EDGE Venues

22nd December 2011

Edinburgh Academic Venue Expands

The University of Edinburgh has added a purpose-built conference centre to its array of historic and modern buildings and offers accommodation year-round.

21st December 2011

Warwick Venue Unveils Refurbishment

The Scarman Centre at Warwick Conferences reopened in October following a £2m renovation including updates to its reception, gallery, restaurant, lounge and bar plus 6 syndicate rooms

20th December 2011

New Abu Dhabi Hotel Opens

Jumeirah at Etihad Towers opened its doors on 1st November. The luxury hotel located on the Arabian Gulf in the Ras Al Akhdar area of Abu Dhabi, which is close to the central business district and ministry compounds, is the first Jumeirah property to open in the UAE’s capital. Consisting of 382 guest rooms and suites; 199 fully-serviced residences; 12 restaurants, bars and lounges; Talise Spa; and one of the largest conference centres in Abu Dhabi. Among the 12 restaurants, bars and lounges to operate within the property, two signature restaurants, Li Beirut and Quest, will offer a unique modern interpretation of Lebanese and Asian cuisine, respectively, and will form a new social focal point for Abu Dhabi’s culinary scene. Another major feature of the property is the Conference Centre, which can accommodate up to 1,400 guests in a conference setting or 1,000 guests for a seated banquet dinner.

20th December 2011

Newcastle Hotel Due To Open

Hotel Indigo in Newcastle is due to open in March next year offering a 4 star boutique property with 148 bedrooms

19th December 2011

London Venue Announces Refurbishment

RSA House will undergo a full refurbishment of their event space running from December 2011 to June 2012. The Vaults restaurant, Gerard bar and Library will be unaffected.

16th December 2011

Edinburgh Venue Refurbishment Underway

The Assembly Rooms fronting on George Street in Edinburgh, when open after renovation next September, will once again make available the splendid Music Hall and ornate ballroom and drawing rooms for meetings, receptions and banquets.

15th December 2011

Barcelona Hosts Meetings Tradeshow

The 23rd European meeting and events tradeshow (EIBTM) closed in Barcelona with an estimated 15,300 meeting industry professionals in attendance. Total numbers of visitors and buyers at the event, held at the Fira De Barcelona, reached 2,962 up 10.3 per cent on 2010’s show. 3,904 of these were hosted buyers, compared to 3,963 in 2010. Hosted buyers carried out 64,950 pre-scheduled appointments.

15th December 2011

York Hotel Becomes 5*

Cedar Court Grand Hotel & Spa has become York’s first 5 star hotel and the only AA 5 star rated hotel in Yorkshire. In addition, The Grill Room at The Grand restaurant has been awarded two prestigious AA Rosettes for the outstanding quality of its culinary offering.

14th December 2011

Hotel Chain Takeover

Mint hotels are being taken over by Blackstone, the owners of Hilton. This will see the hotels rebranded as follows:

• DoubleTree by Hilton London – Tower of London
• DoubleTree by Hilton London – Westminster
• DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Central Station
• DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Piccadilly
• DoubleTree by Hilton Leeds City Centre
• Hilton Garden Inn Glasgow City Centre
• Hilton Garden Inn Bristol City Centre
• Hilton Garden Inn Birmingham Brindley Place

13th December 2011

Edinburgh Venue Re-Opens

In December, the doors will reopen on one of Edinburgh’s revered Victorian buildings, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. The spectacular transformation has taken down false walls and revealed features now lovingly restored. There are more galleries and much more space for new exhibits. The maximum number for a sit-down dinner is 120, with top class catering supplied by Heritage Portfolio.