Every event planner who has been in the industry for a while knows The Grove.
We know it because it is the perfect place for retreats, conferences and offsites. It’s the ideal place for intimate dinners, and personally, it’s been the location of many a personal celebration for me, inducing weddings, spa days and everything in-between.
What we didn’t know is that The Grove had undergone a stunning refurb, and it wasn’t until our FAM trip last Sunday that I and our fabulous Eventprofslive members got to see it.
Hosted by the fantastic Michael and Aisling, our Eventprofslive Corporate Event Manager Members arrived at the property from 3.00 pm. They checked in and paused only for five minutes to Instagram their rooms (and fab bathrooms) before heading down to the Spa. Now, most of the group hadn’t seen each other since pre-Covid (our last FAM was February 2020), so there was lots to catch up on, and we did so in the jacuzzi. The Grove Spa, as I noted above, has always been a firm favourite for spa days for leisure, but your delegates, it is such a great space to rest, recoup pre or post-event. By adding it as an option on your agenda, you are incorporating that all-important wellness into your event, which, whilst was always important, is now more than ever.
You can find out more about the Spa here.
After the Spa, it was a quick change and a meet in the lobby for a show round with Michael and Aisling of all the meeting and event spaces in the property. Now, there are a lot! It’s like an Aladdin’s cave of event spaces, and there are too many to mention here so, you can find out about all of them here.
After our tour, it was off to the gardens for a lovely glass of bubbles and some gorgeous canapes, where we sat down to get to know our hosts and hear all about The Grove a little more. The gardens at The Grove just blew me away; a drinks reception for your guests there would work so well, and whilst we have included a few pictures, it really doesn’t do them justice; they are gorgeous.
Dinner was up next, and whilst I tried to explain to the group in advance just where and what we would be doing for dinner, I again don’t think my description intimated anything to what we would actually experience.
We dined outside, and we dined nested in the verdant setting of the gardens with the ultimate estate-to-plate dinner with Jimmy’s Garden Table, collaborating with Jimmy Garcia. It was one of the best dining experiences I have ever had (and I’ve had a few), and I know our guests loved it. We were able to experience this at the end of the season, but I know come next year, I am booking in early for one (or a couple) of private dinners. As an addition to your retreat, conference or offsite, dinner in this setting for your guests is likely to win you some event planning award. It was that good.
After dinner, it was off for a nightcap in the library and then bed in our lovely deluxe rooms (I do believe a few members even managed to squeeze in a bath before bed as it would most certainly have been rude not to!).
The following day, our group all then got up early, some of us sampling the gym and Spa (it opens at 6.00 am) before a group breakfast at the hotels’ The Glass House Restaurant, which offered a spectacular buffet. A few of us took the opportunity to work from one of the many private events spaces the next day (loving Hybrid right now) and then headed home.
What an amazing fam we had at The Grove; our members loved it, and as with all of our fam trips, it’s so essential for our corporate members to immerse themselves in the properties to understand how it will work for their delegates. In less than 24 hours, we really did get to experience a lot, and I can’t wait to go back soon.
Drop us a line for an introduction to The Grove if you have an event you are working on that you think it would be perfect for or, if you want to ask any questions.
If you would like more information on joining Eventprofslive – you can email us here.
