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FAM Trip to Portugal – Lisbon – Sintra- Cascais

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Saturday 24th September

I was delighted to be invited by Leading Hotels of the World & Destinations Unlimited who put together an exciting and educational Familiarisation trip to Portugal Lisbon to showcase their beautiful 5-star hotels in Lisbon, Sintra and Cascais.

It was an early start at Heathrow ready to depart on the TAP Portugal airlines from London Heathrow direct to Lisbon Portugal– the flight was only very comfortable 2x 15 mins hours flight.

TAP Air Portugal

We were greeted by our drivers and then taken by private transfer straight to our first hotel site visit a the Olissipo Lapa Palace which is nested on one of Lisbon’s 7 hilltops overlooking the Tagus River and set amongst a sub-tropical centennial garden. The hotel is divided into three different sections – Palace Wing, Garden Wing and Villa Lapa  with a total of 109 rooms which have all been decorated in difference styles with Portuguese style fabric and furniture.

We were taken on a show around of the hotel and meeting rooms followed shortly with a divine 6 x course Portuguese tapas then a cheese and port tasting session on the hotels terrace, overlooking the beautiful gardens and swimming pool.

Olissipo Lapa Palace
olissipo lapa palace
olissipo lapa palace

After lunch we departed from the Olissipo and taken to the Tivoli Avenida de Liberdade for a site visit of the hotel. It is known as the Grande Dame of hotels in central Lisbon delivering hospitality since 1933 and is the place to be seen in Lisbon with a meeting point for celebrities, heads of state and royalty. The hotels has 285 bedrooms, from Deluxe rooms to Presidential Suites and 14 meeting rooms which are all flexible in size and can host up to 280 delegates for events in Lisbon central.

Tivoli Avenida da Liberdade
Tivoli Avenida

After the show around we were treated to drinks and canapes at Lisbon’s trendiest rooftop Sky bar located on the 9th floor of the hotel overlooking the River Tagus and the Arrábida Mountains. This is an stunning setting for any event to WOW your delegates!

sky bar roof top lisbon

Sky Bar Roof Top – Tivoli Avenida da Liberdade

Lisbon’s trendiest rooftop Sky bar
Sky Bar Lisbon
Sky Bar roof Top Lisbon

Next stop – we walked through the beautiful, cobbled streets of Lisbon onto the a boutique hotel – Bairro Alto also located in the centre of Lisbon in a very prestigious area. This hotel was beautifully decorated with 3 meeting rooms, 1 auditorium and foyer complemented with a separate entrance for events attendees.

Meeting room

All the rooms were welcomed with natural daylight and the interior décor was above and beyond. We had the pleasure of eating dinner in their Bahr restaurant, located on the 5th floor which had a terrace overlooking the River Tagus. What a beautiful way to finish the day!

Sunday 25th  

Pestana Palace –Palacio de Seteais – Grande Real Vila Italia

We checked out from the Olissipo Lapa Palace the following morning to be greeted by a couple of Tuk Tuks!

Tuk Tuk tours lisbon
Tuk Tuk tours lisbon

We were taken on a tour around the city to visit all the historic monuments and sights.  This is the definatly the perfect way to see the sights of Lisbon.

We were then taken by tuk tuk to the next hotel –The 5-star Pestana Palace and we were welcomed by a Portuguese guitar player in the entrance to the hotel. This property is a stunning 19th century palace which has been restored with very grand meeting rooms in the main building, 2 swimming pools, spa, and surrounded by lush gardens.

Pestana palace Sintra
Pestana Palace Sintra

We were greeted by the Hotel Manager and their staff with a glass of champayne and then was served a traditional portuguese lunch in the historic Renascenca room, which was the original dining room of the Marques e Marques Valle-Flor.  This hotel is a hidden gem! 

Marques e Marques Valle-Flor

After lunch we departed towards Sintra which is a charming Portuguese town nestled on the hills Serra de Sintra and surrounded by historic buildings and natural scenery.

We departed Sintra to the next hotel Tivoli Palacio de Seteais  for a Queens Tea Experience where we were welcomed with a beautifully dressed table with endless tea, sandwiches and portuguese cakes.

