Novotel Archives - EDGE Venues

9th December 20199th December 2019

Birmingham: an experts insight for meetings and events

Alex Dalby, Trinity Event Solutions Event Consultant, recently headed into Birmingham for a series of site inspections. If you’re considering Birmingham as a destination for your next meeting or event, take a read of Alex’s insight and key considerations for each of the venues.

Hyatt Regency Birmingham

The Hyatt Regency is a 10-minute walk from Birmingham New Street Station, so is a perfect location for delegates coming by train. When entering the hotel, my first impressions was how stunning it was, with a great atmosphere. The lobby is filled with plants and water fountains, making it a beautiful feel on arrival and flooded with natural daylight coming through the large rooftop atrium.

The hotel has 10 meeting rooms. The largest of these is the Symphony Ballroom which can accommodate 144 in a cabaret style. This is an elegant space for a meeting and can also be split into 2 separate spaces – Ballroom 1 and Ballroom 2.

There are 319 bedrooms, all spacious and comfortable. Depending on which side of the hotel you are on, the bedrooms either look out onto views on the city or the canals (has an extra charge).

The hotel had a refurbishment in 2014 and this was still clear to see from how modern and fresh it was. There is chargeable parking on site but there are limited spaces available.

Consideration: Hyatt Regency has a direct bridge link to the International Convention Centre (ICC). This means delegates can have direct access to both.

Novotel

The Novotel is situated in a great location as it is approximately a 15-minute walk from Birmingham New Street Station. On arrival, my first impression was how quirky and colourful the reception area was. The reception area leads onto the restaurant and main breakout area for delegates and both areas had a lovely atmosphere to them. The restaurant can hold up to a maximum capacity of 100.

There are currently 9 meeting spaces in total. 3 of the meeting rooms carry the largest capacity of 48 cabaret. As of December 2019, work will be starting to add a large meeting space for 150 cabaret. I felt that the meeting rooms would be perfectly suitable for an event, but be aware there is no natural daylight.

The hotel has a total of 148 bedrooms and my first impression of the bedrooms was that they were all bright and clean.

Consideration: Car parking is available on site however; it has limited access (50 spaces) and chargeable.

Jurys Inn

The Jurys Inn hotel has a convenient location being just a 10-minute walk from Birmingham’s New Street Station. The hotel welcomes delegates with a spacious reception area, themed with black and white décor.

The hotel has 20 meeting rooms situated on the first floor and 27 syndicate rooms on the second floor. All meeting spaces are partitioned, but these can all be removed to make larger, open spaces. The largest can accommodate 160 in cabaret style. They all have natural daylight and come with standard AV equipment.

There are 445 bedrooms in total. All bedrooms were comfortable and bright, but with varying designs to them. All bathrooms have recently been refurbished, and this was clear by how new and fresh they looked.

Consideration: There will be no parking available on site starting from January 2020, as the hotel is building a lifestyle hotel just next door to the main hotel.

Crowne Plaza Birmingham City Centre

The Crowne Plaza is situated in the heart of Birmingham City Centre and is a 10-minute walk to New Street station. The reception leads onto the restaurant and 360-degree bar, which is quite a fun idea. At the end of this, there is a private dining area which can fit up to 20 delegates. However, this is not an exclusive space so be aware of people from the bar next door.

The hotel has 12 meeting rooms which can be found on the conference floor (first floor). The largest meeting room (Vista Suite) can hold up to 150 cabaret or can be divided into 2 smaller meeting rooms. Along the foyer there are 3 executive rooms, which can hold a maximum of 10 boardroom. For larger events they can exclusive use of all 3 of these rooms. All meeting space have natural daylight, but even with this the spaces are a little dark. There are 312 bedrooms, which are all spacious and comfortable.

Consideration: Currently, the only car parking use is at the Mailbox with a 15% discount for delegates. However, there will be a new car park opening for the hotel in early 2020.

