What a beautiful Easter weekend!  I hope you enjoyed some time off and have come back to work fully refreshed.

Here are some lovely hotels and venues that I hope might interest you and some ideas on how to make the most of your events budget.

What is the purpose of a meeting or conference?  There is always an agenda to follow, an exchange of information and ideas but more than anything it is a chance for delegates to get to know each other.

A great way to do this is during breaks and at the end of the meetings.  Many hotels offer themed breaks to get the delegate talking such as strawberries and cream in Wimbledon week, or ice creams outside on hot days.

If your event spans a couple of days an evening of fun can build a rapport between delegates that will continue once back at their desks, so make the most of the summer with a BBQ, jugs of Pimm’s and some classic activities.  Venues can often provide outdoor games such as Giant Jenga, Connect 4, Draughts or Croquet and if you want more can always bring in additional activities such as a coconut shy, bucking bronco, hook a duck or duck herding and if you want to step it up to another level we can add a full on fair-ground!

We love 30 Euston Square in London.  The State rooms offer excellent meeting space and the roof terrace provides the outside space for refreshing breaks, with complimentary garden games.

We had a presentation from the Royal Museums Greenwich this month which offers a variety of spaces for all types of events, with space in the Planetarium, the Museum or the extensive grounds for numbers from 10 to thousands and all just a stone’s throw (or a boat ride) from central London.

Tewkesbury Park has a Pizza oven and BBQ area outdoors with space for team building activities.

“Time is Money”.  Even a simple meeting can take a couple of hours for the venue searching, calls and emails so by having the nexusvenue team do the venue searching for you we will free up your time for other things saving you money in the process.

We always get the best rate available at the time of booking and if you are looking to accommodate a group or have an event enquiry, we will negotiate with the venues to try to get you the best space and maximum inclusions within your budget.  The larger your booking the more we can negotiate for you so please let us know what we can do to ensure the venues fit your requirements.

Two New Brands to keep an eye out for…

Moxy Hotels are a Marriott Brand found worldwide but relatively new to the UK with hotels at London Excel, Heathrow and Stratford, with Bristol, Southampton, York and Birmingham opening by 2020.  these hotels are bright and fun with their own individual style. 

Voco Hotels are popping up all over the place! These are new additions to the IHG family (Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Intercontinental) and as they have a unique quality that doesn’t quite fit in with their recognised brand’s they are becoming Voco Hotels.  This will include Voco Oxford Thames, Voco Oxford Spires, Voco St Johns Solihull and Voco St David’s.

We know requirements often change, so let us know which venues are unsuitable, we can release them and send more options.  Nexusvenue doesn’t get paid if the event doesn’t confirm through us, so we will do all we can to find something that you love.

Here are some venues that we booked recently that you loved…

The sun is up, and the daffodils are out so it can only mean one thing… Time to book this year’s Christmas party? (Well, it’s always good to get it booked in early) but more realistically, if you are planning a Summer Event now is the time to get it organised.  There are some stunning venues in the UK with outside space for team building activities and BBQ and many London Venues now offer roof terraces for private functions, but these do get booked up very quickly.

As soon as you know what you are looking for give us a call, whether it’s for the UK or internationally and we will come back with some great options for you.

Hyatt Regency—The Churchill is a 5-star luxury hotel in Central London with 440 luxury bedrooms.  The refurbished rooms offer advanced technology including international plug outlets, bedside USB ports, walk in Jet Shower and a Japanese TOTO toilet.  They also have 11 meeting spaces and a newly refurbished restaurant, The Montague Kitchen.  They are currently offering special rates for the Spring.  Contact us if you have an enquiry that might fit here.

Brandon Hall Hotel and Spa located in Warwickshire, offers good facilities for middle of the range meetings and accommodation.  They are currently undergoing a £2.5m refurbishment and have  already completed 16 bedrooms.  There is a total of 120 comfortable bedrooms, 14 meeting rooms and space for a private dinner for up to 200 people.   Once the bedrooms have been refurbished the upgrade will continue into the meeting rooms and public areas.  Set in 17 acres of grounds it is also an excellent option for outdoor team building activities.

Marriott are revitalizing many of their properties with “Redesigned Marriott” taking a new approach; transforming bedrooms, reinventing fitness on the road and creating public spaces designed for relaxing, connecting and recharging, revolutionizing the way they provide service by adapting to the needs of their guests.

Pictured here is the Greatroom at London Heathrow Marriott with free Wi-Fi, comfortable seating and a cocktail bar.  Bedrooms now have walk in showers in the place of a bath, open wardrobes so nothing is left behind, and flexible work surfaces and seating so you can work and relax the way you want.