Queens Tea Palacio de seteais
Palacio de seteais Sintra
queens tea experience

The hotel has 30 bedrooms all very elegant, decorated with ornate furnishings, stunning tapestries & two large conferencne rooms which can accomodate up to 200 delegates. There is also the Anantara SPA Palácio de Seteais within the hotel. This is ideal for a smaller conference or Incentive trip.

Palacio de Seteais

After the Queens Tea experice we were onto our last hotel site visit to Hotel Grand Real Villa Italia located in the beautiful town of Cascais.

cascais town portugal

The Five Star Grande Real Villa Itália Hotel & Spa represents the pinnacle of Hotel design and the very best in sophistication and comfort. Built on the site of a former Italian palace near the stylish town of Cascais, no expense has been spared in the construction, the decoration or in the superb facilities available in the hotel making this perhaps the best hotel in Cascais. Just to the north lie the fairytale hills and castles of Sintra, whilst Lisbon is within easy reach. Whether you are on holiday, or business, the Grande Real Villa Italia Hotel & Spa is the ideal choice for those wishing to visit the diverse charms of this part of Portugal.

The 16 multi-purpose meeting rooms, which can hold up to 450 people, are an important element in the hotel and have been designed to attract all types of events, from a simple business meeting to the international launch of products.

Grande Real Villa Italia Cascais
Grande Real Villa Italia Cascais bedrooms 5 star hotel
Grande real villa Italia event profs fam trip
End of the FAM trip – Grande Real Villa Italia Hotel & Spa – Cascais

Overall each one of the hotels visted were unique in their own way and perfect for specific events such as meetings, incentive travel or conferences in Portugal – if you want to have a chat about any of the hotels in Portugal please get in touch or for any other locations.

Eleanor xx

Event Director @ Conference Desk @ Four Seasons Events

A Tale Of Two Cities: Madrid and Toledo.

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We were lucky enough to be invited away recently on a trip to Spain. Naturally, we wouldn’t dare turn down such a generous offer, or pass up on a chance to escape the office for a couple of days! So, a few weeks ago I found myself headed up to London, preparing to jet off and visit a part of one of my favourite countries that I had never been to before.

Arrival

After touching down in Madrid, I was quickly whisked away for a short, but comfortable ride to the hotel. I would be both inspecting and staying in for the next two nights, the stunning, Eurostars Madrid Tower. Although it was dark by the time I had landed, it was still easy to appreciate just how impressive a building the Madrid Tower is. The first thirty floors of the tower are operated by Eurostars, and during the day they grant guests some stunning views.

Introductions were made and dinner was served. We dined later then we are used to back in Britain, but one must always adhere to the customs of the country one visits! The menu was comprised of both classic Spanish and local dishes. My hosts were overly generous with the wine, causing my memory of the food to be rather foggy, with one marvellous exception. Carrot Cake is not usually my first choice for a dessert, but when served with the deliciously decadent, passionfruit twist that was our meals finale, it’s fair to say I have converted!

A Trip to Toledo

Thanks to a rather jam-packed itinerary for the next two days it was an early breakfast before setting off for Toledo. I was equally as curious to visit this stunning fortress-city as I was to visit Madrid itself. A fairly acceptable drive of about 40 minutes was all it took to put the capital behind us and bring us to Toledo’s stunning cityscape. I’d never seen an image of Toledo before we stopped off at the historic city gate. As a former Citadel, much of the interior layout to the old-town is still preserved, although the once thick curtain-walls are now broken in some sections.

Toledo is protected by the Tagus river on all sides. It’s an impressive natural defence but also a beautiful landscape feature. The view from the surrounding hills across the Tagus of the city is simply magnificent. The most beautiful landmark in a city filled with them has to be the cathedral at its heart. A stunning assembly of baroque and neo-gothic architecture. Filled with frescos, gold, and other precious objects that catch the eye as you wander around the cathedral’s vast expanse. I could have wandered around the cathedral, and indeed, most of the city itself for days. But, duty called, and after a brief tour of the local Eurostars site, it was back to Madrid.

An Evening of Entertainment

Following another brief tour of another property, and a very quick shower, the evening’s entertainment could now take centre stage. We were taken to a quiet street, just across from the cities cathedral, and entered one of the most packed restaurants I’ve ever been to. A legion of smartly clad serving staff attended the few hundred diners who occupied almost every inch of floor space. A podium took up one small corner of the restaurant, the stage as of yet, unoccupied. Soon, after gorging ourselves almost into a stupour the clock struck ten, and the real reason we had arrived at this establishment became obvious.

