Giacomo Valli_Florence - Jet Set Life

Interview with Giacomo Valli
Rob: Today we have Giacomo Valli. Did I say that correctly?
Giacomo: Yes you did. How are you?
Rob: Alright. I’m doing really well. Giacomo is a Jet Set insider in the beautiful city of Firenze,
also known as Florence. He runs a company called Platinum Adventures, which we’re going to
get into in a little bit, but just give me a little bit of a background in the kind of work that you do
over there in Florence.
Giacomo: Well basically Rob, we started as a personal concierge with extremely exclusive
services for our clients. And then we saw that things were going well, there was a high request
for our services so we started pretty much organizing anything that is an event. We’d like to say
that we just deliver experiences to our clients because our services range from so many
different things that it would be limiting to just list them, you know. We’re doing so many
things that experience, delivery of experience is our goal. So that’s what we do.
Rob: Where are you from originally? I almost don’t even detect an Italian accent.
Giacomo: (Laughs) I take that as a compliment. Well I was born and raised in Florence so don’t
get confused, but I always studied in an American school in Florence. So that’s what made me
with an international culture.
Rob: It’s unbelievable; you really do… you sound like you’re from Florida. (Laughs)
Giacomo: (Laughs) Is that still a good thing?

Rob: (Laughs) Yeah it’s still a good thing. Actually, we all want to be Italian so who knows, right?
Giacomo: Oh. Oh.
Rob: Alright, so you’re originally from Italy, you’re a native?
Giacomo: Yes. Yes, right in Florence, born in the center. I always grew up here in the Tuscan
hills.
Rob: Okay, and is that where you live full time now or do you travel?
Giacomo: Well, yeah my base is really Florence, but I travel, I mean pretty much while I can, I
really love travelling; you know, new experiences, always trying new places. So I try to travel a
lot certainly.
Rob: Okay, so let’s talk a little bit about the Florence culture and personality of the... do you say
‘Florentine’? Is that people from Florence, is that how you say it?
Giacomo: Yes, I mean both “Florentine”, “Floren-­‐teen”, It depends who do you talk to...
Rob: “Tomato” or “To-­‐ma-­‐to”…
Giacomo: Yeah both are correct I think so (Laughs)

Rob: Okay, so let’s talk a little bit about the people from Florence and their views on “La Dolce
Vita e Carinho.” Every time I’m in Italy, there’s a word I hear ALL the time and it’s ‘domani’,
‘domani’.
Giacomo: Exactly.
Rob: There’s no rush, we’ll get to it when we get to it, and you know, there’s just a different
view of life. I think we all sort of understand the Italian culture on a basic level, but is Florence
different than let’s say, Rome or Naples in your culture and personality and how they perceive
things?
Giacomo: Well I think there’s a huge difference. Mainly because mainly; for us, Florence is just
a big town. It’s not like a city like Rome, Naples, Milan, you know. Those are big cities with
chaos and so many things. But Florence is just a town and you can see that like, if you stay
enough days, you’ll see it in every aspect of your day to day routine. I mean the people you
meet, their attitude towards life, the food itself. Everything is much more toned down, you
know. Look into like quality in food, quality in service, good personal relationships, it’s… I feel
it’s much more true under a certain aspect, you know. And we just love to enjoy our city.
Rob: So there’s an authenticity that goes on there.
Giacomo: Yeah, I believe that is the correct term.
Rob: Okay, everything with regard to travel, at least in my opinion, well, not everything, but a
lot of travel has to do with the time of year that you do things. When is the right season in your
opinion, for someone who really wants to be a part of all that Florence has to offer? When do
you feel is the right time to go?
Giacomo: Well luckily in Florence, the climate in Florence is never too extreme, you know. I
mean apart from the last summer, because that is I guess it’s quite hot, but it’s never too