Malmaison

The Malmaison is located within the Mailbox car parking complex, a short walk from New Street station. Malmaison has 6 meeting rooms in total, with the largest meeting space has a maximum capacity of 77 cabaret. They would be suitable for a meeting, but the spaces are basic and standard. In addition, there are 4 pods which can hold a maximum of 4 people. The pods are quite fun and different, so would be suitable for delegates needing a smaller meeting space.

The hotel holds 193 bedrooms, which are spacious and uniquely designed. There is a gym, spa and a newly refurbished sauna that all delegates can use. Chargeable parking is available in the Mailbox.

Consideration: There is only one meeting space that has natural daylight.

Radisson Blu Hotel Birmingham

Radisson Blu Hotel is a 5-minute walk to New Street station, conveniently located near to the business district and shopping areas. On arrival the reception area (albeit a little small) is within a glass building and is flooded with natural daylight.

There are 10 meeting rooms in total, situated over both the 2nd and 3rd floor. The Lunar Suite is the largest of these spaces, with a maximum capacity of 80 in a cabaret layout. The hotel has 211 bedrooms that are all spacious, with the same décor and style. Bedrooms situated on the highest floor levels have views onto the city. The restaurant is situated on the first floor, which is spacious and full of atmosphere.

Consideration: The hotel has recently undergone a refurbishment in 2017 and this is clear by the modern feel to all spaces, so would be great for meetings.

Holiday Inn Birmingham City Centre

The Holiday Inn, also known as the BCEC, is in a great location as it is only a short walk to New Street Station. On entering the hotel lobby, my first impression was that it had lots of decoration, with unique patterns and vibrant colours throughout.

There are 24 meeting rooms, with the largest holding a maximum of 250 cabaret. These includes a built-in stage and standard AV. The hotel has 216 bedrooms, all being decorated with a yellow and grey colour scheme. There is no car park available on site but there is an NCP, which is a very short walk away.

Consideration: A few of the meeting spaces have floor-ceiling glass walls so this would not be suitable for a pharmaceutical company due to the lack of privacy.

The Studio Birmingham

The Studio Birmingham is just a 2-minute walk from New Street station making it a great location for delegates. My first impression when entering was that the reception area was a very small space. However, on approaching the first floor I was pleasantly surprised.

All spaces had modem décor, with quirky features and bright colours throughout. There are 20 meeting rooms in total, all with natural daylight. The bar décor was in keeping with the meeting spaces, in that it was modern and vibrant. To the left of the bar, there is a quaint outside rooftop area. This would be a lovely space for delegates to use as a breakout space in summer.

Overall, this venue is different to most venues around Birmingham due to its quirky nature and relaxed atmosphere throughout. There is an NCP car park located a short distance from The Studio.

Consideration: This is just a meeting and event space, so there are no bedrooms.

Macdonald Burlington

The Macdonald Burlington is in the heart of Birmingham centre and is a short walk from New Street station. The hotel has 9 meeting rooms in total, with all having built-in Clickshare. The largest meeting space is the Horton Suite which can hold up to 250 in cabaret or can be divided into 3 smaller spaces. They were all soundproof so blocked out any noise from the city.

The hotel has 114 bedrooms in total, which are all clean and comfortable. The hotel’s restaurant area is spacious, giving a maximum capacity of 54 for dinner.

The hotel is adjacent to the NCP cark park, which holds 2000 spaces. The hotel has will be undergoing refurbishments in early 2020.

Consideration: All meeting spaces are partitioned and so can be opened out to provide more space if required.

14th January 2019

Accor Hotels tell us about their brands

AccorHotels has 35 brands that range from luxury to economy, offering a ‘full suite’ of choice when it comes to hospitality and conference and events venues offering a wide selection of properties to accommodate customers of all budgets.

Within the portfolio there are brands that will meet the needs of big budget events, such as Raffles and Sofitel, to the more modest budget, with ibis allowing for a vibrant and carefree environment to host functions.

Raffles

True luxury is not just about what you do, it’s about how you feel
Guests staying at any of the 12 Raffles properties worldwide will experience illustrious history and some of the most prestigious hotel addresses worldwide. In 1887, Raffles Singapore set the standard for luxury hospitality, introducing the world to private butlers, the Singapore Sling and its enduring, legendary service. Today, Raffles continues this tradition in leading cities and lavish resort locales, enchanting guests with meaningful experiences and service that is both gracious and intuitive. Each Raffles property, be it Paris, Istanbul, Warsaw, Jakarta or the Seychelles, serves as a venerated oasis where delegates arrive as guests, leave as friends and return as family.