The Flamenco is one of the most passionate, intense, and fierce performances in dance that the eyes can witness. The crash of every step. The echo of every chord and note. It is both visually and audibly intoxicating to watch. I found myself in awe of the performers, both the musicians and the dancers. It is easy, in our mostly digital world we now occupy, to forget the power of a live performance. Our most-kind and generous hosts had provided a surprise well worth the journey.

More Of Madrid

We departed the restaurant for the more relaxed and less crowded environment of the Madrid Tower. A few drinks and friendly chats were had but there was nothing that could possibly top the earlier performance. We retired once again quite early, for we knew that although the next day was our last, we still had much todo. Another early start saw us take a walking tour of the city centre of Madrid. Our Tour guide was a chap named Sean, one-half Irish, the other Spanish. I can safely say he was the best tour guide I’ve ever had. The tour was slightly hurried, given our busy schedule, but Sean provided more than an insight into the history of the city.

Sadly, we left the beating heart of Madrid and ventured back to the tower. They really had saved the best until last with our final site inspection. The hotel boasts some truly first class meeting and breakout rooms. They have good reason to be proud of their property. It is no wonder why it remains so popular with everyone from foreign dignitaries to the giants of football. Liverpool FC stayed at the Madrid Tower during last years Champions League final in Madrid. I’m told any team who spends the night in the property before a match always wins the next day.

Departure

After a fantastic lunch, it was time to be on our way again. Despite having just over an hour until the flight home, I did have a nervous glance at my watch anticipating traffic en route to the airport. I needn’t have worried. The journey once again, lasted barely 20 minutes, and still left time to quickly browse duty-free! During the flight, I reflected on the last two days and all that I’d seen during my enjoyable, but brief stay. You can never spend enough time away on trips like these. But of course, the whole point of the trip was to leave me wanting more.

Our hosts were fantastic. The itinerary was put together in order to give us as much to see and do as possible. In that, it definitely delivered, as did our fantastic Eurostars hosts in showing off their properties. Both Madrid and Toledo have much to offer any visitors. For myself, I’ve found another part of Spain to love, and explore. Hopefully, I won’t be waiting too long to return there.

To read more about other destinations, check out our blog, or to view the Eurostars Madrid Tower click here.

Incentive Travel: Make The Most of Out-Of-Office Opportunities.

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Employees are happier when they are in dynamic, inspiring, and sometimes even exotic working environments. Now, this does not mean you need to suggest relocating the whole office or even separate departments. You don’t have to move your R&D team to the Canary Islands. Accounting does not have to take up residency in The Emirates. Pulling in new business from abroad does not have to be a priority either. What you can do is far more simple and that is exactly where Incentive Travel comes in.

Incentive Travel Group

We are familiar with the age-old sales team prizes. The Range Rover Sport going to the top sellers in departments each week. We have seen the quarterly all-expenses-paid trip away to the Mediterranean. I am sure there are many people we all know who have enacted all manners of subterfuge to secure an invite to the bosses annual golf trip. All of these methods and carrot-dangling tactics are tried, tested, and proven to work. Yet they are just one-side of the Incentive Travel equation. How often have you thought about rather than leaving the office to get away, go away, and take the office with you?

Creating More Incentives to Travel.

Incentive Travel does not just have to apply to your own employees. You have some new clients that are due to arrive in town for a pitch. Rather than bringing them into the familiar environment of your workplace, why not take them, and the whole of the creative team to a more neutral setting? Put them at ease but also build their anticipation. Give your team a little more room to flex their muscles without all the usual pressures of the home office. Creating incentives doesn’t just have to apply to your people, but travelling with them and the people you’re pitching too is an entirely new way of doing business.

Cheese and Wine tasting.

It’s approaching the end of the financial year. Accounting is crunching their way through the books and gradually sagging into their chairs with each passing day. Pack them off for a week working where they can see the sun and sea out of their window. Give them a break from the usual stress and the chance to relax.  It’s mid-winter. Your team are starting to flag, the usual coughs, colds, and other forms of influenza. Get the jump on inevitable sick days that are coming. Why not find a wellness spa and move them to work there instead of seeing them deteriorate in the office? You don’t have to travel far, or for long, to increase productivity. But sometimes any change of environment is a welcome change indeed.

