Author: Suzi Johnson

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Bateaux London to relaunch new boats

Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events, is reinventing dining on the water with the relaunch of two of its classic boats as modern dining experiences. 

Bateaux London Cruises

Under the umbrella of the Bateaux London, the Glass Room will open this November with the River Room completed by Easter 2019. These destination dining rooms on the water, sailing from Embankment Pier, will welcome individual diners, corporate dining, celebrations and private charter.

The Glass Room can accommodate 235 as for dining and 400 guests for a reception. Signature features include an exterior viewing platform for groups of up to 60 and a private dining room seating 10.

Bateaux London sunset cruise
Bateaux London

“Bateaux spearheaded dining on the Thames over 25 years ago and we are so excited to be yet again leading the way with a new, elevated offering. Our aim is to bring a truly unique food-led experience to the Thames, not just a destination restaurant, but a complete onboard package complemented by outstanding design, impeccable service and a quality food offering not to mention striking views.’’

Catrin White, marketing director at Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events
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New multi-million venue Magazine London set to open in summer 2019

A new multi-million-pound event space named Magazine London is set to open in Greenwich, London, from summer 2019.

The venue will host live events, conferences and exhibitions, with views of Canary Wharf and 5,400sqm of venue space over two main rooms. One is a sleek, modern blank canvas with two large mezzanines, ideal for seminars and VIP areas.

Magazine London - set to open 2019
Magazine London – set to open 2019

The venue is conceived by Venue Lab, a Vibration Group company which created Printworks London and Landing Forty Two. The brand was created in conjunction with London’s Carter Studio, which has worked with Unilever, Norton and F1. The building was designed by architect of the V&A Lecture Theatre and Seoul Opera House, Nissen Richards.

In addition to the contemporary indoor space, Magazine London’s USP is the adjoining Showground – a landscaped environment on the banks of the Thames boasting 13,985sqm and a capacity of 7,000.

It can deliver a combined space of 19,379sqm and a capacity of 10,000, opening up the potential for events, brand activations and festivals that require an outdoor element.

 “London is still very much at the forefront of the global conferencing and exhibition market and Magazine, with its incredible flexibility both indoor and out, is ground breaking.

“It provides the perfect space for boutique and incubating B2B and B2C shows, offering excellent branding opportunities and a high-impact solus venue that provides a better home than sharing larger exhibition venues with other established shows.”


Simon Tracey, CEO – Vibration Group
Greenwich Peninsula - The Magazine
Greenwich Peninsula

Construction of the venue is due to start in December and is located in the heart of Greenwich Peninsula on the riverbank with views of Canary Wharf and have capacity for 3,000 people. The venue is easily accessible by the Underground (within a three minute walk), road and river.

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Leading industry figures gather for mia sustainability conference

The Meetings Industry Association (mia) recently kicked off its campaign encouraging the business meetings and events industry to use less single-use plastic, with a roundtable discussion.

mia logo

Key discussions from the debate, which is being championed by mia chair Kay England, included engaging government, metrics and benchmarking, addressing cost issues, sharing best practice and working collaboratively with other sustainability leaders.

The roundtable was the industry’s first debate focusing on the issues and opportunities facing the sector. It aims to reach caterers, hotels, venues and suppliers in the business meetings and events industry across the UK.

Industry panellists shared ways they were operating more sustainably. Ivor Turner, general manager at The Lensbury, described how sales dropped by 50 per cent when they initially removed plastic bottles from their vending machines – until they educated guests. 

He said: “People aren’t as green as they make out to be. People have habits and having the tin didn’t register. As soon as we put the reason up, the sales went back up.”

The discussion turned to the importance of agreed and set metrics for measuring sustainability, as well as introducing official accreditation for venues and suppliers.

Jane Longhurst, chief executive of the mia, commented: “Demonstrating the impact and your savings is what I think the mia needs to take responsibility for. Helping people with a template or something that says ’this is how you measure it, this is how you take it to your client and this is your saving’ will be key, because you’ve got to sell it to the accountant as well.”

