corporate events Archives - The Carlton Hotel Ilfracombe

Enjoy Work and Wellbeing by the Sea with a Workation in North Devon

A young white man sat a laptop in a hotel room on a workation in North Devon

Ever thought about taking a workation in North Devon? If not, maybe it’s time that you did. Since the pandemic, the world of work has changed with hybrid and remote work becoming much more prevalent. As people are no longer tethered to the office, this newfound flexibility means that we can effectively work from anywhere. More professionals are choosing to take working vacations that allow them to get away from home and explore new destinations without using up their annual leave allowance. If you’ve ever longed to swap your home office for fresh sea air, clifftop walks, and incredible local food, a remote working holiday in North Devon might be exactly what you are looking for.

A workation in North Devon offers the chance to remain productive at work while enjoying all the benefits of working by the sea. Imagine starting your day with a delicious chef-cooked breakfast, a strong Wi-Fi connection and business-friendly amenities that make work easy and comfortable. Then imagine clocking off early and finishing your day with a stroll along the South West Coast Path.

Here at The Carlton, we understand that modern business travellers are looking for more than just a room. You want a comfortable and practical work environment in a location that also nurtures your wellbeing and allows you to experience new destinations and leisure activities.

So, whether you’re escaping the city for a solo work retreat, planning a strategy break with your team, or looking for a digital nomad-friendly destination to recharge by the coast, The Carlton delivers the calm, comfort, and convenience that make a workation truly worthwhile.

Discover Why North Devon is Ideal for a Workation

Tucked away on the wild and beautiful southwest coast of England, North Devon is the kind of place that invites you to slow down and breathe more deeply. It’s not just a change of scenery—it’s a complete shift in mindset. With rolling hills, dramatic clifftop paths, peaceful harbours, and expansive beaches, this region offers the kind of natural beauty that feeds your soul while you tick off your to-do list.

A workation here means fewer distractions and more clarity. Instead of commuting through traffic, you can take a pre-meeting walk along the beach. Instead of eating lunch at your desk, you can grab a picnic and enjoy it in a local park or on a harbour bench watching the boats. The pace of life in North Devon supports the kind of focus and wellbeing that’s hard to come by in a traditional office environment.

And when the work is done? There’s no shortage of things to discover. Explore charming market towns, dip into the area’s rich creative scene, or venture into Exmoor National Park for an afternoon of walking and wildlife spotting. Whether you stay for a few days or a few weeks, a workation in North Devon offers a work and wellness break that has the perfect balance of productivity and pleasure.

Looking for Hotels with Work Facilities in Devon?

If you’re planning a workation in North Devon, finding the right base is essential—and our business-friendly hotel in North Devon offers everything for your bleisure travel needs. With fast, reliable Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, thoughtfully designed rooms, flexible work-friendly spaces, and a corporate event venue, staying productive has never been easier.

Our modern meeting and event rooms provide the ideal setting if you need a dedicated space to focus or collaborate. Whether you’re taking video calls, planning a team strategy session, or hosting a small client gathering, our facilities are equipped with cutting-edge soundproofing, ample power points, and high-speed internet to keep things running smoothly.

Need a break between tasks? Step into the lounge for a change of scenery, order a light bite from the Brasserie, or stretch your legs with a short walk to the nearby harbour. And when the day is done, you can switch off with the peace of mind that everything you need is right here—from a restful bed to excellent food and drink, all under one roof.

At The Carlton, we understand that work-life balance isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a priority. That’s why we’ve created an environment where business travellers can feel supported, welcome and completely at home.

Taste the Best of North Devon with Local Food and Drink

A great workation isn’t just about the hours you put in—it’s also about how you refuel. At The Carlton, we believe that good food plays a vital role in both productivity and pleasure. That’s why our Brasserie serves dishes that celebrate the finest seasonal ingredients sourced from trusted local suppliers across North Devon.

