Mary Jo S.
Disappointing and Expensive trip to Greece with Travelive.
I took my niece to Greece spending $1,300 a day for 10 days hotel and 3 tours. The tours were bad, OK, bad. The hotel rooms went from OK ($200 a night) to bad, to wrong room ordered. As an experienced traveler I wanted to ensure we got good hotel rooms. I should have booked the trip myself. When I brought up the issues to Travelive they lied, made stuff up, stonewalled me for several months transferring me to different people, and did nothing. Their customer service was very poor. I have added this in response to Travelive response to my negative review. Their response is exactly what I am talking about, making things up. They should know that Jan B. the third person was not with us because they booked her hotel room in Mykonos. She was not with us in Athens, Nafplio, or Santorini. $12,098/2=$6,049 a person. I paid for the trip in October 2023 when my rooms were booked - 7 months before my trip. The hotel room in Athens was on the first floor of a high rise on a busy street. Not a quality room that is conducive for sleeping well. My agent and I reviewed all of the rooms at the Homeric Poems and picked the only room that would work for me and my niece (2 people). It was described perfectly on my itinerary but Travelive booked the wrong room. The hotel manager knew immediately which room I should have had based on the written itinerary but it now wasn't available. I hardly slept in Santorini - having to walk across a catwalk and down two flights of stairs to get to the bathroom. I didn't realize until I got back that Travelive didn't know the hotel well - thought all rooms were the same - and didn't order the room my agent and I picked. I paid for 4 tours of four hours each so don't know where the 21 hours of private guides came from. My niece had never traveled overseas and wasn't paying for her share of the trip. She had no idea that the tours were $1,200 each for 4 hours and was shocked. Would she have felt the same if she was an experienced traveler, with prior experience with guides, who paid for her own trip? She would not. The guide in Naflio could hardly walk, was severely disabled, sick, and was very hard to understand. The guide in Athens didn't have tickets for us so we waited over 1/2 hour to get in to the museum. That is why she was frantically running us around - passing up things I wanted to see. I never made a choice in Santorini to take a morning tour over an afternoon tour so that is wrong. If my travel agent had said you need to take an afternoon tour or we won't be able to do over half the things on the tour of course I would have picked the later time. That was never an option. So if you want a travel service that although expensive, doesn't have quality guides (in my experience), that makes booking errors that aren't fixable, and stonewalls any complaints, than Travelive is your company.
Response from TraveliveJul 4, 2025
Dear Mary Jo, Thank you again for your feedback. I’d like to clarify several important points and reiterate the efforts made by both Travelive and our partners throughout your journey. Booking Overview May 11–27, 2024 (High Season) Athens, Nafplio, Santorini 3 guests | $12,098.66 total (~$4,032.88 per person) This included hotels, private tours, transfers, domestic travel, and entry fees—at ~$252 per person/day, below our typical starting point of $5,000 per person for 10–12 nights. Planning Process As a Destination Management Company (DMC), Travelive works with travel advisors to deliver seamless, customized experiences. In this case, we collaborated closely with your travel advisor to design a comprehensive itinerary that balanced comfort, cultural depth, and value. Over 150 emails and several Zoom calls were exchanged, with multiple itinerary revisions and upgrades provided. Accommodations Elia Ermou – Athens: When the confirmed Deluxe Twin room was declined, you opted for a downgrade. Travelive refunded the difference. Homeric Poems – Santorini: The Cave Suite with Caldera View was the correct and confirmed room. Due to Santorini’s unique cliffside architecture, configurations vary. The hotel offered multiple solutions—including a room change, rollaway, and cot—all of which were declined. Glyfada Riviera – Athens: Travelive upgraded you to a two-bedroom suite at no additional cost. Communication & Conduct Your travel advisor and I remained consistent points of contact throughout. We responded promptly and thoroughly to every concern, offering fact-based clarifications and actionable resolutions. Unfortunately, these were repeatedly declined. Additionally, we received multiple reports of rude behavior toward hotel staff, guides, and drivers. These professionals strive to deliver exceptional service, and we expect all guests to treat them with respect. From Your Travel Agent Your advisor also shared a detailed letter outlining the planning process and efforts made to resolve your concerns. Her perspective reflects the same commitment to service and transparency that we uphold at Travelive: “Along with Travelive, we worked hard to create a trip within your budget and expectations. Travelive is a reputable company I’ve worked with several times. They produced several revisions to meet your expectations. Jennifer (niece) said: ‘We are having the BEST time! Nafplio is beautiful! Hotel is fabulous.’ Regarding Elia Ermou, you declined to view the Deluxe Twin and chose to downgrade. Travelive refunded the difference. The Athens tour was a 4-hour walking tour. The guide noted the group was lagging, which may explain why it felt short. At Homeric Poems, the room matched our criteria. The hotel offered several solutions—including a room change, a rollaway, and a cot—but none were accepted. In Santorini, Travelive originally scheduled the tour at 3 PM to avoid cruise ship crowds. You requested a morning tour, and they accommodated. In Glyfada, Travelive upgraded you to a two-bedroom suite at no cost. You compared your trip to another client’s, but theirs had more free time and fewer inclusions. Your itinerary included 27 hours of transfers, 21 hours of private guides, entry fees, and domestic travel. I corresponded with your group over 150 times and held several Zoom meetings. Travelive was responsive and professional throughout. I’m truly sorry you were not happy. Jennifer described the trip as ‘life-changing.’ I wish you all the best in future travel. I will not be a part of coordinating any further trips for you.” We regret that your experience did not align with your expectations. However, we stand by the professionalism of our team, the quality of our services, and the integrity of our long-standing partnerships. Warm regards, Stella Hofer Vice President of Quality Assurance & Client Services | Travelive