Tasked with the responsibility of organizing my company’s next outbound corporate training session for Managers, I struggled to find a venue that would please everyone and also get the job done at the same time. In my experience, rarely has this been possible. It is always a herculean task to find a place that most have not been to, that offers excellent conference facilities and sets the scene for team building and successful brainstorming.
On a whim I searched the internet for places to stay in Jaffna and up came ‘The Thinnai’. A new All Suite Boutique Hotel, the venue seemed promising. With pleasing reviews under their belt, to me this seemed the ideal place to have our Company Managers’ training session, as I was one hundred percent certain that no one would have been to the recently-opened hotel. What’s more, the allure of visiting Jaffna, which was inaccessible to ordinary citizens until a few years ago due to the Civil War, was high. And so, calls were made, e-mails sent out, briefings done, and off we went to Jaffna.
The Thinnai was everything we had hoped for, and more. The suites were tastefully appointed with living rooms, kitchenettes and all modern amenities. The food was excellent and gave us that real ‘Jaffna feel’. And of course, the staff was unparalleled in their attention to detail. They ensured that we had everything we needed for our training session; the conference room was well equipped and the hotel staff was always at hand to attend to any requests that cropped up. Needless to say, the event was an absolute success, and our targets were met.
The best part of our stay though, by general consensus, was the barbeque the hotel organized for us at the end of our stay, at a 6-acre property off Chaaty Beach about 15 kilometers from the hotel. The trip to the area was topped off by a bullock cart ride at the very end and once we arrived at the venue the sun was setting and provided a beautiful backdrop for our enjoyment. The barbeque got going and with some lively music and good camaraderie, it was a night to remember.
I patted myself on the back for a job well done on the corporate training event, and accepted everyone’s hearty congratulations. However, I knew in my heart of hearts that the success we enjoyed had nothing to do with me, but the unparalleled service at The Thinnai. What a stroke of luck that I happened upon such a place. Well done, The Thinnai!
