On Thursday 14th May I attended the HBAA Golf Day at Menzies Welcombe Hotel in Stratford upon Avon. After driving from Stamford on the morning of the event the weather got gradually worse as I got closer to Menzies Welcombe Hotel.
Menzies Welcome Hotel is easy to find and has two separate entrances, one for the hotel and one for the golf clubhouse. The facilities at the clubhouse were excellent as participants gathered, registered and took a very hearty breakfast. After a short time of networking and catching up with other contacts in the industry, the brief welcome speech was given before I then headed out onto the range to warm up. Shortly after we made the way to our tees for a shot gun start and teed off at midday. It wasn’t long until the rain started to get heavier. In the end, it rained for the entire round.
Depsite the weather, the course was in good condition and it was a fair test for all levels of ability. There were some great feature holes on the course, not least the 17th, starting from in front of the hotel and teeing off over a long stretch of water. All in all, it is certainly a golf course I would recommend and wish to play again in improved weather.
After golf participants made their way to the main hotel for prize-giving and dinner. The hotel building is a stunning old country house originally built in 1866. The Welcombe Suite, where dinner was served, had large windows over looking the grounds and both the food and service were excellent.
Thanks to Menzies for their hospitality throughout the day, despite the weather not being the most suited to a golf day!
St Regis Venice San Clemente Palace renovation is complete
The St. Regis Venice San Clemente Palace the most desired address in Venice, has reopened after a £17 million renovation. This legendary retreat sits on its own private island in the heart of the Venice lagoon, and is just 10 minutes away Piazza San Marco by boat. The hotel has two bars and three restaurants including a signature restaurant with terraces overlooking the lagoon. There is a conference centre on the island with 6 meetings rooms. The largest rooms the San Polo & Santa Croce Room has a capacity of 300 people theatre style when combined together. These two meeting rooms can be divided by a sliding-walls system, and are ideal for special large events, congresses and business conference in Venice. The meeting rooms are all lit by natural daylight and look onto the private gardens of the Island.
Aria Hotel Budapest offer a variety of event spaces, from the year-round Roof Garden, the High Note Skybar, to the private salon for up to 10 VIPs, to the Teatro Aria, a salon and screening room which seats up to 50 people, in various styles. The largest space the Music Garden can hold up to 100 people theatre style. Both the Symphony Salon, Teatro Aria and Stradivari Restaurant open to the Music Garden providing for an elegant flow throughout the evening. Other amenities include a pool, Spa, fitness center, steam bath, sauna and whirlpool.
The Library Hotel Collection has added another hotel , the Aria Hotel Budapest. This is a luxury boutique hotel with an exquisite design inspired entirely by music. Each of the four wings is dedicated to one of four major genres of music, Classical, Opera, Contemporary, and Jazz. Each room and suite features caricatures by the acclaimed artist Joseph Blecha to celebrate the world’s greatest musical legends such as Maria Callas, Count Basie and Bob Dylan. The hotel is situated next to Saint Stephens Basilica and is located within 15 minute walk from Budapest’s top attractions and is a 30 minute drive to the airport.
Aria Hotel Budapest offer a variety of event spaces, from the year-round Roof Garden, the High Note Skybar, to the private salon for up to 10 VIPs, to the Teatro Aria, a salon and screening room which seats up to 50 people, in various styles. The largest space the Music Garden can hold up to 100 people theatre style. Both the Symphony Salon, Teatro Aria and Stradivari Restaurant open to the Music Garden providing for an elegant flow throughout the evening. Other amenities include a pool, Spa, fitness center, steam bath, sauna and whirlpool.
The Aria Hotel Budapest is now open
The Library Hotel Collection has added another hotel , the Aria Hotel Budapest. This is a luxury boutique hotel with an exquisite design inspired entirely by music. Each of the four wings is dedicated to one of four major genres of music, Classical, Opera, Contemporary, and Jazz. Each room and suite features caricatures by the acclaimed artist Joseph Blecha to celebrate the world’s greatest musical legends such as Maria Callas, Count Basie and Bob Dylan. The hotel is situated next to Saint Stephens Basilica and is located within 15 minute walk from Budapest’s top attractions and is a 30 minute drive to the airport.
Aria Hotel Budapest offer a variety of event spaces, from the year-round Roof Garden, the High Note Skybar, to the private salon for up to 10 VIPs, to the Teatro Aria, a salon and screening room which seats up to 50 people, in various styles. The largest space the Music Garden can hold up to 100 people theatre style. Both the Symphony Salon, Teatro Aria and Stradivari Restaurant open to the Music Garden providing for an elegant flow throughout the evening. Other amenities include a pool, Spa, fitness center, steam bath, sauna and whirlpool.
