Lawyer Monthly Magazine - January 2019 Edition

DEC 2018 135 www. lawyer-monthly .com Legal LIFESTYLE New for 2019: The Rosewood Those at Wyboston Resort are constantly looking for ways to evolve for each and every corporate individual. With the well-established expecting a more refined, luxurious experience and the younger generation seeking modern tech, the Wyboston Resort has been working hard with a £3million refurbishment to ensure all needs are met. And so we introduce: The Rosewood, which We speak with the Managing Director at Wyboston Lakes Resort, Steve Jones, who shares what this refurbishment will entail. What was your main motivation/aim for the new refurbishment? This latest refurbishment is part of a continual reinvestment strategy to keep our facilities modern, fresh and well maintained for our many repeat guests and new guests. We also wanted to improve the flexibility of the venue to anticipate evolving guest needs both now and in the future. Our analysis into the latest trends, including research on the new ways delegates learn and socialise, has taken us across several continents. This investment will ensure we remain the venue of choice for the many blue-chip companies we work with in the years to come. What benefits would this renovation pose? The investment offers a range of key benefits. Average event sizes have grown over the years and so the large expansion of the principle meeting room, The Rosewood, makes it ideal for corporate dinners, keynote speeches and product launches. Moving walls, car access, a self-contained bar area and courtyard access all provide a more flexible experience. Dining expectations have also changed, with younger guests in particular expecting healthy options and quality ingredients, sourced and served ‘farm to fork’. To meet this new demand, our award-winningcateringservicenowalso includesacomprehensive menu of mouth-watering street food and Mediterranean style choices. We have also added a high street coffee retailer, a first for a UK conference centre, to ensure delegates remain energised throughout the day. Additionally, £0.5m is being spent to future proof the AV and IT network, allowing for robust and secure high-speed Wi-fi, as well as the latest in immersive presentation technology. How far along the process are you and when is the expected end date? When can clients begin booking spaces? We are now approaching the half way mark with Phase One nearing completion. Our principle meeting room, The Rosewood Suite, is beautifully finished and is in use. The Paddy & Scott’s coffee fuelling station has opened to great success and all bedrooms have been refurbished, complete with AV and Wi-fi upgrades. Thewhole project is scheduled to be completed bymid-March 2019 and all meeting rooms are on track to be updated by Christmas. During January and February, we will be launching a “Pop Up” restaurant to support the Olive restaurant, prior to opening. Bookings can be made now for the new space and we are delighted with the positive feedback received so far. What has the money gone towards – and what will you reap in return? The investedmoney has been used tomake the necessary structural changes to provide the right sized meeting rooms, furnishings, modern décor and colour pallet that is in line with current trends. We have also replaced and upgraded the meetings and events AC in all meeting rooms and public areas, along with the latest tech equipment. How do your team go the extra mile to ensure their stay is memorable? One of our mantras across the Wyboston Lakes venues is ‘surprise and delight’. We empower teammembers to create and deliver the small, thoughtful gestures that make a huge difference to a guest’s experience. This could range from providing a complimentary drink for organisers setting up for an event or sending up room service for someone who is under time pressure. We also operate higher staff ratios than many, allowing the team to stop and help guests where required. Promoting a culture of ‘no problem’ rather than ‘not my job’ are all part of day to day operations, with results continuously benchmarked against guest satisfaction metrics. Any area not meeting our high standards is swiftly addressed and corrected. What are common responses you get back from clients that have stayed at Wyboston before? We have been receiving outstanding feedback. The Paddy & Scott’s coffee shop has been especially well received by delegates who are a little like kids in a sweet shop! Organisers are more impressed with the ease of the AV, the size of the meeting rooms and the modern décor. Among the glowing feedback we have recently received, Juliet Price, Executive Consultant Director from leading trade association The HBAA, says: “The new facilities are great, and your team looked after us really well. The Paddy & Scott’s station is amazing: everyone appreciated it, and I know lots of our venue members were taking photos and will no doubt be telling their owners that they should have a similar concept at their properties. A special huge thank you for lunch; there was a great choice of good foodand the street stalls and seatingoptionswere reallywell executed.”