After the debate, mia chair Kay England, said: “It was fantastic to have some of the leading minds in the industry and sustainability sharing their passion, expertise and ideas on turning the tide on single-use plastic during our initial roundtable.

“Their commitment and enthusiasm has helped further fuel the mia’s desire to effect positive change. We are now finalising the framework of the campaign and compiling a whitepaper.” 

To find out more about the mia, visit www.mia-uk.org.

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The Floating Hotel – The Good Hotel

We’ve recently visited The Good Hotel – a floating hotel, situated on a fixed mooring close to the London ExCel Centre and London City Airport. Here’s an insight from Alex Jarvis into the hotel and what you can expect following his latest site inspection…

The Floating Hotel close to London ExCel Centre

Floating Hotel location

The hotel is a short walk from Royal Victoria DLR, and is also a very short walk from the Emirates cable car over the Thames to the Millennium Dome if you fancy a different mode of transport for the day. 

Situated on a lovely site on the former docks with views of the surrounding areas, which lends a charming peaceful atmosphere to the place.

Floating Hotel offerings

The hotel opens onto a large open lobby, with informal seating merging into a bar, lounge and restaurant. The Good Hotel’s meeting rooms are located off a corridor on the same floor, with four meeting rooms available and are all decorated in quite a minimalistic way. All meeting rooms have views across the water, and are small to medium-sized.

The hotel also offers a rooftop bar which can either be completely privatised, or partially privatised. There’s fantastic views across the water and the nearby developments. There is also direct access to avoid entering through the hotel should you wish.


I thought the location and nature of the hotel (being a floating hotel) are two great draws for the property. Albeit it was a lovely sunny day when I visited, but the area around the hotel was nice and pleasant. The large docks and the Thames nearby created a charming scene. I thought the hotel could work well for London-based companies perhaps looking for a change of scene whilst still being within close reach of Zone 1 & 2.

The Good Hotel also has a key focus on CSR (the origin of the hotel’s name). A great drawing point for some customers. 

Visit their website to find out more.

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BMA House, EDGE Venues+ Member, Award Winners

BMA House, an EDGE venues+ member has won the Hire Space prestigious Greenest Venue Award.

On Wednesday 24th October the BMA House events team saw the unveiling of the 2018 Hire Space Awards at Museum of London. This celebrated high achievers in the events industry within 15 categories. The team were shortlisted as a finalist in the Forward-Thinking Venues category for ‘Greenest Venue’, as well as the top senior sales and events planner, Hannah Anderson being nominated as ‘Unsung Hero’.

Up against strong competition from Lord’s Cricket Ground and ORTUS, they were lucky enough to win this prestigious ‘Greenest Venue’ award!


We are one proud events team! Winning this award has made all our efforts seem worthwhile. Our venue places sustainability at the heart of everything we do and we’ll continue to support sustainable events and encourage our organisers and delegates to do the same. Furthermore, achieving a Gold accreditation in Green Tourism in 2017, one of just five venues in London, was no mean feat for a Grade II listed building. This prestigious certification was awarded for our inspirational environmental ethos and excellent practices throughout the business. In turn this led to us winning this award. But for now, we’ll continue to celebrate this great achievement!


Rebecca Hurley, Venue Marketing Manager
The BMA House team at the Hire Space winning the Greenest Venue Award

The Hire Space Awards celebrate the very best of the events industry by recognising and rewarding hard working, innovative and forward-thinking venues and event organisers from across the UK.

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Latest openings from NH Hotels

With more than 380 hotels in the NH Hotels Group, we’ve got everything you need to know on their newest offerings across Europe…

NH Essen – Germany

This new hotel with 182 rooms is located in the pedestrian zone of the city. Rest in one of its industrial looking rooms and contemplate the Essen skyline from the balconies on the rooms on the 6th floor.