Start your day with a hearty breakfast made to order, from a full English to lighter options like smashed avocado on sourdough or fresh fruit and yoghurt. At lunchtime, opt for something quick and nourishing, or treat yourself to a leisurely break with a hot dish and a glass of something chilled. And in the evening, sit back and enjoy a thoughtfully curated menu featuring locally caught seafood, Exmoor lamb, and artisan cheeses—each dish designed to reflect the rich culinary heritage of the region.

If you’re dining with colleagues, entertaining a client, or simply indulging in some solo food therapy, our relaxed Brasserie is the perfect setting. We can also provide catering for private meetings or events held onsite, offering everything from coffee and pastries to full-course meals—so you can stay focused without having to leave the hotel. And if you plan to socialise in the evening, cocktails are served in the bar.

Explore North Devon When the Workday Ends

H2Outdoor Coasteering in North Devon

One of the greatest perks of a workation in North Devon is the freedom to truly make the most of your downtime. When the emails are answered and the meetings are wrapped up, Ilfracombe and the surrounding area invite you to step outside, reconnect with nature and prioritize your wellbeing.

Stroll along the historic harbour, enjoy sea views from the scenic South West Coast Path, or take a bracing dip at one of nearby North Devon beaches. If you prefer green spaces to ocean air, Exmoor National Park is just a short drive away—perfect for evening hikes, stargazing, or leisurely drives through its heather-covered hills.

Ilfracombe itself is full of character and charm. Spend an hour browsing local galleries, sample Devonshire cream teas at an independent café, or take in Damien Hirst’s famous Verity statue as the sun sets. Every outing offers the chance to unwind, feel inspired, and return to your work feeling refreshed and re-energised.

At The Carlton, we’re perfectly placed for you to explore North Devon at your own pace—whether you have a few spare hours or a whole weekend to enjoy. It’s not just about working somewhere new—it’s about living a little more while you’re here.

Make It More Than a Business Trip with an Extended Stay

So why rush home when you could make the most of your time in North Devon? A workation at The Carlton isn’t just about ticking off your to-do list—it’s about extending your trip and enriching your holiday in Ilfracombe it with moments of rest, discovery, and adventure in North Devon.

Many of our business guests choose to stay on after the work is done, inviting their partners or family to join them for a few days of coastal calm. With Ilfracombe’s beaches, charming high street, and countryside right on the doorstep, it’s easy to turn a working break into a full holiday. Ilfracombe has plenty to offer in terms of art and culture activities.

Our flexible stay options mean you can extend your booking without stress. Whether it’s a weekend of long walks and local food or a few extra days to recharge by the sea, we make it easy to blend work, leisure, and everything in between.

Plan Your Workation in North Devon Today

So, if you’re dreaming of a change of scenery without compromising on productivity, North Devon is one of the best places for a workation in the UK. With fast Wi-Fi, flexible meeting spaces, locally inspired seasonal food, and easy access to the coast and countryside, the Carlton offers more than just a hotel stay—it’s an invitation to work well and live well.

If you’ve been searching for hotels with work facilities in Devon that also let you enjoy great food, coastal walks and a bit of luxury, your search ends here. Whether you’re a freelancer seeking inspiration, a remote worker wanting to swap city noise for sea air, or a team looking for a professional base with space to breathe, we are ready to welcome you. We can support your corporate hotel stays in North Devon with custom packages and business-friendly amenities.

Let us take care of the details so you can focus on what matters—your work, your wellbeing, and making the most of your coastal workation in beautiful North Devon.

Ready to make your next work trip feel like a getaway?

Book your workation at The Carlton today or get in touch to find out more about our business-friendly stays.

If you have any questions, please call us on 01271 862446.

Corporate Event Venue with Catering in North Devon

When planning to host a corporate event, business meeting or team away day, finding the right venue can make all the difference to the outcome of your event. Whether you’re planning a small strategy session, a large conference, or an intimate networking event, The Carlton Hotel in North Devon provides the perfect blend of state-of-the-art facilities, high-quality catering, and a scenic coastal setting.

Located in Ilfracombe, our venue offers versatile meeting spaces, seamless technology, and tailored catering packages, ensuring your event runs smoothly from start to finish. With onsite accommodation, flexible event packages, and a dedicated events team, we make corporate planning effortless, whether for day meetings or multi-day retreats.

