It was some time following dinner deep within the bowels of an ancient castle, after a day spent riding along the Adriatic Sea and sipping cappuccinos in town squares with Italian locals, that Rob Vanden Broek realized there’s something to this whole “slow down to see the world” thing.
Rob Vanden Broek
For highly pressed corporate leaders like Rob, it can be next to impossible to get away from the office, let alone take time for yourself away from the demands of family, the management team and the bloodbath that is the daily commute.
So when planning his annual Forum retreat for his local chapter of the Young President’s Organization (YPO), Rob couldn’t help but remember the serenity (to say nothing of the service) of his B&R trip to Puglia a few years prior.
“It’s nice to have a travel partner that feels like family, who can unplug me from a world of intense demands and activity,” he says.
The purpose of the annual YPO trip is to share in a unique experience while spending some time with his fellow corporate leaders, unfettered by the rest of the world. After a call to B&R, it wasn’t long before Rob’s group of seven busy executives found themselves immersed in the rugged calm of the Dunton Hot Springs resort, set amidst the natural beauty of Colorado. While not far from Telluride, it may as well have been Mars for the seclusion it provided (assuming, of course, that Mars is a picture-perfect rustic wonderland of log cabins boasting a spa and a first-class restaurant).
The beauty of the trip was its simplicity from beginning to end. For Rob and his group, there was no need to find the perfect location (we had that covered), or deal with arranging activities, accommodations, rentals or anything else (attention to detail is kind of our thing). After explaining his group’s ambitions to B&R, we took care of the rest, leaving Rob and his companions to focus on what was most important to them while knowing that the trip (and the myriad details associated with it) would exceed his expectations.
“It allowed us to disconnect from our normal world and enjoy a peaceful, natural location,” he says.
“The simplicity of the trip and the entire process had a calming effect and allowed me to reflect and focus on myself for a change.”
