London Venues With A Difference

London venues with a difference
London venues with a difference

I recently spent the day in London, looking at some different venues in the Kings Cross and Euston area.  If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, this is a selection that might appeal.


BMA House


The location of this venue is 5 minutes’ walk from Euston Station in a secure building where all delegates receive a pass for entry. The Great Hall is a stunning room which used to be the library of the British Medical Association.  It is ideal for dinners, large conferences, awards events or gala dinners. The 3rd floor meetings rooms can be hired for exclusive use, this floor has its own registration desk and meetings room are all fit for purpose, 2 of the rooms on this floor have the original ceiling of the Great Hall which is beautiful. The Princes rooms is a great room with chandeliers and very traditional in style would be an ideal room for dinners, the Princes rooms also has its own foyer area which could be used for pre-dinner drinks. The venue does not have parking however Euston station does have car parking which is a short walk away. The John Snow and the Sir James Pageant rooms have secondary natural daylight, the corridor may be a little busy in the morning as staff arrive however during the day this would not be in constant use.


The London Mathematical Society 

The venue is located on Russell Square a 7 minute walk from Euston station. The venue would be ideal for clients on a budget. The meetings rooms are located on the lower floor but do have natural daylight.  The catering room is limited in space however another room could be depending on the size of the group. For delegate numbers of 18+ a compulsory waiter is required which will be provided by the venue. The venue does not have car parking however car parking can be found at Euston station.


Royal Society of Medicine – One Wimpole Street

The venue was easy to find and located a minute or so from Oxford Street. The venue has 3 auditoriums with high tech audio visual equipment in all and each auditorium has its own registration desk.  The seminar Suite can split into 3 rooms, the Training suite is used for medical procedures so this has a different feel to the other meeting rooms. The ENT room is a traditional and relaxed room, which would be great for board meetings or private dinners.  The main areas for catering are situated in the same facility, although the Max Rayne is surround by glass, the other two are close to each other and not partitioned so this should be taken into account. Although the lower ground meeting rooms do not have natural daylight the excellent use of light should not deter clients using these rooms.


RIBA – Royal Institute of British Architects – 66 Portland Place

The venue is located on Portland Place and is a stunning building with lots of history, guided tours of the building can be offered during lunch times. The Jarvis Suite comes with the Jarvis auditorium for 400 delegates and is a lovely room with natural daylight.  This room can also be hired on its own during the evening and at weekends. The Wren room is situated on the 6th floor and has great views across London with its own small terrace area which would be exclusive use. The smaller meetings rooms on the 5th floor would be ideal for syndicate rooms with 2 larger rooms also situated on this floor. The venue do not have onsite car parking however it is located within walking distance from Regents Park, Great Portland Street and Oxford Circus tube stations. The reception area can be a little noisy when delegates are moving from the Jarvis auditorium to the Jarvis Suite so I would suggest events to start in the morning or after lunch for afternoon meetings. 


Academy of Medical Science – 41 Portland Place

This venues was original a terraced house which still has period elegance and offers a unique space for meetings and events. The Ann Rylands room is stylish and opens out on to the terrace which would be ideal for dinners or summer parties. The Council Chambers is a lovely room and comes with the Reception room included. The entire venue can be hired for large or private events.  The Council Chamber has pillars in the room however the required layout would be placed with these in mind to ensure no delegates would have a restricted view. 


Park Crescent Conference Centre

The venue is located opposite Great Portland Street tube station and around the corner from Regents Park, some of the meeting rooms have great views over the park. The Gulbenkian room has a feature fire place and floor to ceiling windows that overlook Regents Park. The Club room is a room with floor to ceiling windows on 3 of the 4 walls which allows lots of natural daylight. The theatre has its own entrance with registration area which can be branded with the client’s company colours. The theatre can be used for any event as seating is not fixed, the brickwork shown on some of the walls adds a little extra to the space. The venue does not have onsite car parking whoever the distance from Great Portland tube station is about 1 minute walk. The Club room overlooks a busy road and some traffic noise can be heard at peak times. 