extreme. But however, I would certainly advise to visit during you know, starting from spring
and ending like beginning of fall.
So mid April, say, until mid October is the ideal; hopefully, excluding August because it’s way
too hot. But the other times, certainly spring and September are the best moments because the
weather is absolutely perfect.
Rob: Okay, so how would you say Florence is, compared to… how expensive is Florence I should
say, as compared to the rest of Europe? Is it on par with you know, let’s say other major cities in
Europe, is it more expensive, less expensive?
Giacomo: Well, considering that as I told you it’s kind of a big town, it is quite expensive. You
know, I would put it up there with some major capitals, but in the end Florence is capital of
arts, you know; it has so much to offer and obviously people live off tourism so you kind of have
to pay for that. And bringing a lot of big city services to a little town; that also has a price, which
you have to pay for naturally.
Rob: So you mentioned that you went to an American school; are there a lot of Americans that
live in Florence in your experience?
Giacomo: Yeah, certainly. There’s the two of the biggest: American and British communities
living here, so yeah, they’re… a big part of the population are expats living here in Florence.
Rob: If someone wanted to take and spend-­‐ we have a considerable amount of people who will
travel for extended periods of time; some of our subscribers, you know, will go for 6 months,
and they’ll rent a place.
So, let’s say that somebody wanted to get a great apartment, maybe 1 bedroom, maybe 2
bedrooms something like that in the center of town, how much would somebody pay … not
out in the region of.. I know the whole region is Tuscany, but not out like in Chianti, but
somewhere right in the city? How much would somebody expect to spend for rent?

Giacomo: Wow that is a tough question. I mean so many factors would have to be put into
action here, you know. But I would say, how big? How many people, first of all?
Rob: Let’s just say for a couple of people that wanted to take 6 months and live in Florence, and
experience all that Florence has, and obviously it would be very expensive to stay in a hotel for
that period of time, but yeah, they just want to have an apartment, what do you think
something like that in a decent neighborhood would run?
Giacomo: Well if you’re looking at something, you know, I’m thinking about the top, you know,
staying in the center with an extremely nicely furnished apartment like the Lungarno Suites
could be, I mean you could go easily for around 3,000 or 4,000 a month.
Rob: Alright. So let’s talk about getting into Florence. Italy is not a very big country, you can
almost fly into Rome if you had to and get over there; it’s not that difficult. But what is the
primary airport that people fly into?
Giacomo: Well Florence actually has an airport of its own, but the routes to the road are
limited, so just to help just in case Florence doesn’t work for you, there’s another airport that’s
quite close, which is Pisa; it’s still in the Tuscany region. And there’s actually a direct flight, JFK
to Pisa that is served almost throughout the whole year, so that’s a great flight which I took
myself more than once and it’s not bad.
Rob: Okay. Every city has different spots that people like to hang out in. Some are more
museums; some are more nightlife-­‐ different regions. What are the basic regions of the town of
Florence that the people should know when choosing sort of like where to “set up camp” while
they’re there?
Giacomo: As you know, I mean Florence with the roots, date back centuries ago, so pretty
much even today, the areas are still the areas that were present back in the day when it was
started. And there is only three I would say, Saint Giovanni which is you know, the historical
center where the Duomo is, like the right center of the city.

Then I would say Santa Croce, which is the area more …I would say a more southeastern area,
which is more the ‘cultural’, you know. There you’ll find all the tombs, the Dante statues, you
know.
And then the Santo Spirito; which is the… supposedly it’s where the poor people used to live
but I mean it’s certainly not poor; and it’s sort of the Brooklyn of Florence. It’s the trendy the
more hip area where you can find all the little spots that you know kind of pop out every month
and it’s always nice to walk around and see what’s new. It’s a great area.
Rob: Okay so how many days does it take to get around Florence? In other words, is it the type
of city where you need two days, three days, or you need a week, how much time would you
recommend?
Giacomo: Florence is tiny. If you want to just see it?
Rob: Yeah.
Giacomo: I mean even 30 minutes could do it for you. But if you want to live it, I would say 15
days, that’s what you need.
Rob: Okay.
Giacomo: With all the museums, with all the places… I mean there’s tons of places, everything.
It’s like an open air museum. Florence IS a place to see, period. There aren’t things to see in
Florence, it’s the whole city.
Rob: Every block you go down, you experience something new in this town, you’re right, you’re
right.

Giacomo: Absolutely. I mean I still enjoy it too, you know; there are so many things I don’t even
know that it would be crazy to just say, “Oh, you will need just 3 days and you’re done with it.”,
that’s crazy.
Rob: Yeah, it depends on how deep you want to go.
Giacomo: Indeed.
Rob: Okay, so let’s talk about-­‐ now someone is there, now they have to choose a hotel which is
the big question, so our market is the Jet Set market; they’re looking for the scene, the vibe,
who’s who, trendy, boutique, glitterati, you know, that kind of like-­‐ they want to be involved in
what’s happening; they’re looking to live life on a big level.
So if money is not an object and you want to live in the best high-­‐end hotel there is, let’s start
there, where is it and how much would somebody expect to pay?
Giacomo: Whoa, best high-­‐end… personally, I would say the Four Season which they just
renovated. This amazing location just a few months ago it opened, I think it’s just an amazing
place to stay, I really love it. And that is relatively in the center.
Rob: Okay.
Giacomo: Another spot would be Villa San Michele, which is outside the center, on the way
going out to Fiesole, so they have amazing views over all of the city of Florence. And if you’re
looking where location is the main issue, you can say The Savoy, which is right at the Piazza
Repubblica.
Rob: You’re talking about the… I’m sure it’s Rocco Savoy’s hotel.

