MURI love Bangalore. I love everything about the city. Well, almost everything (except the long hours spent in traffic). The Silicon Valley of India has something for everyone. Working for an experiential learning start up, I love what I do. I really enjoy helping clients plan their learning calendar, planning for fun team offsites and team experiences, and planning and managing the workshops end to end. When it comes to planning for these workshops and offsites, finding a good venue is crucial.
One of the challenges I noticed is that sometimes clients prefer good hotels within the city and not always outside. One of the popular areas is the ORR (Outer Ring Road), so my colleague and I took a day trip to learn more about some of the hotels and what they have to offer. While every client has a different requirement depending on a lot of factors, like number of people, seniority, time, facilities, having a go to list of 3 might help.
Here the top 3 we prefer:
- Courtyard Marriott: Right on the main ORR, this hotel lies next to Fairfield Marriott. Their hospitality is something that caught my eye. We loved the décor and look of the hotel. The ballroom is big and can accommodate up to 140 people in cluster-style seating. They have a big pre-function area as well. This hotel also has a nice poolside, which can be reserved in the evenings and can host up to 30 people.
- Novotel: This one is right next to IBIS; you can see it while driving towards Marathalli. I can tell you what I was impressed with – it was the food at their multicuisine restaurant. After having a scrumptious meal, we saw the board room on the ground floor. It can accommodate between 10-15 people, ideal for a senior leadership team. The ballroom is on the 9th floor and is ideal for a mid-sized group. It has a lunch area inside the room and has big glass windows that make the room feel even bigger. It can accommodate up to 35 people in a cluster format. If you are looking for a small team gathering, this is an ideal option.
- Radisson Blu: I really liked this one. I’ve never actually noticed this while driving on the ORR, but it has multiple entrances and is a very big hotel. We were very impressed by the set up and décor when we looked at the ballrooms. I must say this was the most spacious hotel among the rest. The ballroom can accommodate up to 500 people in theater-style seating, and 200 people in cluster seating. They have a hanging garden outside, which can host an outdoor team activity as well. The hotel also has a bar that can be converted into a conference area when days are busy. All in all, we really liked the hotel. If you are looking for a mid to large group, this hotel will suit your needs.
Well, we hope this list helps you if you are new to Bangalore and want to plan something in the city for your team. If you want suggestions on what to plan, you can always check out our website for some fun and fresh ideas.
