Why plan a corporate training in the Tatras

The next article from the hotel environment is a bit specific. We will talk about the location of the High Tatras and how it can benefit a corporate training or event. Hotel Atrium in Novy Smokovec is the third member of the Trinity Hotels chain and underwent an eye-catching renovation 4 years ago. Its location is certainly an attraction, but I was intrigued by the inspiring details that may entice us to travel to the Tatra Mountains for work.

I talked to Miška Žembová, Sales Director of the ATRIUM HIGH TATRAS hotel in Nový Smokovec, about the specifics of a congress hotel in a typical tourist location and why more and more companies are choosing this location.

Miška, you are in your fourth year at the hotel and you have been at the birth of several changes. Give us an introduction to your view of your hotel.

In that basic view, we are no different from other congress hotels. What sets us apart is our membership in the Trinity Hotels network, which carries several benefits and perks for our clients. Our hotel is located in Novy Smokovec, which within the Tatra Mountains is easily accessible directly from the highway. The hotel has undergone its first major renovation, thanks to which we boast facilities that are unparalleled in Slovakia. Hotel Atrium is not a congress giant, the capacity of the premises was focused more on events for up to 170 people. I say last issue on purpose, because in this respect we are also facing a renovation and a positive change, which we are very much looking forward to. But in order for new renovations to come in this theme as well, we had to show that companies simply want to come to the Tatras and that we really have something to offer them.

And it's those details that interest me. How did you manage to do it and why do companies measure hundreds of kilometers to you?

We had new acquisitions to make and a bit of a re-marketing amongst the corporate clientele. We created a new portfolio of services and expanded our offering to include turnkey events.

This included new venues, a new spacious water world, a private hotel cinema room or a culinary studio. Everything complemented each other nicely and was ready for the new market demands. We gained the advantage of offering something new and modern. However, appealing to the NEW was not our main motive. What we do differently is attention to detail and experience. The Marketing Director of Trinity Hotels has put into practice a very telling motto "It doesn't end with the rental of the premises". And I have to say, it accurately describes our work. So my answer to the question "Why do companies travel hundreds of miles to us?", will be on two levels:

• One is about us and the approach to see things differently. It's about the details that give the client the solutions and the added value that they may not have been looking for, but that will ensure that an ordinary business trip can be the best ever organised in the company.
• The second level bears the name of the joint hotel chain Trinity Hotels & Resorts and the benefits associated with it. We have simply dressed ourselves in the clothes of TRINITY, set standards along the lines of the other members of the chain (note: Hotel Senec **** and Hotel Sitno ****) and changed the identity of the hotel a little bit. It helped us a lot not to be a lone player in the field. The common benefits of a hotel network are attractive for companies. We gained new customers, but also companies that wanted a change.

We were simply challenged to sell a specific product of training and seminars in the High Tatras environment.

The challenge sounds good, how have companies responded?

The goal was not to sell the hotel, but to show a new way of training and congresses in an environment that will kick people into gear. To do this, creating new products tailored to the Tatra Mountains. I enjoyed it and I still enjoy it today. We focused on companies that want to combine training, meetings or workshops with teambuilding. The Tatras are our Slovak landmark and I think that the very idea of organizing a corporate event in the Tatras adds to its uniqueness. And this motivated us to create a package of services that will correspond with this vision and at the same time will be easily accessible. It doesn't matter whether it's a small training session for up to 20 people or a full-day congress. Details matter and that is our motto. We stick to the fact that it doesn't end with the rental of the space and we are most pleased when we can offer something extra to the client. Business professionals would call this an "upsell", but for us it's all about the experience and fine-tuning the service to the utmost detail. Every single thing we offer we have tried ourselves first. We offer an experience and emotion that we have experienced ourselves. And that's the difference, to offer something else to rent the space, something that adds the icing on the cake to the event.

If we wanted to have a training session in your hotel, what kind of team building would you offer?

Definitely teambuilding on the rock. Although it is one of the youngest events in our offer, it is definitely one of the best. We tried it in our team and to this day I still have a strong emotion when I remember it. From the name, it can look challenging. But the opposite is true. It is easy on physical fitness and most importantly it can be adapted to the group according to the chosen difficulty or goals. As part of our team building, we climbed the bare wall in three levels and then climbed the ferrata. Everything takes place in the Tatra Basin just a few km from our hotel. We provide transport and delivery, as well as equipment and instructors from the mountain rescue service. This activity is not time-consuming, but its content and focus is the biggest boost. It really is an activity that is suitable for both small and larger groups. And then it's just a matter of how much time one has. It can also be a day-long theme for a really true Tatra teambuilding.

We planned this teambuilding as a post-training activity. The goal was to experience something new, but the result exceeded expectations. Literally, this discipline kicked us into gear. And I mean literally ???? So if I recommend something, it's TEAMBUILDING ON THE ROCK. You will overcome the seemingly insurmountable, step out of your comfort zone and boost team spirit.

Afterwards, I recommend an evening workshop or brainstorming session with your colleagues in our wine bar ... creative ideas but also constructive solutions will just pour in.

The High Tatras are also an attraction in winter, which is why we have prepared a winter version of experiential teambuilding. This alternative is used by companies that have year-end parties or Christmas parties. Sports activities during the day and a themed party in the evening. And why not extend your stay when you are already in the snow-covered Tatras. The challenge to sell a congress hotel in a typical tourist location was for us about how to combine the pleasant with the useful. The challenge was not only to offer rental space, but also something extra.