Giacomo: Yes exactly. The Rocco collection; It’s one of them, yeah.
Rob: Yeah, I stayed at that property and I also stayed at his other property in Rome and both of
them were great.
Giacomo: Yeah, I mean if the location… I mean you can’t beat The Savoy’s location. It’s right in
the center.
Rob: No, it’s almost… it’s in the Duomo, I mean you’re in the church.
Giacomo: Pretty much you can hear it.
Rob: Yeah, it’s pretty intense. That’s a great hotel. Okay, let’s say somewhere in the middle, not
‘high-­‐high’ not ‘low-­‐low’ but somewhere in the middle, what do you recommend there?
Giacomo: Well there’s many, I would say The Excelsior which is close, it’s on the Lungarno, but
it’s a little bit outside you know, so it’s kind of balanced and same goes for The Baglioni, which
is between the train station and the center. You know there’s many… not in the outskirts but
it’s halfway that could be good to look into if you’re looking for a mid-­‐range hotel.
Rob: Okay, so let’s say that someone is looking for a… you know, a hotel that’s kind of ‘got a
vibe’, and it’s chic and sceney and you know, hip, which one do you recommend in that
category?
Giacomo: Well, personally, there’s two of Ferragamos Hotel, they’re right next to each other;
The Continentale is one of them, and the other one is the Art Hotel, and I like both of them,
really nice.

And then there’s also the J.K. Place which is close to the station and it’s a boutique hotel that a
friend of mine runs and it’s really a particular theme and conception. A concept that is quite
new for Florence and it’s worth checking out.
Rob: Yeah, I’ve been there too, it’s a fantastic hotel, in fact I’m looking at staying in their
property in Capri.
Giacomo: Oh, yeah. That-­‐ which they opened not long ago, right?
Rob: Yep, it’s a little pricey I have to tell you.
Giacomo: Yeah
Rob: It’s a thousand US-­‐ a night, so it’s a little crazy.
Giacomo: (laughs)
Rob: But, it is beautiful.
Giacomo: Yeah. I mean it’s one of those things you have to try.
Rob: You have to try it… okay, so now, in terms of location what would you say, if you wanted
the perfect hotel in the perfect location, would you say The Savoy, The Rocco Savoy?

Giacomo: Yeah. If location for you is… well again, it depends on what do you mean by ‘location’.
If just want something that’s at the center, and you know you’ll get all the service and attention
you want, then I would say The Savoy is the way to go.
If you intend ‘location’ as in views, tranquility, relaxed AND all the attention and services you
need, I would go for Villa San Michele which is around the hills.
Rob: What’s interesting to me about Florence, and I never really knew how to navigate this, but
we should probably touch on it. We hear the term ‘Tuscany’ which really refers to a region and
Florence is just a city in the middle of that region.
So, there are so many places that you can go if you’re willing to venture outside of Florence.
What are your top recommendations that people should day trip to from Florence that is just
‘you’ve got to this’.
Giacomo: Wow. As you’ve said Tuscany is quite big, and Florence is a big town, and there’s
hundreds and hundreds of normal sized towns.
Rob: I know, but that’s the hard part, yeah. That’s the hard part, but if you had to pick one,
what would you say?
Giacomo: Well, I mean if it’s a day trip as you said, maybe like leaving out the whole Siena part,
you know, Montepulciano, all these famous ones for the wines, I mean even if you just go to
San Gimignano you know, you’ll find great views, great restaurants. The drive there, as in if you
rent a nice car and you enjoy the turns, it’s an amazing drive, it’s close by; so I would go for San
Gimignano, or the areas around there.
Rob: San Gimignano…alright.
Giacomo: Starting after Greve, all that area is really nice; as all of Tuscany in the end. (Laughs)

