On Tuesday, three hotel groups and one independent venue, Peckforton Castle (pictured) came to visit our offices for a mini expo.
Starting with Peckforton Castle, Cheshire, this was built in the style of a medieval castle in 1850 and lends itself beautifully for events that will be remembered. The castle has spectacular rooms for meetings, conferences and private dining, and offers outdoor activities in the grounds along with the Land Rover Experiences. This gem is just 40 minutes from Manchester airport and an hour from the city of Manchester and half an hour from Chester. We were surprised by the very affordable day delegate rates for such a unique property.
The Sundial Group consists of three stunning country houses, Barnett Hill in Surrey, Highgate House in Northants and Woodside in Warwickshire. This award winning family business focuses on the personal touch and the attention to detail often overlooked in the corporate world. The brownies and cookies that they brought to office, which were baked by the Sundial chefs, helped to confirm our views that the food at the Sundial properties takes a lot of beating!
Hotel Republic discussed the many different hotel groups that they represent, mainly European hotels, including SANA, Movenpick and Kimpton in the UK. They only represent one hotel in the UK which is the Taj Hotel in London. From the traditional to the quirky the Hotel Republic includes a European hotel to cover every preference.
Finally Helen from the Prima Hotel Group gave us the details of their 5 properties, 4 of them luxury 4-star country houses in England and 1 property in the city centre of Edinburgh. Hellaby Hall, Quorn, Stanneylands and Nunsmere Hall all sit in their own grounds and have all the facilities available that you’d expect from a fine country manor hotel. Nunsmere Hall has its own lake and is available for exclusive hire. The city hotel, the Crowne Plaza, Edinburgh is a Georgian property on the Royal Terrace and offers a terraced garden for al fresco dining and drinks receptions.
Voted in numerous rankings as one of the best grand hotels in Europe, The Bayerischer Hof is one of Munich’s most legendary hotels. Situated in the heart of the city center the hotel is privately owned and has been family run since 1897. Originally conceived by King Ludwig I the hotel boasts of history, contemporary flair and elegance. Continuous renovations are made to the property, the latest being the roof garden which has been transformed into a breakfast space with stunning Munich views. The hotel has five restaurants — including the Michelin-starred Atelier and the world-famous Trader Vic’s — as well as six bars and cinema lounge.
The Bayerischer hotel has 40 air-conditioned banqueting and meeting suites, including about the impressive ballroom ensemble, for example, or the stunning salons in the Palais Montgelas and the Dachgarten (roof garden), offering a magnificent view of the city and the Alps. All of the 340 guest rooms are in a variety of styles, designed by famous architects. Top-floor suites have breathtaking views, private spa access, terraces or open fireplaces.
Located on 24th street and Madison Avenue, The New York EDITION sits directly across from New York’s Madison Square Park. Originally built in 1909 as the headquarters for The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, the 41-story clock tower is an iconic New York landmark. There are 273 bedrooms and suites with spectacular views of the city as well as a restaurant, bar, fitness center and spa.
The meeting space comprises a boardroom for 14 people and three studios. The maximum capacity is 102 people theatre style when the three studios are combined, or they can be used separately and can take 36/30/30 people in theatre-style. Three 1,350 square foot penthouses have views of the city and can be used for private events.
Report from the FRHI Global Meeting Exchange in Monte Carlo
Last week I attended the FRHI Global Meeting Exchange in Monte Carlo, with 110 other event planners from the UK, Europe, the UAE, Asia Pacific and the USA. The four-day event was a mixture of one-to-one meetings with representatives from Fairmont, Raffles and Swissotel properties, workshops, syndicates sessions and activities which showcased Monte Carlo. It was a great educational opportunity with corporate organisers, agents, hoteliers and DMCs discussing the challenges and changes in the MICE industry, exchanging information and discussing how we can work better together for the best outcome.
One of the highlights of this event was a presentation from Dr Gerard Lyons, Chief Economic Advisor to the Mayor of London, on the current state of the world economic and what we can expect in the future.
Whilst I was in Monte Carlo, I also took the opportunity to take a look a some of the key properties:
The Fairmont Hotel
This hotel is four-star and located next to the Casino. It is built over the sea and has great views of the city from the roof top. There are 18 meeting rooms, including a ballroom which will hold 900 people for a dinner or meeting. The Fairmont has 602 bedrooms, spa, Nikki Beach rooftop pool and fitness centre.