Soon after its opening night last month, we visited the Vintry and Mercer in the heart of London and were very impressed with the food and beverage outlets.  “The Roof Terrace is an amazing space to relax over dinner or for a private function with views across London from St Pauls to the tip of the Shard.   And I really like the library meeting room with a world map on the ceiling” said Sylvain.  The 92 bespoke bedrooms and suite offer good facilities with prices starting from £250.00 per night.

The Jaz Hotel in Stuttgart is a 166 bedroom hotel within easy reach of the centre of Stuttgart next to the shopping Mall Milaneo.  We have booked accommodation here and found the hotel very helpful and efficient.  They also have the Rhythms Bar and Kitchen, Wolfram Bar and Terrace as well as meeting space for up to 180 delegates.  The whole hotel is contemporary, bright and fresh.

Caesars Palace Dubai is now open with 12 restaurants and bars, 10 event spaces, stunning outside space, private beach, spa, 79 suites, 416 bedrooms and 80 apartments.  An extensive property full off glitz and glamour that we would love to book for your next event.

Palazzo Montemartini Rome dates back to 1881 and was launched under its current name at the end of last year.  The hotel retains many of its original features and elegance whilst being enhanced with modern technology.  There is one meeting room (the infinity room) which can accommodate up to 180 people as well as a spa, restaurant, and lounge bar.

Nobu Hotels are popping up all over the place and one to watch out for is the 259 bedroom Nobu Barcelona which is due to open later this summer.  As with all Nobu hotels you can expect effortless style and laid-back luxury.  They will also offer meeting space and of course a fabulous Nobu Restaurant, in this hotel located on the 23rd floor with panoramic views over the city.

What’s Unusual …

Ever wondered what goes on at the Zoo after closing?  Well how about a formal dinner at the Aquarium surrounded by an underwater world or a Garden Party and BBQ among the wildlife, with a self-guided walk in the twilight through the exhibits.  Pictured here is a European Zoo that offers just that.  If this is something that appeals, name your country, we’ll see what we can find for you!

Fancy trying the world’s longest zipwire? Reaching speeds of up to 150kph and traveling 1680m above sea level it’s not for the faint hearted and would definitely be an unforgettable experience.  This activity is in UAE and we would love to book it for you but there are smaller, tamer versions in the UK if you want to have a go closer to home.

Great venue in Warwickshire for a day conference, exhibition or team building.  It is set in 600 acres of grounds, with indoor facilities for a theatre style meeting for 800.  At the end of the year they will be opening a 48 bedroomed hotel too.

What We Can’t Avoid …

Christmas is coming, and venues are filling up fast.  If you are organising a conference or meeting in December, please do bear this in mind as a lot of hotels will be booked up in the evenings.

And if you are looking to book a Christmas event, we can book joiner parties, private events and activities such as masterclasses, ball pools and other team building style options for your end of year celebration.  Please note that we are unable to book space in a bar or tables in restaurants (but can book exclusive hire!)  Whatever you are looking for do get in touch.

How about a party package that includes a glass of prosecco, sharing food platter, 2 hours of unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks, a cocktail and time to play in the glowing ball pit!

City centre bars are often open to private hire for larger numbers.

Fancy a festive meal with a murder?  Who Sleighed Santa is a murder mystery by professional actors, on offer at a stunning hotel along with a delicious festive private dinner for 60 or more guests.

What You Thought …

This stately home rose to the occasion when we booked a residential meeting with 1 days’ notice.  They handled the booking with great professionalism and the guests all said that they were very well looked after.

We had great feedback for a summer BBQ that we booked in the South of England.  The weather was fantastic which really helped.  The BBQ was amazing and the summer fete style activities (Cork shooting, Coconut Shy and Hook-a-duck) really hit the right note.

This hotel is just outside of London and we have used it a lot.  The grounds worked really well, alongside the meeting room for a Summer party for 400.  A fabulous time was had by all and we look forward to booking it again.

We don’t normally blow our own trumpet, but we had a lovely email from a client who we worked with for many years who moved on to other things.  “It’s been a great pleasure working with you! Very fast, professional, friendly, effective and flexible – thanks for all your support during my years here.”    Lovely to hear.

July 2018

Introducing the all new nexusvenue newsletter!

We are mixing things up a little with, not only a new look, but also with a new way of introducing venues.  The same fabulous pictures and vital statistics but with only a hint as to which venues they are.  Can you guess?  Do feel free to send us the venues names and we’ll let you know if you’re right!

Not all venue finders visit hotels and venues but we think this is really important, so will highlight any that we have seen ourselves.  And if you think you would like to hold an event in any of these properties, get in touch and we will contact them on your behalf.