Rob: Yeah the whole, it’s so…. That’s why we’re doing this interview because that’s so hard to
nail down what you want, that I want to give people at least a target that they can go after,
because you’re never going to see it all.
Okay, so let’s talk about dinner. If I give you a couple of hundred Euros and said “go out, and
get the best food”, I don’t care if it’s a one-­‐star, a five-­‐ star, white table cloth, no table cloth, no
tables; what would you say has ‘the best place’ for food in the city of Florence, hands down, in
your opinion?
Giacomo: (Sighs) well, uh… I guess if you want to like go on a sure thing, I guess you have to go
in one of the classic and traditional places which would be “Enoteca Pinchiorri”, I don’t know if
you’ve been there.
Rob: No, I haven’t.
Giacomo: That would be quite a good place. Otherwise, if you’re okay for something you know,
more low key but food is certainly at it’s top, I would go with “Osteria di Cambi” or “Perseus”,
where you just go there, they have all the meats, you go there for bistecca.
Rob: What does that mean?
Giacomo: Perseus?
Rob: No, bistecca.
Giacomo: Oh, the steak; the classic Florentine steak, yeah.
Rob: Okay, okay.

Giacomo: You just go there and they have all the pieces, like on display, and you choose your
piece and they do it however you want it. And… top place if you’re into steak and how it should
be made.
Rob: Okay, and what about for scene? Let’s say that food is not that important to you but you
know, you’re taking your lady out or you’re going out on a date; you want to go to a place that
just has a nice scene and food is not that important, what’s your recommendation there?
Giacomo: Well, concerning restaurants I would say the scene should be next to the Arno
because you know how romantic and magical the Arno at night with its lights and reflection is.
Rob: Yeah.
Giacomo: So, two places pop in my mind. One is Nuove, which has an outside terrace right on
the Lungarno next to the Ponte Vecchio, which is extremely nice and food is very good actually.
And another place is Lungarno Hotel’s restaurant which they have renovated recently, and I
was there actually last night and I was amazed by that place and how they did it. It’s beautiful;
right on the Arno like outside the window you can say they have a little ‘walking terrace’ kind of
thing that you can sit down there so you’re actually eating on the water; on the Arno, and it’s
absolutely gorgeous.
Rob: Okay, so what’s your personal favorite? If you had to pick a spot that you just think you
know, “This is the best restaurant for me. I just love this place.” Which one’s your favorite?
Giacomo: Well, just until yesterday, which I went to the Lungarno Hotel renovated restaurant, I
would have told you Garga. Garga is an extremely particular restaurant here in Florence.
Owned by an artist who made all the decorations on the wall and the paintings on the wall
itself; he made them on his own. And the cuisine is simply, is just amazing, I’ve never seen
anything like that. Everything is new and different and it just always surprises you.

It’s an amazing place and even the touch of having the owner and chef, the same person, that
also comes around and talks to you; explaining things, engaging conversation, you know, with
an extremely friendly approach it’s just… it’s a full experience that you’ll never forget. It’s a
great place.
Rob: Okay, now the one that you mentioned you went to last night was that the Continentale
or was that the Lungarno Suites?
Giacomo: It was the Lungarno Hotel. Lugarno Suites are on the Duomo-­‐side of the river and the
Lungarno Hotel is on the opposite side of the river.
Rob: Okay.
Giacomo: So it’s the restaurant inside the Lungarno Hotel which is called Borgo San Jacopo.
Rob: And are they both owned by the same person?
Giacomo: Yes it’s all basically under Ferragamo family.
Rob: Okay so the Lungarno Suites is owned by Ferragamo of Ferragamo shoes?
Giacomo: Yes.
Rob: Okay, and just to clarify, is the Lungarno Suites a great hotel as well?

Giacomo: Yes indeed. In fact, they have many different configurations and … I never personally
stayed there, but I have visited them for some clients that I had in the city and they were really
nice places. I mean all the Lungarnos; they have river views, amazing sunsets. They’re a great
spot.
Rob: Okay, at platinumadventures.com, if somebody says, “Hey Giacomo, I want you to handle
all of this for me. I want you to book the restaurants, the nightlife; I want you to do all of
these.” Do you guys handle all of that?
Giacomo: Well, we like to focus on day activities, obviously.
Rob: Okay.
Giacomo: Depending on the customer and you know, also the kind of relationship we have; we
can certainly deal with everything. That is not a problem for us.
Rob: But primarily, what the core product is that you guys have is booking daily excursions,
daily adventures, that kind of stuff.
Giacomo: Yes, pretty much the full experience. We usually handle you from the time you touch
base in Italy ‘til you pass the check in, on your way out. That is what we do, so obviously the
main part is your day; what you do in the day, but obviously in this whole experience package
also where you go at night, your dinner, your clubbing, your lounge, your aperetivo. You know,
everything is part of the experience, so we also do that.
Rob: Okay, so let’s say somebody says, “I want to experience… I want to have dinner but I want
to have dinner outside. It’s beautiful weather, it’s a beautiful night I want to see. I want to have
a Fresco dinner.”; I think is how you refer to it, right?