Wellcome Collection

The venue is easy to find and is located a 4 minute walk from Euston station on Euston Road. It has an auditorium which clients will automatically receive use of the William lounge and 2 syndicate rooms. The syndicates could also be used as offices.  The auditorium has 2 entrances into the William Lounge so getting delegates in and out is easy. All room hire charges include an audio visual technician which keeps the costs down. The Burroughs room is located on the lower ground floor with a semi private foyer, this would be an ideal room for presentations.  The reception area can be very busy and quite noisy at times as the public café is located next to the reception area which is all open plan. The William Lounge has pillars however would be an ideal catering area for the auditorium, although this room does not have natural daylight the excellent use of light ensures this room is bright and has a relaxed feel. 


Wallacespace – Dukes Road

This funky and contemporary in style venue is located on Dukes Road about 10 minute walk from Kings Cross station or 6 minutes from Euston station. This would be an ideal venue for training events or team building. Each floor has a breakout/coffee lounge area which is relaxed and a great space for any informal chats or catch ups. On the 3rd floor is a converted loft with 2 rooms and a small coffee station/area in the middle, this would be ideal for meeting which requires a more private but relaxed area as no other delegates would be venturing up there. The venue has a café located on the lower ground floor which also has a small garden area, delegates can use the café for breakfast which is included in the rates and also for lunch. The venue has a lot of stairs and this should be taken into consideration. The venue does not offer on-site car parking however Euston station is a short walk away.


For more information or to book one of these venues, please call 01780 484050 or email enquiries@trinityconferences.co.uk 

Macdonald Hotels Educational Visits

MacDonald Hotels educational visits
MacDonald Hotels educational visits

George Harriman-Hardy, Conference Administrator, attended the Macdonald Hotels educational and visited the following venues:


The MacDonald Berystede Hotel and Spa is the largest of the MacDonald properties. The hotel boasts a separate hall from the rest of the venue which can hold up 260 delegates in a dinner/dance layout. The venue also has numerous other spaces that can hold anything from a small boardroom to 120 delegates for a dinner.  One of the key features of the hotel is the state of the art spa facilities, which consist of a thermal spa with six spa treatment rooms, an 18-metre swimming pool, rock and infra-red saunas and an outdoor hydropool.   The area consist of large amounts of space, and a short distance from popular attractions such as Legoland, Thorpe Park, Windsor Castle and Wentworth Golf Course, perfect for team building.


MacDonald Complete Angler, Marlow


The Complete Angler hotel is situated in the town of Marlow next to the river Thames. The beautiful location of this venue makes it its unique selling point with two boardrooms, a restaurant and a large amount of the bedrooms are all situated looking over the river which provides a wonderful tranquil atmosphere. With regards to meeting space there are a few rooms which are situated in the main building and overlook the river. There are also two newly refurbished boardrooms that have the new smart boards and comfortable 24 hour chairs. The venue is also host to a restaurant owned by Atul Kochhar- the first Indian chef to receive the Michelin star.


MacDonald Hotel, Windsor


The MacDonald Windsor is the newest addition to the MacDonald portfolio. The property is very well designed with interior that is very welcoming and while also maintaining a somewhat homely atmosphere. The hotel is very eco-friendly while not compromising on luxury. The unique feature of this hotel is that they make their own honey and have 12,000 bee’s situated on the roof of the hotel that pollinate the royal gardens. There is also the changing of the guard every day outside the front of the property which has become a huge attraction.


Mercedes Benz World


Mercedes Benz World is a large and incredibly flexible venue that can accommodate a variety of bookings. The venue consists of several board rooms that are all appointed with the latest technology. There are rooms able to hold up to 70 for a dinner. For larger bookings, the hotel can rely upon their exhibition floor and The Brooklands Hall – both of which can hold 200+ for a dinner. The Mercedes Benz World really shines in the additional packages and experiences they offer for the clients, with a multitude of driving packages to make an event truly unique with friendly and professional instructors.

London Stadium – Allianz Park

London stadium - Allianz Park
London stadium – Allianz Park

Allianz Park is London’s newest stadium which is located in the heart of North London amongst 26 acres of land. It boasts a total of 22 function suites with capacities ranging from small meeting spaces all the way up to 2000 reception. In addition to the function suites there is also an artificial grass pitch which is used all year long by Saracens RFU and has been used by a number of NFL teams also. Allianz Park is dedicated to living up to its name as “a green oasis in London” and this is shown by the fact that they are the first BREEAM Excellent stadium in the United Kingdom and also won the most sustainable stadium award in 2014.