The Good, The Bad, and The Obvious.

Now it is obvious that Incentive travel comes with a nasty word that unfortunately, must always be considered, Budget. It is an intimidating word to contend with when it comes to ordering the cake and flowers for someone’s birthday, let-alone justifying a work trip of any kind outside of the office zip-code, let alone country. There will always be some who argue as to why Incentive Travel is not a worthy investment for you. But the fact of the matter is that Incentive Travel can offer you a fantastic ROI and boost productivity. Let us not forget an obvious return point also. Morale.

When someone mentions “earnings” or “net profit” next, show them HR’s reports on employee welfare and motivation. Look at the numbers on how much your company or business is losing each year due to “lack of productivity”. Mental Health is now more under more scrutiny in society and the workplace than ever. Providing a positive working environment and motivation to your employees to continue their hard work is difficult. Incentive Travel is a means of letting your employees know you care about them but does not have to result in reduced levels of productivity.

Cocktail glass on terrace.

Invest In Your Image with Incentive Travel.

Most importantly, employee welfare should not be something which is settled by digits and decimals. There should not be a number that quantifies their value to a business. Incentive Travel should be exactly that, an incentive to work harder, to work better, and to be rewarded accordingly. Any company that invests so much into their employees will only attract the best applicants for the future. If your business is seen to invest just as much in their clients then who is to say how many more may come your way?

Hotel Focus: Penha Longa

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The Penha Longa resort is simply one of the most sublime hotels to visit on the Iberian Peninsula. Boasting not one, but two Michelin starred restaurants, a 27-hole world-class golf course, as well as a 1,500 sqm wellness centre and spa, the word luxury has never been more relevant than when referring to the Penha Longa. Situated in the former grounds of the eponymous monastery, and bordering two of the country’s most notable gated-communities, whilst just a short drive away from the beautiful capital of Lisbon.

For those who may be somewhat deterred by the grandeur of the Penha Longa have no fear of the resort being too exclusive. Mega-celebrities such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Bryan Adams may own houses nearby. The pupils and families from the famous Carlucci American School may also frequent the resort, yet the Penha Longa is very much open to all comers.

A Focus On Food

I have mentioned the restaurants. Whilst there are a dozen different gastronomy experiences to try during your stay I’ll focus on the two that stand out immediately. Having one Michelin star restaurant in a hotel anywhere is a significant achievement in the world of hospitality. Having two is nothing short of sensational. LAB by Sergi Arola is famous for its incredible fusion dishes that have been rumoured to reduce some diners to tears thanks to the overpowering emotions that the combined flavours can bring. It also boasts a wine cellar that features an overwhelming 550 references from around the globe.

I dined with LAB’s Michelin counterpart, which is the Japanese (with a slight touch of Portuguese) restaurant, Midori. Midori was my first true experience sampling Japanese cuisine. That was seven years ago and I am still comparing every subsequent foray into Japanese cuisine to that. The food was incredible, the Saki almost blew my socks off, but the overall experience was like nothing I’d ever had in dining up until that point. I will forever associate the word precision, with the methodical, time-honed skill that the chef applied to prepare every dish as it came out for our party as I watched him. It is one of the signature joys of Japanese cuisine that you are able to watch the chefs at work so intimately, and it is a joy I first experienced at the Penha Longa.

Golf, Yoga, Event, Repeat.

The facilities at the Penha Longa aside from the restaurants are equally exceptional. The golf course as I mentioned in the beginning, is world-class for a reason. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, and home to 27 glorious holes amid the ruins of the medieval monastery. It’s easy to see why the course has hosted half a dozen major golf tournaments. The Wellness Centre boasts two outdoor pools, a heated indoor pool, Turkish bath, sauna, Jacuzzi, as well as some fantastic treatment rooms. You can also find a host of daily fitness activities to participate in whilst there. Yoga, Pilates, and outdoor fitness classes all run regularly and are available to guests to join in during their stay.

For accommodation, the hotel offers 194 luxury rooms and suites, all coming with their own balconies. The Penha Longa is a former royal palace of the Portuguese monarchy, and as such has a number of function rooms. These can cater for up to 600 delegates, and in total, there are 25 meeting rooms of different size. The Hotel is just a short drive from both Lisbon city and airport, but also the coastline. High praise must be reserved for the staff at this fantastic resort. Despite the wealth in abundance which resides in close proximity to the Penha Longa, the staff are exceptionally accommodating, towards all guests. Polite, attentive, and genuinely welcoming towards all guests.