What’s New …

Now fully open after a multimillion pound refurbishment that took several years, this central London landmark is set to become a favourite amongst meeting organisers and those who are looking for relaxed luxury in “the place to be seen”. Whether it’s a drinks reception for 450 or a board meeting for 8 this hotel is set to impress!

Only a short walk from Swiss Cottage this London Hotel is outside the congestion zone and offers a good mix of meeting rooms, with natural daylight and state of the art technology, the largest of which can accommodate up to 350 people in theatre style.  There are 311 bedrooms including the sleek King Suite pictured here, a gym, indoor pool and Italian Restaurant.

If you’re looking for something new in the heart of England this airy, lakeside venue could be a good option.  The one open space can hold up to 400 delegates or can be split into two. The venue is supported by 2 hotels on site for all your accommodation needs (358 bedrooms in total) and any breakout rooms that you might need.  And there is outside space too.

What We Saw …

We have covered this before but at last Sylvain got to visit this stunning estate in the Cotswolds which consists of 3 properties, Hilly huts, tree houses, an alfresco deck, and soon to be added Hideaway huts.  Everything is very on-trend with soft Scandic style decoration throughout.  Not for those light on budget but if you are looking for a special venue, away from distractions, all this could be it!

This hotel, just outside Windsor, that we have mentioned before was used by a small group for a meeting, dinner and accommodation.  They said that the setting, the food, meeting room and bedrooms were all very nice and the event went very well.   Having visited this one myself I have to agree!

What You Thought …

London can be very expensive but travel a little out of the centre and you can find hotels with great facilities at reasonable rates.  We had very positive feedback for a hotel in Chiswick, that has featured in a newsletter previously, so will be happy to put it forward again.

Incentive trips are always a lot of fun and sometimes it’s good to have an extra pair of hands onsite to ensure that everything runs smoothly.  A weekend in a Mediaeval Castle with a knight’s school and a crusader challenge, dinner in the castle and accommodation in a wooden cabin were the order of the day and Sylvain was there for the whole event to make sure no-one got left in the dungeons!

We are all hoping that we have finally put the winter weather behind us now as we move on towards the summer and better weather.  Summer is a great time to get together with your colleagues for meetings, team building or just for dinner.  Here are some hotels and ideas that may be of interest to you.

Andaz Liverpool Street has a lot to offer from the 7 bars/restaurants including a Japanese restaurant, English bar and wine lounge, to the 15 meeting rooms offering a selection of traditional, modern and unique spaces such as the show kitchen and the Temple.  The hotel is far from your regular corporate option and in a great location.

Looking for somewhere a bit different for your next residential conference?

Have you considered holding your event in a forest location with your guests housed in their own woodland cabins just a short walk to a central conference room?  These are getting more popular and as a result more choices are becoming available.  Conferences can be booked at Centre Parcs around the country as well as Forest Holidays but there are other options too such as Hothorpe Hall and Woodlands near Leicester.  Here you will find 23 bedrooms over a number of eco-friendly buildings nestled around a meeting room for up to 60 people and if you need more space the Hall has an additional 10 meeting rooms (including a stunning chapel) and 55 further bedrooms.  Similar possibilities are available around the country.

Clayton Hotel Chiswick is a cleverly thought out hotel offering good value for money and the feel of a London venue without the London prices.  The meeting space and public areas have largely been positioned around the double height atrium giving natural daylight despite some of the rooms not having windows to the outside.  The hotel has 227 bedrooms and 8 meeting rooms, the largest of which can cater for up to 330 delegates.

We have had details of summer packages at Warbrook House a grade 1 listed mansion set in 130 acres of gardens.  The Marquee is ideal for summer events as is the Garden Suite and their packages include Pimms or prosecco, BBQ or Hog Roast!  Bring on the Sunshine!

Latimer Estate in Buckingham has just undergone a £7m refurbishment and now looks beautiful.  There are 28 meeting rooms all with super-fast Wifi.  The largest room has a maximum capacity of 240. The 205 bedrooms, restaurant, bar, brassiere and outside space make it an excellent choice for large residential conferences.

Here is some feedback from clients that we have booked events on behalf of:

We had very good feedback for Hallmark Hotel Mickleover Court.  “The staff were phenomenal, we were all really impressed with the hotel and facilities.”

Excellent feedback for Hilton Sandton in South Africa.  We were told that the staff were all very good, friendly and professional and that they would definitely use this hotel again if they go back to South Africa.

The year is settling down now and looking to be a busy one with lots of new hotels opening and changing hands.  London continues to be a popular location for meetings and conferences and there has been an increase in bookings for Europe and worldwide.

The award for the venue sending us the first Christmas 2018 brochure goes to the Mermaid in London (standing Christmas Receptions from £92.00 per person.)  So if you’re already thinking about your end of year celebrations let us know!