NH Essen - Germany

nhow Marseille – France

This hotel was previously the NH Marseille Palm Beach but has been completely renovated and reopened as a nhow branded property, contemporary and design-led.  It is on the waterfront, about 10 minutes’ walk from the city centre.  The meeting space is multi-functional and the auditorium has capacity for 300 in theatre-style.   There are terraces which can be used for dinners and receptions.



NH Collection Eindhoven Centre – The Netherlands

This hotel opened a year ago and has now become the first 5-star hotel in the city of Eindhoven. It is located in the city centre. There are 6 meeting rooms, with flexible space and a maximum capacity of 160 theatre-style in the largest configuration.  The rooftop bar and terrace have beautiful views over the city.

NH Graz City – Austria

NH Graz City – Austria This hotel is located in the centre of Graz, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  It doesn’t have any meeting rooms, but the Congress Graz is within walking distance.

NH Graz City - Austria

Two more NH Hotels opening shortly…

The NH Collection Valencia Colon, will open on 15th November and it is right in the centre of Valencia.  It’s a boutique property with 47 bedrooms, but no meeting space.

The NH Toulouse Airport will open in January 2019.  It will have 12 meeting rooms and 148 bedrooms.

Want to know more? Find out what other NH Hotels have to offer here.

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Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants opens its doors to London

The brand makes its UK debut with the opening of Kimpton® Fitzroy London

Kimpton® Fitzroy London, the first UK hotel from boutique luxury brand, Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants, opens its doors in London’s Bloomsbury neighbourhood. The hotel combines late-Victorian heritage with a quirky, modern vibe. The existing glamour of the building paired with Kimpton’s signature heartfelt service brings a new hotel offering to London that delivers exclusivity for everyone.

Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants

Set on Russell Square within an iconic Grade II listed heritage building dating back to 1898, design-led Kimpton Fitzroy London features 334 luxurious rooms and suites, a large ballroom, various restaurants and bars, modern meeting rooms and a 24-hour fitness centre.

A true homage to British history and design, the hotel is named after the original architect of the building, Charles Fitzroy Doll, a Titan of British architecture in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.  The interior features striking, contemporary design by lead designer Tara Bernerd & Partners that thoughtfully honours the building’s heritage. The bedrooms are decorated with Kimpton’s bold and playful edge and include unexpected touches such as unique, contemporary artwork and vibrant floral cushions, featuring a bespoke design by British textile artist Kit Miles.

Kimpton Fitzroy London offers Kimpton’s much-loved signature touches including in-room yoga mats, complimentary bikes to explore the city, tea and coffee to fuel up for the day, and welcomes pets to stay for free. In true Kimpton style, perks take on a local slant and the hotel will host a complimentary champagne hour – a daily social gathering for hotel guests.

“This hotel will bring a new luxury approach to the UK– a more inclusive style of luxury as opposed to museum-like spaces so guests don’t need to keep their voices down in the lobby, or wear a suit jacket to dinner. A defining trait for the Kimpton brand is the focus on heartfelt human connections. We want guests to enjoy the glamour of a historic iconic building but still feel free to be themselves. It’s an approach we’re excited to bring to London, as we know it’s what guests in this city are craving.”

Paul Walters, General Manager of Kimpton Fitzroy London

Kimpton Fitzroy London has an interior courtyard, the Palm Court, which provides a peaceful oasis away from the hustle and bustle of central London. Neptune restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner with a range of modern seafood dishes courtesy of duo Brett Redman and Margaret Crow in a stylish, yet relaxed environment. The 1920’s inspired Fitz’s is the spot to enjoy an evening cocktail while Burr & Co. coffee house awaits guests and locals throughout the day. Neptune, Fitz’s and Burr & Co. have all been designed by Russell Sage Studio.