Set out over seven floors, it includes the Honey restaurant open for public bookings on the sixth floor, and a private members bar, Club Brass, on the top floor with stunning views across the city. The hotel’s design is inspired by the Art Deco heritage of the building, which first opened 80 years ago.
There are 60 bedrooms, 4 with inner sanctum suites and personal inner courtyards. The hotel has been fully refurbished as a luxury, 5-star hotel in the heart of Manchester’s most upmarket shopping district with boutiques such as Hermès, Whistles, Emporio Armani, Mulberry, and Reiss nearby.
Hotel Gotham is a brand new 5* hotel in the central conservation area of Manchester, situated in one of the city’s grandest, listed buildings – a former bank premises at 100 King Street designed by Edwin Lutyens and referenced in Pevsner’s Architectural Guide.
Set out over seven floors, it includes the Honey restaurant open for public bookings on the sixth floor, and a private members bar, Club Brass, on the top floor with stunning views across the city. The hotel’s design is inspired by the Art Deco heritage of the building, which first opened 80 years ago.
There are 60 bedrooms, 4 with inner sanctum suites and personal inner courtyards. The hotel has been fully refurbished as a luxury, 5-star hotel in the heart of Manchester’s most upmarket shopping district with boutiques such as Hermès, Whistles, Emporio Armani, Mulberry, and Reiss nearby.
New 5* hotel in Manchester – Hotel Gotham
Hotel Gotham is a brand new 5* hotel in the central conservation area of Manchester, situated in one of the city’s grandest, listed buildings – a former bank premises at 100 King Street designed by Edwin Lutyens and referenced in Pevsner’s Architectural Guide.
Set out over seven floors, it includes the Honey restaurant open for public bookings on the sixth floor, and a private members bar, Club Brass, on the top floor with stunning views across the city. The hotel’s design is inspired by the Art Deco heritage of the building, which first opened 80 years ago.
There are 60 bedrooms, 4 with inner sanctum suites and personal inner courtyards. The hotel has been fully refurbished as a luxury, 5-star hotel in the heart of Manchester’s most upmarket shopping district with boutiques such as Hermès, Whistles, Emporio Armani, Mulberry, and Reiss nearby.
Airy and bright the Al Bahrain Ballroom overlooks the bay and the Manama skyline. Offering 945 square metres (10,172 square feet) of luxurious space, the room can be divided into three smaller sections to accommodate different events. It can hold up to 750 people theatre style. The room features state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and pre-function area, connects to an outdoor terrace and lawn area. The Al Manama 1 and 2 function rooms are on the ground floor, adjacent to the Bahrain Ballroom, and both have 290 square metres (3,121 square feet) of space, with natural light and can hold up to 160 people theatre style each.
The hotel has four on site restaurants to choose from such as Cut by Wolfgang Puck and an open-air poolside restaurant, Vento. There are 273 hotel guest rooms – including 57 suites – and all have views from oversized windows, facing either north to the Arabian Gulf or south to the Manama skyline.
The Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay features a total of 3,577 m2 (38,161 sq. ft.) of function space. A dedicated porte-cochère off the driveway leads to both the Al Bahrain Ballroom and Al Manama Ballroom. Outdoor events unfold on The Terrace and The Lawn. In the Sky Bridge on the 50th and 51st floors there are four meeting rooms and two dedicated boardrooms with great views.
Airy and bright the Al Bahrain Ballroom overlooks the bay and the Manama skyline. Offering 945 square metres (10,172 square feet) of luxurious space, the room can be divided into three smaller sections to accommodate different events. It can hold up to 750 people theatre style. The room features state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and pre-function area, connects to an outdoor terrace and lawn area. The Al Manama 1 and 2 function rooms are on the ground floor, adjacent to the Bahrain Ballroom, and both have 290 square metres (3,121 square feet) of space, with natural light and can hold up to 160 people theatre style each.
The hotel has four on site restaurants to choose from such as Cut by Wolfgang Puck and an open-air poolside restaurant, Vento. There are 273 hotel guest rooms – including 57 suites – and all have views from oversized windows, facing either north to the Arabian Gulf or south to the Manama skyline.
Set in n the capital city of Manama, Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay is a soaring architectural statement on its own exclusive island.
The Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay features a total of 3,577 m2 (38,161 sq. ft.) of function space. A dedicated porte-cochère off the driveway leads to both the Al Bahrain Ballroom and Al Manama Ballroom. Outdoor events unfold on The Terrace and The Lawn. In the Sky Bridge on the 50th and 51st floors there are four meeting rooms and two dedicated boardrooms with great views.
