Rate Check – book early for better value for money

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We all know that there are lots of factors that will make a difference to the rate charged by a venue, such as the day of the week, the date, the location.  We’ve taken a look at one of our client’s events that could take place in January or March 2019 and compared the costs. 

Decreasing bar chart from SimpleIcon http://www.simpleicon.com/

As well as the hotels in the table, 19 additional hotels were contacted and there was no availability on both dates.

The brief is for a one-day conference:

  • Attendees: 55 people
  • Location: Central London or countryside location accessible from Heathrow Airport
  • Venue style: Hotel, preferably 5* or boutique hotel in London or country house outside London
  • Meeting room layout: cabaret style
  • Catering: separate areas for refreshment breaks and lunch
  • Food & beverage: 3 servings of tea/coffee and lunch
  • Accommodation : 55 bedrooms on Friday night

The rates below are for a daily delegate rate including 3 breaks, plus bed and breakfast, as the client wanted to have dinner offsite.

rate comparison checker

EDGE Venues advises clients to book as far in advance as possible to achieve the best possible rates and in the majority of cases the comparison supports this.  Unless the client waits until the very last minute and is prepared to compromise, the rates will only increase as availability becomes scarcer closer to the event date. 

There was no obvious saving taking this event outside London as there were fewer hotels to choose from that met the client’s requirements.

Points to note

The venue finding was done in September 2018, so an 18-week lead time to the January date and a 25-week lead time to the March date.

*We were unable to compare these conferences at all of the same hotels as some of them were already booked on the relevant date, but for comparison purposes they are similar in style, standard and facilities.

New Outdoor Spaces At The National Gallery For 2019

New outdoor spaces at The National Gallery for 2019
New outdoor spaces at The National Gallery for 2019

The National Gallery has added two new outdoor event spaces for 2019, increasing its portfolio to twenty-two locations within the venue, the National Gallery Garden and Jubilee Walk will be available for hire from January 2019, with various features to allow for a range of different events, both during the day and evening.



Multimillion-Pound Makeover For Malmaison Liverpool

Multimillion-pound makeover for Malmaison Liverpool
Multimillion-pound makeover for Malmaison Liverpool

Malmaison Liverpool has completed a multimillion-pound refurbishment of its 130 bedrooms and meeting and events spaces and has also seen the launch of a new cocktail bar at the property.


The brand is due to open three new hotels opening over the next 24 months including in Bournemouth, where the brand is in the early stages of developing a new build hotel; Edinburgh, where renovation work has already begun on the Grade A-listed Buchan House, which will be the brand’s second site in the city; and York, where work is underway to open a new 150-bedroom hotel.


Mandarin Oriental To Open In Beijing In 2019

Mandarin Oriental to open in Beijing in 2019
Mandarin Oriental to open in Beijing in 2019
The 73 room Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing set to open in Beijing in early 2019.

Located just minutes from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in the lively Wangfujing district, the hotel will have two restaurants, Café Zi will offer all-day dining, specialising in Asian cuisine and the Mandarin Grill and Bar will feature classic grill-style dishes and the rooftop bar, MO Bar will serve innovative cocktails and feature resident and international DJs complete with spectacular roof-terrace views of the Forbidden City.



2019 To See The Opening Of Vintry And Mercer Hotel

2019 to see the opening of Vintry and Mercer Hotel
2019 to see the opening of Vintry and Mercer Hotel
Nestled in the heart of London along a narrow street is the capital’s newest luxury boutique hotel,  Vintry and Mercer. The 92 bespoke rooms and suites draw interior inspiration from the historic trading guilds of the City of London and create a unique hideaway. 

The hotel will feature The Vintry Kitchen, serving Asian tapas, a roof terrace with views overlooking iconic London sights like St Paul’s Cathedral and The Shard and ‘Do Not Disturb’ the hotel’s basement bar  that will transport you back to 1920’s New York.

Top Tips on how to make the most of EDGE Venues

It’s all in one place. EDGE is a powerful tool and will be used by meeting organisers to search for venues and to create proposals.  So we need to know what your venue can do, how it works, guideline pricing and a good insight into your facilities.

Help us to bring your venue to life. The more data you fill in the higher you will come up in relevant searches. This data will then provide the basis for the RFPs that will be sent to potential clients or agents. Your venue’s profile on EDGE will show users what you can offer, where you are located, how you look and how much they are likely to pay. This will streamline the RFP process as all clients and agents will be making an informed decision on who to contact therefore  ensuring you do not waste your time on RFP’s that will never convert.

