotel is only 20 minutes from downtown London and the theater district. It provides an indoor heated pool, whirlpool area, sauna and steam room. The rooms offer individually controlled air-conditioning, Hilton alarm clocks, wireless and wired high speed internet access and Satellite TV. The hotel also offers a laptop safe within the rooms. 

A recently transformed hotel the Pullman Paris Montparnasse, will be the home away from home in Paris. The rooms provide flat screen TV and wireless internet. The hotel is located considerably close to the main attractions such as the Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and other city highlights. On the first floor located near the gardens, is the hotels own restaurant, called Justine. Also, there is a wine bar and a cafe where you can slip in for a casual meal or quick drink. 

Taking you back to the time of the Renaissance in Italy, this hotel is set inside of two ancient buildings in the center of Florence, which had belonged to noble Florentine Families. The hotel Boscolo Hotel Astoria is arranged by 98 different rooms, that range from a classic setting to more refined and larger rooms considered to be deluxe rooms. Throughout the hotel there are old frescoes on the walls, art and statues. There is a fine dining restaurant and wine bar, as well as on the 6th floor a panoramic view that gives a wonderful and different look at the Duomo of Florence. 

Modern with an elegant twist, Star Hotels Michelangelo is just a short walk to the Vatican in Rome. 179 rooms and suites, many that provide a look at the Vatican itself. Otherwise the hotel provides WIFI throughout the hotel, air conditioning in the rooms, a restaurant and bar, 24 hour room service and a personal safety deposit box in your room. In 2013 the hotel was given a Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor.

In the footsteps of Mozart...

Soon you will embark on a journey that will take you through some of the worlds most beloved and beautiful cities, not only in Europe, but around the world. Three of the four cities you will be seeing have recently been voted part of the Top 25 Cities in the World. Though we were surprised to not see London on there, we can assure you, it's really worth the visit. London is still one of the most popular tourist destinations, that attracts around 30 million visitors from other parts of the globe each year. People travel to see the great monuments, museums and to take in the theatrical performances that are happening in the West End. With a rich history and stories from the past, we know a musician can really be influenced greatly by a city such as this. In 1764 when Amadeus Mozart was just a boy, at the age of 8 years old, he met his new teacher and soon to be friend Johann Sebastian Bach. With Bach's great understandings of Italian Opera (after having lived in Italy for many years), he was known to have introduced Mozart to the world of Opera and symphony. The two performed together in court, before the King and the Queen of England.

During what people refer to as the "Mozart family grand tour", The Mozart's had also made there way to Paris. Though his first time there, he was just 7 years old, Mozart became very fond of the city and had visited and lived in Paris, three separate times over a fifteen year period. He claimed he would someday find "honor, glory and money." Paris famous for being a city of romance, is also one that is becoming well known for it's exceptional restaurants throughout the center. Maybe it's not restaurants you're looking for, but an eclair or macaroons, famous chocolatier Michel Richart has made a list worth looking at: Best Pastry Shops in Paris, by Michel Richart.

On the way to Rome in 1770, Mozart and his father stopped off in Florence. It was a brief visit, seeing few friends they had met in Vienna, before they got back on the road and set off on a five day journey to finally arrive at their destination, Rome. During the first visit there, Mozart was awarded the Order of the Golden Spur by Pope Clement XIV. Father and son visited the Sistine Chapel, hearing a piece called, Miserere that was composed a century earlier by Gregorio Allegri. Here are 7 things you might not have known about the Sistine Chapel that we thought you would enjoy reading about.