The Final Word

The Penha Longa is an amazing location for any event or occasion. Its history is one of opulence and luxury but also quiet and solidarity. It has been a place of worship for both deities and dynasties. It encourages wellness but also indlugnece in some of life’s simpler pleasures. A place open to formality and family. Now all that’s left is to decide when you will go!

For more Infomation about the Penha Longa click here.

Motivation Vacation: Why Team Building Matters

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Team building amongst colleagues is a valuable method of improving co-operation, productivity, and positivity in the workplace. It’s an opportunity to get people out of the office, and their comfort zones, to encourage them to interact and develop better relationships with their colleagues. But is there really more to team building then a break from work?

Causes For Concern?

Sometimes, yes, we all need a break from work. From the pressures and confines of the office, from the constant scrutiny of supervisors, managers, and directors, or just from the people you sit next to every day. It’s natural we are all human, we all cope with stress and expectations in different ways. But if you’re the person in charge, and you see that there are very real divisions if not outright conflicts going on in the office, what do you do?

You might feel like you should step in, but won’t out of fear of escalating the situation, a very real problem and not one to be taken lightly. You might feel that some behind the scenes subterfuge, shakeups in the chain of command, relocating warring colleagues from each other, or thinly veiled directives for everyone to stop causing problems and get on with their jobs or else is the best way to handle a tricky situation.

Different situations call for different measures but, sometimes, it’s better to take these problems out of the office. Put them and the people with them, in a different territory where they can be wrong-footed, challenged, put-on-the-spot and made to step-up and tackle issues in a more productive and hopefully, more positive manner. Perhaps I’m overselling it to you at this point and what you actually have is an office or workspace full of disgruntled, unmotivated, and anti-social colleagues who really just need a chance to lighten up.

Enter: The Team Building Trip

Team building getaways are an ideal way of beating all of these problems if not just short of being a guaranteed solution. Raft building in Tenerife. No one would ever think they would be there doing it, let alone doing it with the people they spend 40 hours a week with, yet here they are. Having the time of their lives, on an expenses-paid trip with work, learning to laugh and get on with each other. A fire-pit at night, people are actually talking to each other, engaging in levels of discourse previously unheard or even thought of, helping to embolden employees to communicate with each other in a way they never had previously.

Picture this. The first day back at work, post-trip, and people are smiling. There is laughter, genuine laughter being heard in the office for the first time in months, unforced, as people chat with each other with genuine interest and enthusiasm. Colleagues who were once animous are now amicable. The relationship between management and staff is more relaxed and informal, more open, communicative, better for both parties. The team-building process is complete and you now have a happier and better-connected staff then you did previously.

But Can We Really Achieve That Much From Team Building?

Beach Team Building

If I have said it once I’ll reiterate it now; there are no guarantees when it comes to these trips. You cannot always pick a venture or an itinerary which satisfies anyone (which is also why in my opinion you are better off going into these things blind and leaving it to the pro’s like us), and some issues just cannot be resolved in a weekend or a week, and neither should you try to force them to be, because your focus shifts away from the enrichment of your staff as a whole, and you will end up scrutinising (possibly unfairly as well) a few select individuals.

But if you’re smart, you pick the right time of year, end up in the right environment and atmosphere (which should come courtesy of yours truly at Conference-Desk) then there is no reason why you will not end up going on the team-building adventure of your workplace lifetime. In fact, the only problem you should ever have after a successful motivation vacation is that everyone won’t stop asking you when the next one is!

To enquire about booking your next team-building trip click here.

Destination: Prague “The City of a Hundred Spires”.

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Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There is a good reason for that. For centuries, it has managed to hold on to its distinctly medieval and Gothic feel, thanks to the fantastic restoration and maintenance of its many historical buildings. The Old Town square, Charles Bridge, and the former royal palace are just a few of the more recognisable attractions. Even some of their older Trams are a part of the cities iconic imagery!

More Than Touch of History…

Located on the banks of the river Vltava, Prague has been a key city in Europe for centuries. The castle of Prague and a fledgeling settlement had existed since 800 AD, and the city was occupied in some form before that for much of the last thousand years. The city was relatively obscure however until the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, designated Prague the new capital of the empire. Prague was transformed and became the third most populous city in Europe. The Saint Vitus Cathedral was constructed, and its Gothic design influenced the construction of many other projects in the city.

