 Poster: A snowHead
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I thought I'd write a quick review of my recent trip to Folgarida, in the Dolomites, using a TO run by a  member.....
First of all, I have to say we were all really impressed with the holiday. A group of 9 of us booked into the hotel Renzi for the week 22nd - 29th January. All pre-departure information that was sent, was sent in good time and with accurate information. We were booked onto a BA flight from LGW to Verona, with excellent flight times. The flights and transfers were excellent (as much as being cooped up, pre-sking can be 'excellent'!). The accommodation was also very good - clean, warm and comfortable. The only critisism would be that the shower cubicles are a little on the small side, but it's not a major issue! Every room was en-suite, with TV's and a section of channels The rooms were made up every day with clean towels etc (which for most of us was a pleasant surprise as we haven't had that on skiing holidays before!!). The food was good, although there were complaints about the cold veggies that were laid out in a buffet stye, but on the whole it was all very well prepared etc. The hotel location was fantastic - literally a 2 minute walk (in ski boots) to the main gondola (and more importantly about a 75 second walk to the Eta Beta Bar). Having ski lockers at the top of the gondola was also a huge plus!
The skiing was good, despite the majority of the lower runs being on artificial snow. There was enough variety on the Folgarida side to keep most of us entertained - some of the group did upgrade their passes for a day and skied to Madonna. The only issue was that the main run back to the top of the gondola also doubled up as the nursery slope, meaning it got incredibly busy towards lunchtime which wasn't really condusive to new skiers and their confidence. The other issue was that the short blues that double as beginners slopes (i.e. used by those who have progressed past the snowplough stop on their first day) also got really full of kids. This led to a member of our group being hit by an out of control child on her second day. It would have been better if the left hand slope was for kids and the right hand side slope for adults (or something similar!). The rest of the skiing was great, although the majority of the chairs are quite vicious!
Wayne and Sarah were fantastic as reps - we knew where they would be at specific times if there were any issues, and they were! One of our group needed emergency dental treatment, so was ferried across to a neighbouring town by Wayne and Sarah where he could get the work done (and things translated!). Sarah also helped translate for me when I spoke to a physio concerning my problem back!
The ski school was also fantastic - out of 9 of us, 6 of us had lessons, and we all feel we came on leaps and bounds with our skiing. The class sizes varied from 4 to 6, which was a complete change from the ESF where we've experienced up to 10 in a class.
The only negative I would have to point out would be the pricing policy - the price on the web isn't the price paid, as due to a variation in exchange rates, an extra £100 was added to everyones price, after we'd paid our deposit. Although this is in the T&C's, it came as a surprise, but put us in a difficult position of having already paid £200 deposit. Even with the extra £100, the holiday was still fantastic value, and none of us in my group would baulk at paying the advertised cost + £100, if it was made clearer from the start.
So, would I go to Folgarida again?
Probably not, as it's a fairly small skiing area.
Would I go with Waynes company again?
Most definitely yes, as the customer service was fantastic, as was the accommodation, although next time it would be to the larger Madonna ski area.
Would I reccommend Waynes company?
Yes, as the service is fantastic, with good quality accommodation / food etc. Although just be prepared to pay more than advertised price. If you go into it knowing you'll likely to pay more, then you'll get a bargain compared to similarly priced holidays with larger TO's.
Wayne - Thank you to you and Sarah for a fantastic holiday! Hopefully, see you next year!
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