The Grimaldi Forum
This is Monaco’s conference and exhibition centre, located on the eastern beach. It is a glass pyramid and contemporary in style. The Grimaldi Forum can offer 3 auditoriums, 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into smaller sections (maximum 22) and 4 areas for exhibitions or catering. There are large foyer areas with centrally located escalators to move people around the building easily. The Fairmont, Le Meridien Beach and Monte Carlo Bay hotels are all within walking distance.
The Monte Carlo Bay Hotel
The Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort is located at the end of the eastern beach and surrounded by gardens and the sea. It is a 5-star hotel with 334 bedrooms, spa, swimming pool and restaurants. There are 15 flexible meeting rooms all on the first floor and the largest room has capacity for up to 270 people.
However, my trip to Monte Carlo wasn’t all work. There were two activity sessions: a treasure hunt around the rock, palace and harbour area which gave us the chance to see the city and the chance to explore the Cote d’Azur by rib boat and helicopter or in classic cars.
In the evenings we experienced three different venues, which are all available for groups. The Nikki Beach is on the roof of the Fairmont Monte with great views of the city and sea as well as the famous GP hairpin. There was gala dinner at the Oceanographic Museum, with a drinks reception in the aquarium and this venue has roof top space which can be used too. We also spent an evening at Key Largo, a private villa, which used to be the harbourmaster’s offices at the end of the quay. The drinks and food were arranged around the pool and the helipad was transformed in to party space and dance floor.
For more information about organising conferences, meetings and events in Monte Carlo, please call us on 01780 484050.
Wet Madrid is a joint venture between Wet Watersports and Surf in the City to bring sun and sand to the capital in 2016. This new water park is located next to Ifema-Feria de Madrid, just six kilometres from the airport.
The artificial beach will be constructed in a 100,000-square-metre complex that includes a lake, beach, gardens, parks and green areas. There will also be facilities dedicated to entertainment, sports and the values of surfing as well as event spaces, a gym, surf schools, a skatepark, a jogging area and much more. The star attraction will be the Wavegarden, where visitors can simulate surfing on the open sea with waves of up to 2.2 metres in height. Thanks to dynamic wave technology, up to four waves can be created at once with an average duration of 25 seconds, sometimes lasting as long as 40 seconds.
Once the banqueting hall, the Great Hall now serves as the main dining hall. The rafters are original and were restored in the nineteenth century and the fireplace is over four hundred years old, with the wooden over mantle being a gift from King James I and carved to depict his Royal Arms. With its high vaulted ceiling and stained glass window, this room is good for award ceremonies or private dinners.
There are six conference rooms that can cater for up to 90 delegates. The Elizabethan and Vansittart rooms are ideal for larger meetings and small conferences. Both the Elizabethan and the Vansittart Rooms are equipped with the latest technology, including interactive whiteboard, and a Bluetooth interactive writing tablet, projector and 78” powerboard. The former bedroom of Henry VIII, the Henry VIII room is a formal boardroom and provides a flexible and versatile meeting room accommodating up to 16 guests boardroom style.The room includes use of a 65” screen with the latest touchscreen technology. The Warwick Room, originally the dining room of the Holby family, was built in 1680 has oak panelling and a feature fireplace. The Sonning room can accommodate up to 40 delegates with a 65” screen utilising the latest touchscreen technology.
Once the banqueting hall, the Great Hall now serves as the main dining hall. The rafters are original and were restored in the nineteenth century and the fireplace is over four hundred years old, with the wooden over mantle being a gift from King James I and carved to depict his Royal Arms. With its high vaulted ceiling and stained glass window, this room is good for award ceremonies or private dinners.
Bisham Abbey is a Grade I listed 13th century Abbey, which was once home to Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. It is now one of England’s National Sports Centres and a conference centre, with a large number of recently refurbished rooms and outdoor spaces for corporate events and team-building days. It is located close to Marlow, on the borders of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, on the banks of the River Thames.