Airy and bright the Al Bahrain Ballroom overlooks the bay and the Manama skyline. Offering 945 square metres (10,172 square feet) of luxurious space, the room can be divided into three smaller sections to accommodate different events. It can hold up to 750 people theatre style. The room features state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and pre-function area, connects to an outdoor terrace and lawn area. The Al Manama 1 and 2 function rooms are on the ground floor, adjacent to the Bahrain Ballroom, and both have 290 square metres (3,121 square feet) of space, with natural light and can hold up to 160 people theatre style each.
The hotel has four on site restaurants to choose from such as Cut by Wolfgang Puck and an open-air poolside restaurant, Vento. There are 273 hotel guest rooms – including 57 suites – and all have views from oversized windows, facing either north to the Arabian Gulf or south to the Manama skyline.
Four Seasons Hotel opens in Bahrain
Set in n the capital city of Manama, Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay is a soaring architectural statement on its own exclusive island.
The Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay features a total of 3,577 m2 (38,161 sq. ft.) of function space. A dedicated porte-cochère off the driveway leads to both the Al Bahrain Ballroom and Al Manama Ballroom. Outdoor events unfold on The Terrace and The Lawn. In the Sky Bridge on the 50th and 51st floors there are four meeting rooms and two dedicated boardrooms with great views.
Airy and bright the Al Bahrain Ballroom overlooks the bay and the Manama skyline. Offering 945 square metres (10,172 square feet) of luxurious space, the room can be divided into three smaller sections to accommodate different events. It can hold up to 750 people theatre style. The room features state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and pre-function area, connects to an outdoor terrace and lawn area. The Al Manama 1 and 2 function rooms are on the ground floor, adjacent to the Bahrain Ballroom, and both have 290 square metres (3,121 square feet) of space, with natural light and can hold up to 160 people theatre style each.
The hotel has four on site restaurants to choose from such as Cut by Wolfgang Puck and an open-air poolside restaurant, Vento. There are 273 hotel guest rooms – including 57 suites – and all have views from oversized windows, facing either north to the Arabian Gulf or south to the Manama skyline.
After Conchita Wurst won Eurovision 2014 in Copenhagen, with her song “Rise Like a Phoenix”, Vienna this week will host Eurovision 2015, on the 60th anniversary of the international song competition.
The main show is accompanied by two semi-finals, as well as a large press junket and fan events around the city, and promises to showcase Vienna’s prowess in hosting international events. In particular, although Vienna is well known for historic buildings and culture (and much deservedly so), the competition offers a chance to the city to show off a fun, youthful and modern side of the city.
The success of Conchita Wurst, a drag performer who famously sports a beard as part of her image, also highlights Vienna’s vibrant lesbian & gay scene, again showing a richer side to life in Vienna than the traditional associations people may have with the city, such as the Habsburgs or Sigmund Freud.
The contest will be held in the Wiener Stadhalle, with a capacity of 16,000 guests, with 39 countries fighting for victory, including Australia, which has been allowed to participate as a 60th anniversary celebration of the contest’s popularity Down Under.
There are 5 function rooms, including the Atrium and The Ward Room. The Atrium is the largest function room in the venue and has a capacity of up to 200 people. The room is a huge circular space on the Upper Level and is covered with a glass roof, so sunlight floods in from above. There’s a bar, a stage, a raised area with a grand piano, and a variety of different seating areas on different levels. The Ward room is a large and informal multi-functional space – perfect for meetings and small conferences, presentations or relaxed corporate entertainment.
There are 22 bedrooms as well as a Cabaret Bar, a unique LaZer Battle Arena and a full on site catering team. This space is perfect for yachting and water sports and hosting all kinds of conferences, events and presentations.
No Man’s Fort, part of Amazing Venues collection of Solent Forts is now open. A private island, built in the Victorian period is off the coast of Portsmount and 1.4 miles from the Isle of Wight. This unusual venue offers an unrivaled and unique experience, with four floors packed with a variety of facilities. It is three times the size of Spitbank Fort, also owned by Amazing Venues, and has its own lighthouse with spectacular views across the Solent.
There are 5 function rooms, including the Atrium and The Ward Room. The Atrium is the largest function room in the venue and has a capacity of up to 200 people. The room is a huge circular space on the Upper Level and is covered with a glass roof, so sunlight floods in from above. There’s a bar, a stage, a raised area with a grand piano, and a variety of different seating areas on different levels. The Ward room is a large and informal multi-functional space – perfect for meetings and small conferences, presentations or relaxed corporate entertainment.
