What does a holiday host do? A day with a Spice host

A holiday host on a Spice Escapes trip, which we call the Spice host, travels with the group from the first day to the last, welcomes everyone, helps people get to know each other and is there if you need anything along the way. They are part of the group, not a traditional holiday rep. On Ancient Athens4 nights · from £579, for example, the Spice host is with you for all 4 nights, and the first evening is a walk to a local restaurant to get to know the rest of the group.

This page follows a trip in the order a Spice host shows up in it: the arrival, the first dinner, the mornings and the days afloat. Every example comes from what the holiday page itself says, so you can check it before you book.

At the start, someone is there to meet you

South Africa Discovery: your local Spice host at arrivals

29 Mar 2027 – 8 Apr 2027 · 10 nightsSouth Africa DiscoveryPlaces availablefrom £3,4997 already goingSee this holiday →

The Spice host on South Africa Discovery is Sue Giddings, who lives in South Africa and knows the country inside out. She meets you in arrivals at Cape Town and stays with you for the rest of the trip, starting with an orientation tour and an included late lunch at a local restaurant. When meals are not included she heads out to one of the restaurants close to the hotel, and you are welcome to join her or eat at the hotel. On a later free day she is on hand with suggestions, such as the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, a few minutes from the hotel.

New Year in Puglia: the hosts meet you at the airport

28 Dec 2026 – 2 Jan 2027 · 5 nightsNew Year in Puglia with WingsItalyPlaces availablefrom £1,13924 already goingSee this holiday →

This holiday is run with WingsItaly and is described as fully escorted by its hosts. Claire Dymond and Andrea meet you at your airport, and a private transfer takes you to the hotel, where Spice Escapes and WingsItaly have the rooms to themselves. The stay begins with a welcome aperitivo and a dinner of traditional Puglian cuisine and local wines, with optional nightcaps in the hotel bar afterwards. New Year's Eve is a private five-course gala, with a local celebration running next door and guests drifting between the two.

The first evening is dinner together

The first dinner is where a group starts to become one. On Ancient Athens the first evening is a walk to a local restaurant with Jackie Whyte, and the days after are your own: explore independently or join the optional guided tour of the city, with the Acropolis and Ancient Agora and a licensed guide there if you want the history.

Kraków Discovery: company at dinner for every night

26 May 2027 – 30 May 2027 · 4 nightsKraków DiscoveryPlaces availablefrom £58918 already goingSee this holiday →

A Spice host is with the group for all 4 nights of Kraków Discovery, so there is company at dinner. The arrival evening is a relaxed dinner and perhaps a drink in one of the city's bars, and after that the days are suggestions to follow or leave: Main Market Square and Wawel Castle at your own pace, then the Schindler's Factory Museum, the Wieliczka Salt Mine and Auschwitz-Birkenau as optional visits. Jackie Whyte is the Spice host, and the optional visits need booking with the holiday.

In the mornings, the plan over breakfast

14 Oct 2026 – 19 Oct 2026 · 5 nightsLake Como DiscoveryWaitlist onlyfrom £99919 already goingSee this holiday →

Most of what a Spice host does is small and practical. On Lake Como Discovery the Spice host, Steve Dell, is on hand to arrange meet-ups over breakfast so you can talk about what you plan to do during the day, and in the evening everyone can meet in the hotel bar to chat about the day's adventures before dinner. The hotel is in Como itself, a ten minute walk from the historic centre, and ferries run to Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio whenever you fancy a day out. His profile on our hosts page says he generally hosts with his wife, so you get two for one.

At sea, the hosts stay with you throughout

6 May 2027 – 14 May 2027 · 8 nightsMediterranean Cruising Italian Style with WingsItalyPlaces availablefrom £1,6798 already goingSee this holiday →

Mediterranean Cruising Italian Style with WingsItaly is described as a personally hosted WingsItaly experience rather than a standard group departure. Claire Dymond and Andrea meet you at the airport in Rome, a hosted informal orientation walk introduces you to your surroundings, and the optional first group dinner is in a quiet residence run by religious sisters. You then travel together to Civitavecchia to board the Costa Toscana. The hosts stay with you throughout, drinks and gratuities are included on board, and the page mentions free hosted tours in certain cities.

What a Spice host is, and what guests say about them

The FAQ on every holiday page puts it simply: a Spice host is part of the group and not a traditional holiday rep. The job is to keep things running smoothly and to make sure nobody feels left out. Where a trip includes a specialist, such as the licensed guide at the Acropolis, the holiday page says so.

The people who have travelled put it in their own words in the reviews. One guest on a first group holiday wrote that their Spice host was "making sure we were all ok and guiding us through an itinerary, whilst allowing us to do our own thing if we chose". Another credited the office and their Spice host with working "hard on flights, transfers and information", and added "we felt well looked after". Between them those two reviews cover the job: the organising, and leaving you free. A Spice host is not a reason to give up your free time, because time is left open on the itineraries and the Spice host is a person to ask, not a timetable to follow.

Where to read more about the people

Each Spice host has a profile on our hosts page. If you are comparing a hosted group with a coach tour, alternatives to escorted coach tours sets the two side by side, and Saga alternatives for people who travel on their own does the same for Saga.

New to booking a group holiday? Our guide for first-time solo travellers covers the rest, solo holidays for the over 50s shows what is on sale, and single supplements explains the cost of a room of your own. For somewhere to start, try holidays in Greece or the culture and discovery holidays.

Questions people ask

Is a holiday host the same as a holiday rep?

No. A Spice host travels with the group throughout and is part of it, which is different from a traditional holiday rep. Their job is to welcome everyone, help people get to know each other and be there if you need anything.

What happens on the first evening?

It depends on the holiday. On Ancient Athens the first evening is a walk to a local restaurant to get to know the rest of the group. The holiday page for your trip says what is planned.

Do I have to spend every day with the Spice host?

No. Time is left open on the itineraries, and the page shows what is planned and what is optional. The Spice host is there when you want company or help, not as a timetable you have to follow.

Does every holiday have a Spice host?

Yes. The site says a named Spice host travels with every departure. The holiday page for your trip says who it is, and the contact page can tell you if it is not named there yet.

Where can I read about the hosts?

Our hosts page has a profile for each of them. Most holiday pages also name their Spice host.

See the dates and book Ancient Athens online

10 Mar 2027 – 14 Mar 2027 · 4 nightsAncient AthensPlaces availablefrom £5797 already goingSee the dates and book online for Ancient Athens

For a question before you book, ask Jackie Whyte, the Spice host, through our contact page, or ask Rosie, the chat on every holiday page.