The Riu Plaza Hotel near Kurfürstendamm will begin welcoming its guests in 2015 as well. Just 250 metres from KaDeWe, the Spanish hotel will offer 357 guest rooms and six conference rooms for up to 840 participants.
The Amano Group is also continuing to invest in Berlin. After opening its first hotel here in 2009, its largest hotel yet will open in 2015, directly opposite Berlin’s Main Rail Station, and will be christened the AMANO GRAND CENTRAL. 249 rooms and a conference centre are planned. Highlights include a health club overlooking the government district and a rooftop terrace and sky bar.
New Hotels for Berlin 2015
Berlin offers some of the most modern hotel landscapes in Europe and 2015 will see the number of new hotels in Berlin continue to increase.
The Aygün hotel group from Turkey is planning two new Titanic hotels for Berlin. The Titanic Deluxe Berlin will open in February 2015 after renovations on the former costume and props storage building of the Deutsche Staatsoper on Französische Straße next to the Gendarmenmarkt are complete. 208 rooms and suites on six floors will be on offer. A grand ballroom and a 100 m² conference area equipped with the latest technology will also be featured at the luxury hotel. In autumn 2015, the group will then open the Titanic Business Berlin hotel on Chausseestraße in the northern part of the Mitte district. The hotel will have 389 rooms and suites with modern furnishings which will ensure a luxurious ambience. A 1,800 m² ballroom and 15 meeting rooms with the latest conference technology will also be featured by this new convention hotel.
The Riu Plaza Hotel near Kurfürstendamm will begin welcoming its guests in 2015 as well. Just 250 metres from KaDeWe, the Spanish hotel will offer 357 guest rooms and six conference rooms for up to 840 participants.
The Amano Group is also continuing to invest in Berlin. After opening its first hotel here in 2009, its largest hotel yet will open in 2015, directly opposite Berlin’s Main Rail Station, and will be christened the AMANO GRAND CENTRAL. 249 rooms and a conference centre are planned. Highlights include a health club overlooking the government district and a rooftop terrace and sky bar.
Barcelona – if you’re looking for an unusual venue
In November, our team of international venue finders visited EIBTM. Katharine went to visit some unusual venues, which really have a flavour of Barcelona and are ideal for offsite dinners.
The National Art Museum of Catalonia is open to the public every day and can be used by groups in the evening for dinners. The capacity is 2,000 people in the main room and guests have access to the art collections in the galleries on either side of the foyer. The terrace in front of the building or foyer area can be used for a drinks reception. Very little needs to be done to the main room in the way of decoration as coloured lighting can be used to great effect, which is fortunate as the galleries close to the public at 6pm in the winter and 8pm in summer. On the 1st floor the Cupola room is domed with a painted ceiling and statues and has capacity for 200 people for dinner. This is linked to a restaurant with balcony looking over the city, fountains and bull ring. The restaurant can be privatised for groups of 140.
The Maritime Museum is a gothic building in the old port area, between the sea and La Rambla. It has one main room: The Sala Marques da Commillas, with a marble floor, stone pillars and wooden arched ceiling which has capacity of 800 for a dinner. There is also a gallery with a huge replica ship and the courtyard, either of which could be used for a drinks reception.
The Palau de la Musica is an art deco building, with a bar in the courtyard outside and inside is a tiled arcade with stained glass. The main concert hall has a spectacular glass skylight and can take 350 for a dinner. The foyer area or courtyard can be used for drinks. Alternatively the foyer has capacity for 320 for dinner. There are rehearsal rooms and a smaller concert hall, also in art deco style and a modern auditorium which can also be used for events. The drawback with this venue is that is can only be used when there are no concerts. There is no parking so it is not possible to drop large groups by coach outside.
Our international team visited Barcelona recently to take a look at some of the hotels that are suitable for our clients. The city was looking good and we came away with plenty of options for different sizes of groups and in style and location.