There are 22 bedrooms as well as a Cabaret Bar, a unique LaZer Battle Arena and a full on site catering team. This space is perfect for yachting and water sports and hosting all kinds of conferences, events and presentations.
Take to the water at No Man’s Fort in the Solent
No Man’s Fort, part of Amazing Venues collection of Solent Forts is now open. A private island, built in the Victorian period is off the coast of Portsmount and 1.4 miles from the Isle of Wight. This unusual venue offers an unrivaled and unique experience, with four floors packed with a variety of facilities. It is three times the size of Spitbank Fort, also owned by Amazing Venues, and has its own lighthouse with spectacular views across the Solent.
There are 5 function rooms, including the Atrium and The Ward Room. The Atrium is the largest function room in the venue and has a capacity of up to 200 people. The room is a huge circular space on the Upper Level and is covered with a glass roof, so sunlight floods in from above. There’s a bar, a stage, a raised area with a grand piano, and a variety of different seating areas on different levels. The Ward room is a large and informal multi-functional space – perfect for meetings and small conferences, presentations or relaxed corporate entertainment.
There are 22 bedrooms as well as a Cabaret Bar, a unique LaZer Battle Arena and a full on site catering team. This space is perfect for yachting and water sports and hosting all kinds of conferences, events and presentations.
The JW Marriott Venice resort and spa is a 5* hotel on its own private island in Venice – Isola delle Rose. It is a 20 minute transfer to and from St. Mark’s Square by courtesy boat.
The hotel has 14 meeting rooms, all with natural daylight. The largest is a ballroom with a maximum capacity of 380 people and there is a private Church for special events and receptions. The 40-acre gardens and private terraces are ideal for outdoor dinners and cocktails overlooking the Lagoon.
There are 250 bedrooms and additional hotel amenities include 7 restaurants and bars, a cooking academy, rooftop swimming pool, spa and fitness centre.
The hotel has 6 meeting rooms, the largest takes 120 people in theatre style and can be divided into two smaller rooms. All meeting rooms have natural light, free Wi-Fi and air conditioning.
There are 54 bedrooms and the property enjoys the benefit of the beautiful Aire Ancient Baths – a spa concept where you can be immersed and relax mind, body and soul and the natural extent of Mas Salagros does not stop there – a farm and a gourmet restaurant all add to the ecological theme.
Mas Salagros in Barcelona is an exciting new hotel opening on 29th May 2015. This brand new eco resort is situated in the middle of the countryside in Vallromanes, just 20 minutes north east of Barcelona.
The hotel has 6 meeting rooms, the largest takes 120 people in theatre style and can be divided into two smaller rooms. All meeting rooms have natural light, free Wi-Fi and air conditioning.
There are 54 bedrooms and the property enjoys the benefit of the beautiful Aire Ancient Baths – a spa concept where you can be immersed and relax mind, body and soul and the natural extent of Mas Salagros does not stop there – a farm and a gourmet restaurant all add to the ecological theme.
Barcelona’s new eco-resort : Mas Salagros Resort and Spa
Mas Salagros in Barcelona is an exciting new hotel opening on 29th May 2015. This brand new eco resort is situated in the middle of the countryside in Vallromanes, just 20 minutes north east of Barcelona.
The hotel has 6 meeting rooms, the largest takes 120 people in theatre style and can be divided into two smaller rooms. All meeting rooms have natural light, free Wi-Fi and air conditioning.
There are 54 bedrooms and the property enjoys the benefit of the beautiful Aire Ancient Baths – a spa concept where you can be immersed and relax mind, body and soul and the natural extent of Mas Salagros does not stop there – a farm and a gourmet restaurant all add to the ecological theme.
The Gainsborough Bath Spa hotel will open on 1st July
The Gainsborough Bath Spa, the first hotel with exclusive access to Bath’s natural thermal waters, will open on 1 July. Originally built in the 1800s, the hotel occupies two Grade II Listed buildings with distinguished Georgian and Victorian facades in the heart of the city and is named after the artist, Sir Thomas Gainsborough.
There are two meeting rooms: The Chapel and The Somerset Room, both of which have capacity for 96 people in theatre-style. The Chapel has direct access to an outdoor terrace, with capacity for 60 people.
There are 87 bedrooms and suites and the hotel and its facilities can be used exclusively for groups. It is a member of Leading Hotel of the World.
The Spa has its own private 47 degrees centigrade water reserve and guests will be able to enjoy a one-hour Bath Circuit in the hotel’s Roman-themed spa, taking in three thermal pools, saunas, steam room, an ice alcove and relaxation rooms.