Giacomo: Yeah.
Rob: What is your best recommendation for al Fresco dining?
Giacomo: Well, I mean if that’s your main point I would say somewhere outside maybe in Santo
Spirito area, and many places put out little wooden tables and chairs right in the piazza or the
street where they are, and you just eat there. That’s the amazing thing about Florence, you can
find anything, you know. And I would certainly advise one of these unless obviously you want to
take your car and go for a nice ride and stop in one of the little towns and enjoy the views from
there.
Rob: Is there a specific spot outside, a specific restaurant name outside that you love or you
just kind of walk around?
Giacomo: Oh, I mean there’s tons of them; tons, and tons, and tons. I think it’s almost
impossible to go around when we’re talking about food.
Rob: Yeah, well yeah. There’s no bad meal in Florence.
Giacomo: It’s really, really hard. I mean you have to put some effort to find some bad food
around Florence.
Rob: Yeah, right. It doesn’t exist. How about for lunch? Is there any particular place for lunch
that really stands out in your mind; either for food or something that’s secret or hidden, or
something like that, that you think is an experience that you really have to be a part of?
Giacomo: Well in Italy, I mean as I’ve said the whole lifestyle is quite informal, you know. So
lunch in itself is quite informal as a meal, so pretty much any place is a nice spot. But

concerning the scene now, I can think about one place that is…it’s just like a little…its almost
like a window on the street and they only serve sandwiches; just panini.
Made with true quality Italian food; with things such as you know, you got range from the
meats like salami, prosciutto, mortadella; all of these kinds of meats, and extremely Tuscan
traditional food like lampredotto, like sopressata; and you just stand outside in the middle of
the street, and it’s packed, every single day, it’s packed with people. Because I’ve never…it’s the
only one I’ve seen in my life, it’s called Fratellini, it’s close to piazza Signoria, it’s really worth
checking out.
Rob: Okay, perfect. That’s exactly what I’m looking for. Alright, let’s move on to shopping a little
bit. There’s not better shopping for clothes, in fact, I have to tell you-­‐ I feel so inadequate when
I come to Italy, as a man. The clothing that you guys put together is unbelievable. Every time I
try and do it, I can’t pull it off.
The way you guys pull it off, I don’t know how you do it, I don’t know what you do, but it’s like a
fashion show to watch the passé giada at night and watch how everybody just… the women
are so beautiful; the men with-­‐ you know, with every detail so perfectly put together. I mean it
is a…you know, it’s a full-­‐time job to get dressed in Italy. Do you see the difference compared
to America… you have to… you can probably play ‘spot the American’ when you walk through
the streets of Florence, right?
Giacomo: I’ve got to admit it, I do.
Rob: (Laughs hard)
Giacomo: Sorry but… (Laughs)
Rob: Yeah, because we have a pair of khakis on, a t-­‐shirt, a fanny pack and sneakers.
Giacomo: Yeah, I don’t know, it’s just different. You just recognize it. I mean it’s not good or
bad, you know; you just notice the difference.

Rob: Yeah, it’s different, it’s different. You’ll see an Italian who will have maybe one or two
beautiful suits and an American will have you know, 400 horrible looking things in their closets.
(laughs)
Giacomo: Aw, come on not necessarily.
Rob: No it’s true!
Giacomo: I mean, sometimes Italians push it too much-­‐ that has to be said, but we do notice.
Rob: When you say “push it” you mean overdressed, right?
Giacomo: Yeah, overdressed and sometimes trying to make too much of a statement. At times,
you know, with colors that are too bold, maybe you know, too much eye-­‐grabbing and… I don’t
know.
Rob: Like a neckerchief on the guy, right?
Giacomo: Yeah exactly. I mean sometimes it is a little you know, like “seriously?” (Laughs) You
know you have to acknowledge both sides.
Rob: Yeah, okay, alright. So let’s talk about shopping, where does one-­‐ if they want to make the
attempt and try and get some great Italian clothes? What’s your best shopping area?
Now, I’m not looking for Fendi, Gucci, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana; that-­‐ you can find anywhere
you travel. Those chains are just in high end exclusive spots anywhere. But where is the place
where locals would go to get great clothes?