Despite numerous civil disorders and being ravaged by war throughout the centuries Prague has endured. After the “Velvet Revolution”, and subsequent divorce at the start of the 1990s, Prague was reinvigorated by the collapse of the Iron Curtain. Today it is a hub for tourism in central Europe, and an important cultural centre for the arts, hosting numerous festivals throughout the year.

A City of Food...

There are other attractions to Prague aside from Architectural and artistic delights. The local cuisine deserves special mention. Contrary to popular belief, Goulash is not a dish native to the Czech Republic but instead comes from neighbouring Hungary. However, you may still Goulash in just about every restaurant in Prague, and the local variety is delicious. Served typically with the trio of traditional Czech dumplings or as a soup, it’s perfect at any time of year. Svickova is a local classic that contains beef pierced with speck, as well as dumplings. Kulajda is a creamy potato soup served with mushrooms, and usually a poached egg on top. Carp is an interesting acquisition to the Czech national cuisine from the orient but is now the most farmed fish in the Czech Republic. For those who are fans of fish, it is definitely worth trying some of the “local” servings.

There is no possibility of talking about Prague and not mentioning one of its most famous delights. Beer, or Pilsner for the more cultured visitor. The town of Plzen may hold the name and fame for the original amber delight, but Prague is where you go to find if in a thousand other forms. Craft beer was probably a thing in Prague before it was ever a thing. Budapest may be famous for its ruin bars but Prague is a paradise for those who love all things beer. Make that beer cellars too… There are hundreds of subterranean bolt-holes to escape the crowds or bad weather and indulge yourself in the flavours of one of the world’s best beer-making nations. Failing that, it’s a pretty incredible place to go absinthe tasting too!

A City For Every Event…

Prague is an amazing destination for events of any kind. The city is a natural home for conferences thanks to the presence of so many buildings of grandiose designs from both past and present. The hotel industry is thriving thanks to the boom in tourism, which is now a full-time economy to the city and sees millions of visitors throughout all months of the year.

We haven’t even begun to cover some of the attractions that are located just outside of the city that offer a break from the crowds during the high-season. A perfect location for a short trip of two-three days, and with a variety of options to entertain yourself and your party once there. Prague is one of the most exciting destinations conference-desk has the pleasure of doing business in. To find out more about bookings for Prague, click here.

Hotel Focus: Asia Gardens

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The typical trip to Benidorm is not one where the word “luxury” may spring to mind straight away. The towering skyscrapers and the sizeable number of apartment blocks that dominate its skyline are more reminiscent of Las Vegas then they are of a seaside city on the Costa Blanca. The famous Hotel Bali may look impressive thanks to its considerable size, but is this the place you would choose to go for immersing yourself in your surroundings, or for holding a conference? Fortunately, just a few short miles into the hills away from the Playa Levante, we find the hidden oasis of the Asia Gardens.

The Gateway to The Orient

Oasis is the exact term I would use to describe my first thought upon visiting this other-worldly hotel. Once you make it through the rather spectacular lobby and atrium the fun really begins when you see the start of the signature gardens. Bamboo trees line the perimeter of the entire hotel, conveniently shutting out any intrusive buildings, encasing you in a jungle-like environment. There is a vast network of connecting paths that take you through over 150,000 immaculately maintained shrubs and bushes. On your travels, you will constantly traverse alongside countless ponds and other water features. Shangri-La, as it turns out, does exist after all. But instead of the dense jungles of south-east Asia, you can find it on the Costa Blanca.

Business or Pleasure, The Asia Gardens can be enjoyed at your leisure.

It is fortunate that some of the larger ponds come with signs to advise you not to swim in them. Thankfully, the hotel boasts an impressive amount of pools. Seven larger ones, as well as a host of smaller ones used for treatments and adults only. Most of the pools are heated also which makes swimming outdoors available almost the entire year. The food as you may have also guessed is exquisite. Eight restaurants, offering not only traditional dishes from both the Orient and the Mediterranean, but also a wonderful assortment of gastro and fusion in other restaurants. Each dining area also presents a different environment and theme in which to gorge yourself senseless in.

