Just last month I received an invitation that made me want to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming. The email popped up in my phone notifications at 3:00 am because it was sent from Italy. It was an invitation to attend a fully-hosted luxury travel event at Lake Como, Italy, in mid-March. Stick with me and I'll show you why this invitation is a dream come true for me.

On Tuesday I will touch down in Nice, France, and be whisked away to the elegant and luxurious Royal Hotel San Remo on the Italian Riviera. I will receive a 2-night stay, a foodie tour of San Remo and a range of spa treatments at the hotel. This sounds like the perfect way to relax and adjust to the time difference in Italy, before I head to Lake Como for the luxury travel event. I am honored to attend as a hosted travel buyer for my Curated Travel business.

Enjoy this sneak peek:

Photo Credits: [Royal Hotel San Remo]

Up next on the itinerary will be three hosted days at Lake Como, based in Cernobbia, on the western shore of this iconic lake. The event, hosted by the esteemed Nebe Club, at Villa d'Este and Villa Erba, will be filled with 1:1 meet-ups with luxury brands, immersive travel experiences, combined with relationship building over elegant cocktail and dinner parties. Yes, there will be wining and dining, yes, there will be fireworks and, yes, there will be red Ferraris (for those of you who helped me make my selection of preferred excursions).

This is the video Nebe Club created from this spectacular event last year. Enjoy!

The final part of my trip will be another hosted stay with GB Hotels in Abano Bagno, the thermal spa region near Venice, for three days of spa treatments and relaxation Italian style. This gallery is a glimpse of the spa hotels offered by the GB brand. I love the classic Italian aesthetic with the modern, cool spa vibe.

[Photo Credits: GB Hotels Abano]

I've been asked a number of times if my favorite travel companion, Mr. C.T., will be joining me on the trip. Yes, he was invited to join me, however, the timing is such that he has previous commitments in California at the very same time. Though I wish Mr. C.T. were going to share this luxurious travel experience, there is part of me that looks forward to stretching my travel wings, and challenging myself to solo international travel for the first time.

By the way, I can't promise that George Clooney will make an appearance at the lake this month but his villa is just up the road a bit in Laglio.

I hope you will follow along with me on Instagram as I share glimpses of these iconic destinations and my Italian style travel adventure.

Ciao!