Palm Dune Hotel, Blythedale, Northern KZN Review (March 2009)
By Jacqui Cochran
At the end of March 2009, we had the privilege of taking one of our regular clients to Palm Dune, an idyllic coastal hide-away on the North Coast of KwaZulu Natal, a convenient 1-hour drive from Durban. Upon arrival, we were treated to their usual tempting pastries and welcome tea before our group settled in to do some conferencing and strategizing in Palm Dune's stylish two-tiered conference room. For video screenings or presentations, their cinema-styled theatre is a fabulous alternative. It also boasts an executive boardroom with some very plush chairs that will make you feel more like you are sitting in your lounge at home than in an unwelcoming conference room.
Lunch can be served indoors in the dining room or on the open-air patio for a more relaxed, fresh-air feeling that allows guests to inhale that good old KZN sea air beneath a sunny sky. After a shot of vitamin D, it's back into the conference room for afternoon sessions.
Our particular group had chosen a themed “dress up” dinner and it was with much festivity that our evening passed. A fantastic barbecue-styled buffet was served in the sining room and as soon as dinner was over, it was back outdoors onto the spacious patio outside the dining room to enjoy an evening of unexpected entertainment - dancing, singing along to i-POD tunes, joke-telling, midnight swims in the pool...
The stylish and spacious 4-star accommodation ensured that a blissful (and much-needed) night's sleep was enjoyed by all.
After a full cooked or continental breakfast buffet, it is time to hit the beach for teambuilding. The endless stretches of white sand and hotel grounds offer plentiful options when it comes to teambuilding. Our Treasure Island, Amazing Race, Beach Olympics and Survivor-styled programmes work particularly well at this venue. After a day of fun in the sun, it is time to return home with some great snap shots and that feeling like you've just returned from a coastal holiday.
The only question remaining is: How soon can we go back there again!?