The Spa at the Asia Gardens is also worth mentioning. I say mention. What I mean is it should be the first thing you incorporate into your trip itinerary. Every professional on the Asia Gardens Spa team has trained at the Wat Pho temple in Bangkok. Why such a big deal? It is one of the oldest in the city and considered the first University ever established in Thailand. Each professional on the team is a master of technical practice that has been passed down and taught for two and a half thousand years. I feel relaxed just writing about it. Booking in advance is mandatory as the demand for treatments is naturally very high!

More Than A Hotel: An Incentive For Experience.

The Asia Gardens is so much more than a hotel. It is one of the most perfect destinations for any kind of event or corporate trip. It offers considerable space, with over 300 Balinese style rooms for guests. The impressive conference and meeting room facilities can hold up to 800 delegates. The atmosphere is tranquil and intimate, yet open and engaging at the same time. The region around the hotel has plenty of options for exploration and travel with Alicante being a half-hour drive away, and the coastline up to Valencia is worthy of exploration. But on a short trip of two-three nights, you will struggle to fully explore all that Asia Gardens has to offer.

The Asia Gardens is a truly remarkable experience for any type of stay. The hotel has an uncanny ability to replicate the surroundings of its oriental inspiration. You will feel like you have been transported into another world during your stay there, and with its impressive facilities and staff (who I have not mentioned nearly enough but are all wonderfully accommodating and friendly). It is a sure-fire winner for any event or occasion.

For more Infomation about booking the Asia Gardens and to view Conference-desks rates and enquire about bookings, click here.

The Beautiful City of Vienna

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One of the most romantic cities in Europe, and renowned throughout the world for its music, art, and architecture. Vienna is a beautiful destination for any occasion, but also has a strong reputation as one of the worlds most desired destinations for international conferences. Famous attractions include the Schönbrunn Palace and its lush gardens including the Vienna Zoo, The Spanish Riding School, St Stephen’s Cathedral, to name but a few of the standout attractions. Food in the city is enriched by the influences of the former vassals of the old Hapsburg Empire. The people are friendly and cheerful, and boasting more than a few great Brauhaus to rival those of their Germanic neighbours. However, you choose to spend your visit. Vienna has something for everyone.

   

About Vienna:

Vienna offers a fantastic, year-round destination for travellers, whether their trip is for business or pleasure. With a befittingly large airport to match its historical status as one of Europe’s most important capitals, and excellent rail connections to neighbouring countries, travel to and from is never a burden, perhaps, thanks to the above-average number of UN department offices and charitable organisations that use Vienna as a base, fixing it firmly in the eye of the World as a city of progress. Befitting a city with such amazing and diverse Architecture, there are some truly impressive and unique hotels and other venues to visit recreationally, and professionally.

Travel Tips and Fun Facts:

Weather: Being a landlocked country close to two different mountains ranges, expect winters to be chilly and summers to be scorching as the seasons roll in and out of Vienna. Do not let travelling during the colder months put you off, however, as Vienna can be at its most beautiful when covered under a blanket of snow, and the Christmas markets rival that of any other nation.

Travel: As mentioned, there is a large airport just outside the city which is being expanded further to include a third runway to further facilitate international travel. Optionally, outstanding rail links to neighbouring countries can provide fun, and impressively scenic method of travel. Travel from Budapest, Bratislava, Munich, Berlin, and Prague is easily negotiable, and with a good quality of service on most Austrian trains will ensure that your trip gets off to a very hospitable start.

Food: Where to even begin? Wien Schnitzel is a very big deal, but one of the best bowls of Goulash you can find anywhere we believe is in Vienna. Bread or potato dumplings, meat or vegetable stews, knuckles of pork the size of your own head, and all to be washed down with steins of glorious golden beer, or goblets of wine from the lush vineyards in the foothills of the city, you may well have to tighten the belt by a few notches by the time you are finished eating after a trip to this city. We recommend you drink the Schnapps the locals offer you after every meal as well as a lot of it is home-made and rather excellent!

Language: Austrian-German. But you will find a handy amount of English speakers due to the cities international prestige, as well as more than a few other tongues from neighbouring regions like Hungary, Bratislava, and Czecha. Due to a strong Jewish community Hebrew is also spoken more commonly than most European cities.
Did you know? Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was not born in the city but came to it from the countryside in his youth. He is however buried there, but not in anywhere near as much luxury as you may think as his remains were exhumed and dumped amongst the bones of tens of thousands of the cities former inhabitants under St Stephen’s Cathedral! You can actually visit the catacombs but it is not for the faint-hearted.