Overlooking Bloomsbury’s Russell Square and only two minutes’ walk from Russell Square tube station, the hotel is located steps away from The British Museum, Lambs Conduit street and London’s West End, making Kimpton Fitzroy London the perfect base from which to explore all that the British capital has to offer.

Next year will see a continuation of the Kimpton brand’s momentum, with additional hotel openings in key UK cities including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester. Kimpton first launched in Europe in 2017 with the opening of Kimpton De Witt in Amsterdam, and since then the brand has rapidly increased its global footprint following signings in Barcelona, set to open in 2019, Tokyo and Paris, both set to open in 2020 and Frankfurt due to open in 2023. In the next few months Kimpton Da An Hotel in Taipei will also open its doors, the first Kimpton hotel in Asia.

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Lavish experience at Adare Manor

Adare Manor offers guests a lavish welcome and unforgettable hospitality in a spellbinding setting. The lush parkland and pristine woods of Adare Manor’s 840 acre estate provide a tranquil backdrop for this truly magical castle hotel, which overlooks the banks of County Limerick’s beautiful River Maigue. Every lovingly restored detail of the neo-gothic Manor House is a testament to the devotion to excellence and passion for beauty at the heart of the Adare Manor experience.

Lavish experience at Adare Manor

Dating back to 1832, the construction of Adare Manor was a labour of love for the Earls of Dunraven, and was cherished as their family home for generations. Today, it is one of Ireland’s most spellbinding luxury destinations. Each of the 104 guest rooms and suites combine authentic, immersive historical character and exceptional modern comfort. Guests will find air conditioning in every room, elevators to all floors, and seamlessly integrated technology designed to provide a fully personalised experience for every visitor.

For special events, international conferences, and weddings, the Grand Ballroom provides a spectacular reception venue for up to 350 people. The culinary offerings at Adare Manor have been  created to showcase the very best of fresh, artisanal Irish ingredients, from a candlelit tasting menu experience in The Oak Room to the effortless elegance of The Carriage House and private dining spaces or the innovative cocktails of The Tack Room. Within the Manor House, opportunities for relaxation and entertainment include the private luxury cinema, captivating historical tours, and the first La Mer Spa in Ireland and the UK.

The 840 acres of Adare Manor’s beautiful, lavish estate include formal and walled gardens, woodlands and rolling parklands. Enhanced through loving restoration and landscaping, they are a dazzling environment for a huge range of exciting activities.

Adare Manor on-site activities

• 18 hole championship golf course
• Spa treatments by La Mer
• Falconry
• Archery
• Clay pigeon shooting
• Cycling
• Gun dog experience
• Fishing on the River Maigue
• Historical tours
• Walking and running trails
• Children’s fairy walk in the woodlands

For those in search of adventure further afield, Adare Manor can arrange horseback riding, game shooting, and other exhilarating activities within a short drive of the estate.

Adare Manor events and conferencing

Ballroom (Divisible by 3)
• Banqueting style: 350 guests
• Theatre style: 440 guests
• Classroom style: 216 guests
• Boardroom style: 120 guests
• U Shaped: 120 guests

Boardroom
• 30 guests

Cinema
• 28 guests

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Greetings from The Barcelona EDITION

Having just opened this summer The Barcelona EDITION is thrilled to be welcoming their first guests through their doors and having a lot of fun doing so!

At The Barcelona EDITION, they can host an array of events including product launches, board meetings, incentives & social parties. With 5 spaces welcoming from 10 to 130 guests. 

Here’s a sneak peak into some of the event space they have available…

PUNCH ROOM – The Barcelona EDITION

A fresh incarnation of The London EDITION’s award-winning Punch Room occupies the mezzanine floor. This space is adapted seamlessly to suit the Barcelona zeitgeist, with daily punch tasters and a creative menu using local spirits and ingredients.

During the day, Punch Room is a fantastic space for guests looking for a unique meeting experience. Welcoming up to 40 people sitting in lounge style (20 sitting in lounge style with screen) or 60 standing.