The first hotel stop was the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos, only 15 minutes from the airport, with spectacular views over the city. This is a 5* hotel and has recently become a Fairmont property. It has a large amount of conference space with flexible meeting rooms in the hotel building and a convention centre in the grounds. The largest room is a purpose-built auditorium of 2,000 people. There are three pavilions in the gardens for events there’s lots of outside space too. This hotel really is a great option for large groups and it offers a wide variety of different locations on the same site. Refurbishment of the whole property will start in 2015 and take three years to complete. The existing restaurant will be extended, shops in the lobby will be removed and a destination restaurant added.
The Silken Diagonal is a modern 4-star hotel located on the Av. Diagonal and only 20 minutes from Barcelona El Prat Airport. The hotel has a large welcoming foyer area that is full of interesting features that contribute to a subtle ship theme. The hotel has 5 meeting spaces located on the lower ground floor that are fully flexible with partitioned walls. The rooms are well-equipped with the latest AV technology.
The Majestic Hotel & Spa is situated in the middle of Paseo de Gracia, close to Gaudi’s building and in the heart of the city. The luxury 5 star hotel has a welcoming foyer off the main street which instantly provides a calming environment from the busy city just outside. The 275 bedrooms were refurbished in 2012 in an elegant and traditional style with modern touches throughout. There are 9 soundproof meetings rooms, the largest of which can seat 500 theatre style, were also refurbished in 2012 and have air conditioning and high speed WiFi.
The Hilton Barcelona is located on Barcelona’s main avenue, Diagonal Mar. It is within easy reach of two large shopping centres, the FC Barcelona stadium and El Palacio de Congressos de Catalunya and just 10 minutes from the city centre. It has been refurbished within the last 18 months and has a modern and contemporary feel. As you enter the building you are greeted by the large bar area which is bright with a large orange sculpture that extends up the core of the building – the reception is to the left as you enter.
There are two meeting levels, one with natural daylight and one without. The two main ballrooms are on the lower ground, although they don’t have natural daylight they have a high ceiling (4.7m) and no pillars and the lighting replicates natural daylight. Both ballrooms can be divided into three rooms and the maximum capacity in both are 125 pax, theatre style. There is a large foyer outside ideal for catering and an exhibition area, there is also access to a patio area which can be set up with sofas for outside seating. The other 7 meeting rooms are located on the first floor, all have natural daylight with access to the upper foyer area for catering and exhibition. The open core in the heart of building lends itself to lots of light and the feeling of space.
There is an impressive restaurant in the style of Gaudi that opens up onto the terrace at the front of the hotel. During the summer months there are always tables with umbrellas in this area giving the hotel a bit of a buzz. This is a smart, business hotel in a good location. It is functional but with a touch of class – the staff were also extremely welcoming and friendly.
The hotel Princess Sofia is a traditional 5* property located on the Diagonal Mar Avenue. It is a large property with plenty of meeting space but in need of refurbishment in places. It has a very grand entrance way, lots of dark wood and marble with classical, bold décor. The hotel has 500 bedrooms and 28 Meeting Rooms, the majority of which are located on the first and second floor. There are 4 fixed meeting rooms on the 18th floor that have great views of Barcelona and a panoramic room on the 19th floor allowing 360 degree views and with a great terrace for reception drinks. The meeting rooms offer lots of option for layout but there are pillars that need to be taken into consideration. The large meeting rooms all have natural daylight. There is also a spa on the first floor located near to the meeting space.
The service and welcome at the hotel was excellent and the meeting facilities are very good. It is however, a very traditional hotel with a few signs of wear and tear. There is free WiFi throughout the hotel and upgrades to the executive level (an additional €60) gives access to the executive lounge, a complimentary massage in the Spa and free use of the meeting rooms for up to 2 hours.
