My sister and I had an emergency interruption to our trip to Italy last year, so this year, we took a sisters’ return trip to Italy on points/miles. This trip was made possible by an incredible 90K Turkish Airline redemption from ORD-FCO and MXP-JFK—roundtrip business class for 90K each. Sadly, redemptions that low are now gone, as Turkish has devalued their award chart.  

 

Rome for Two Nights

We arrived very late (almost midnight) in Rome, so we opted to stay at a Hilton hotel at the Rome airport for €200. There was nothing exciting to report about that stay, as it was a typical moderate-cost airport hotel. The next morning, we got up and took a taxi to The Tribune Hotel. I had heard good things about this hotel, so I was anxious about the stay.

The Tribune is also a Hyatt brand (JdV) that I hadn’t stayed at yet, and it marked my 15th Hyatt brand overall, so I earned a free night certificate as a Hyatt Brand Explorer Award with this stay. I paid 20K Hyatt points for this stay.

It had a cute, funky vibe, but it was a far cry from the Park Hyatt in Chicago, where we stayed before the trip started. Park Hyatts will ruin you for other stays. 😜 The staff was exceptional at The Tribune, and we were upgraded at check-in to a King Premier room with a small (emphasize small) terrace. The room looked newly renovated and was cute but tiny (of course, we were in Europe). There was a complimentary minibar and some treats in the room. 

 

 

 

 

An excellent complimentary buffet breakfast was included, along with made-to-order items in their restaurant. Again, the restaurant staff was so helpful. This hotel is a category 5 and we paid 20,000 points for a king-size bedroom. This would have cost us about €242 if we had paid cash. There is also a family suite that would accommodate four people that is bookable at the standard points rate of 40K Hyatt points, which is a fantastic option and rare to find in Europe, where the standard occupancy limit is usually two.

 

 

The Thompson Rome is opening soon, and you can be sure that I would have chosen it if it had already opened because the pictures I’ve seen look amazing. 

 

Sightseeing in Rome

We started in the center of Rome and took a Rick Steves audio tour we had downloaded to see the bulk of it, including a stop for pizza and gelato. Rome was not our primary destination, and I had been there two times before, so it was a quick pit stop!

 

 

 

 

 

Train to Milan and on to Lake Como

After breakfast, we took a taxi to Roma Termini train station to catch our train to Milan. We booked business class so that we would be more comfortable and so I could work. The 3-hour ride cost us about $150 each and was a pleasant way to travel. (You may be able to find a lower-priced ticket by booking well in advance.) We had great seats, Wi-Fi, and treat boxes. There was also plenty of room for our luggage.

 

 

We had arranged a ride to the much-loved Grand Hotel Victoria Concept and Spa. Unfortunately, no one was there to meet us at the train station as we had anticipated. I called the company and was informed that our driver had an accident, although we weren’t told this until I told them that our driver wasn’t there. Luckily, I was able to book an Uber to Menaggio for €100 less than our original ride would have cost. It took about 1 1/2 hours to get there. 

You could also take a train to Como and then a taxi to Menaggio, which is not as convenient, but cheaper. That is what we did on our first visit. 

 

Stay in Lake Como

We had booked three nights at the Grand Victoria Concept and Spa in Menaggio via Hyatt before the “breakup” of Hyatt and the Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) brand. This cost us 45K Hyatt points/night. (Note: It is still possible to book stays at this hotel with Hilton, as SLH now partners with Hilton.) 

 

 

 

 

 

Activities in Lake Como

Walking Around Menaggio and Eating Gelato 

The town of Menaggio is the perfect spot to stay in Lake Como. It is not overly crowded or large but has great restaurants and the most beautiful view. I love hearing the church bells toll several times a day. One of my favorite places in the world to get gelato (La Fabbrica del Gelato, pictured below) is in the town center—we have it two or three times a day!

 

 

 

 

Ferry to Varenna

We had two full days and three nights in Lake Como (but I wish we we would have booked four nights instead of three). On our first day, we took the ferry near the hotel to the town of Varenna for under $20 roundtrip. We had previously gone to the more popular Bellagio nearby, but I liked this cute town even more.

We followed Jess’s advice and had some amazing ravioli at Osteria Quatro Pass, one of my favorite meals of the trip!

 

 

 

 

 

Grand Victoria Beach Club and Spa Visit

One day, we visited the newly opened beach club at the hotel. It’s not located right on the hotel’s immediate grounds, but it’s only a short walk away. There are plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas, an infinity pool, and a roped-off swimming area. You can also order food from an outside area or from the restaurant. The weather could have been warmer, but we enjoyed it anyway.

 

 

The hotel’s spa can’t be missed. I paid $160 for a 50-minute massage, a treat I gave myself since the hotel was booked with points. The spa is one of the largest and nicest I’ve ever enjoyed. 

 

 

 

Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre is a group of five cities located on the northwest coast of Italy. I spent a few days there with my daughters years ago and have wanted to return ever since. Last year, we had to cancel the trip we had planned there, so I was anxious to recreate it. To get there, we first had to return to Milan from Lake Como and take a 3-hour train ride to Monterosso al Mare. 

There are no chain hotels in the area that are bookable with points, but you could book a hotel or Airbnb using a Capital One Venture Miles card and use the purchase eraser feature to pay for it. I previously stayed at Villa Steno Hotel (it’s highly recommended) but wanted to try a different hotel closer to the water this time. I chose Hotel Pasquale, which was a great choice because of the fantastic views of the Ligurian Sea.

We had a room with a queen bed and a single bed, so a family of three could potentially stay there. It came with a complimentary breakfast, which was delicious. And the staff could not have been friendlier.

 

 

 

 

Visiting The Villages

Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore are the villages of Cinque Terre. You can visit all but Corniglia by ferry or all of them by train. The day we visited, the sea was rough from the rain the night before, and the ferries weren’t running, so we took the train. We bought a pass at our hotel to travel to all the cities and back. I recommend approaching the villages by ferry if you can, rather than by train, because seeing all the villages from the water is breathtaking! You can also hike between the villages. 

We opted not to stop in Corniglia, which has about 352 steps we weren’t up for, but we visited the other three from Monterosso. The ticket (Cinque Terre Card) was under $20 and allowed us all-day use. 

Cruise ships dock near the area daily, so the villages are usually crowded during the day. Despite this, they’re still charming. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honestly, pictures do not do justice to the Cinque Terre villages. They’re all stunningly beautiful!

 

 

 

Visiting Levanto

The next day, we took the train to the nearby city of Levanto. There we enjoyed a local flea market, a beautiful church, and a large beach area.

 

 

 

 

 

Return to Milan and Overnight Stays

The next day, we reluctantly returned to Milan by train and then transferred to another train for our overnight stay at the Milan Sheraton located at Malpensa Airport. This was our second time staying at this hotel, one of our favorite airport hotels.

Our flight home on Turkish Airlines had a stopover in Istanbul, where we enjoyed the lounge again. We arrived at JFK at almost midnight so we stayed at the Hyatt Regency JFK (on Hyatt points, of course). The following day, we took separate flights to our homes, having had a fantastic time on our sisters’ return trip to Italy on points/miles. 

 

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