Hotels, Venues & Event news
Etc. Venues visited our offices last week to update the team on exciting news! The group, who currently have 13 venues to offer, will soon be opening 155 Bishopsgate located in the City of London. With a main suite that holds up to 550 plus huge ‘galleria’ space for networking and 50 exhibition stands, etc.venues – 155 Bishopsgate, is destined to create a new type of venue experience.
Following an intensive period of renovation the Alpenhaus Kaprun reopened on the 4th of December. The facility convinces and excites with a unique combination of tradition and modernity.
The facility’s 122 rooms and suites have been available again since the beginning of December, now in a modern alpine style. The entrance and bar areas are completely new, as are the lounge and spa. The hotel director, Tina Maria Verdi, and the architect, Martin Aufschnaiter (Dipl.Ing.), were both keen to retain the building’s authenticity and traditional character. A feeling of ‘nature’ and of remaining ‘down to earth’ can be sensed throughout the whole of this 4-star complex. In the morning guests look forward to a hearty ‘organic’ breakfast, and later relax in the ‘bio sauna’ after a long seminar.
New conference room to open at the start of next year
From 2014 the new conference room of the hotel in Kaprun will again be able to offer plenty of room to participants in seminars and conferences with 270m² of space and the option of dividing the area into 3 smaller units. Five seminar rooms allow ‘Alpenhaus Kaprun’ to provide an ideal framework for successful conferences in the Salzburg countryside.
The new ALPEN.VEDA.SPA
The 1000m² spa area has also been enhanced for guests featuring a new indoor pool, a Jacuzzi, saunas, 2 relaxation zones, a fitness area and 5 treatment rooms – providing perfect facilities and an ideal atmosphere for a relaxing stay. The hotel is particularly proud of the new family sauna in the pool area, and the refreshing circulating Kneipp bath.
Relax in a familiar atmosphere
Two new attractions opened in December 2013. Every year around 44,000 will be welcomed in the new lobby by an open fire, cosy seating groups and a great selection of books to encourage guests to sit back and relax. The redesigned ALPENHAUS.BAR is now the perfect place to celebrate the end of a long seminar day.
Courtesy of the Salzburg Convention Bureau, 23/01/14
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are due to stage two 48-hour walkouts on 4th and 5th February, and 11th and 12th February in protest against plans to close all ticket offices and axe 750 jobs.
As of 22 January the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) are balloting its members, with the likelihood of co-ordinating industrial action.
It is therefore advisable to consider the potential disruption prior to travelling into London over the affected dates, to arrange for alternative transport or indeed make a call whether to travel at all on the 4th, 5th, 11th and 12th February.
The strengthening pound and local price changes makes the Algarve the best value destination in Europe. Bali is the best value in overall of the 70 destinations surveyed by the Post Office Travel Money Worldwide Holiday Costs Barometer.
Spain was the only country to record a significant price increase, with meal costs rising 22% on the Costa del Sol and New Zealand was the most expensive destination surveyed.
Resorts are cheaper in Cyprus, Greece and Italy, the survey found, although Italy remains the most expensive destination in Europe with a basket costing around £81, twice as much as Portugal.
The items surveyed by the Post Office included an evening meal for two, soft drinks, water, a cup of coffee and sun cream.
International congress members regard Lisbon as the best city to hold conferences and recommend the Portuguese capital as a tourist destination according to a survey by the Lisbon Tourism Observatory. The study was conducted among individuals who attended congresses in the Portuguese capital, of which 45.9% ranked the probability of a return visit as very likely.
The profile of the international Congress member the survey indicates that the Spaniards are the most prominent nationality, the majority of the participants being males (57.8%), primarily in the 36 to 45 years old age group for men and from 26 to 35 years old for women. In general, the congress members are professionals with university qualifications. Transportation, Congress Registration, Accommodation, Trips and Food are key components in the expenditure incurred by participants who, on average stay in the Portuguese capital for 4.1 days.
The Lisboa Tourism Observatory survey was based on a sample of 912 interviews of international Congress members in the months of May, June and September 2013.
The Children’s Air Ambulance – the first and only dedicated helicopter emergency transfer service for seriously ill children and babies, flying them from one hospital to a more specialist unit, alongside their team of clinicians; a journey usually made by land. The helicopter transferred its first clinical team in December 2012, and performed its first patient transfer on 11th May 2013. It’s estimated that approximately 5,800 children need transferring between hospitals every year. Receiving no Government funding, the Children’s Air Ambulance relies entirely on public donations and support in the local community to raise the £134,000 needed to run this vital service.
Hospital At Home – a unique service offering patients a chance of hospital level care in their own homes in the Peterborough area. It is now funded by the National Health Service and voluntary contributions. The medical care of the patients is the responsibility of the GP and the nursing care is the responsibility of the District Nursing Sister.
Sue Ryder – providing specialist palliative and respite care for people living with incurable illnesses at Thorpe Hall for over 20 years. Thorpe Hall is the only hospice providing free, specialist end of life care across Peterborough and large parts of the surrounding counties where there are an estimated 75,000 people living with incurable illnesses. They care for around 400 inpatients each year at Thorpe Hall. they also run a day centre for over 100 outpatients each year. There is much more we could do. They now have planning permission to build a state-of-the-art hospice in the grounds of Thorpe Hall.
Take a look at our CSR policy for more information about Trinity’s commitments to customers, suppliers, staff, the local community and the environment.
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From mid-November to Christmas, Vienna’s prettiest squares transform into magical Christmas markets. The aroma of Christmas bakery items and hot punch creates a pre-Christmas atmosphere.
At the traditional Vienna Magic of Advent, the Rathausplatz becomes a shining fairytale land. The 150 or so sales stands offer Christmas gifts, Christmas tree decorations, sweets and warming drinks. Not far away is the Christmas village on Maria-Theresien-Platz, situated between the Museum of Fine Arts and the Natural History Museum. 70 stands offering traditional handicrafts and original gift ideas are set up here during Advent. The Old Viennese Christmas Market on Freyung in the city center is committed to tradition. A Christmas market was held here as early as 1772; today, it is a place to buy handicrafts, glass decorations, traditional cribs and ceramics. Festive Advent music can be heard on the square from 4 pm. Top-quality handicrafts can also be purchased a couple of steps further along at the Am Hof Advent Market.
The Christmas market in the Ehrenhof in front of Schönbrunn Palace offers romance in front of an imperial backdrop, and is converted into a New Year’s market after Christmas. The Advent market in front of Belvedere Palace is also held in an imperial ambience. Children in particular also really appreciate the Christmas market on Karlsplatz.
Courtesy of the Vienna Convention Bureau