The Hesperia Presidente is a smaller property with just 151 bedrooms and 8 meeting rooms. The maximum capacity is 110 theatre-style. Although the reception area is small it is elegant with some impressive sculptures and natural stone. The meeting space is located on the 2nd floor, all rooms have natural daylight but there are columns in the rooms which need to be taken into consideration. The attention to detail in this hotel is very good, with lots of little touches that make a good impression from the sweet cart in the foyer space to the large, sometimes quirky, sculptures throughout.
The bedrooms were quite small but with great views. They were elegantly furnished with a modern and contemporary finish. Our feeling is that it is a lovely, boutique hotel, elegantly furnished and in a good location.
The Hilton Diagonal Mar is situated at the end of the main avenue in Barcelona close to the sea and the Barcelona International Conference Centre and opposite a large shopping centre. It is a large, spacious hotel, with a bright and airy reception. There are 433 bedrooms, many with a sea view and 22 meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 1,000 delegates. There is one large ballroom that can host up to 700 delegates, although it has no natural daylight, the room opens up onto a spacious foyer with floor to ceiling glass windows. It also has one of the tallest ceilings at 7m high. There are various size break out rooms across 3 floors of the hotel, most of which have natural daylight. The hotel has a modern and contemporary feel, the bedrooms are well equipped and there are also relaxation rooms for the business traveller, decorated in relaxing colours and a comfortable office area to work from. There is a lovely roof terrace with a newly constructed pergola which would be ideal for reception drinks or a networking event.
This area of Barcelona has a number of large conference hotels, it is a bit like a concrete jungle but with access to the beach and lovely promenade just minutes away it is an ideal location for large groups. It is also 20km from the airport, which depending on traffic could mean a lengthy transfer.
AC Hotel Barcelona Forum has a very cool, urban feel, almost masculine in design and colouring. It is dark, with greys, blacks and a touch of red and the interior finishing has an industrial design, for example metal meshing and scaffolding poles around the stairwells, all very tastefully finished. One of the main plenaries is on the 4th floor and has natural daylight with a maximum capacity of 200 theatre style. The break out rooms are opposite and all have modern AV technology and daylight There is also the Sagrada Familia which is the largest plenary with a maximum capacity of 550 theatre style.
The hotel restaurants are very impressive, with high quality designer furnishings. There is also a spa and roof top pool, which can be used to host a cocktail evening. There are 368 bedrooms in total, most of which have a great sea view.
The Eurostars Grand Marina is situated at the marina in the heat of Barcelona and designed to look like a liner to blend in with the boats and cruise ships that frequent the port. It has a very welcoming feel with bright and airy rooms and tasteful furnishings. There is a terrace on the 8th floor that can be hired exclusively which has superb views of the city’s coastline. The meeting space is limited but there is direct access to the congress building next door and works in conjunction with that space. There is a very nice private dining space accessible through a private corridor. There are 291 bedrooms which were refurbished a year ago, most have sea views.
Considerations: When a cruise ship has docked in the Marina it is immediately adjacent to the hotel, it is so close you can see into the rooms and watch the activities on the deck. There are two cruise ships per week during high season and one during the low season.
Barcelo Sants hotel sits immediately above the main train station and can be accessed through the station itself or by a sweeping driveway behind. It is a very modern hotel and has been given a ‘space’ theming throughout in a recent refurbishment. The main reception area is large with a very tall ceiling. There is a space hub in the centre with a circular light fixture to give a modern and futuristic feel which has been finished off with ‘pop’ seats. The hotel has 3000sqm of event space with 14 Meeting Rooms and a large exhibition hall that can hold cars. The 364 bedrooms have an orbital feel, they are very modern with clean lines and open plan bathrooms. Considerations: This is a very different hotel and the theming works very well. The location is a little off putting from the outside but once you’re in the hotel you have very little knowledge of being above a train station. There are great views from the hotel but has little outdoor space.
