The London Marriott Hotel Kensington recently won the Best Conference Venue – less than 500 delegates from Conference Awards for their “Next Gen” Meeting space.
The Renaissance Manchester Hotel – Business Unusual, we speak to the modern discoverer in all of us who lives to unearth Manchester’s hidden gems. Indigenous, Independent, Intriguing. Meetings and events for up to 400 delegates, where we can we will try to tailor evenings in with specific conference dates so there is ongoing R Life entertainment and bar rituals taking place for attendees.
Worsley Park, Marriott Hotel & Country Club (Manchester) – Founded in 1894 on part of the Earl of Ellesmere Estate at Broadoak Park. Perfect setting in 200 acres of woodland and greenery with scenic walk trails and a PGA 18 hole golf course.
Manchester Airport Marriott Hotel – Situated in a great location minutes from the airport train station and bus station, and situated off the M56 at Jct 6. Perfect for day conference delegates . Extensive leisure facilities included in the rates for residents.
The London Marriott Hotel Maida Vale – As a result of surveys conducted throughout the year, Marriott customers rated Maida Vale within the top 10 Marriott hotels in the UK for their events service and quality in 2015.
The Arbor Group have announced the launch of the Arbour City Hotel, the small luxury hotel, conveniently located next to Aldgate East underground station in the City of London, has had a complete refurbishment.The hotel offers modern, affordable and flexible meeting space all equipped with latest AV equipment and able to host up to 150 delegates, the function area also includes a small exclusive cinema room perfect for the more intimate numbers.
The hotels 115 air conditioned bedrooms have also been completely refurbished and the Arbor City is one of the only central London hotels to offer private parking on site.
Recently in the office we had a visit from Fairview Hotels, who are a small collection of Accor-branded hotels (and one independent), centred on Hertfordshire. The group have launched a refurbishment programme across most of their properties, with Novotel Stevenage being one of the first under the scalpel, and is due to become move from a 3* to a 4* property. The hotel is based just off the A1, within easy reach of the M25. Novotel Nottingham East Midlands has also started a refurbishment, and is also due to move from a 3* to a 4* category. The Mercure Letchworth, a 15-20 minute drive from the Novotel Stevenage, has also begun a full refurbishment of its meeting space, which is due to be completed by the end of March 2016.
Holiday Inn Manchester City Centre due to open April 2016
The Holiday Inn Manchester, due to open towards the end of April 2016, is the newest addition to Manchester’s city centre, the stylish hotel is located just a short walk from Piccadilly Station. The hotel has 296 air conditioned guest rooms and 10 spacious meeting rooms that boast floor to ceiling windows and leading edge audio visual and communication equipment.
The hotel also offers the fastest high speed WI-FI in the city, a Starbucks coffee station and a fully equipped gym.
Paula Calton, Trinity’s Director of Sales spent a few days in Abu Dhabi last week, looking at the emirate as a potential option for our clients. This is what you can expect to find:
Abu Dhabi is the capital of UAE and the largest of the seven emirates which make up UAE. It is a modern, cosmopolitan city in the heart of the Arabian Gulf, which is currently one of the fastest growing tourism destinations. Popular with those looking to experience a different culture and escape the winter temperatures of the UK.
Abu Dhabi offers a more cost effective option than Dubai with lower taxes and no city tax payable on accommodation.
The destination offers a wealth of options for experiences/activities including desert/water based activities. The Yas Island 15 minutes from airport and 30 mins from city centre features the Yas Marina Circuit which hosts the Formula 1 Grand Prix, Yas Beach, Yas Marina a links golf course, Ferrari World which boasts the world’s fastest roller coaster – Formula Rossa, Yas Waterworld and is developing the much anticipated Warner Brothers Theme Park which will open in 2018. In addition there is the Yas Mall offering an unrivalled tax free shopping experience and MAD the most glamorous night spot in the UAE all supported by seven hotels, including the Viceroy which is the world’s only hotel to straddle an F1 race track, all offering gourmet dining.