There are six conference rooms that can cater for up to 90 delegates. The Elizabethan and Vansittart rooms are ideal for larger meetings and small conferences. Both the Elizabethan and the Vansittart Rooms are equipped with the latest technology, including interactive whiteboard, and a Bluetooth interactive writing tablet, projector and 78” powerboard. The former bedroom of Henry VIII, the Henry VIII room is a formal boardroom and provides a flexible and versatile meeting room accommodating up to 16 guests boardroom style.The room includes use of a 65” screen with the latest touchscreen technology. The Warwick Room, originally the dining room of the Holby family, was built in 1680 has oak panelling and a feature fireplace. The Sonning room can accommodate up to 40 delegates with a 65” screen utilising the latest touchscreen technology.
Once the banqueting hall, the Great Hall now serves as the main dining hall. The rafters are original and were restored in the nineteenth century and the fireplace is over four hundred years old, with the wooden over mantle being a gift from King James I and carved to depict his Royal Arms. With its high vaulted ceiling and stained glass window, this room is good for award ceremonies or private dinners.
Bisham Abbey is a Grade I listed 13th century Abbey, which was once home to Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. It is now one of England’s National Sports Centres and a conference centre, with a large number of recently refurbished rooms and outdoor spaces for corporate events and team-building days. It is located close to Marlow, on the borders of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, on the banks of the River Thames.
There are six conference rooms that can cater for up to 90 delegates. The Elizabethan and Vansittart rooms are ideal for larger meetings and small conferences. Both the Elizabethan and the Vansittart Rooms are equipped with the latest technology, including interactive whiteboard, and a Bluetooth interactive writing tablet, projector and 78” powerboard. The former bedroom of Henry VIII, the Henry VIII room is a formal boardroom and provides a flexible and versatile meeting room accommodating up to 16 guests boardroom style.The room includes use of a 65” screen with the latest touchscreen technology. The Warwick Room, originally the dining room of the Holby family, was built in 1680 has oak panelling and a feature fireplace. The Sonning room can accommodate up to 40 delegates with a 65” screen utilising the latest touchscreen technology.
Once the banqueting hall, the Great Hall now serves as the main dining hall. The rafters are original and were restored in the nineteenth century and the fireplace is over four hundred years old, with the wooden over mantle being a gift from King James I and carved to depict his Royal Arms. With its high vaulted ceiling and stained glass window, this room is good for award ceremonies or private dinners.
Meetings and sport at Bisham Abbey
Bisham Abbey is a Grade I listed 13th century Abbey, which was once home to Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. It is now one of England’s National Sports Centres and a conference centre, with a large number of recently refurbished rooms and outdoor spaces for corporate events and team-building days. It is located close to Marlow, on the borders of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, on the banks of the River Thames.
There are six conference rooms that can cater for up to 90 delegates. The Elizabethan and Vansittart rooms are ideal for larger meetings and small conferences. Both the Elizabethan and the Vansittart Rooms are equipped with the latest technology, including interactive whiteboard, and a Bluetooth interactive writing tablet, projector and 78” powerboard. The former bedroom of Henry VIII, the Henry VIII room is a formal boardroom and provides a flexible and versatile meeting room accommodating up to 16 guests boardroom style.The room includes use of a 65” screen with the latest touchscreen technology. The Warwick Room, originally the dining room of the Holby family, was built in 1680 has oak panelling and a feature fireplace. The Sonning room can accommodate up to 40 delegates with a 65” screen utilising the latest touchscreen technology.
Once the banqueting hall, the Great Hall now serves as the main dining hall. The rafters are original and were restored in the nineteenth century and the fireplace is over four hundred years old, with the wooden over mantle being a gift from King James I and carved to depict his Royal Arms. With its high vaulted ceiling and stained glass window, this room is good for award ceremonies or private dinners.
Set in 270 acres of beautiful parkland, Holme Pierrepont Country Park is situated just 10 minutes away from Nottingham city centre. As well as a conference centre, it has a 2km regatta lake and is the home of the National Water Sports Centre. With five newly refurbished conference rooms, Holme Pierrepont can cater for all sizes of meetings to conferences for up to 150 people. All conference rooms come equipped with the latest AV technology including data-projectors and Interactive Smart Boards, as well as access to Wi-Fi. The Regatta View has capacity for 60 delegates with over the 270 acre Country Park and 2000m Regatta Lake. The Park View is a perfect room for holding smaller meetings and has a maximum capacity of 30 delegates. The South Bank and Parkland are the largest of the conference rooms. The South Bank Parkland has a partition wall, which can be used to create two smaller rooms and can hold up to 150 delegates. When divided each part can can hold 60 people. The Patio View overlooks the cloistered summer garden and has a capacity of 60 delegates. There are 54 bedrooms in the Lakeside Main Building, 11 bed self-contained bungalows and an 18 acre campsite. All rooms have been fully refurbished.