Sofitel – Life is Magnifique

Sofitel is an ambassador of modern French style, culture and art-de-vivre around the world. Established in 1964, Sofitel is the first international luxury hotel brand to originate from France with over 120 remarkable hotels in the world’s most sought after destinations. Sofitel exudes a refined and understated sense of modern luxury, always blending a touch of French decadence with the very best of the locale. The Sofitel collection includes notable hotels as Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg, Sofitel London St James, Sofitel Munich Bayerpost, Sofitel Rio de Janeiro Ipanema, Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square, Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour and Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort.

Fairmont

Turning moments into memories for our guests
Fairmont’s landmark hotels with unrivalled presence, authentic experiences and unforgettable moments have attracted visitors to its destinations since 1907. The Plaza in New York City, The Savoy in London, Fairmont San Francisco, Fairmont Banff Springs and Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai are but a few of these iconic luxury hotels, forever linked to the special places where they reside. Famous for its engaging service, grand public spaces, locally inspired cuisine and celebrated bars and lounges, Fairmont promises a special brand of thoughtful luxury that will be remembered long after any visit. With a worldwide portfolio of more than 75 hotels, Fairmont also takes great pride in its deep community roots and leadership in sustainability.

Pullman – Our World is Your Playground

Pullman delivers an experience that is upscale, upbeat and perfectly in tempo with today’s global trends. Against the backdrop of everyday fast paced life, Pullman aims to offer the very best hospitality experience to guests, whether they are leisure or corporate travelers, enabling them to seamlessly explore the locale. Pullman is where the new nomads find inspiration and make connections. Retaining the values of exploration, comfort and dependability that drove it to become a pioneering travel brand over 150 years ago, Pullman today features more than 120 worldwide properties including Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel, Pullman Park Lane Hong Kong, Pullman Shanghai South, Pullman London St Pancras and Pullman Sao Paulo Vila Olimpia.

Novotel – Modern easy living, full service

Providing a multi-service offer for both business and leisure guests Novotel boasts of spacious, modular rooms, 24/7 catering offers with balanced meals, meeting rooms, attentive and proactive staff, kid areas, a multi-purpose lobby and fitness centers. With over 500 hotels and resorts in 59 countries, Novotel properties are ideally located in the heart of major international cities, business districts and tourist destinations.

Mercure – In harmony with people and places

Mercure is the only midscale hotel brand that combines the strength of an international network with a strong quality commitment and the warm experience of hotels inspired by their local community. Mercure hotels are managed by enthusiastic hoteliers and welcome business and leisure travellers across the world. Present in 63 countries, Mercure has over 790 properties located in city centers such as Mercure London Bridge. Ideal for corporate travellers in London, this property is also the perfect venue for meetings and events offering four flexible meeting rooms for up to 60 people with AV equipment and a dedicated host.

ibis – Well-being at the best price

ibis innovates constantly to offer its guests modernity, comfort and availability. It created the revolutionary bedding concept Sweet BedTM by ibis; welcoming, designer common areas and the modern food and beverage offer, ibis kitchen. It also cultivates the spirit of service that drives each of its employees. Ibis is recognised across the world for its quality, reliability and commitment to the environment. Created in 1974, ibis is now the European leader in economy hotels and the fourth hotel chain in its category worldwide with over 1,150 hotels and 147,000 rooms in 67 countries.

22nd October 20182nd December 2018

Tour of London – site inspection extravaganza

Alex Jarvis from our team took on the challenge to visit eight London hotels in one day and report back on his findings. From his comprehensive sites inspections, take a read of his full report…

Radisson Blu Edwardian New Providence Wharf

The next stop on Alex’s tour of London was the Radisson Blu Edwardian New Providence Wharf – a purpose-built hotel a short walk from Blackwall DLR station, and also about a 10-15 minute walk from Canary Wharf. The hotel is also almost opposite the Thames from the Millennium Dome.