York Hotel Refurbishment

York hotel refurbishment
York hotel refurbishment
The Park Inn by Radisson York City Centre still feels very new after a renovation in 2012 which focussed on the reception area and bar. Starting in January 2015, 90 of the bedrooms are due to be refurbished and are due to be completed by March 2015. The venue also has an interesting space that is known as the Conference Café which was previously used to store surplus chairs, this area has been cleverly converted in to a small breakout/café area for delegates to use during their breaks from their conference or meeting.

Northampton Property Refurbishment Complete

Northampton property refurbishment complete
Northampton property refurbishment complete

The Park inn by Radisson Northampton has recently finished an 18 month long refurbishment which included the renovation of the bar, restaurant and reception area- which now boasts individual check in desks, something that will eventually become standard in all Park Inn by Radisson venues. Both the Ballroom and top two levels of bedrooms are due to be refurbished in early 2015.

New Liverpool Venue

New Liverpool venue
New Liverpool venue
Earlier this year The Royal Liver Building opened its brand new event space, The Venue, which is now available for private hire in the historical Liverpool landmark. The Venue is a flexible and contemporary space with a number of interconnecting rooms and an adjacent balcony. All of the latest technology is available on-site, including free Wi-Fi throughout. 

New Green London Venue

New green London venue
New green London venue
The Crystal is a new venue that is located in Royal Victoria Docks and has nine spacious event spaces with views of the surrounding docks and Canary Wharf. The Crystal is being marketed as one of the most sustainable buildings in the world, and this is shown by the fact that delegates are welcome to access the world’s largest exhibition on urban sustainability. The meeting rooms range from being able to seat between 10 – 150 guests with an additional auditorium that can seat 270 delegates. 

Q Hotels Win Aa Hotel Group Of The Year Award

Q Hotels win AA Hotel Group of the Year Award
Q Hotels win AA Hotel Group of the Year Award
Q Hotels visited Trinity today and gave us updates on 4 of their properties, the Nottingham Belfry, the Oxford Belfry, the Ashford International and the Norton Park Hotel and are very proud to announce that they’ve been awarded the AA Hotel Group of the Year Award 2014, which is a superb achievement.


Norton Park, Winchester, is a great hotel that specialises in exclusive use that works well for Pharma meetings of around 150-160 people. It has quirky space in addition to the main hotel too with its 17th century Manor House which is converted into 4 meeting rooms and its 15th century barn which can hold up to 110 for dinner. The barn is undergoing a refurbishment during October where underfloor heating is being installed making it available at all times of the year for that little something different.


The group are also keen to promote the fact that not only do they offer free WiFi but that they are also able to now incorporate dedicated lines for broadband into the conference rooms which will not be shared. Depending on the broadband width required, the cost can be negotiated and will generally be offered complimentary  



Intercontinental Westminster Becomes Conrad London St James

Intercontinental Westminster becomes Conrad London St James
Intercontinental Westminster becomes Conrad London St James
As of Monday 1st September 2014 The Intercontinental London Westminster became known as Conrad London St James. Owners of the property, Supreme Hotels, agreed to part company with IHG and went on to sign a franchise agreement with Hilton to rebrand as The Conrad.


The Conrad brand currently operates 23 hotels worldwide but hasn’t had a presence in London for seven years. The Chelsea Harbour Hotel once belonged to Conrad before it was taken over by The Wyndham Group in 2007, earlier this year it became the first in a new group of hotels called The Monogram Collection from Millennium and Copthorne.


Supreme Hotels are owned by The Splendid Hospitality Group who operate 13 hotels in the UK, they currently work with IHG, Hilton and Choice Hotels and have development plans for five further hotels.



Topland Acquires Hallmark Hotels

Topland acquires Hallmark Hotels
Topland acquires Hallmark Hotels
As of mid July 2014 Topland acquired the Hallmark portfolio of eight hotels, Topland already consisted of 12 Menzies Hotels, six Thistle Hotels, the Hilton Brighton Metropole, the Hilton Glasgow and The Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath.


Menzies are now offering as standard bacon rolls on arrival, unlimited tea/coffee and water, afternoon cakes and free WiFi and hope to push this across to Hallmark as well. 


Every single Menzies hotel now has an environmental accreditation for Green Tourism and they also now have 3 AA Rosettes across the group too.