In April as we were putting the finishing touches on Wander Teams, Kent Wilson, the Chief Growth Officer of RV SnapPad, tweeted at us: “@wander We’ve been discussing team trips and vacation benefits internally and we saw your team option pop up on the app the other day. Looking forward to finding out your service offering on that front.”
After a quick exchange on Twitter and a couple of calls and emails later, RV SnapPad officially became our launch partner for the program - purchasing Wander credits to be used towards retreats and employee rewards.
“As a small family run business we look at creative ways to reward our team in a tax efficient manner,” said CEO Devon Wilson.
“Prior to Covid we rented a villa in Jamaica to celebrate a banner year. Since everyone was there, we still needed to work. While the trip was incredible a couple big issues were workstations and inconsistent WiFi. Once we learned of Wander’s offerings we knew it would be an excellent fit for our team to enjoy some time away while still being accessible.”
Kent and his wife Stacey, who leads Customer Service for RV SnapPad, were the first to receive a gifted credit for dual purpose: to celebrate their milestone tenth wedding anniversary and to test the Wander experience before rolling it out more broadly to their team.
Choosing their adventure
Wander Bandon Beach, Joshua Tree, Anchor Bay and Surfside Beach are all on Kent’s list to visit but ultimately he and Stacey chose Wander Cave Creek, just outside of Phoenix. Due to its warmth and direct flight options, Arizona is a well-known destination for the residents of Calgary, Canada, where RV SnapPad is based and Kent was born and raised.
For Kent and Stacey, the ease of travel was a huge benefit but the activity options in the surrounding area fit their personal interests perfectly, “We are [also] into fine wines and Arizona has some underrated wineries worth discovering within driving distance of Cave Creek.”
Stacey enjoys a glass of wine in Wander Cave Creek’s outdoor dining area
As someone who describes their happy place as “cooking a good meal in the kitchen with my wife and a good bottle of wine on hand,” it’s not surprising that Kent and Stacey included vineyards and wine shops in their itinerary. Their recommendations? Brix, a small wine store/pub in Cave Creek with an excellent selection and owners who made the place especially fun and inviting for them, and Caduceus Cellars tasting room in Jerome, AZ, with knowledgeable staff and a range of tasting options from the Merkin/Caduceus catalog. Kent describes it as a “must-stop for any fans of Tool or Puscifer since the winery is owned by Maynard James Keenan.”
Some of Kent’s favorite vino finds from his trip
Work/life bliss amongst wildlife
Exploring the area was a priority for Kent and Stacey but they equally enjoyed spending time at home, discovering the magic of Wander.
“The open layout and ultra-modern design were aesthetically pleasing but still welcoming,” Kent shared. “The addition of water features paired with floor-to-ceiling windows and ubiquitous natural light made you feel like part of the surroundings (while still shielding you from the unwavering heat during the day). We really liked the serenity of the relatively isolated location as well.”
An unexpected experience was seeing more wildlife than they expected - wild boars, a gila monster, and frequent visits from local toads and road runners - lending to the “old west” feel of the landscape, they said.
The view from Wander Cave Creek’s koi pond.
As two leaders in their company, Kent and Stacey found themselves checking in on work before getting the day started - despite being away for leisure.
“Having connected workstations and high-speed internet at the Wander locations is a major benefit for us while traveling since we inevitably have to spend some amount of time checking and working whenever we go anywhere,” Kent said. “We both used the workstation in the [primary] bedroom at times but also moved to the kitchen, dining room, and bedroom patio as well. The huge monitors and easy-to-use docking functionality at the workstations were key.”
One of three workstations at Wander Cave Creek.
Cared for by Concierge
The location, amenities, and architecture are what initially caught their attention, but Wander Concierge service was a pleasant surprise.
“The concierge service makes me wish I had something like it for my day-to-day life,” he said. “[They] answered all of my questions, smoothed over any minor wrinkles that occurred, and generally lowered any potential anxieties or pain points to basically zero.”
When Kent and Stacey returned home to Calgary and were back in the office, they shared their experience with Devon who agreed, saying: “generally a trip like this takes significant effort and time to plan properly but with the Teams program we can utilize the credits when needed with minimal effort.”
On sharing the Wander experience with the rest of the team, Kent looks forward to offering his team something they can’t find anywhere else. “When we expand this to the rest of the team, we suspect it will become a nearly unbeatable perk given the quality of the locations and the experience.”
Devon agrees. “We look forward to Wander expanding their location offerings and for the rest of our company to enjoy some unforgettable team building.”
Follow Kent on Twitter at @Kent_Wilson to see photos of his trip, hear more about what surprised him at Wander Cave Creek, and more.
A special thank you to Devon, Kent, Stacey and the rest of the RV SnapPad team for your partnership and willingness to share your experience with Wander readers.
If you’re an employer interested in learning more about the Wander Teams program, email Meghan@wander.com to get started.
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