Did you know? Tiergarten Schönbrunn, the zoo housed in the grounds of the palace of the same name, is the oldest continuously operated zoo in the world. A small zoo had previously existed on the premises from as far back as 1540 but was not officially opened to the public until 1779. Today it has the added distinction of being one of the few zoos to house Giant Pandas.

Did you know? The Third Man (1949) is perhaps the most famous film to have been shot in the Austrian capital and starred Orson Welles at the height of his fame. However Welles was something of a pain in the neck on the set of the film and very little footage of him was actually shot in Vienna due to his reluctance to travel and stay there, forcing the production team to even have to use the Assistant Director as a body double in some cases.

Why use our Venue Finding Service ?

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You may be wondering why bother using our Venue Finding Service and what’s in it for you ….well here is a list of benefits…
  • Firstly its FREE – No fees are added on to any of the rates we quote to you.
  • Using this service saves you valuable time – we do all the time-consuming searching so that you can get on with the job of organising the event.
  • You can save money – our buying power means that we can access better rate.
  • We will get more for your money – we’ll negotiate the best deal for you with added extras such as upgrades and discounted rates !
  • We offer a quick turnaround since we are connected to all the account manager at the venues – so we prioritise your needs providing you a detailed proposal of options within 24 hours or less.
  • We have been in the business for over 20 years so with our knowledge combined with our database of over 25,000 venues, we can recommend and source a variety of options for your event.
  • We have a large network of Event Planner all over the world, so other than just sourcing a meeting room we can also help you arrange offsite dinners to site seeing tours using our expert destination guides.
If this is right for you then please contact our Conference Co-ordinators to help you plan your next Annual Conference, Road show, Meeting or any Event ….
Email: info@conference-desk.com

Tenerife

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Could this be your next destination to hold a meeting or event?

   

Known around the world as “The Island of Eternal Spring”, Tenerife is the largest and most visited of the Canary Islands, and it isn’t hard to see why.  Dominated by the third largest volcano above sea-level in the world the now silent giant, Mount Teide, casts what some scientists have called the largest shadow on the planet out over the ocean every day at sunrise. The entire island is a geological wonderland thanks to years of volcanic activity, influencing almost every aspect of island life from the grapes harvested for the excellent local wine, to the diverse marine life attracted to the mineral-rich waters.

About Tenerife:

Boasting a sub-tropical climate, several UNESCO World Heritage sites, one of the best stargazing locations in the world, a plethora of options for ocean-based activities, and with some standout hotels to stay in, Tenerife provides a unique, standout destination for both commercial tourism and conferencing events. The late-great Professor Stephen Hawking certainly thought so when he travelled to the island for the second STARMUS festival as a keynote speaking. There are two airports located in the North and South of the island to service travel to either Europe or Africa, and even options for travel across the Atlantic, as Tenerife has seen a boom in the last few years as a location for tech-based start-up companies.

Travel Tips and Fun Facts:

Weather: Good all year round thanks to the sub-tropical climate. Even in December you can still find the temperature reaching the mid-twenties on the island.

Travel: A whole host of International hub airports offer flights to Tenerife, but for best year-round access we recommend flying with British Airways from London Gatwick. A four hour flight time is less of a burden then it sounds, especially with the destination in mind!

Food: A gastronome’s haven. The island has a fantastic range of local produce from fresh fish and locally made cheese, to the volcanic grapes that contribute to the excellent local wine, and the banana plantations that dominate the southern half of the Island.

Language: Spanish, but spoken with a more South American twang thanks to mass immigration from, and then re-settling on the island. English is also commonly spoken thanks to the long-established British community and tourism.

Did you know? That Admiral Horatio Nelson lost an arm in battle off the coast of Tenerife in 1797. A festival on the 25th of July takes place in Santa Cruz every year to commemorate this victory.

Did you know? The depths of the waters in-between the Canary Islands are so vast that Giant Squid dwell in them. Pilot Whales use these waters as hunting grounds, forcing the squid to the surface and devouring it in packs.

Did you know? Mount Teide is not only the highest point of all the Canary Islands but also the highest point in Spain at 3,718m.