The 5* JW Marriott Marquis Dubai is the Guinness Book of Records tallest hotel in the world. It is also the largest hotel in Dubai with 1608 bedrooms, 804 in each tower. With 24 meeting rooms and 2 ballrooms it has the largest conference space in Dubai. The hotel is a 72-story, twin-tower skyscraper complex with the first tower having opened in February 2013 and the second tower in January 2015. The hotel is built in the shape of a palm tree and has 8 restaurants and 5 bars. The hotel will be hosting Expo 2020.
A new Iberostar Hotel has opened in Madrid. The Iberostar Las Letras Hotel, in the centre of Madrid located on the Gran Via, has 103 bedrooms and 6 flexible meetings spaces. With a total of 400 sqm of meeting space this provides a new option for city centre conferences in the Spanish capital. The venue, which is currently offering special MICE bedrooms rates, also has a gym and wellness centre.
For events that meet these requirements under this new legislation, it will represent potential savings of between 10% and 21% for agencies and end-user clients, according to the service in question.
Thanks Cititavel for this information
To be able to invoice without VAT, an event must be a B2B transaction involving a “complex organizational service”. It must clearly be shown that the event is a unique occasion and, generally speaking, a business event eg. a product launch, conference.
For events that meet these requirements under this new legislation, it will represent potential savings of between 10% and 21% for agencies and end-user clients, according to the service in question.
Thanks Cititavel for this information
New regulations introduced in January 2015 mean that there are more possibilities for Spanish DMCs to invoice their clients without the addition of VAT. The new legislation goes further than the provisions of the Reverse Charge Mechanism by extending the circumstances in which Spanish DMCs are able to invoice without the addition of VAT.
To be able to invoice without VAT, an event must be a B2B transaction involving a “complex organizational service”. It must clearly be shown that the event is a unique occasion and, generally speaking, a business event eg. a product launch, conference.
For events that meet these requirements under this new legislation, it will represent potential savings of between 10% and 21% for agencies and end-user clients, according to the service in question.
Thanks Cititavel for this information
New regulations introduced in January 2015 mean that there are more possibilities for Spanish DMCs to invoice their clients without the addition of VAT. The new legislation goes further than the provisions of the Reverse Charge Mechanism by extending the circumstances in which Spanish DMCs are able to invoice without the addition of VAT.
To be able to invoice without VAT, an event must be a B2B transaction involving a “complex organizational service”. It must clearly be shown that the event is a unique occasion and, generally speaking, a business event eg. a product launch, conference.
For events that meet these requirements under this new legislation, it will represent potential savings of between 10% and 21% for agencies and end-user clients, according to the service in question.
Thanks Cititavel for this information
Good Tax news for events in Spain
New regulations introduced in January 2015 mean that there are more possibilities for Spanish DMCs to invoice their clients without the addition of VAT. The new legislation goes further than the provisions of the Reverse Charge Mechanism by extending the circumstances in which Spanish DMCs are able to invoice without the addition of VAT.
To be able to invoice without VAT, an event must be a B2B transaction involving a “complex organizational service”. It must clearly be shown that the event is a unique occasion and, generally speaking, a business event eg. a product launch, conference.
For events that meet these requirements under this new legislation, it will represent potential savings of between 10% and 21% for agencies and end-user clients, according to the service in question.
Trinity enjoyed a visit from Mason Rose and their hotel representatives to learn about the new developments in their properties. So if you’re looking for a hotel abroad for your next event, these are a few to consider:
Loews Miami Beach Hotel, USA – a stylish Art-Deco hotel, seconds from Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road and 20 minutes transfer from Miami International Airport. All the meeting space has now been completely renovated and has capacity for up to 2,500 delegates. In addition, the hotel is now offering Day Delegate Rates. There are 790 renovated bedrooms and a new cocktail bar called The Rum Line. The Loews Miami Beach Hotel is celebrating its 17th Birthday this year.
Forte Village Resort, Sardinia – a luxury beachfront resort composed of 8 different properties, 35 minutes drive from Cagliari International Airport. BA will start flying directly from Gatwick Airport 3 times per week, from April 2015, which will improve the access for conferences and meetings. As well as meeting space for up to 2,000 delegates, there are a wide range of activities such as water sports, golf, tennis. The Il Castello (rooms, lobby, pool) have recently been refurbished and two new restaurants opened.
