A Hilton Hotel's Blueprint for Winning More Corporate Retreat Business

When some of car maker Toyota’s top performing technicians check into Hilton hotel The Foundry in Asheville, North Carolina, they'll be given special jackets that can block cell phone signals — a feature many people would like to have in these always-connected times.

The "Turbo Puff" jacket perk is just one element of the hotel’s new approach to building bespoke corporate packages, with the crossover with clothing label The Arrivals, and other brands, helping the property pick up new business.

“Packages are curated in house, and they’re talking points that we pitch to our clients even before they sign a contract with us,” said director of sales Nicole Stewart. “I feel it gives us a little more leverage over our competitors.”

The Foundry is also growing its retreat business off the back of its health and wellness offering, and Stewart notes that all sectors, in particular manufacturing and pharmaceutical, are starting to making group bookings.

The hotel, which is a member of Hilton's Curio Collection, is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the U.S., so well placed to tap into the trend of wellness tourism as more people seek refuge in nature for a chance to disconnect. While some accommodation providers go as far as confiscating mobile phones, The Foundry’s latest digital detox packages instead give guests the choice o