Giacomo: Ahh… that’s a good question, because usually everyone just asks for the main ones
you know; which is pretty much clustered in the same two streets. But I would say
Luisaviaroma, which is right next to the Duomo.
It’s a really nice place and obviously it has some pieces from the major designers because it’s
kind of hard not to. But it makes a big effort into keeping someone who might be new, fresh, or
have a different idea of what fashion could be and I mean it’s windows have always been a
thing-­‐ people come from the outside just to see the windows, then it’s decorations and the
displays. So that would be definitely a place you should check out-­‐ Luisaviaroma.
Rob: Okay, let’s talk about night life. A lot of our subscribers like to go out and party. And they
like to-­‐ even in the day at the museums… or even not in the museums, just spend the day
enjoying Florence and get that disco nap in the afternoon and go out for a great dinner and go
party. So, what would you say in your opinion is the best place for a lounge?
Giacomo: Well, a lounge… I would say, first of all I have to say in Italy that the culture of going
out is more of a ‘wine and dine’ kind of thing where you stay at the dinner table for a long time,
and you know, without switching places, depending on the time, you just do one or two spots
tops. But however, what I would advise as a lounge is the Fusion which is in one of the
Ferragamo Hotels that is a nice area. Otherwise, Slowly is a nice lounge which is right at the
center close to Piazza Republica. And all the terraces that are open, I mean the Continentale
has an amazing terrace which is very loungy with you know, sofas, with a view on the Duomo
and all the rooftops of Florence which is beautiful especially now which with these days that
are still sunny and warm. It’s certainly enjoyable.
Rob: Okay, what about if they want to go out and party. And they want to stay until 6 in the
morning, dance to house music all night, does that exist?
Giacomo: Well, I told you Florence is a little town, but it lives on tourism. Therefore the actual
Florentine people, they’re really closed to the others. So a big thing in Italy is private parties.

Rob: Okay.
Giacomo: I think pretty much every single week there is a private party in an old villa, you
know, slightly outside the city, with one the palazzo, there’s always something going on, but it’s
extremely private. So it’s always good if you know someone who knows a little bit of insider
places or has some right connections. However, obviously, they are the main clubs, you know,
like Central Park or like Mara Canal, you know, there are different places but…
Rob: Let’s talk about those two. If you don’t have an insider, you mentioned Central Park, is
that like a nightclub?
Giacomo: Yeah. That’s like a discotheque, you know, and there’s this huge park in Florence
called the Cocina. And this place is at the beginning of this huge park so it has a bath outside
area and a privet which is covered; which is inside.
Rob: And what was the other one that you mentioned?
Giacomo: Mara Canal?
Rob: Yeah, what’s that?
Giacomo: It’s more in the center, in the canal. You know, it’s the smaller places, still in the
center; many people try to go there. Usually they have a more South American kind of thing,
because you know, it’s different. In Florence, you don’t find as much.
Rob: And are those cool places to go to?

Giacomo: Yeah, to change, yeah. But as I’ve told you it’s not covering the Florentine lifestyle to
just go to a big club, you know, you pretty much enjoy more staying with friends, enjoying a
different venue that you know; that other people don’t go to. You know that kind of thing,
because sometimes you feel ‘raped’ in your own city with all the tourists and seeing what goes
on. So, that’s the problem in the end you know, the Florentine person becomes closed; it
marginates the others.
Rob: Ahh…
Giacomo: That’s the problem I noticed.
Rob: So you’re saying if you go to the clubs, you’ll probably see tourists there.
Giacomo: Yes, more than half of the people there, yes.
Rob: Interesting.
Giacomo: Also, there has been a big thing now with drugs in clubs, so three of the major spots
have been closed. So this pushes even more the whole private party thing that actual Florentine
people used to go to have been closed, so now it’s really hidden; the whole party scene.
Rob: Well let’s talk about your world now; of Platinum Adventure. You guys, I looked at your
website; I mean you got eye candy in there. You’ve got Ferrari adventures and you look like
you’re a rock star. So tell me a bit little about: I know there are some things, I know there are
many, many, many things that you do, but just give me a taste of some of the highlights, that if
somebody is saying, “You know I’m going to go to Florence, I’m going to spend the week. I want
to do it right.” What are some things that you can hook up for them?

