MICE

The amazing thing about Paris is that every time I travel there, I experience the city in a new way and see it in a new light. We were there just for the weekend and were lucky to have a great weather which allowed us to spend lots of time outside. This time, instead of spending time in the underground, we rented a bike and cycles through the city, stopping by the famous attractions such as the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the “Love Lock” bridge and the Louvre. We parked the bikes in one location and picked them up in another.

For a refreshment break we chose to go to the Angelina. Rumour says that that was the favourite place of Coco Chanel. They have an amazing signature drink, the hot chocolate and that was really delicious, I would definitely recommend! In addition we tried the signature dessert which was one of the best desserts I ever had!

That brings me to the next point, the food. I adore the cheeses in France. This time we just enjoyed having cheese and wine evenings and tried as many cheeses we possibly could.

Did you know that originally the Eiffel Tower was built for an exhibition, the Exposition Universelle? I prefer to climb it instead of taking the elevator, and preferably at night. That way, when you are on the top you have an amazing view over Paris by night (Very romantic as well! I’ve seen two marriage proposals!). Climbing up the tower can be also a great afternoon group activity and you can book a guided tour and even have a dinner there.

I am a big fan of hotel bars, mainly because I was working in hotels before and familiar with high standards of 5 star hotels and the good quality of products. Bar 8 at the Mandarin Oriental hotel is a great place for a small celebrations or an after work events. The bar has a beautiful set-up and exceptional and attentive service.

If you would like to explore Paris by foot, I can recommend you to start from Montmartre, maybe also have a breakfast of coffee there, and from there walk to Moulin Rouge and then to the Opera, finishing with shopping at the Galeries Lafayette.

One year ago I was invited to an incentive trip in Malaysia. The objectives of the trip were to bring company’s sales people from around the world together, educate and train them, visit company’s headquarter in Kuala Lumpur and last buy not least incentivise the employees who made good job in the past months. The trip was a combination of stay in Kuala Lumpur and in Lumut. More than 100 employees were invited on this trip and the resort which was chosen was the Swiss-Garden Golf Resort & Spa Damai Laut.

The resort has controversial reviews because of the different target audience who stay there (families, couples, business), though I enjoyed the stay and found that the service and facilities met expectations (it was my first time in Malaysia). Discussion with the organisers has clarified the decision why they chose this resort- it is hard to find resorts in Malaysia for over 100 delegated, therefore the resort was chosen to facilitate the number of delegates.

Below I provide you my review of the resort.

Accessibility and Rooms

The resort is located on the seaside, though not on an island. The region is called Lumut and the closest island is Pangkor. If you arrive outside Malaysia most probably you will have to stay overnight in Kuala Lumpur and have a transfer the next day. The journey is around four hours.

The best way for the group transfer from Kuala Lumpur is by coach.

On the way to Lumut

The rooms were very spacious and clean though there is no proper table if you want to work on your emails. Also if you would like to use internet you would need to purchase the WiFi pass at the reception. During the stay there my day was filled with seminars and outdoor activities so I barely spent time in the room.

Welcome at the hotel

Food and Beverage

The food was amazing! A dining area was reserved for the group for breakfast and the breakfast varied every day. It included hot and cold dishes such as eggs, omelettes, fresh fruits and vegetables, cornflakes and pastry. While the breakfast was in the same hall, the dinner took place in different restaurants of the hotel. On the first night we had traditional meat fondue with live show. The following evening we had barbeque on the beach and the last night we had cultural night with live entertainment. It was good choice to introduce us the local food and culture. It was unforgettable experience.

Last but not least there were always refreshments during the seminar and bottles of water were provided.

Meat Fondue

Live show at the dinner

Breakfast

Lunch

BBQ

Traditional dinner

Live show at the dinner

Seminar Rooms and Technological Equipment

The room we used was set-up in cinema style seating, the speaker had a stage and could use power- point and microphone, though the latter was not necessary.

Around Hotel Attractions

The resort has its own golf place but we didn’t use it. Upon request it is possible to organise a boat day trip to Pangkor Island and other team building and outdoor incentive activities.

Boat day trip to Pangkor Island

The resorts doesn’t have a proper own beach, so we were taken to a neighbouring beach for swimming

Service

The hotel employees were very friendly, welcoming and attentive to any requests. Of course I got a sun burn after coming back from Pangkor Island and upon request they provided me with a cream to relieve my pain :).

Organising an event for over 100 delegates can be logistically challenging and therefore I think this resort was a very good choice. The overall experience was very good and I can definitely recommend it. The ideal stay would be 2 – 3 nights and could be best combined with 2-3 night stay in Kuala Lumpur.

If you stayed at the hotel for business or you are an event planner organising incentives in this hotel, please share your comments and experience below.

Photos: The MICE Blog

Paris Gems

MICE Hotel: Swiss-Garden Golf Resort & Spa Damai Laut, Malaysia

Accessibility and Rooms

Food and Beverage

Seminar Rooms and Technological Equipment

Around Hotel Attractions

Service