Q – We are members of Marriott’s Vacation Club and we are thinking of going to Italy with them. They use a company called Collette Vacations and we’ve been trying to find ratings of the company. Any advice would be appreciated.
A – Collette Vacations is a highly reputable company that is family-owned and has been in business for ninety-three years. They are based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The company operated it’s first tour in 1918, a three-week trip from Boston to Florida that was sold for $61.50 per person. Collette is very much mass market, offering affordable tours in the low middle range. They are extremely active in the “clubs” and “organizations” market where they set up complete travel programs in coutnries around the globe. If you are upscale travelers you may well be disappointed at the choice of hotels and the travel backgrounds of your fellow travelers. If you are seeking good value you can travel with Collette in confidence. The company is so spread out geographically that a downturn in one area of the world, Egypt for example, would not dramatically impact the company’s financial strength. But let’s be honest – Marriott chose them, in part, because of the price.