Giacomo: As an events company we obviously cover corporate and leisure travel but I believe
that you’re more interested in leisure travels so I would say certainly there are many things,
because as I’ve told you we take care of your stay from the minute you touch down in Italy until
you leave. So we do the whole transportation, amazing accommodation, which obviously
depends on what you’re into. Everything we do is 100% tailor made. Everything you see on the
website, are things we have done in the past. We do not even have a price list, just to give you
an idea, because everything always changes for our customers. We just sit down, talk to you
face to face and make happen whatever you like. That’s just how we work. So I mean it
depends on your style, depends who you’re with, depends on what you want to experience you
know. If it’s high adrenaline, you can just stay in Ferrari museums, test drive Ferraris, go, I don’t
know; up to the north and drive power boats on the lake; you can get bikes, you can get Ferrari
challenge cars, you know, directly from the actual championship with Ferrari pilots who have
won championships, and they teach how to drive if you’re into adrenaline.
Or you can go into the Alps with breathing masks; I mean anything. If you’re more into the
relaxed, we have wine tasting, cooking classes, you know the classic hot air balloon rides,
vineyards with a helicopter, you name it, we got it.
Rob: Can someone say, “Okay, I would like to do a wine tasting but that’s all I want to do.” Can
you hook something like that up?
Giacomo: Oh, I mean yes. It’s not our main thing.
Rob: Or do you only do 6-­‐7 days with somebody and there’s a minimum? Can people just pick
and choose different things that they’d like to do or do they have to kind of be with you for the
whole trip?
Giacomo: I mean usually we try to set minimums concerning number of people or if you are
already doing something with us, say, you book your accommodation through us: you booked a
villa for a week; obviously we’re going to organize even the activities for you. Even if it’s just
wine tasting, that’s not a problem at all.
Rob: You’ll even handle booking villas as well.

Giacomo: Oh yes, certainly. I mean for our events we have a vast array of connections for villas,
castles, apartments. Anything you want that you know, we also use them for leisure. And that’s
not only in Florence, but all of Tuscany and major tourist regions of all of Italy.
Rob: You really are a full turn-­‐key solution for both corporate world, as well as the leisure travel
world.
Giacomo: Yes. I mean we manage both worlds because, I mean for us, it’s an event that we’re
producing. An event will last different days but it’s still an event. And we can certainly cater to
both of these.
Rob: What would it be like, coming between Christmas and New Year’s, which is another big
time where people are off to travel? Some may have thought about doing Florence for that
time of year. Are there things going on? Are there any recommendations that you have?
Giacomo: There are always a lot of private parties and locations that are, you know amazing in
itself. I mean just spending a night in a 1500’s villa, you know, it’s always an experience,
especially if you come from the outside.
Rob: Yeah.
Giacomo: I would think that New Year’s is quite a good time to come. There’s different things
going on and you know, the whole Christmas feeling is extremely heart-­‐felt here in Italy. And
yeah, I think you will have a great time.
Rob: Well Giacomo… am I saying your name correctly? ‘Giacomo’
Giacomo: ‘Giacomo’

Rob: I like it. Say it all day long, ‘ Giacomo’.
Giacomo: (Laughs)
Rob: I love it! It makes me feel Italian.
Giacomo: (Laughs)
Rob: I cannot thank you enough for taking this time with us to dig through your brain and come
up with all these really cool spots for every body. If people want to get a hold of you or they
want o get hold of your company, what is the best way for them to do it?
Giacomo: Well, certainly through our website, which is www.platinumadventure.it and I’ll
leave you my email with it. Giacomo@platinumadventure.it
Rob: And there’s also a Twitter handle, yeah?
Giacomo: Exactly. Twitter.com/plaadv well it’s the short, abbreviated version of Platinum
Adventure and yeah, you can fill our most recent tweets, whenever we do events, just like two
days ago, with Ferrari challenge cars; you know, we post our updates what we’re up to, and
also suggestions. So I mean I’m sure interesting for someone who’s not ‘here’ on the spot to
know what’s going on, it’s good resource.
Rob: Giacomo thanks you so very much for everything.
Giacomo: Thank you Rob, it was a pleasure. I really look forward to meeting you.