A new 4-star boutique hotel brand, Flat Cap Hotels, has been launched by two brothers in the north west of England. The new group has launched its first venture in Cheshire with the opening of the 20-bed Vicarage Freehouse & Rooms at Holmes Chapel in the former Old Vicarage Hotel. A further 12 suites will be added this summer and the owners Oliver and Dominic Heywood expect to expand the brand with more properties later this year in Shropshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. They aim to have five properties by 2018. The group pride themselves on the quirky decor of their properties and the locally sourced food. The brands motto is “local food, local drink, local country living”.
The Vicarage Freehouse and Rooms has space for meetings and events. The largest space is the library which can hold up to 100 guests for dinner.
New boutique hotel brand Flat Cap Hotels
A new 4-star boutique hotel brand, Flat Cap Hotels, has been launched by two brothers in the north west of England. The new group has launched its first venture in Cheshire with the opening of the 20-bed Vicarage Freehouse & Rooms at Holmes Chapel in the former Old Vicarage Hotel. A further 12 suites will be added this summer and the owners Oliver and Dominic Heywood expect to expand the brand with more properties later this year in Shropshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. They aim to have five properties by 2018. The group pride themselves on the quirky decor of their properties and the locally sourced food. The brands motto is “local food, local drink, local country living”.
The Vicarage Freehouse and Rooms has space for meetings and events. The largest space is the library which can hold up to 100 guests for dinner.
The Hilton Paddington was one of the very first of the classic Victorian railway hotels, and is directly linked to Paddington Station. The hotel feels classic and well preserved when you walk in the main entrance (facing away from the station), with some of the meeting space straight off to the right of the lobby on the ground floor. The second (and larger) section of the meeting space is upstairs on the first floor, reached from a sweeping staircase behind the lobby. This section of the space has a larger communal area just for delegates, so works well for catering and receptions. The Great Western rooms are on the first floor and enjoy natural daylight and high ceilings, make the space feel airy and light.
As a historic hotel the bedrooms (all of a 4-star Hilton standard) are a variety of configurations and sizes (although none of them are below a certain size), which for me adds a little personality to the hotel. The hotel recently bought the adjacent former offices of the GWR rail company, and have refurbished this section into an art-deco themed area with upgraded bedrooms of a 1920’s style.
One thing to consider is that this hotels is one of the best connected hotels in London for transport, given its immediate proximity to Paddington Station, with links across the Underground, National Rail, and the London terminus of the Heathrow Express. Despite its bustling location the hotel feels calm and attentive for delegates and guests.
Liverpools first five-star hotel will still go ahead despite the delays. Plans to convert the historic city centre Martins Bank on Water Street into a 227 bedroom hotel were given approval last June by Liverpool council. The £40m hotel will include two restaurants, three bars, a spa, and conference and banqueting rooms. The development will see the building’s stunning banking hall, which features marble floors and 20 giant columns, converted into the hotel’s reception, bars and restaurants. Much of the bank’s original features will be retained, with the main dining area enclosed within the horseshoe-shaped tellers’ counter and the original writing desks kept. The Martins Bank site contains four floors of office space which will remain, with the hotel sandwiched between.
Liverpool's first five star hotel to go ahead
Liverpools first five-star hotel will still go ahead despite the delays. Plans to convert the historic city centre Martins Bank on Water Street into a 227 bedroom hotel were given approval last June by Liverpool council. The £40m hotel will include two restaurants, three bars, a spa, and conference and banqueting rooms. The development will see the building’s stunning banking hall, which features marble floors and 20 giant columns, converted into the hotel’s reception, bars and restaurants. Much of the bank’s original features will be retained, with the main dining area enclosed within the horseshoe-shaped tellers’ counter and the original writing desks kept. The Martins Bank site contains four floors of office space which will remain, with the hotel sandwiched between.
