Independent country house hotel group, Hand Picked Hotels, has partnered with Reward Gateway to launch a new bespoke interactive platform called The Hive - a hub for all activity, designed to communicate with colleagues and offer wellbeing tips and benefits to improve the work/life balance.

The online platform offers employees the opportunity to connect with each other and share activity instantly across the group’s 19 hotels and spa resorts in the UK and Channel Islands reaching 1,500 employees. With employee wellbeing high on the agenda, The Hive has been introduced to share hints and tips on living a a healthy and active lifestyle, inviting all team members across the group to either share or gain access to recommended ways to work out, new recipes and ingredients, financial advice and ways to reduce stress.

Lesley Bacon, group health club and spa manager comments: "Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence. Striving to improve our own wellness across mind, body and soul should be, in my opinion, at the top of all of our priorities in such a fast paced world. We have provided through the use of the Hive ways in which we can help improve a better lifestyle for all employees."

Other facilities within the central hub include a news feed, social activities calendar and a blog for instant content sharing, similar to a social media feed. A feature called The Buzz invites employees to create, send or post e-cards containing well wishes or thank you messages which can be shared across the business for instant employee recognition. e-cards The platform also features a collection of generous discounts from high street brands from retail to fitness, household goods and entertainment as well as holidays for employees to claim and redeem as part of their reward programme.

Hand Picked Hotels, created by former lawyer turned hotelier Julia Hands, is the leading collection of architecturally stunning hotels offering guests an indulgent yet attainable country house experience, with a contemporary twist.

The award-winning collection is renowned for its stylish guest rooms, elegant function spaces, fine food and wine and a personalised service by Hand Picked people in stylish, relaxing surroundings. There are a total of 17 classically British hotels in beautiful settings across England and Scotland and 3 Channel Island retreats, with locations ranging from the New Forest and Jersey to Yorkshire and Edinburgh.

Hand Picked Hotels has won an impressive number of awards, with 15 hotels awarded two AA rosette status and Grand Jersey holding three rosettes. Eleven hotels have achieved red star status which means they stand out as the very best in the British Isles. There are also ten hotels with spas offering the latest therapies and treatments to promote wellbeing and relaxation.

Hand Picked Hotels are currently recruiting for spa therapists at a number of locations. Click here to find out more.