Visitors can discover more about Abu Dhabi’s religion and traditions with a visit to one of the world’s most impressive landmarks, the stunning Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. This architectural marvel, with a capacity for an astonishing 40,000 worshippers, features 80 domes, over 1,000 columns, gold plated chandeliers and the world’s largest hand woven carpet was the result of the work of 150,000 craftsmen.
One of the things to remember is that the weekend in UAE is Friday and Saturday. It is 4 hours ahead of UK and the flight time is approx 7hrs.
Airport:
30 mins from city centre
45 mins from southern part of Dubai.
The airport is currently undergoing major expansion programme and after completion in 2017 the airport will be ready to welcome 20 million passengers every year.
Visitors should ensure there is a minimum of two months ideally 6 validity on passport in order to be granted entry to UAE
Currency: Dirhams (AED) divided into 100fils
Language – Arabic is the official language with English and Urdu widely spoken
If you would like more information or to discuss holding a conference, meeting or event in Dubai, please contact Paula for more information.
Cameron House has announced a refurbishment project which is due to start in 2016. During the work the hotel’s swimming pool has been closed. The hotel is located on the banks of Loch Lomond and is only 20 minutes from Glasgow Airport. The Hotel has its own boat – The Celtic Warrior, which can host lunches for up to 12 people on the Loch. The Hotel has 4 restaurants, from casual dining on the Marina in the Boat House to Fine Dining in the Michelin Starred Martin Wishart Restaurant, and due to it’s surroundings can offer a number of activities for Team building including: Clay Pigeon Shooting, Archery, Falconry, Sea Plane Trips, and Segway Safari, to name but a few.
10 Trinity Square London is set to become a new luxury Four Seasons hotel. The former Port of London Authority building will include 98 bedrooms/suites, 2 gourmet restaurants, spa, private member’s club as well as meeting rooms, business centre, screening room and cigar lounge. The hotel will be located within a 35 minute drive to London City Airport and 20 minutes from the West End and Canary Wharf and overlooks the Tower of London.
The hotel is due to open within the last quarter of 2016.
Meeting Professionals International held an event on 18th January 2016 with a mix of agencies, suppliers, consultants and venues to look at trends and predictions for 2016. Speakers included leading economists and Jacqui Kavanagh of Trinity was on the panel of events industry specialists.
Here is a summary of the findings from the session, but if you would like more information, please contact Katharine Jordan for a copy of the report.
The Global Outlook
Business in Eurozone is looking better in 2016 with Germany in particular showing strong growth
Cautious actions are required in the emerging economies, particularly China where there is a lack of clarity on the rate of decline
Oil prices should produce a positive effect on consumer spend but are unlikely to change air fares
Events forecast for 2016
3.8% increase predicted in event spend
USA, Malaysia and UK are the top three destinations for business travel in 2015 – 2017
Geopolitical concerns are high but this isn’t currently reflected in client choice
Groups are now seen as collection of individuals with different needs
We’re seeing more internal meetings for strategizing
Clients are booking later meaning the best prices aren’t always available
The incentive sector is growing, with room for new businesses
The Ibis Styles Reading Oxford Road has opened following a full refurbishment of what was previously a Travelodge, with 97 bedrooms. The Accor group has signed franchises for three more hotels which are expected to open in 2016-17: a 62-bed Ibis Styles hotel is due to open in Birmingham this Spring; a 120-bed Ibis Budget is under construction at Luton Airport and there will be a new open a 159-bed Novotel at Heathrow Airport.
At Trinity we recently had a visit from Forest Holidays, who 5 months launched their meeting product “Forest Works” onto the marketplace. Forest Holidays are based in Forestry Commission owned woodlands, in 9 locations across the UK, stretching from Strathyre and Ardgartan Argyll (both in the Scottish Highlands) down to Deerpark in Cornwall. Across the sites Forest Works can offer a range of different products for different clients, and to suit differing price-ranges. Options include private-hire of cabins, which are self-sufficient and can sleep small groups, with space for meetings. Alternatively, marquees or tents can be set up, with the only limit the imagination. Being based in woodlands, there is a huge range of activities for teambuilding that can be chosen from. One popular feature of using the cabins is that Wi-Fi can even be turned off if requested, to help the atmosphere of a meeting away from distractions.
