Background
Protex AI is a fast-growing, international company with a distributed team across Ireland, the United States, and the UK. Protex AI places strong emphasis on building culture and fostering collaboration. To maintain team cohesion, they regularly organize in-person gatherings — with their most recent offsite taking place at the company’s headquarters in Dublin.
Dublin ranks among Europe’s most expensive cities for accommodation. Hotel rates averaging €360 per night and with 20 teammate traveling in, accommodation costs for the two-day event quickly addedup.
Determined to make the offsite happen — but mindful of budget constraints typical of a Series A startup — Protex AI sought a smarter, more cost-effective solution. That’s when they turned to Roamr.
Why Roamr?
Roamr offered a simple alternative: instead of booking hotels, traveling employees could stay with local colleagues or hosts within the Roamr network. The result was immediate — a 30% saving on accommodation expenses.
The impact went beyond cost savings. Roamr enabled both travelling and host Protex AI employees to earn income, while simultaneously creating opportunities to strengthen team bonds through shared experiences.
“Roamr made so much sense for us. Not only did we save significantly but being able to set rates for employee splits meant we had full control on what we were spending. Even better — we eliminated any surprises or price fluctuation.” Ciarán O'Mara, Co-Founder & CTO
How It Works
The Roamr model redefines corporate travel by redistributing the expensive would-be hotel cost back into the organization itself:
- Traveling employee: Earns 30% for choosing a Roamr stay
- Host colleague: Earns 30% for opening their home
- Protex AI: Saves 30% compared to traditional hotel bookings
Strengthening Team Culture
30 - 40% of travel budget is being appropriated to office visits, Roamr presents a way to significantly reduce this figure while having the same outcome. Beyond the financial advantages, the cultural benefits were a major win. Employees had the chance to spend meaningful time together outside of the office, creating a relaxed environment to build deeper relationships — one of the core goals of the offsite.
What made this experience especially valuable was that team members from different departments stayed together — an opportunity they wouldn’t typically have in day-to-day operations. Sharing homes broke down silos, encouraged cross-functional conversations, and sparked new friendships across the organization.
“I stayed with a teammate I hadn’t worked closely with before, and we ended up grabbing dinner and swapping travel stories. It honestly felt more like a mini retreat than a work trip.” Gearóid Moore, Head of Platform
By the end of the offsite, Protex AI had not only reduced their accommodation spend, but also returned with stronger interpersonal connections, energized teams, and a powerful sense of community.
