The Goho Away Day at the Barnett Hill Hotel
The Goho Away Day - Behind the Scenes at the Barnett Hill Hotel
After three months of lockdown, we all jumped when our MD told us about the away day she had planned for July. It wasn’t a virtual commitment, no Zoom or Skype involved. Physical plans. At a hotel. In the flesh. It’s safe to say we were thrilled.
Stacey had planned a nights stay for the team at the Barnett Hill Hotel in Guildford. The hotel is part of the Alexander Hotel Collection and we couldn’t wait to be one of the first to spend a night in a hotel, post-lockdown.
We began the day by meeting in the drawing room. It was wonderful seeing the team in the flesh for the first time in months, as a couple of us had never even met before!
To make the most of being back together as a team, we spent the morning taking part in team building sessions in the Drawing Room. The phrase ‘team building’ can sometimes conjure an internal sigh but we knew how much we needed it after being apart for so long!
Charlotte Johns, Talent Acquisition Lead at Wellcome Trust, was fantastic and organised our activities for the whole morning. As Charlotte is on the Goho advisory board, her understanding of the company meant we could use practical and relevant examples of our day to day work.
During each session, we spent time thinking about our values, the Goho personality and how each of our strengths can contribute to the team dynamic.
(We’ll be writing another blog next week about what we’ve learnt as a team so make sure to keep your eyes peeled!)
After substantial bonding and sharing lots of positive vibes about one other, it was time for lunch! For the whole team, this was our first meal out in a restaurant since lockdown and it felt amazing. Three courses and plenty of hard earned prosecco later, we were very happy.
We felt totally relaxed, as the Barnett Hill Hotel was fantastic in making sure we were able to socially distance throughout the morning and during lunch. The staff were incredibly obliging and they wore transparent face coverings the entire time, which put us all at ease.
After lunch, Stacey had booked us a trip to the Silent Pool Gin Distillery for a guided tour and a session of gin tasting! Wow. The distillery was wonderful and it certainly gave me a whole new appreciation for a good old G&T.
About 10 swigs of gin later, we returned to Barnett Hill Hotel for a tour of the grounds. The Barnett Hill Hotel gardens are gorgeous and there are so many spots outside for potential parties and events.
Once the garden tour was finished, we sat on the terrace and played a game of Articulate before getting ready for the night ahead. Heading up to my room was another highlight of the trip! Now, I love my own bed but it felt wonderful to be welcomed by such a fresh and cosy room.
After we got ready for dinner (which really did feel like a holiday), we sat by the bar and indulged in canapés. Then we headed up to the Acer Suite for our own private dinner.
Once again, the meal was delicious and we had an entire suite to ourselves. The hotel was fantastic as they spread the chairs out around a big table so there was no need to break social distancing, even at dinner.
We stayed in the Acer Suite for the rest of the evening. Drinking, chatting and like every other human in 2020, creating TikTok’s.
The idea of spending an evening in a hotel felt totally alien but once we arrived at the Barnett Hill Hotel, we felt safe, looked after and I’m pleased to say - life felt pretty ‘normal’ whilst we were there.
The Barnett Hill Hotel was phenomenal in making our stay comfortable and giving us plenty of options across the two days. We’d thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of planning an event or a staycation at one of the Alexander Hotels.
If you’re looking to organise a safe team away day, an event or a trip away, please feel free to get in touch with us at hello@thisisgoho.com
We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
