The one where 123 of us went to ….

I remember reading an article about how work travel fosters so many positives within the environment but little did I know just how liberating, fun and productive it could be.

The maths went a little like this:

60 x 2.05 (people)

+12.5 (months since the last time most the company was all together)

+32 (nationalities in attendance)

+4 (days of action-packed activities )

— (A few dodgy tour operators + tourist traps)

= a pretty incredible Company trip to ANTALYA, Turkey!

Let’s be honest — remote working is amazing. It has given a company like ours the opportunity to hire the most talented, ambitious lot with no boundaries or physical limitations. We work in such a way that everyone puts their best foot forward. Our values encompass accountability, delivering results and consistent standards of excellence. We “raise the bar” in all aspects, so to witness these same people completely out of “work” mode and raising the bar on pure fun is always something special. It’s special how this group of brilliantly focussed and professional minds can let their hair down and connect in person and on such personal levels — no holds barred! It’s special because it further embeds our values and has grown to become one of the most anticipated events of the year for all of us.

Let’s rewind to Thursday 22nd September as everyone started arriving to Antalya from around the world. Most from Amsterdam, a few from various corners of Europe, some from as far as Brazil and India. I realised the sheer magnitude of just how diverse and multicultural we were after creating the trip Whatsapp group and watching the different country codes start joining the chat… +351… +316… +34 … +971 … +38… +886?? It was my first truly humbling experience being part of this year’s organising committee.

Back to the 22nd … this beautiful cultural bunch arrived and after a bus ride from the airport, we landed in our spot for the next 4 days: the stunning eco resort a few minutes from Kemer town — Berke Ranch.

A crystal pool set against a dramatic mountainous backdrop with horses running freely and cocktails served at the poolside bar.

Sound too good to be true? Add a few beers and the fact that we were the only residents staying in said hotel and you have yourself an EXCLUSIVE PARTY PROPERTY with round the clock pool access, snacks and in-person mingling.. The choice of accommodation was spot on!

That first day was spent relaxing and settling in before an exciting presentation in said perfect pool area with mountainous backdrop.

The night turned into a party with a BBQ and plenty of laughs, dancing and catching up.

Friday 23rd was our day of adventure, with various activities including rafting along the beautiful Köprülü Canyon, zip-lining, some rather muddy quad biking and dusty jeep adventures before another beautiful evening of wining and dining under the stars in downtown Kemer.

What is a FindHotel offsite without copious amounts of dancing and singing ? We found the perfect spot on the beach (Dakapo bar — shoutout!) where we decided to frequent most nights after dinner and where varying degrees of embarrassing moments were shared. Backstreet boys will haunt me forever but the collective spirit made up for the terrible attempts at Karaoke ;)

Saturday 24th was the day where a few things happened:

1. The PIRATE BOAT TRIP! This has become a tradition on our annual trips and is the day most of us look forward to most, however this year, it was elevated with Findhotel’s first ever
2. FOAM PARTYYYY! I have never seen so many dancing, smiling, singing, swimming, dancing some more, smiling some more, HAPPY people in my entire life. I don’t think the Boat owners had, either.

Saturday night we continued the fun with a games night, including spaghetti towers, General Knowledge and *Guess the Baby Pic* games followed by, you guessed it, more fun, dancing , partying. I think by this point my body was in total shock at just how much I had “jumped up and down” in one 24 hour period!

Sunday was the final day… Beach, a relaxing lunch and a beautiful White Party dinner at a fantastic restaurant — the perfect way to end a truly magical 4 days of connection, where work took a backseat and colleagues turned to friends.

As Recruitment Lead, our team’s mission is to attract and hire the best new employees whilst maintaining our company culture. Looking around at how our group had more than doubled in a year, seeing these 120+ people with the same pure energy and good vibes we shared as a humble group of only 60 on last year’s trip to Crete, it’s safe to say our culture remains strong as ever.

My second humbling experience of this trip: Realising just what we are building — And it’s pure magic !