Simplexity travel management's guide to corporate ski retreats compressed

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Guide to Corporate Ski Retreats

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Guide To Corporate Ski Retreats

Contents

Introduction 3

About Skiing 4

Why Choose A Corporate Ski Retreat? 5

Austria 6

Switzerland 7

Italy 8

Canada 9

France 10

USA 11

Summary 12

Contact 13

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Introduction

Welcome to the Simplexity Travel Management Guide to Corporate Ski Retreats.

This guide will cover the aspects of skiing; its disciplines and most desirable locations, as well as what makes this type of trip the perfect choice for your next business or corporate event. It will provide a brief overview of skiing’s heritage and its impact on global culture, in addition to the range of business possibilities offered by resorts, chalets and lodges around the globe, including:

• Corporate Retreats

• Team Building

• Incentives and Rewards

• VIP Corporate Events

• Alpine Meetings

• Product Launches

• Conferences

• Christmas Parties

In much the same way as theme parks, exotic cities and cultural landmarks, skiing locations across the globe act as an entertaining backdrop for corporate events. This marries the concepts of business and alternative recreation, allowing the participants a welcome respite from formal business and an outlet for their creative energies.

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About Skiing

Skiing is more than a winter sport or a recreational pastime; it is a skill that demands both mental and physical endurance, qualities that are also essential for a successful career in business.

Originally a form of transport in the frozen highlands of Scandinavia and the Alps, skiing has evolved from an energy-efficient means of travel to a technologically and stylistically advanced discipline that attracts millions of skiing enthusiasts every year in Europe alone.

Skiing is typically separated into two distinct styles; Alpine and Nordic. Alpine skiing is the downhill variety that most people are familiar with, involving two equal length skis which are attached to the feet at both toe and ankle. Nordic skiing is more closely related to the transport systems of old, with the ski only attached to the foot at the toe to allow for easier movement over flatter surfaces.

Skiing is truly an international phenomenon, with indoor and outdoor slopes around the world catering to the skier’s need for speed, fun and relaxation.

The widespread love for skiing has led to the development of a supporting infrastructure at each of these activity hubs, which includes recreational centres (bars, clubs, museums, hotels, chalets and lodges) and corporate facilities.

This guide will provide examples of both hotels and chalets, in addition to a full summary of each location which endorses their suitability for corporate retreats.

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Why Choose A Corporate Ski Retreat?

This report is a guide to the corporate facilities based at ski resorts around the globe; with their multiple applications and uses, the opportunities they present and their potential when used for corporate ski retreats.

Ski resorts are a viable and more physically active version of the tried and tested golfing trip, with client entertainment and engagement both available in the facilities provided at most resorts. As a corporate retreat takes the form of a medium-to-large group, it is important for any location to have the space and facilities to allow this group to remain together.

The team building potential of a corporate ski retreat cannot be understated; having your employees learning or perfecting a new skill alongside one another can provide some extremely positive outcomes, such as greater confidence, a stronger bond between colleagues or simply a shared boost in morale.

Using a corporate ski retreat as part of your incentive and reward scheme is an innovative approach, with multiple benefits beyond encouraging greater output from the recipients.

The best ski resorts have the facilities to host VIP corporate events; with meeting rooms, private office spaces and multi-purpose function rooms available for business use and conferences. The necessarily mountainous scenery can also provide a beautiful backdrop to product launches or public announcements.

Ski resorts are also useful as locations for Christmas parties. Businesses sometimes opt to whisk employees away for a long weekend during the Christmas period, making use of the slopes and other amenities to reward employees after a successful year.

Due to the almost unique nature of a ski resort, it is perfect for use as a corporate retreat as the layout of available hotels and chalets helps to keep everyone together, ensuring that the enjoyable experience is shared.

Below we have provided a selection of the best corporate skiing destinations across the globe.

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Austria

Raffl’s Hotel Tyrol, St Anton

Hotel Tyrol is situated at the picturesque heart of St Anton, a mountain village famed for its high standards and the quality of its slopes. It is ideally placed to take advantage of St Anton’s ski slopes and the entertainments offered by the town itself.

The Hotel boasts 50 rooms with the capacity to host 100 people, a shuttle to transport guests to the town’s ski lifts and a full catering service that befits its four star rating.

The decor is retro-inspired, but with a modern feel which gives the hotel a unique ambiance that is absent from the other hotels and chalets in the area.

The main aspect that sets Hotel Tyrol apart from the other hotels in the town is its ability to host corporate events.

The hotel is home to a conference suite that can hold up to 50 people in a theatre layout, or 30 people in a u-shaped or parliament format.

For larger groups, Hotel Tyrol has contacts with a local conference centre that can be booked through the hotel.

Anthony’s Life & Style Hotel, St Anton Anthony’s Life & Style Hotel is a short distance away from Hotel Tyrol in St Anton, providing a more modern take on alpine luxury.

Anthony’s offers a range of single, double and family rooms, in addition to junior and standard suites, the Anthony’s Suite option is the most luxurious and generously proportioned of them all.

