Located on the Rambla de Catalunya, Barcelona the NH Collection Gran Hotel Calderon has 255 bedrooms and 10 meeting rooms offering 700 sqm of event space and capacity for 350 people.
The hotels Don Giovanni Restaurant, offers Italian cuisine along with creations based on seasonal produce. There is a terrace with pool and solarium with views over the city for outdoor events.
The Iberian Association of Business Travel Managers (IBTA) chose Madrid as “2016 Best MICE destination” at the 2016 IBTA Business Travel awards. In addition, the Madrid Convention Bureau (MCB), part of the Madrid City Council, has been recognised by the Association of PCO’s of Madrid (OPC MADRID) with the prize for “Professionalism 2016”.
Both awards are an acknowledgement to Madrid as a preferred destination for the holding of congresses, conventions and incentive trips, as well as to the work developed by the MCB in the promotion of meeting tourism in Madrid and its activities aimed at securing professional meetings for the city.
Aware of the importance of South-East Asia for the tourism market, in 2016 Madrid authorities achieved a major boost for Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas International Airport in terms of air traffic connectivity with this geographical area by opening up new direct flights to a range of leading destinations.
The two existing connections with Seoul and Beijing were joined in June by direct flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong. The former is operated by Iberia and China Eastern Airlines and consists of four inward bound and three outward bound flights a week; this is significant because it marks the start of Iberia’s operations on the Asian continent. The Spanish airline operates this route with the most modern aircraft in the fleet, the Airbus A330-200, with 288 seats, 19 in Business and 269 in Tourist class; both cabins offer a la carte individual entertainment and advanced Wi-Fi on transoceanic flights.
The direct flight to Hong Kong is operated by Cathay Pacific and flies four times a week; it is estimated that more than a hundred thousand passengers will take this route over the first year of operation.
Here’s a quick round-up of improvements to hotels in the Fairmont group which were carried out in 2016 or are ongoing:
FAIRMONT REY JUAN CARLOS 1, BARCELONA
A €35M renovation programme is underway at the Fairmont Rey Juan Carlos 1 in Barcelona. The lobby lounge has already been completed and the renovations are on schedule to be finish by summer 2017.
FAIRMONT ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND
Renovations have been completed at the Fairmont St Andrews. All public areas, restaurants and guest accommodation have been updated in this resort hotel with two championship golf courses and conference facilities for up to 800 delegates.
FAIRMONT VIER JAHRESZEITEN, HAMBURG
This historic hotel is almost 120 years old and a full renovation programme was completed in March 2016, including all 156 rooms and suites and nine food and beverage outlets.
FAIRMONT THE QUEEN ELIZABETH. MONTREAL
Fairmont, The Queen Elizabeth has closed to undergo a $140 million transformation project. The hotel will reopen in June 2017.
• Leicester Conferences & College Court have over 2000 bedrooms to sell throughout the summer months
• Over the last five years 27 million pounds has been invested in the facilities across College Court & Leicester Conferences portfolio of venues and accommodation
• All profits made by College Court & Leicester Conferences go directly back to University of Leicester
• The 1960’s brutalist architecture of College Court see’s many of is quirky features being grade two listed
• With 123 bedrooms available and over 130 complimentary car parking spaces College Court is the ideal location for all of your event requirements
With over 20 years combined experience of working in the corporate events industry, they can work with small meetings or party nights for 2000 guests they can help at any venue and to any budget
Reading football club has announced its plans for a new conference centre at the Royal Elm Park development beside the Madejski stadium. The plans have been submitted to reading council and the venue is designed to provide a viable alternative to London venues.
The convention centre will offer a ‘ballroom’ and ‘banquet hall’ capable of hosting up to 4000 people theatre style, and 2000 for a banquet. It will also offer a range of flexible meeting and seminar spaces. The convention centre will also be home to an ice rink which will be able to transform into a meeting hall with a capacity for 2480 people theatre style.
Reading already has an existing range of hotel accommodation, retail and restaurants and has good public transport links which will be enhanced by the arrival of Crossrail and the new green park station.
