Guestbook

We visited your hotel for our friends wedding - before they came out to Italy they had nothing booked for their reception & you organised evrything for them. The setting, the food and the extra attention you went to to create a perfect day for them was greatly appreciated. And your cousin's restaurant on the beach was AMAZING!

Thank you for all your help in making their wedding day and extra special one :-)

Judith, Norm and I love food and wine, therefore, we feel this vacation was tailored made for us.
Neither one of us had travelled along the Amalfi coast
before, so it was a new experience and we were not disappointed. We found the people so friendly that you could not help but fall in love with the area - the natural beauty of the Amalfi coast can really take your breath
away. While we have travelled extensively over the past few years, this vacation offered so much more than any other that we have experienced.
From the time the driver picked us up at the Naples train station on Sunday morning to the time he dropped us off again on Thursday, we had a truly magnificent time.
The itinerary was extremely well paced with a
combination of culture, cooking and relaxation. Moreover, through Chef Carmen's connection within the local community, we experienced opportunities that would normally not be made available to the local tourist.

There are no words to adequately describe Chef Carmen - she is truly wonderful and quickly adapted the cooking classes to our needs and desires.
Staying in the Sorrento area, I had requested that we make desserts with lemons and without hesitation, she adjusted the menu and produced three outstanding lemon desserts. Carmen has a unique way of assessing everyones' level of culinary confidence/comfort, thus, more experienced home chefs who not need to be taught the basics can quickly move through the recipes as she shares great tips along the way.

Oasis Olimpia Relais is a stunning property overlooking the Bay of Naples and the hotel and grounds are very welcoming. Carmen and her team made us
feel at home so much so that sometimes we forgot that we were actually staying in a hotel.
Our room was very comfortable, we did not want for
anything.

The excursions to Fattoria Terranova, Quattro Passi and Lo Stuzzichino were excellent.
- Fattoria Terranova offered us a unique opportunity to visit the farm. We had an opportunity to make mozzerala cheese and see how they produce lemoncello. The family is very welcoming and offered us a sampling of the
foods from the farm and local area. To really appreciate an area you must meet the people who produce the food.
- Quattro Passi offered us an outstanding gourmet lunch. They went out of their way to make us feel welcome by opening their restaurant on the one day that they are closed, this was only made possible by Carmen's relationship
with Quattro Passi. The multi-coursed meal they offered us was truly spectacular and worthy of their Michelin stars.
- Lo Stuzzichino, a family run restaurant which very warmly welcomes you from the moment you enter the door. We had the opportunity to sample two lunches and were not disappointed, in fact we were very impressed.

The excursion to Pompeii was something we both wanted to see. By travelling off season, we had the unique opportunity to visit Pompeii when there are very few tourists. Our guide was very informative and took the
time to show us sites which normally would have been missed. Had we been travelling during peak season, I am not sure that we would have been able to enjoy the visit as much, as crowds and seasonal temperatures would have
limited our opportunity. Of note, this excursion is one in which you can take on your own as travelling from Sorrento to Pompeii is very easy by the local train.

We would most definitely go back! We would highly recommend "Tastes of the Med" with Chef Carmen at Oasis Olimpia Relais - you will not be disappointed. We are very much looking forward to our next cooking vacation with Gourmet on Tour.

Thank you,

Susan and Norman Jolin

My husband and I recently came back from a trip to Italy to celebrate our 20th Wedding Anniversary.
We were lucky enough to have spent half of our ten days in the lovely Oasi Olimpia on the Sorrento pennisula. What a find!!! Carmen and her girls really made you feel so welcome and the property is a little piece of heaven.
We had found this hotel through a website which organizes culinary excursions/tours in Italy, and as we wanted something special to do while we were visiting the Sorrento/Amalfi area, we found the mix of organized wine tasting/cheese making/cooking classes and free time to explore the area perfect!
As for the hotel itself: From the moment we pulled up to the hotel and were warmly greeted by Marianna, we felt heartily welcomed. We stayed in the spacious Vesuvius suite which was beautiful with breathtaking views of the Bay of Napoli, Mt. Vesuvius and the Bay of Salerno. It was so peaceful and quiet - all you could hear were birds and bells from the church in the little village of Sant Agata which is about a 5-10 minute walk from the hotel. A great breakfast is served every morning in the lovely dining room with freshly squeezed juices and beautiful baked delicacies from Carmen's kitchen.
I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone and everyone!!!

A group of very close friends visited this exquisite villa, where we were lavished upon ... with exceptional service, exceptional food, ambiance, fabulous guest rooms, views, all while enjoying easy travel to and from, and transportation arranged for all of what the Amalfi Coastline has to offer. Easy quick ride to Sorrento, Positano, Ravello, Isle of Capri....a breath taking drive from Rome or Naples, or helicopter in ~ once we arrived ~ we never wanted to leave....and the food was so good, there was no reason to!

Our family traveled to Italy this summer primarily to explore the birthplaces of our paternal grandparents, but we all agree that the time we spent with Carmen at the Relais Oasi Olimpia was the highlight of our trip. It is not often that I have met a person like Carmen. She is warm, funny, and intelligent—an irresistible combination. Her quick wit enabled her not only to keep up with my Uncle Angelo, but even to surpass him in their daily fun-loving battle of the wits. We all loved every moment we spent with Carmen at the Relais.

Carmen and her staff couldn’t seem to do enough for us. We arrived on June 14, my birthday, and as a gift, Carmen surprised me with a wonderful dinner, complete with a cake and the “Happy Birthday” chorus. It’s hard to imagine a better birthday celebration.

But this was only the beginning of Carmen’s hospitality. We had the luxury of being the only guests at the Relais that week, so Carmen spent many afternoons and evenings with us under the lovely trellis, drinking glasses of wine and limoncello as we shared our lives together as friends. As a cooking teacher, Carmen was entertaining, encouraging, and instructive, and we enjoyed these classes as if she were another member of our family. On our last evening, she even took a few of us out for a night on the town in Sorrento. The beauty of the Relais is undeniable and unmatched, but it is Carmen who brings it to life and makes it so difficult to say, “Arrivederci.”

Cindy, for the Zavaglia family