The hotel also houses exclusive spa facilities, which include a Finnish-style outdoor spa on the roof in addition to full spa facilities on the top floor of the hotel.

This means that Anthony’s Life & Style Hotel offers not only opportunity for skiing, but for corporate retreats to relax together after a day team building on the slopes.

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Switzerland

Hotel Vanessa, Verbier

Situated at the heart of an iconic skiing city, Hotel Vanessa is a four star hotel complex that offers a refined vision of chalet living.

The decor is crisp and modern, while maintaining the signature Swiss chalet charm. Bare woods and wide, open spaces bring a sense of the surrounding mountains into every room.

The hotel is home to 57 separate rooms and suites, with duplexes available to larger groups. An ideal option for larger corporate retreat parties is the Grand Combin suite, a 160sqm penthouse with facilities to host 8 overnight guests in comfortable, modern and effortless style.

The hotel’s attached bar and restaurant both come highly recommended, with the menu comprising of locally sourced game and traditional Swiss food, pastas and sumptuous desserts.

No. 14, Verbier

No. 14, Verbier is without argument one of the most luxurious and well-appointed chalets in this iconic skiing location.

Boasting 13 gracefully styled rooms that have retained a robust sense of their mountainous setting, No. 14 can host up to 26 people at any one time.

During their stay, the guests of No. 14 are catered for by 15 fully trained members of staff, including:

• Chefs

• Hosts• Drivers• Cleaners • Managers• Massage Therapists

Each of these staff members are on hand to provide the highest levels of service and are a valuable source of local knowledge.

The 2010 redesign and subsequent re-opening has provided new amenities such as the spa, indoor and outdoor hot tubs which are set against majestic views of the mountains around Verbier.

No. 14 provides fully chauffeured 4x4 vehicles 24 hours a day for travel within Verbier, allowing a corporate retreat to travel as a group both to and from the slopes.

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Italy

Hotel Cresta et Duc, Valle d’Aosta

One of four Alpisima mountain hotels set along the northern edge of the Italian Alps, Hotel Cresta et Duc is an example of Italian comfort in a mountain setting.

The hotel’s interior style is minimalist, mixing contemporary alpine style with a sense of understated elegance.

It has conference facilities that can hold up to 60 people, in addition to spa and wellness facilities which include a sauna, turkish bath and fully staffed massage rooms.

The hotel is only 200 metres away from the main cable car to the slopes, set in the centre of Courmayeur within walking distance of everything that the town has to offer in terms of entertainment.

Grand Hotel Savoia, Cortina d’Ampezzo

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Queen of the Dolomites, provides the majestic setting of the Grand Hotel Savoia. Surrounded by breathtaking scenery, the hotel was

always going to have a great deal of beauty to live up to.

The Grand Hotel Savoia doesn’t fail to impress; with a choice of elegant rooms and suites that are each sumptuously furnished in a contemporary yet luxurious decor, the interior manages to live up to the exterior.

The hotel offers a full range of winter sports within walking distance, from downhill alpine and cross-country nordic skiing to curling and ice climbing.

This range of act iv i t ies pa les in comparison to the conference and meeting potential of the hotel, with the G r a n d H o t e l S a v o i a c a p a b l e o f comfortably holding up to 350 people across its two distinguished meeting rooms, with the ability to provide catering for up to 300.

The town of Cortina d’Amprezzo is the real treasure, with all manner of activities and entertainments within walking distance of the hotel. It is the perfect destination for client entertainment or employee incentive and reward schemes.

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Canada

Fairmount, Chateau Lake Louise

Set in a natural basin created by the surrounding seven frozen peaks, on the shore of Lake Louise, the Fairmount Chateau Lake Louise is one of the most picturesque locations featured in this guide.

The Chateau is perfect for corporate uses, with 36,000 square feet of flexible exhibition space divided across the mul t ip le t ra i l meet ing rooms and ballrooms.

The Chateau boasts 550 rooms and suites, meaning it is able to not only provide space for a great number of attendees, but also to host them too.

In true Fairmont style, even though the Chateau is part of a larger chain of hotels, it manages to create an individual style that is unique to Chateau Lake Louise.

Fairmount, Banff Spring

Positioned in the Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Fairmont Banff Spring has been in business for over 125 years.

The hotel offers 768 rooms and suites and a range of activities, including downhill and cross country skiing amongst a great deal more.

This location has been included in this guide to the massive range of available corporate facilities at the Banff Convention and Business Centre.

These include the ability to host events for between 20 and 900 people in their versatile exhibition space.

This conference space is supported by a dedicated team of Fairmount event planners, all experienced in making events and conferences the best they can possibly be. This even includes production of large runs of paper resources such as brochures, manuals and leaflets.

Banff Spring also provides the classic corporate retreat activity of golf, with a 27-hole championship golf course.

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France

Hotel Fitz Roy, Val Thorens

Nestled in the heart of three valleys, Val Thorens is the perfect location for a corporate skiing retreat.

