Espíritu TravelReviews of espiritutravel.com

Response from Espíritu TravelJun 9, 2026

Would have loved to have received feedback after your trip, but none came in until you gave us a three-star review two weeks later. Thank you for sharing your review. I would like to provide context on the hotelss, itinerary, guides & overall value of the trip. Each htl was selected to balance boutique atmosphere you requested with comfort, location, availability & price. In Madrid you stayed at 7 Islas a 4 star, family-owned (Rosa family) boutique htl so is not a chain htl. In Seville, H10 Corregidor Boutique Htl has a traditional Andalusian character & central location. While it is part of a htl grp many htl grps include boutique style properties within their portfolios This property was fully renovated in 2021 & features an Andalusian courtyard, a late 19th century wrought iron gate & ceramic tiles from 1929 world's fair SOHO Boutique Capuchinos in Córdoba is a boutique property with only 27 rooms privately owned. Htl Villa Oniria in Granada is privately owned has only 31 rooms & is housed in a restored 19th century mansion. In BCN Silken Gran htl Havana is a superior 4 star hotel privately owned by an individual so not a chain either. Hotel info was provided before anything was finalized & I can also see that you provided positive feedback & approved the htls In fact 1 of your comments was that SOHO Boutique Capuchinos in Córdoba is perfect & that the deluxe room is great . During the planning phase you also mentioned that you do not usually use many hotel services beyond sleeping & eating & that an 3 star hotel could also be suitable if 4 star hotels were too costly. This was taken into account when selecting your hotels. Raquel also addressed this during the planning process noting that hotel prices where higher in Sevile especially because of the Feria de Abril. The itinerary was created based on the interests you listed in your initial request including sightseeing, heritage sites, local culture & cuisine, flowers/birdwatching, places of historical & religious significance & museums. Your 15 day itinerary incorporated these elements throughout the trip including a day excursion to Doñana Nature Park, 1 of Spains most important birdwatching destinations. Regarding the guides, we have worked with them for many years & they have consistently received excellent feedback from past clients otherwise we would not continue working with them. Since it was not specified which guide you felt was “barely passable” I am unable to address that concern in more detail. I can see that during the 15 day trip we did not receive any messages from you indicating a problem with any of the guides. I would like to clarify the timing & pricing context. The period you traveled is considered high season in Spain not shoulder season May & September are among the busiest travel months of the year while March & November are considered shoulder season. In addition you traveled to Seville during Feria de Abril when hotel prices are considerably higher. You also mentioned previous trips in 2024 as a price comparison with the quote Raquel provided. Since 2024 travel costs have continued to increase rising by approximately 12-14 percent. In addition, the Santorini trip you mentioned as a comparison took place in April which is the shoulder season for that destination. As a beach destination Santorini typically has lower hotel rates in April when the weather is not yet ideal for beach. Spain is also considerably more expensive than Brazil which was the other destination you referenced However since we do not know the exact details of those itineraries including the types of hotels services transportation guides & activities included it is difficult to make a direct comparison or determine why you considered your Spain itinerary to be overpriced Your Spain trip included 23 separate services incl flights & train txts pvt transpor & almost all of your act pvt. These factors all contribute to the overall trip cost. Karin, Espíritu Travel

Response from Espíritu TravelDec 1, 2025

Hi Jill, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback about your trip. I appreciate you letting us know about your experience. Your itinerary included a combination of private experiences and small-group tours. The private activities offered direct pick-up from your accommodation, while the small-group tours had designated meeting points clearly listed in your travel documents, along with Google Maps links to make navigation easier. Your original trip plan also included a transportation summary to clarify which transfers were included. In the hope of making your logistics easier and supporting you in feeling more relaxed during your trip, we arranged complimentary hotel upgrades on both islands so that your accommodations would be closer to the meeting points for all your activities. Regarding the pick-up times, all of the times listed in your itinerary were confirmed as accurate. I checked in with the guides for the activities that included hotel pick-up, and they shared that the times were correct and that the activities proceeded without any issues. I also did not see any mention of an incorrect time in our chat conversation during your trip. If it would be helpful for you, I’m happy to share the confirmation email from Canarias Nature Guides, which states that the pick-up time was 9:30 as stated on your travel documents. The only concern that came to my attention was the missed pick-up for the Dolphin and Whale Safari in Gran Canaria. The meeting point and time were correct, and the driver/guide confirmed that the bus did stop at Centro Médico – Las Palmeras, though they did not see you at the designated spot. The provider expressed their apologies for the inconvenience and offered an alternative departure at 12:15 from the same location. I understand that this later departure didn’t work for you due to your other plans, and I’m sorry for the frustration this may have caused. I’m really glad to hear that you enjoyed your overall experience, and I’m grateful for the kind words you shared about our guides. It means a lot, and I will gladly pass your appreciation along to them Warm regards, Raquel & the Team at Espíritu Travel

Response from Espíritu TravelMar 7, 2019

Hi Susan, I am pleased that you were happy with the main guide, Oscar and all the other guides as well as the casas and driver. We use different guides to bring local knowledge and variety to the trip. It would not be possible for the main guide who is from Havana to do a nature walk in the Bay of Pigs or the guided hike in the national park outside of Trinidad. Based on the many five star reviews that we have, past travelers have enjoyed and appreciated the local guides who have enriched their Cuban experience. In regard to Hemingway's House, I am sure that Oscar would have been more than willing to answer any questions you had about the place. Thank you for taking the time to provide a review. Karin