Hotels, Venues & Event news
Chelsea Football Club has opened the Director Lounge for meetings and events within the Stamford Bridge ground. Previously this area was reserved for senior club members only, however is now available for exclusive hire with space for up to 150 for a drinks reception or 48 for dinner. The room features the Chelsea Football Club trophy cabinet and a terrace which leads off of the meeting room with views of the pitch.
The venue, which was originally a textile mill and has recently been used a creative arts and music hotspot, can host a maximum of 1,400 guests for a standing event. Seated banquets can also be arranged, for groups of up to 350.
This developing space also caters for outdoor events, with a large area able to accommodate a marquee along with wooden decking and seating. The venue can also host street food vendors for summer events and BBQs in the city.
Matt Long, venue and events manager at Canal Mills, said: “With four successful years under our belt as a music and arts venue, and having already hosted companies such as Spotify and Red Bull, we’re now officially launching Canal Mills as a multi-functional events space, which we hope will be a great addition to the events scene in Leeds.”
Gleneagles hotel in Perthshire has announced that it will see a multi-million pound refurbishment to upgrade and improve the property. The refurbishment comes as a result of a substantial investment from new owners of Gleneagles, Ennismore, and aims to make the most of the venues heritage, architecture and setting.
The refurbishment will see new spaces where guests can mingle whilst enjoying views of the Penrithshire countryside, and will be created throughout the public areas of the hotel. A new bar will open in the Dormy Clubhouse and the main bar will also be refurbished. The bedrooms will be transformed with detailing, fabrics and craftsmanship to create a warm country estate feel.
Gleneagles have put plans in place to keep disruption to a minimum, and the hotel will remain open throughout the refurbishment. The hotel plan to respect the buildings history and heritage, build on this. They will ensure the iconic Gleneagles brand remains synonymous with luxury, and maintains its position among the leading hotels of the world.
Birmingham’s Escape Live has been described as Crystal Maze meets Cluedo. Located in the Jewellery Quarter the venue is great for team building for up to 10 delegates. Participants have 60 minutes to escape from a locked room by solving a series of puzzles, there are two themed rooms to choose from; Dr Wilson’s office and Room 13. Both very different in style this venue is sure to get your delegates working as a team to solve the puzzles and escape the rooms.
Birmingham’s NEC has opened a new beach area that has been created next to the venue’s iconic man-made lake. The beach, coupled with the new lakeside garden which opened last summer, has transformed the landscape of the NEC’s front door and offers the six million people who visit the NEC campus each year, a unique outdoor experience. The new feature sits next to the lake between the NEC venue, Genting Arena and Resorts World Birmingham. It includes a sand coloured pebble beach and contemporary designed Gabion wall, with integrated seating which arc’s around the beach, set off by seven striking topiary trees.
The lake was originally built to take away surface water from the venue, but since the opening of Resorts World Birmingham at the end of last year, which attracts an additional three million visitors to the NEC campus, it has now become a focal point.
The new beach area has been created as part of an on-going brand project at the NEC, which aims to shift the visitor experience from functional to experiential. Over the last 12 months the project has seen the refurbishment the Piazza Garden – which sits between halls 1-5 – and the introduction of engaging wall graphics outside the venue’s conference suites which aims to encourage delegates to think about innovation, learning and bringing people together.
Last month the Park Regis Birmingham was opened, bringing a brand new 253 bedroomed hotel to Birmingham centre. Meeting space is located on level 15 of the hotel offering panoramic views of the city, there are 5 meeting rooms to choose from with the largest accommodating up to 150 delegates. Drinking and dining can take place in either an a la carte restaurant, an all-glass Saki bar or a pan-Asian restaurant that is located on level 16.
Park Plaza Riverbank is extending the hotel by an additional 5 floors. This will bring the total bedroom capacity to 650. This extension will also include additional meeting space which will now be located on the ground floor. The total capacity is 400 for a reception, splitting into 3 rooms to accommodate approximately 150 theatre, 80 theatre and 70 theatre style in each of the 3 sections accordingly.
The Thames meeting room is now becoming a new Latino Bar named Chino and will be located on the ground floor as well.
Throughout the year all of the bedrooms are being refurbished and the Ballroom and Plaza Suite have also recently undergone refurbishment including new carpets, lighting and décor.
The extension will be completed by the end of Summer 2016 and by the end of the year all refurbishment work will be complete.
The VOX opened in October 2015 with a host of outlet shops, 11 screen cinema, 4 star hotel, conference and banqueting facilities and 18 bars and restaurants. Each of the five meeting rooms within the VOX are equipped with the latest technology and can accommodate for events from 16 delegates to 900, there are also three boardrooms than can host up to a maximum of 100 delegates. The technology highlights include 4K resolution screens, a large media wall and movable digital podiums.