Hotel Fitz Roy offers a range of rooms, suites and chalets featuring the refined luxury styling which have become Hotel Fitz Roy’s trademark. Sleek, chic and welcoming, the decor utilises a varied palette of rustic and modern textures that is at once both modern yet nostalgic.

We would recommend the Privatised Floor option offered by Hotel Fitz Roy; where a floor of the hotel is given over to a single group, hosting between 10 and 12 people at once. This makes it ideal for corporate ski retreats, keeping the group together in a comfortable place.

The hotel’s extensive facilities also feature a business corner; a space that can be completely given over to guest use for meetings and other corporate processes.

Chalet Cragganmore, Chamonix

A collection of luxury chalets in hamlets across the celebrated Chamonix valley, Chalet Cragganmore offers a luxurious take on corporate retreats and chalet living.

As the host of the first ever Winter Olympics in 1924, the quality of the slopes in Chamonix is legendary, with skiing enthusiasts travelling from around the globe to test their skills on the 5 skiing stations around the valley.

Chalet Cragganmore can provide a corporate retreat with a difference; able to host up to 22 people between the neighbouring Chalet Cragganmore and Chalet Dalmore, every aspect of a guest’s stay is considered and dutifully catered to. Each chalet boasts a full household team of chefs, hosts and drivers to ensure the best possible stay.

The chalets are spacious and beautifully styled, with rooms large enough to hold meetings and small events.

The Chalet also offers a range of corporate ski activities, with private ski instruction for the less experienced, heli-skiing on Mont Blanc for the more developed skiers, as well as shooting and extensive apres ski entertainments.

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USA

Four Seasons Resort And Residences, Vail

Stood proudly at the foot of Vail Mountain, this five star resort seeks to redefine the meaning of luxury, combining American style with classic European flair.

This combination gives the Four Seasons a distinctly upmarket, American take on luxury, all provided against the majestic backdrop of the Colorado Rockies.

The Four Seasons has been designed to be all things to all people, boasting a range of function rooms with the capacity to hold up to 350 people and private event rooms that are designed for up to 24 participants.

The resort has a 121 rentable rooms which take the form of rooms, suites and residences, with select residences being specifically designed for groups who are choosing to stay together.

For corporate ski retreats, we would recommend the six-bedroom designer residence; a 9th floor suite of rooms that can house 12 adults at a time alongside a full kitchen, six bathrooms and view of Vail Mountain.

A notable part of the resort is the attached FLAME restaurant. An upmarket take on the American Steakhouse, FLAME offers steadfast culinary classics with a gourmet twist; boasting options such as the Maine Lobster Mashed Potatoes made with real Maine Lobster, and the You Only Live Once Burger which is made using Kobe Beef.

St. Regis Aspen Resort

Offering a “Contemporary vision of a Gilded Age mountainside manor”, St. Regis Aspen resort truly is unrelentingly luxurious.

T h e r e g a l , s u m p t u o u s d e c o r i s complimented by an atmosphere that is both beautiful and comfortable, with a colour palette inspired by the sunset over Aspen Mountain.

There are a range of suites and guest rooms at St. Regis, with conferences facilitated by the combined 20,000sqft of indoor and outdoor function rooms, for which the hotel can provide full catering services.

Hotel Jerome, Aspen

The Hotel Jerome is another Aspen offering, though its conference and event planning facilities set it apart from the other hotels mentioned earlier.

There is a dedicated team of events planners on hand at Hotel Jerome across its 12 function rooms, making it an ideal choice for a conference or corporate event.

The rooms provided by the hotel include standard rooms and suites alongside a range of luxury suites, each styled with a modern take on classic American frontier style.

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Summary

Skiing has travelled a long way from a skilled method of travel to an international sporting pastime. As this guide shows, the locations and their facilities are more than capable of matching any other corporate retreat location, the difference being that ski locations offer something that most other places cannot. With stunning locations, majestic backdrops and breathtaking views, a ski resort offers a different take on the classic corporate retreat. Whether your requirements are client entertainment, team building, employee incentives and rewards or simply as an alternative conference setting, the opportunities offered by corporate ski retreats are numerous.

Ski retreats offer something different, an engaging and satisfying activity enjoyed alongside some of the most beautiful settings in the world. This guide is only a small selection of the best retreat locations across the globe; there are countless more ready and waiting to fulfil the needs of your corporate retreat. As evidenced throughout this report, there are locations to suit any group size, corporate intention or budget.

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Can We Help? If you would like to learn more about any of the locations or services mentioned in this guide, or would like any information on any other corporate ski destination, contact Simplexity Travel Management today on 0203 535 9290

Alternatively, you can also contact us via email at [email protected]

We are specia l is ts in luxury t rave l management, with a wealth of experience in all aspects of quality travel. We work hard to maintain close productive relationships with the world’s finest hotel iers, resorts, destinations and travel providers, which allows us to offer a full and comprehensive service to our customers.

Contact us today to start planning your corporate skiing retreat.

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