The UK’s first Crowne Plaza Resort has recently opened after a multi-million pound refurbishment of the Five Lakes Colchester hotel. The four-star resort includes several meeting rooms and a banqueting and exhibition arena suitable for trade shows and events up to 4,000 delegates.
A £40m new venue is to be built in partnership with Liverpool City Council and ACC Liverpool, home to BT Convention Centre and Echo Arena. The facility, which will be adjacent to ACC Liverpool on the Kings Dock, is to open for business in September 2014. The new space will be divided into three interconnected, pillar-free halls of 2,700sqm each.
A 200 bed upmarket hotel is to be built at the University of Nottingham. The £20m eco-friendly hotel, which will be built on University Park, will be available for use by conference delegates, university visitors, local businesses and the general public. The hotel will feature state-of-the-art technology to reduce carbon emissions, as part of the University’s strategy to become a more environmentally-friendly institution. It will be sited next to the East Midlands Conference Centre and will feature some executive-style rooms, meeting and conferencing rooms, a gym as well as a restaurant and bar. Subject to planning approval, building work is expected to commence in 2011, with completion due summer 2012.
Edinburgh International Conference Centre is to build an additional 3,500sqm of event space. The new facility is due to open in spring 2013 and will more than double the EICC’s current event space offering. The expansion will add a further nine new major event spaces, with subdivision options to form 12 distinct areas.
Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna, opening 2012. Situated in the historical heart of the Danube metropolis, the property will offer exceptional service and quality of the recognized Kempinski standard from the very first day of its opening – naturally stylish and refined, witty and daring but warm through and through. The Palais Hansen is uniquely located on Schottenring, a close neighbour to the Vienna Stock Exchange, St Stephen’s Cathedral and all of Vienna’s major attractions. Once renovated, the historical Viennese palace will glow as a 5-star deluxe hotel, offering 150 rooms and suites, two restaurants, a bar, fitness center and spa with pool, meeting and conference facilities as well as 18 exclusive penthouse residences.
Kursaal Bern opens a new event foyer and will extend over 2000 square meters. It will be fronted by an expansive glass facade with fine views extending from Bern’s historic old town quarter to the distant Alps. The Foyer will also be equipped with special ceiling lighting, creating an ideal and inviting ambience for a wide range of events. Other new amenities at the Kursaal Bern (from the end of October) will include two state-of-the-art boardrooms for discerning business guests, with private access assured. The renovation will culminate with the opening of the new arena in summer of 2012, making Kursaal Bern one of Switzerland’s most attractive conference venues.
In the first half of the year 2011 Hungary hosted 212 international conferences with more than 56.600 participants. The average number of participants per meeting was 267 people. The average length of the conferences was 3,8 days. The majority of the conferences were 2 or 3 days long (52,8%)The subject of the most international conferences were economical (25,9%) followed by medical (25%) and other scientific topics. In the first six months 72,6% of the international conferences were held in Budapest, and more than three quarters of the conference participants (84,2%) arrived from foreign countries.
212-room Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel is due to open in April 2012. Offering stunning views of the Bosphorus, the magnificent towering Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel will be located on the European side of Istanbul, midway between the areas of Taksim and Levent. The 20-story Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel will feature a rooftop bar boasting incredible city views, a lobby bar, bistro and all-day dining restaurant with outdoor terrace. For leisure and relaxation, the hotel will offer state-of-the-art fitness facilities including an indoor pool, sauna, steam room and Turkish bath. The Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel will join seven existing properties in Marriott International’s portfolio in Turkey, including the newly opened EDITION Istanbul Hotel and soon-to-open JW Marriott Hotel Ankara.
Two brand new hotels, the Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn situated right next to each in the iconic THE SQUARE building at Frankfurt Airport. With direct access to Terminal 1 via pedestrian skywalk, Situated above the high-speed train station, 15 taxi minutes and excellent public transport connections to downtown Frankfurt and the trade fair grounds. With a total of 683 bedrooms between the two hotels and the Hilton Frankfurt Airports ability to host a maximum of 570 theatre style, this is a great addition to the group. The hotel expects to open its doors on the 1st Dec 2011. At this stage, the hotel is accepting reservations (individuals and groups) for arrivals February 1st 2012 and beyond.
Mandarin Oriental has opened its new 138 room hotel in Paris on Rue Saint Honore. The hotels indoor oriental garden can be used for private drinks receptions and there are four meeting rooms, the largest holding 70 theatre style.