DAY ONE
I loved accompanying Smart Friends on their incentive trip to the beautiful hills of Deia, Mallorca, to stay in 5 star hotel La Residencia. It was a dream come true for all the guests from the
. This weekend was full of stunning views, delicious food and a lot of time to enjoy the rosé. When the Smart Friends team of 40 landed, they wasted no time to see the what it was like in the vibrant city of Palma. They were met by buses at the airport to take them to a tapas restaurant right in the heart Palma's streets. They began to indulge themselves in Rosé and Iberico tapas, while listening to music coming from the talented street buskers.
Greg Lawson, CEO of Smart Group, then planned for the guests to all travel to Soller via a private train, which had been adorned with flowers in the over head lockers. On each seat of the train, was a tin of goodies which included a mini bottle of champagne, a champagne sipper, and a disposable camera to record their highlights of the trip. What made this train so interesting to photograph for me, was knowing that it was originally built to transport citrus fruit from the Soller Valley to the capital.
When the guests arrived at the hotel, Belmond La Residencia, everyone including myself was taken a back by the beauty of the gardens along with hundreds of roses and bougainvillea scaling the walls. I absolutely love capturing the beauty of places and I instantly knew I would be snapping this weekend away.
The guests had a few hours to enjoy the facilities the stunning hotel had to offer, before heading to Bens D'Avall. The food here was simply devine. Not only was the food wonderful to photograph but the tablescapes for me was something that really stood out. To end the night while watching the sun go down, Smart Groups resident DJ Oli, took to the decks which got everybody up to dance the night away. Ready for another busy yet beautiful day tomorrow.
DAY TWO
The next day definitely didn't disappoint. After another delicious meal for breakfast, the team were then whisked off on yachts and set sail to their next stunning location for lunch. What was most special about this particular part of the day was the team were heading over to the famous waterfront restaurant Ca's Patro. Which was seen in the film 'The Night Manager'. The team again indulged in devine foods of fresh sea food, homemade fish croquettes and the drink of that meal was Aperol Spritz. The location for lunch looking over to the clear blue sea was beautiful.
To end the day after an afternoon of some much needed down time. The team were taken to the most remote and beautiful restaurant for dinner. El Olivo. This tablescape was up high in the hills, which made for a ideallic spot to watch the sun set. The colours used to dress the tables were the true colours of summer, which looked beautiful as the sun was setting. To really give the meal a Spanish vibe, a Spanish Flamenco band began playing in the background. To end the night, Greg Lawson impressed his guests by making crepe suzettes. This fun filled day was definitely going to be one they don't forget.
DAY THREE
To finish the trip on a high, although everyone thought the surprises were over. Smart Friends guests were taken up into the olive groves where donkeys were grazing and the most spectacular picnic was there waiting for them. As well as having yet more delectable food and drink, there were hangover kits for everyone. It is safe to say Smart Group really do take care of their employees. That weekend, was one that no one will forget.