Versatile Event Spaces for Business Meetings & Conferences

At The Carlton, we offer four adaptable event spaces se we can accommodate everything from small boardroom meetings to large-scale corporate gatherings:

The Brasserie – This event space is ideal for large conferences, networking events, and corporate dinners. The Brasserie can accommodate up to 150 guests.
The Stage – This flexible, semi-private space is perfectly tailored to training sessions and presentations of up to 60 guests.
Burlesque – This event space provides a stylish, private setting for board meetings, executive lunches, and intimate business discussions of up to 30 guests.
The Library – This cosy breakout space is perfectly suited for brainstorming sessions, informal meetings, and team discussions and can accommodate up to 15 guests.

Each of our rooms is fully equipped with high-speed Wi-Fi, ample power sockets, and professional soundproofing so that we can ensure a comfortable and productive working environment for your guests.

Business Event Catering: Fresh, Local & Tailored to Your Needs

Our exceptional on-site catering will enhance any corporate event, and at The Carlton, we take pride in offering fresh, locally sourced, sustainable menus designed to suit all business occasions.

Our catering options include:

Business Breakfasts – Enjoy freshly baked pastries, fruit, granola, and our hot breakfast selections.
Working Lunches & Buffets – Feast on nourishing sandwiches, seasonal salads, and locally inspired hot dishes.
Formal Dining – Delight in multi-course meals made from North Devon’s finest ingredients.
Refreshments & Coffee Breaks – Savour freshly brewed coffee, herbal teas, and homemade treats.

We can also create bespoke menus designed specifically for your corporate event or business meeting. We cater for all dietary requirements, including gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options, ensuring that all your guests enjoy a high-quality dining experience at your event.

Corporate Retreats & Team Away Days in North Devon

Coasteering events by H2Outdoors

If you’re looking to book a corporate away day for your team to strengthen working relationships, get those creative juices flowing, and encourage a more collaborative approach, The Carlton corporate event venue is perfectly positioned to combine business with adventure.

Our dedicated events team has excellent relationships with local partners who we can work with to arrange a variety of activities for your team members to take part in. We can offer:

Outdoor activities – Coastal hikes, paddleboarding, clay pigeon shooting, or horse riding.
Culinary workshops – Sourdough baking, chocolate-making, and wine-tasting experiences.

These activities can be integrated into corporate retreats or added to business events as optional team-building sessions. North Devon’s tranquil setting and stunning coastal landscapes create the perfect atmosphere for strategic planning and professional growth.

Read our dedicated guide to find out more about our corporate away day options.

Overnight Stays for Business Delegates

If you are looking to organise a multi-day conference or corporate retreat, The Carlton provides comfortable business accommodation with:

38 modern, well-equipped rooms featuring plush bedding, workspaces, and free high-speed Wi-Fi and excellent mobile coverage.
Flexible corporate rates for event attendees and group bookings.
Leisure facilities, including a gym, lounge, and cocktail bar—ideal for unwinding after meetings.

Guests can take advantage of our coastal location, whether for an early morning walk, a pre-dinner drink with colleagues, or an extended stay to explore more of what North Devon has to offer.

Tailored Business Event Packages & Transparent Pricing

We offer customizable event packages designed to suit your corporate needs, with clear, all-inclusive pricing:

Day Delegate Rate – From £35 per person, including venue hire and refreshments.
24-Hour Delegate Rate – From £99 per person, including accommodation, meals, and event facilities.

We have a dedicated events team who will be on hand to ensure a seamless experience from start to finish, handling bespoke requests, last-minute adjustments, and technical support so you can focus on what matters—your business.

Book Your Corporate Event at The Carlton

For businesses looking for a corporate event venue with catering in North Devon, The Carlton provides a complete solution for meetings, conferences, and team away days and retreats.

Call us to discuss your requirements and get a tailored quote or email us for availability and booking details.

Whether you’re planning a business meeting, corporate retreat, or networking event, we’re here to ensure a seamless, productive, and memorable experience. Get in touch today and let’s start planning your next corporate event!