THE ROOF – The Barcelona EDITION

Located on the 10th floor, The Roof, offers an unparalleled panoramic view over the city and offers food and drinks throughout the day. The kitchen offers small plates of light, flavorful Latin-American dishes with an Asian influence. All designed to be shared and enjoyed amongst friends or colleagues.

For the cooler or rainy days, service continues as the glass sliding walls come to a close to offer guests one of the only year-round rooftops in Barcelona. The Roof can welcome up to 45 people for welcome receptions, cocktails or celebrations.

BAR VERAZ – The Barcelona EDITION

The restaurant offers all-day dining with a focus on Mediterranean fare, focusing on the freshest, seasonal ingredients to attract not only residents, but locals alike. Bar Veraz acts to unite the hotel’s reception with an informal all-day dining restaurant.

Overseen by executive chef and founder of the global movement ‘Cooking in Motion’, Sebastian Mazzola,  formerly of Adria’s Tickets, Pakta and Bodega 1900. Bar Veraz can welcome  parties of  up to 25 people  for receptions  or  20 guests  for lunch or dinner. Larger groups on request.

PENTHOUSES – The Barcelona EDITION

The penthouses are located on the 9th floor with expansive Santa Caterina market rooftop view and the Barcelona skyline. They feature private terraces furnished with dinning and lounge areas, spacious bedroom and a separate custom furnished living room. The fully equipped kitchenette even comes with a separate service entrance.

They welcome up to 8 people in boardroom, lunch or dinner or 25-30 people for drinks receptions and cocktails. With connecting options available, private events can encompass our entire 9th floor.

CABARET – The Barcelona EDITION

Cabaret is more than a restaurant, a supper club with a sultry lounge area, an impressive cocktail bar and a superior food experience based around a tasting menu concept. The long, velvet curtains at the far end of the dining room will be drawn back to reveal the stage, framed by a large archway and ready to expose the night’s entertainment. Anything from the hottest DJs and internationally renowned performers, playing out into the early hours of the morning.

Perfect for incentives, celebrations or product launches. Cabaret can welcome up to 80 people for lunch or dinner or 130 standing for parties and celebrations.

Find out more on EDITION Hotels here.

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3 new hotels to watch out for in 2019

From discreet meetings in Paris and medical conferences in Amsterdam, to incentives in the South of France, the Far East, the Caribbean and beyond, Amplified Hotels represent hotels and brands who have the know-how to make your event a success and excited to announce 3 new hotels planned for 2019…

#1 Club Med Magna Marbella

From next summer, Club Med returns to Spain.  Event planners can look forward to a ballroom for almost 900 delegates with two outdoor terraces, a dedicated events hub, 7 meeting rooms and almost 500 bedrooms.  All set within 14 hectares of lush gardens at the heart of the Costa del Sol.

Fly to Malaga Airport Costa del Sol (AGP) – 40 minutes

Club Med Magna Marbella
Club Med Magna Marbella

#2 Leonardo Royal Amsterdam

Few hotels in Amsterdam can boast a ballroom that can seat almost 800 people, with 6 metre high ceilings, natural daylight and an adjoining outdoor terrace. In total, the new Leonardo Royal Amsterdam will offer 11 meeting rooms and 490 bedrooms. Opens April 2019.

Fly to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) – 20 minutes

Leonardo Royal Amsterdam
Leonardo Royal Amsterdam

#3 Club Med Les Arcs Panorama

Set within one of the world’s largest ski areas, Club Med Les Arcs Panorama will open for winter and summer incentives from December. Surrounded by forest in the Tarentaise valley, the 4T resort will also feature an exclusive luxury 5T space – le Belvédère. 

Fly to Geneva Airport  (GVA) – 150 minutes

Club Med Les Arcs Panorama
Club Med Les Arcs Panorama