The hotel has a nice airy lobby, with the meeting rooms located upstairs to the right as one enters the property. The meeting rooms are fresh and functional, without any bold colours, and most enjoy natural daylight. The meeting rooms (and the hotel as a whole) is decorated in a sleek corporate style, with the bedrooms of a similar feel. Some of the bedrooms have lovely views across the Thames.

“I enjoyed my visit to the hotel, as it is a nice modern property that appears to be well maintained, in a pleasant modern redeveloped area relatively close to Canary Wharf. I thought the hotel could work well for a mix of events, as well as supporting with accommodation for events at the ExCel centre.”

The Crystal

Continuing on his tour of London, Alex has shared his experience on The Crystal – the home of a permanent exhibition on environmentally-friendly urban development, in a purpose-built property that is one of the most sustainable event venues in the UK, having won several awards.

The Crystal houses dedicated meeting/function rooms, as well as a fixed auditorium. The building itself opens onto a large airy atrium space with lots of glass, called The Street, which is utilised as a catering area for the largest meeting spaces, and also works well for either drinks receptions or sit-down dinners.

Having entered the building, the meeting rooms are to the left of this area, the exhibition space is to the right. The auditorium was nice and fully furnished, while some of the meeting rooms on the first floor have great views over the area (including views of the cable car across the Thames). The exhibition space can also be used for drinks receptions, although this would be with the attendees dispersed through the exhibition rather than all in one space.

Despite being a fixed exhibition, part of the features can be personalised with corporate messages or a particular colour scheme, which is a nice touch for some events. Being close to the ExCel means there are lots of accommodation options within an easy walk of the venue too, which can be a key selling point.

Hilton Canary Wharf

The Hilton Canary Wharf is a modern purpose-built hotel just a short walk (5 minutes) from Canary Wharf, although the closest DLR is South Quay, just a little further down from the hotel. The hotel is a tower, with the meeting rooms located on the first floor, most of which have natural daylight.

The meeting rooms (and the public spaces too) are decorated in an inoffensively corporate manner. The largest meeting room does not have natural daylight, but has a large dedicated pre-function area, that can be used for registration, catering or exhibitions, that has lots of natural light. The bedrooms are nice and spacious too.

Although the hotel is located in a busy area, and has a branch of the DLR running directly outside, the hotel has double glazing on all of their windows so that there is very little to no noise disruption.

Novotel Canary Wharf

A very recent newly-built skyscraper hotel, the Novotel is the tallest hotel-only building in London, at 39 stories. On his tour of London, Alex stopped by to report back on his thoughts on the hotel…

The hotel doesn’t resemble a typical Novotel, it has been decorated throughout with a strong boutique theme to reflect the maritime trading heritage of its location. Throughout the hotel there are touches like photographs of the former Docklands, chains and ropes used as decorations etc.

The nine or so meeting rooms are all located on the first and second floor, all but one are of a small size, and all of these smaller rooms have fixed layouts (mostly boardrooms, a few informal layouts), and all have been decorated to fit a particular theme. E.g. the Logs room with wooden furniture. The largest meeting room, the East India, does have a more flexible layout and is of a medium size. The bedrooms are lovely, and mostly have fantastic views (as you can guess; the higher up the better the view), and have been decorated in the same fashion.

The hotel’s best feature is the Bokan restaurant, located on the 37^th, 38^th and 39^th floors of the hotel (the top floors), with fantastic views over London. Parts of the restaurant can be hired for events, down to small semi-private areas, to a total buy-out. The 39^th floor also enjoys a medium-sized outside terrace that can be hired for dinners & drinks receptions.

I visited eight venues in total on the day I visited the Novotel, and I would happily say the Novotel was my personal favourite of the day. I very much enjoyed the views, the restaurant is lovely, and the boutique meeting rooms which have a lot of personality, but still possess all the corporate gadgets that you would expect for a modern hotel.

