Guest: Megan Kudla, Producer & Travel Writer

Rome is iconic, but it can also feel like a lot, especially when you’re trying to pick the right neighborhood, book tickets, and squeeze the “big stuff” into a short stay. We wanted a plan that feels chic, simple, and actually doable, so I brought on my producer Megan Kudla to break down her Rome girls trip and the exact choices that made two nights feel full without feeling frantic.

We talk through the Chic in Italy Set Jet Stays package from Minor Hotels Collection, including what you get, how customizable it is, and why built-in breakfast matters more than people think when you’re sightseeing all day. Megan shares what it’s like staying at NOW Roma after its renovation, how walkable the area is for Rome first-timers, and the kind of modern comfort that makes it easy to recharge before heading back out to the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and the city’s endless layers of history.

Then we get practical: how long to stay in Rome, how to think about a short Rome itinerary, and why Vatican tickets and Colosseum tickets should be booked online ahead of time. Megan also shares the standout experience from her trip, a custom Fiat 500 tour with a local guide who tailored the route to what she’d already seen, turning Rome travel tips into something you can actually feel in real time. We also touch the Venice and Milan legs of the Italy itinerary, with add-ons like Murano glass, mask-making, and a Milan cosmetics workshop.

If you’re planning travel to Rome and want fewer decisions with better results, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a friend who loves Italy, and leave a review with your best Rome question so we can answer it next.

Chapters:

• 0:00 Meet Megan And The Rome Plan
• 1:08 Why Rome Works For Friends
• 3:02 Chic In Italy Package Breakdown
• 5:18 First Impressions Of Rome
• 6:49 NOW Roma Style And Rooms
• 8:56 Walking Rome From A Smart Base
• 10:32 Breakfast Perks And Ludo Dinner
• 12:52 How Long To Stay In Rome
• 14:40 Vatican And Colosseum Ticket Tips
• 16:18 The Fiat 500 Tour Finale
• 20:18 Venice And Milan Extras Plus How To Book

For more information:

minor-hotels.com

► IG: @minorhotels | @avani_hotels | @nhcollection | @nhow | @nhowroma | @avanivenice | @nhcollectionmilanocitylife

Email: reservations@minor-hotels.com

Mention «CHIC IN ITALY» in the subject line when making your enquiry

with preferred dates of travel, number of guests and full booking details

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#roundtrip #roundtripcolleenkelly #travelpodcast #italy #rome #girlstrip #italytravel #chicinitaly #minorhotels #nhow #fiat500 #travelexpert

Guest: Audrey Huttert, General Manager of The St. Regis Venice

Water taxis, soft pastels, and a view that steals your breath—our Venice journey starts inside the St. Regis Venice, a historic palazzo reimagined with contemporary art and quiet, personal service. We sit down with General Manager Audrey to trace the hotel’s path from Europa Regina and Britannia days to its 2019 rebirth, and we unpack how design choices—Scarpa-inspired lines, Monet-hued rooms, and curated installations—turn a storied address into a living gallery on the Grand Canal.

Food lovers get their moment on the heated terrace at Gio’s, where Venetian ingredients meet a Puglian soul, while night owls follow us to the St. Regis Bar for the signature Bloody Mary and then to the Arts Bar for bespoke cocktails served in hand-blown Murano glass. We talk location strategy too: steps to Piazza San Marco, a stroll over the wooden Accademia Bridge to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and evenings at La Fenice. If you’re timing a trip, we weigh the case for winter’s hush, October’s golden calm, and the high-energy pulses of the Biennale and the Film Festival.

To deepen the craft story, we ferry to Murano and bypass the tourist shows for the oldest working glass factory, Barovier & Toso. Watching masters shape molten color reframes every glass on your table, and a night at NH Collection Murano Villa—tucked behind historic doors with modern lofted rooms—lets the island’s rhythm slow you down. By the end, you’ll know how to choose a suite with the right view, where to book, when to come, and how to explore Venice with intention so the city gives more back.

Love travel stories that double as a guide? Follow, subscribe, and leave a quick review to help others find the show—and tell us your perfect Venice month so we can tailor future tips.

CHAPTERS:

• 0:00 Welcome And Venice Tease
• 0:49 Meeting The St. Regis GM
• 2:32 Hotel History And Rebirth
• 5:55 Arrival By Water And First Impressions
• 8:50 Dining At Gio’s And Bars
• 12:45 Suites, Views, And Design
• 16:40 Venice Then And Now
• 19:10 Neighborhood, Museums, And Access
• 21:06 How To Book And When To Visit
• 25:10 Collaborations, Art, And The Garden

For more information:

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/vcexr-the-st-regis-

venice/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0

► IG: @stregisvenice

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Want New York City without the New York price tag? We brought in Pauline Frommer to show exactly how to make it happen, with practical strategies that stretch your budget while keeping the magic intact. From rush seats on Broadway to off-season hotel wins, this conversation is a masterclass in traveling well without overspending—or getting fooled by AI-driven pricing.

We dig into the Frommer legacy and why real, on-the-ground reporting still matters in a web full of influencer hype and fake reviews. Pauline lays out a clear playbook: visit January through March for hotel deals that drop by hundreds, lean on rush tickets and TodayTix for theater savings, and time your attraction visits at mid-day to avoid AI’s hourly price surges. She also shares a crucial tactic for fair pricing everywhere: use a VPN. By switching your search location, you can sidestep geographic price profiling and reveal fees upfront like EU shoppers see.

There is fresh excitement in the city too. Times Square is adding a new observation deck with a quirky “ball experience,” complete with crystal wishes woven into New Year’s lore, plus LAVS—yes, a floor of paid bathrooms designed for real convenience. The Studio Museum in Harlem unveils its striking new home, the Jewish Museum’s reimagined core exhibit spotlights artifacts with powerful stories, and the Frick’s reopened second floor reframes Gilded Age life with intimacy. We round it out with dining trends—like Korean-forward wine bars on the Lower East Side—that locals love and visitors rarely find without a guide.

If you value honest recommendations over algorithmic guesswork, this one is for you. We talk tools that actually find cheaper flights (hello, Momondo), how to avoid AI-generated guidebook spam, and why turning off ad blockers helps keep real travel journalism alive. Subscribe, share with a friend planning a trip, and leave a review with your favorite NYC money-saving tip—we might feature it next time.

CHAPTERS:

• 0:00 Introducing Pauline Frommer
• 1:33 The Frommer Story And Mission
• 5:15 Why Trusted Guidebooks Still Matter
• 9:05 New York On A Middle-Class Budget
• 13:15 How To Score Discount Broadway Tickets
• 16:50 Hotel Strategy And Off-Season Wins
• 21:00 What’s New In New York Culture
• 27:10 Times Square Deck, Ball Experience, And LAVS
• 31:00 Museum Revivals And Hidden Stories
• 35:20 Dining Trends And Secret Finds