There are two Engagement License opportunities: EDGE venues plus and Agency EDGE which are available to all venues via a monthly license fee. Please ask the EDGE Team for full details on 01780 484051.

How to make the most of your venue’s profile

Let us know where you are located and what you have to offer potential clients and agents. Here are some pointers to help you get to the heady heights of 100% profile:

  • The upload all data and photographs.  This is completely free of charge so make the most of this by adding images for all your meeting rooms and do not forget the image on your accommodation section.
  • Any bookings generated via the EDGE platform that are handled by the EDGE agency team or by other Agents are commissionable to the agent who has
  • placed the business with you.
  • The more information that you include in your venue profile the higher your data percentage will be. Below is a guideline of how to increase your percentage.

Take a look at this guide to make the most of your entry on EDGEVenues.com or email the data team on data@trinityeventsolutions.co.uk or call us on 01780 484051.

Hampton By Hilton Opens 3Rd Property In Berlin

Hampton by Hilton opens 3rd property in Berlin
Hampton by Hilton opens 3rd property in Berlin
Hampton by Hilton Berlin East Side Gallery has opened in central Berlin directly next to the Mercedes-Benz Arena. The hotel features 254 bedrooms and is set in the neighbourhood of Berlin Friedrichshain in the heart of the city’s new Entertainment District.


The property is a 40-minute drive from either Berlin Tegel Airport or Berlin Schönefeld Airport, and within walking distance of a train station. 

The venue joins Hampton by Hilton Berlin City West and Hampton by Hilton Berlin City Centre Alexanderplatz within the capital and is the ninth Hampton by Hilton hotel in Germany.

Hyatt Set For First Hotel In Scotland

Hyatt set for first hotel in Scotland
Hyatt set for first hotel in Scotland

It has been confirmed today that Hyatt Hotels Corporation has won the bid to operate the new Spa & Conference hotel at Edinburgh Marina. This is the international hotelier’s first hotel in Scotland.


The Hyatt Regency hotel at Edinburgh Marina will have 187 bedrooms including a two bedroom Presidential suite together with 98 one, two and three bedroom Hyatt Regency Residences serviced apartments. These apartments will be designed and fitted to the same specification as the hotel room enabling guests to enjoy the service and amenities of a hotel, whilst enjoying all the benefits of a self-contained apartment.

The property will also feature a health spa and fitness centre, a 10,000 sq.ft conference & banqueting centre, restaurants and bars. The hotel will overlook the new 340 berth Edinburgh Marina which will uniquely, for this coastline, provide 24/7 access at all states of tides.


Organising an event abroad

Some additional factors to consider when taking your event abroad and managing it outside the UK

Organising a conference, meeting or event outside the UK brings some additional factors to consider, both for the organiser and the attendee. For example, has everyone got a valid passport, are visas required, has travel insurance been arranged, are there any special medical requirements, what are the luggage guidelines? Do you have everything covered for when you travel abroad?

The websites listed below will be able to help, but remember the regulations can change at any time.

Overseas Travel Advice

Check the latest information from the Passport Office.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office  has a list of countries with a summary about the destination and information about:

  • Safety and security
  • Terrorism
  • Local laws and customs
  • Entry requirements
  • Health
  • Natural disasters
  • Money
  • Travel advice help and support

The NHS Fit for Travel website has general travel advice and disease prevention, as well as the immunisation and vaccination requirements for each country.

Make sure that any European travelling in Europe has a European Health Insurance Card.  This card entitles the user to access healthcare and some insurers require you to have one. 

Check the Department of Health Advice healthcare abroad, it gives advice about how to access the necessary state-provided healthcare.

Insurance – speak to an agent about the insurance for your event and your liability. You will also need insurance to cover all employees travelling abroad.

Freight – if you are shipping equipment and documentation, consult a freight forwarding agent, who will advise the best method, cost, time and prepare the required documentation.

Dakota Deluxe Manchester To Open In Next Spring

Dakota Deluxe Manchester to open in next spring
Dakota Deluxe Manchester to open in next spring

The opening of the latest hotel in the Dakota brand has been confirmed for May 2019, Dakota Deluxe Manchester, located on Dulcie Street, near Piccadilly Station will open with 137 bedrooms, including 27 suites one of which is called the Grand Deluxa and will be the largest suite in the city.


The property will also feature the Grill, the bar, Champagne Room and cigar garden and will join two existing Dakota Deluxe hotels in Glasgow and Leeds and two properties under the more accessible Dakota brand in South Queensferry, Edinburgh, and Eurocentral, on the outskirts of Glasgow.