Help delegates strike that all-important work-life balance by combining meetings with massages
With stressful factors such as heavy traffic, increased competition and not to mention the credit crunch, it’s no wonder that spa is becoming an essential amenity for corporate planners booking hotels.
In fact, Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa director incentive sales Karin Andrews even goes as far as saying that recreational wellness is just “the norm” in most incentive programmes and corporate meetings these days.
“This is because spa and meetings go well together, whether it’s a whole programme or just part of the incentive,” says Andrews.
“There’s a lot of stress and increased pressure on everybody to deliver — that is why if you book a spa treatment as part of a corporate programme it is certainly bound to be a big hit,” she adds.
Furthermore, whether you are looking at a day package or a full-on week-long incentive trip, often meetings programmes involving spa are extremely flexible. And while spa gives the impression of luxury pampering, packages can be developed to fit the budget.
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“Spa is always something we can propose to a planner, as it’s so varied it can be done on a budget. You’ll find that there is an assortment of treatments which are not expensive,” says Andrews.
The Spa at the Ritz-Carlton is currently in the process of developing special packages which can be incorporated straight into a business traveller’s itinerary with minimal planning, and which can be mixed with other incentive activities at the planner’s discretion.
It seems as though the trend is catching across the MENA region, with the new Nayara Spa at the Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa incorporating special meetings packages, which combine the usual business accommodation, airport transfers and access to leisure facilities with a complementary spa treatment.
As Andrews points out, another reason for this could be that due to longer working hours, more and more delegates are bringing their spouses along on business trips.
”It can be tricky finding activities for spouses while delegates are in a meeting or attending a conference; combining spa with a lunch can be the ideal solution,” she says.
So if you’re still not convinced, MIME showcases three of the region’s best hotels offering the perfect mix of business and leisure.
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