Puente Romano Beach Resort Marbella, Spain – located on the Golden Mile, the hotel is only 35 minutes drive from Malaga International Airport. The hotel has spent £26m on renovating the meeting space, bedrooms and communal areas and new food and beverage facilities added, including Michelin Star dining. The meeting rooms can accommodate up to 600 delegates and there are 268 bedrooms.
Cape Sounio Grecotel Exclusive Resort, Greece – a beachfront resort on the Athens Riviera, overlooking the Temple of Poseidon, 30 minutes drive from Athens International Airport. This hotel has meeting space for up to 650 delegates and accommodation in 150 bungalows and villas. There are 7 restaurants and bars with great views.
Vila Vita Parc in the Algarve has announced a multi-million euro renovation, which includes refurbishments to the main building, gardens, bedroom sand suites. In addition there will be new outdoor furniture in some of the restaurants as well as re-landscaping of the beautiful gardens. The hotel has six conference rooms and 180 bedrooms.
Loews Regency New York Hotel, USA – located in Midtown Manhattan, a few steps from Central Park and 30-45 minutes drive from the city’s airports. This hotel was closed for renovation and re-opened in January 2014 following a complete renovation. There is new and contemporary event space with natural daylight for up to 75 people and 79 modern bedrooms.
Hotel Dubrovnik Palace, Croatia – only 10 minutes drive from the Old Town of Dubrovnik and 30 minutes drive from Dubrovnik International Airport. This hotel re-opened in April 2014 with 308 refurbished bedrooms and renovated meeting space.
For more information, please call our team of international venue finders on 01780 483036.
Since 2009 the North Tower of Hilton Madrid Airport has been classed as a four-star establishment and following a recent re-qualification the part of the hotel which is located in the South tower has also gained four-star status.
The Altis Grand Hotel has won with the Best Hotel Renovation / Refurbishment – Country Winner 2014 by the International Hotel Awards following refurbishment which was completed in 2014. All of the 300 bedrooms, 20 meeting rooms and public areas were renovated and a new spa was created. The property still reflects its heritage, but it is also decorated with contemporary artworks by Portuguese artists.
The Inspira Santa Marta Hotel has been voted “Green Hotel of the Year” by the European Hospitality Awards, in the ecology and sustainability segment. This 4-star, boutique hotel is located in the city centre and has 89 bedrooms and two meeting rooms, with a capacity of 90 and 60 in theatre style.
The Altis Grand Hotel has won with the Best Hotel Renovation / Refurbishment – Country Winner 2014 by the International Hotel Awards following refurbishment which was completed in 2014. All of the 300 bedrooms, 20 meeting rooms and public areas were renovated and a new spa was created. The property still reflects its heritage, but it is also decorated with contemporary artworks by Portuguese artists.
Award winning hotels in Lisbon
The Inspira Santa Marta Hotel has been voted “Green Hotel of the Year” by the European Hospitality Awards, in the ecology and sustainability segment. This 4-star, boutique hotel is located in the city centre and has 89 bedrooms and two meeting rooms, with a capacity of 90 and 60 in theatre style.
The Altis Grand Hotel has won with the Best Hotel Renovation / Refurbishment – Country Winner 2014 by the International Hotel Awards following refurbishment which was completed in 2014. All of the 300 bedrooms, 20 meeting rooms and public areas were renovated and a new spa was created. The property still reflects its heritage, but it is also decorated with contemporary artworks by Portuguese artists.
The Marmara Taksim hotel in Istanbul has recently returned to The Hosmark Hotel group and has just completed another phase of its $28 million refurbishment, which has included the renovation of their twelve meeting rooms and two ballrooms. Half of the hotels 376 bedrooms have been completed, and the remaining rooms are due to be finished by June 2015.
