Ten Questions You Must Ask the Hotel before Your Firm Retreat

By Christopher Bragoni

Planning a Firm Retreat is not a simple task. There are many details that must be considered and thought through. Even the most seasoned planner can overlook a tiny detail that can wreak havoc on a retreat. You may execute a perfect retreat at a great hotel and achieve all the intended goals, however what people will remember and talk about is that morning when the coffee was cold or the health club that didn’t open early enough for a pre-meeting workout! If you have answered the following 10 questions prior to the group’s arrival you can avoid some unnecessary headaches and unhappy attendees!

What Other Groups Are in the House?
Be sure to know what other groups may be in the hotel over the same dates as your Firm Retreat. You want to be sure for example that a competing law firm or a company with which the firm is currently in litigation is not going to be in house over the same dates.
Are any Renovations Planned During your Retreat Dates?
There is nothing more distracting to meeting attendees than the sound of construction! Unless it is a total renovation, hotels remain in operation while they replace carpeting, wallpaper and repaint. Additionally, if you select a hotel because of its beautiful landscaping and golf course, you want to be sure that neither is scheduled to be re-landscaped during your Retreat. It’s a good idea to add a contract clause to protect your firm from these situations.
What are the Restaurant, Room Service and Bar Hours?
This is often overlooked and can make for some very unhappy attendees. It’s important that the hours of operation of the restaurants, room service and bars work with your conference schedule. If the morning session starts at 7:30am and room service does not deliver before 7:30, those who want room service breakfast will not be happy! I recently worked with a firm who had an off property dinner that ended at 10:45. At 11:00 when the group arrived back at the hotel, several wanted to go to the bar for a night cap, only to find out that the bar was closed. In many cases, the hotel will work with you to change the hours of operation to fit the group schedule.
What are the Health Club/Swimming Pool Hours?
Just like the food and beverage outlets hours of operation, you want to be sure that the Health Club and swimming pool hours work with the conference schedule so the group may enjoy the use of them.
Is There a Dress Code in any Part of the Hotel?
Although dress codes are becoming less common, some hotels do enforce dress codes in certain areas…mostly in the restaurants, on the golf course and tennis courts. It’s a good idea to ask what if any dress codes exist at the hotel. If your firm wants the dress code for the Retreat to be “casual” and the fine dining restaurant requires men to wear a jacket, chances are, attendees packed only casual attire and will not be able to dine in that restaurant.
What is the Hotel Gratuity/Tipping Policy?
To avoid unnecessary and double-tipping, it is important to understand the hotel gratuity policy as well as what has been contracted. Many hotels include a bellman gratuity clause in group contracts. Generally this is a per person gratuity ranging from $3 to $8 which is posted to the Master Account. To avoid double-tipping, be sure your attendees are aware that the bellman’s gratuity is included. “Resort Fees” cover a wide range of hotel services which varies by hotel. In many cases, the hotel “Resort Fee” includes a daily per room gratuity for housekeeping, as well as a gratuity for most health club services. It is customary for a guest to offer a small gratuity in all cases. At the end of the Retreat, it is customary to offer an additional tip to any staff member or departments that provided the group with outstanding service. On group meal functions, most hotels will assess a gratuity of somewhere in the neighborhood of 18%. The full 18% does not go directly to the servers, generally only 15% is divided among the staff and the remaining balance goes to the house. In some states, gratuities posted to the Master Account are taxable.
Are there Local Customs that You Need to Know?
Although this is more for international meetings, it’s important to find out about local customs as to be sure not to offend anyone, or get arrested! I attended a meeting in Canada a few years ago where the CEO, dressed as a Canadian Mountie, greeted the group as they entered the opening session. Apparently dressing as a Mountie is illegal in Canada and, as neither the CEO nor the planner was aware of this law, the CEO was arrested and fined.
What Airport Transfers are Available?
Many hotels offer complimentary airport transfers on an on-call or scheduled basis. Some hotels will only offer complimentary airport transfers to groups of a specified number, who arrive or depart at the same time. If the hotel does not offer any airport transfers, you may want to contract with a transportation company. The hotel conference services department can coordinate with the transportation company for you and often post the charge to the Group Master Account. However, the hotel will mark up the cost.
What Meeting Rooms will be Assigned to the Group?
Hotels typically will not confirm specific meeting rooms unless, of course, there is only one meeting room that can accommodate the size of the group. Obviously, you can request certain meeting rooms and the hotel will do its best to honor your request. However, if there is a certain type of meeting room that you want (i.e. one with windows, without air walls, etc.); be sure to ask the hotel to put this in the contract.
What are Check -In and Check-Out Times?
As this varies by hotel, it’s important to confirm both times with the hotel and ensure they correspond with the meeting schedule. Most hotels can be flexible and will work with you to accommodate early check ins and late check outs. However, you want to discuss this with the conference coordinator as far in advance as you can. If you are traveling internationally, and attendees will arrive in the early morning, it may be a good idea to block the rooms the night before so they are ready when guests arrive.

Although these points seem relatively minor, knowing the answers to them in advance will help make your Firm Retreat run more smoothly, make the attendees happy and make you look like a star! Hotels are very flexible, especially in today’s extremely competitive economy.

About the Author
Christopher Bragoni is Director, Global Accounts with HelmsBriscoe, the world’s largest and most respected meeting site search and selection firm. Christopher has over 25 years of global hospitality and meetings experience and specializes in Law Firm Retreats. He can be reached at 323.654.0432 or Christopher Bragoni