Exciting Corporate Away Day Ideas Your Team Will Look Forward To

The mere mention of corporate away day ideas and team building activities can strike fear into the heart of employees. Enforced bonding with work colleagues while doing activities designed to foster personal and professional development doesn’t always go down as hoped. But when done right, company away days have many benefits.

Benefits of Corporate Away Days

From improved employee wellbeing and boosted morale to better communication and stronger motivation, team-building days away from the office can encourage creativity, collaboration and innovation that can positively impact the future performance of the team.

Planning a Successful Company Away Day

To create a corporate away day that has your employees recounting their fond memories of it for years to come, there are certain elements that you should ensure you bear in mind when planning your team-building activities for your company away days.

Consider the Purpose

When considering corporate away day ideas, firstly, think about the purpose of your team away day. Are you looking to facilitate brainstorming, strategising and innovation related to specific company challenges? Or is this a social exercise that allows team members to let off steam or a celebration that rewards them for their hard work? Whatever the purpose, make sure that the team is aware of the goal.

Get the Balance Right

Not all team members will share the boss’ love of paintball so it’s important to try to cater to a variety of interests and preferences. Get to know the team members who will be involved in the team-building day and the kinds of activities that they are most interested in. You may have to go with the majority when making a decision on corporate away day ideas or you could have smaller groups doing different activities.

It’s also important to find the balance between corporate activities and fun team bonding activities. Make sure everyone knows what the boundaries are and how they are expected to behave.

Choose the Location

The location is a very important factor in any company away day. Corporate team-building days should take place away from the office as this is rarely conducive to creativity or innovation and isn’t really somewhere we associate with fun or relaxing.

Instead choose a neutral territory and preferably somewhere inspirational. We may be biased, but what more inspirational place is there for a corporate away day than the beautiful coastal location of North Devon. Our diverse array of landscapes captivate and inspire visitors.

From the dramatic cliffs and rugged coastline of the South West Coast Path to the serene, sandy beaches to the region’s rolling hills and lush, green countryside and moorland, North Devon provides the perfect backdrop for team-building outdoor adventures.

Select Your Venue

Photo by Guy Harrop. Pic of Carlton Hotel, Ilfracombe image copyright Guy Harrop info@guyharrop.com 07866 464282

When you know where to hold your team building away day, you will then need to find a venue to host your team members. The venue will act as a base where your employees will take part in the activities that you have organised for them. If you’re planning a longer event that requires an overnight stay choose somewhere that has enough accommodation for your team.

Hotels are always a good call as we can cater to all your needs. Here at the Carlton we have business facilities that can be used, plenty of rooms to accommodate large groups and the dining facilities to keep your team fed and fuelled.

We can create bespoke corporate away day package to suit your needs and make sure that your team-building away days run smoothly.

Choose Your Activities

All that is left to do now is choose your team-building activities. And we are really lucky up here on the North Devon coast. We are spoilt for choice here especially when it comes to outdoor adventure and getting out in nature. But that’s not all, there are all sorts of fun activities that we can help you to organise for your corporate team building away day in North Devon. So, let’s take a look at some of the corporate away day ideas that you could consider here on our doorstep in North Devon.

Corporate Away Day Ideas in North Devon

Water Sports

H2Outdoor is located a short drive away in Woolacombe and offers an exciting range of water sports and outdoor activities all in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Whether you’re looking for coasteering, or kayaking, surfing or stand-up paddle boarding or wild swimming H2Outdoor can provide top-class adventure activities and packages that your team will love.

H2Outdoor Adventure Specialist Matthew De Havilland says: “H2Outdoor has packages available to provide the perfect solution for your corporate event requirements. We are able to organise sessions ideal for entertaining clients, creating incentive reward schemes and for providing challenges aimed at general team building and enhancing individual strengths. Specific activities are combined to meet your team-building requirements, whether that is extreme adventure for the adrenalin junkies or a relaxing paddle along the coast for more informal occasions. Fantastic activities with high-quality equipment and first-class facilities at the New Ilfracombe Water Sports Hub.”