De Vere Canary Wharf

Stop 6 of his tour of London and Canary Wharf, Alex took in more of the corporate experience that De Vere Canary Wharf has to offer meeting planners…

The De Vere Canary Wharf is located about a 5 minute walk from Canary Wharf, off of Westferry Circus. The venue is also a short walk from Westferry DLR, and is also close to Canary Wharf Pier for Thames Riverboat services.

The venue is very corporate, clean and functional, and is built around a large central atrium which provides all of the meeting rooms with lots of natural daylight. All of the meeting rooms I saw where very white and modern (as is the venue as a whole).

The venue is very much a ‘it is what it says on the tin’ venue – it is well designed for day-time corporate events looking to be close to Canary Wharf in a nice, modern, corporate style venue with a large capacity and lots of breakout rooms if required.

The Doubletree – Tower Hill

Coming away from Canary Wharf, Alex headed over to Tower Bridge to see what the hotels here had to offer. First stop – The Doubletree Tower Bridge. Here’s his take on property…

The Doubletree Tower Bridge is a modern purpose-built hotel less than a five minute walk from Tower Hill station, and Tower Gateway DLR station, and the Tower of London itself. The hotel opens onto a large spacious atrium which is about two/three stories high, with a large glass skyroof flooding the area with natural daylight.

The meeting rooms are located upstairs with a large mezzanine area overlooking the atrium. This mezzanine area is used for catering (either set times or free-flowing) and registration if needs be, there is also some soft seating for informal breakouts. The meeting rooms are nice and fresh, with lots of natural daylight, overlooking the neighbouring streets. The bedrooms are decorated in a nice corporate manner, and are of a decent size.

Perhaps the hotel’s nicest feature is the Savage Garden Restaurant, located at the top of the hotel on the 12th floor, with views towards the Thames, the Tower of London, and the Shard. The restaurant has several areas that can be completely privatised (including two private rooms), either for daytime meetings, or more typically for drinks receptions, dinners and parties. The views are lovely, and include some iconic London sights.

Qbic London

Heading over to Aldgate, Alex stopped of at the Qbic London and here’s his take on the hotel…

The Qbic London is located just off Altab Ali Park in the Aldgate/Brick Lane area of the City of London. For fashionistas, the hotel is a very short walk from the famous Brick Lane Market, and is less than a five minute walk from either Aldgate East or Aldgate Stations.

The hotel opens onto a cosy informal reception area, which is also a lounge, bar and the hotel’s main restaurant. The hotel has just three meeting rooms, two of which are directly off the restaurant (and can be combined with each other), both enjoy natural daylight. They are of a small size, together they can fit around 30 delegates. There is also a smaller meeting room downstairs on the lower ground floor that does not have natural daylight, this is the hotel’s last-let room for meetings.

The hotel as a whole is decorated in a stylish modern way with lots of colour and informal touches, the design is to not be a typical corporate-feeling hotel, and instead to be more orientated towards a creative, youthful atmosphere. The bedrooms are slightly unique, they all have a pod built inside them that encompasses the bed and bathroom, these pods are placed into empty bedrooms and built from the inside.

The hotel is one of London’s most sustainable hotels, and has a key focus on being as green-friendly as possible. A lot of hotels pay lip-service to being green, but the Qbic is one of the most consistently environmentally friendly properties I have visited, which is impressive for a densely urban location. The décor is very modern, funky, and youthful, and is well suited for clients looking for a venue which reflects those attributes.

The Clapham Grand – the final stop

As Alex’s tour nears the end, his final stop was to see The Grand Clapham. Here’s his thoughts on what the venue has to offer…

The Clapham Grand is a traditional theatre over one hundred years old, and now operates as a nightclub, live music venue, cinema, and also takes bookings for private hire events. The theatre is directly opposite Clapham Junction station for National Rail and London Overground Services. The venue has a large stalls on the ground floor, with a balcony and boxes overlooking, as well as a private bar that can be hired separately. The venue has been decorated in a modern manner, albeit in a traditional building.

I enjoyed visiting the venue, although the lack of a nearby Underground Station may make it relatively difficult to access by London’s standards. The venue could work well for clients looking for something unusual, or a corporate away-day or creative team building style activities.