And while we are talking about awards…

We are pleased to announce that we were presented with 4 awards at the prestigious AIEA annual awards dinner in January.

The Welcome—for being the agency that hotels find the most welcoming!

Golden Cheque book—for the independent /small agency that has placed the most business

Agency of the Year—voted for by Hotels

Personality of the year—presented to Sylvain—voted for by Hotel and Agent members of the AIEA

Resort World Birmingham NEC has a lot to offer including 50 shops and a casino.  More importantly for us the Genting Hotel has 182 luxury bedrooms and suites as well as an Apartment, Penthouse and Vortex Arena offering space for meetings for up to 30 people.

Le Meridien Barcelona is an historic building in Las Ramblas offering 231 bedrooms and suites and 7 meeting rooms for up to 126 delegates.  The hotel has a lounge bar, cocktail bar and restaurant and with restaurants and bars close at hand the location is great if you want to eat out.

Grand Hotel Brighton is a stunning hotel with a fabulous location.  Ideal if you have delegates coming in from Gatwick or central London but want to offer an English seaside venue.  The hotel has 201 beautiful bedrooms and flexible meeting space for up to 750 delegates in theatre style (additional bedrooms are available in other hotels which are a short walk away).

And just a little further out you will find Hunton Park Hotel in Watford.  It is a lovely Queen Anne mansion house set in 22 acres of landscaped grounds, perfect for team building activities and meetings for up to 120 in cabaret style.  With 61 bedrooms, 8 further meeting rooms and an indoor pool the hotel is ideal for small—medium meetings.

Richmond Hill Hotel is an independently owned hotel located just 16 minutes from central London by train but with the advantage of more competitive rates, onsite parking, and the lovely Richmond Park at the end of the road.  All 15 meeting rooms have natural daylight and there are 142 beautiful bedrooms.

We often get communications from hotels and venues that have had last minute cancellations or have gaps in their business that they need to fill.  These often result in excellent rates.

We have had some great offers for venues and hotels in Birmingham, Liverpool and London.  Just give us a call with details of what you are looking for and we will try to match you up with some of these offers.

We hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable time over the last week or so and we look forward to a fabulous 2018 full of exciting conferences and events in venues that are old favourites as well as some new or improved hotels.

Sylvain will be out and about over the next couple of months so if you would like him to call in to discuss your plans for the year ahead or the possibility of our help to negotiate rates please do let me know.

There is plenty to look forward to this year including lots of new hotels and venues opening up.  Here are just a few of them.

New to London is the Vintry and Mercer offering 92 bespoke bedrooms, a Mediterranean restaurant, cocktail bar, roof terrace, 3 meeting and event spaces and a gym.  All due to open early this year.

Principal London, due to open soon, is an imposing grade II listed building in Bloomsbury offering 334 bedrooms, a Ballroom for up to 450 delegates with 8 additional meeting rooms as well as the Palm Court, Fitz Bar and Neptune Restaurant.  It will be wonderful to have this restored landmark back on the list of top hotels in London.

In the late summer the South Bank will see the opening of Bankside a sleek, 6 storey new glass building packed full of unique design pieces offering a trendy, 161 bedroom, design hotel in this vibrant part of London.

Hawkstone Hall in Shropshire is a sprawling 18th century country mansion set in 88 acres of grounds.  It is due to fully open in the late autumn when the 40 suites and bedrooms will be added to the impressive meeting spaces, gilded ceiling public areas and private chapel.

The Langley, Buckingham is planned to open this summer and is set to be a luxurious 41 bedroom boutique hotel.  Surrounded by 500 acres of grounds it has accommodation across the main house, the 18th century stables and brew house.  There will be a fitness centre and fine dining in the signature restaurant.

Both Hyatt and Four Seasons have added to their family of hotels with brand new ski properties which opened in December.

Hyatt Centric La Rosiere has panoramic views of Mont Blanc and the Tarentaise Valley offering 69 bedrooms, spa, bar, restaurant and 6 meeting spaces.

Whilst the Four Seasons Megève also with views of Mont Blanc, has direct access to Mont d’arbois slops.  This hotel has 55 bedrooms as well as 2 restaurants (one Japanese), bar and a spa.

Once the $15m renovation is complete in late 2018 the Athens Marriott will open to be the only Marriott currently in the city.  The hotel was formerly the Metropolitan Athens and will have 366 guest bedrooms as well as large meeting spaces, restaurants and bar.

Dixon London isn’t due to open until February 2019 but is definitely worth a mention.  The hotel will consist of the converted Grade II listed, 1906 magistrate’s court and police station along with a new build to the rear.  It will provide 193 much needed bedrooms as well as conference facilities and a restaurant.