Off Road Adventures

If adrenaline-fuelled activities are what you are looking for, Keyypitts Off-Road Adventures may be right up your street. Try quad biking around 200 acres of challenging scenic terrain or learn to drive off-road in a Land Rover Discovery 4X4 adventure. Alternatively, try your hand at one of their motorcycle trials and take on the range of terrain Keypitts has to offer.

Golf

At Ilfracombe Golf Club you can see the sea from every tee making it one of the most spectacular locations in the South West for a team-building round of golf. As you tee off on the rugged cliffs of the North Devon coast, you get to take in the awe-inspiring view over to the Welsh Coast, Lundy Island and off to the Atlantic horizon. What could be more inspiring than that?

Clay Pigeon Shooting

If golf doesn’t sound like a hole in one for your company away day, may clay pigeon shooting will hit the target instead? We have a number of clay pigeon shooting ranges to choose from up here on the North Devon Coast.

Located in a beautiful valley setting just off the main road to Woolacombe Beach, you’ll find North Devon Shoot Ground. Here they cater for all levels of shooting experience so whether you’re a dab hand with a gun or never pulled the trigger before, you will get the support and guidance that you need to enjoy your team-building away day activities.

Right here on our doorstep, the South West Shooting School also caters to groups and corporate away days tailoring them to suit your experience or fit with your timetable.

Vineyard Visits

If high-adrenaline activities and sports are not to your liking, consider maybe a leisurely vineyard tour and wine tasting experience. Saunton Vineyard is a boutique vineyard here in North Devon, situated between the beautiful hamlets of Lobb and Saunton. Regular vineyard tours and tastings take place throughout the summer months and allow you to sample three different wines.

Art Activities

Maybe something more creative would go down well for your team-building activities. If this sounds like something you would like to explore we could help you to organise an art workshop with a local artist.

Mark Woollacott is a professional coastal artist based in Ilfracombe and he runs classes for beginners as well as artists with some experience. He specialises in landscape and coastal painting so if this is something you and your team are interested in, let us help you set it up.

Horse Riding

Spending time with animals can be a really great way to bring your team together. Mullacott Riding Centre can offer hacks around its 600 acre farm for all abilities or a gallop along a local beach for more experienced riders.

Chocolate Making Workshop

$Chocolate making workshop at the Ilfracombe Chocolate Emporium$

Who doesn’t love chocolate? They don’t call it the food of the Gods for nothing. Down in Ilfracombe town centre you will find The Ilfracombe Chocolate Emporium, where handmade artisan chocolate is loving crafted and sold.

Owner Jeanette will take you and your employees on a journey of understanding how chocolate is made and will then teach you how to make your own and how to temper, flavour, shape and decorate your handmade chocolates.

Plus, you get to take them home with you afterwards.

Cookery Course

If your team don’t have a sweet tooth, maybe a cookery course would be of more interest. Coastal Cooking Ilfracombe offer informal and relaxed cookery classes to help you create an enjoyable and engaging team building day.

Whether you’re interested in bread, game, fish, vegetarian food, pasties & scones, pizza, seafood or different cuisines, there are plenty of options to choose from.

Book Your Corporate Away Day in North Devon

If any of these team building activities sound like they fit the bill for your corporate away day, why not contact us to discuss how we can help you to organise it.

North Devon is the perfect location to get away to, with stunning scenery and endless options for activities, your team will be spoilt for choice.

The Carlton Hotel is ideally situated in Ilfracombe to serve as your base while your employees go off to explore all that the region has to offer and take part in their team building activities. We have all the facilities you need to make your stay memorable and productive. Our luxurious rooms can accommodate your staff members overnight and our conference facilities can be used to get your team together. They can dine in the Brasserie and relax in the bar.

Whatever your needs are, we are sure we can help you to create a corporate away day that your team will actually look forward to. We can create a bespoke package to meet your needs facilitated through our partnerships with local artisans and activity providers.

To plan your company away day and discuss your requirements contact Eliot on 01271 862446 or email eliot@ilfracombecarlton.co.uk