Around the world in venues - February

Dreamland Margate joins Lime Venue Portfolio

Dreamland Margate on the Kent coast has become the latest venue to join the Lime Venue Portfolio.

Dreamland Margate has already hosted several high-profile events, including The Turner Prize, top fashion and brand launches including, Harry Styles Pleasing brand, Stranger Things and L’Oreal.

The multifaceted venue is ideal for conferences, meetings, incentives, and team building days, with planners able to use a series of rooms, with varying capacities of up to 7,000 catered for, including the Hall by the Sea, The Roller Room, Ballroom, VIP Party Huts, and Scenic Stage Area, while offering the amusement park itself as a social and incentive space.

The Venues Collection launches ‘Meetings for Change Plus’ event packages

The Meetings for Change Plus Day Delegate Rate and 24-hour rates include many new healthy elements to enhance the delegate experience, including healthy morning booster shots and nutritionally balanced afternoon bites, plant-based options, dairy-free desserts, dishes under 500 calories and carbon labelling on menus.

Jo Austin, sales director at The Venues Collection said: “As we start a new year, the health of individuals and the health of our planet have never been so important. Our Meetings for Change packages have always been good for the planet, but now our new Meetings for Change Plus packages also support the organisers and delegates who are looking for healthier alternatives."

The Meetings For Change Plus DDR includes main room hire, morning booster (cookies still available), unlimited tea and coffee, water in meeting rooms and access to hydration stations, buffet lunch (with over 10 dishes under 500 calories, plant-forward and dairy-free dessert options), carbon labelled menus, nutritionally balanced afternoon bites (treats also available), Wi-Fi, projector and screen, flipchart and pens (on request), stationery boxes and notepads (on request), free onsite parking and an event manager.

This special offer is valid for events and training sessions booked in the January to March 2024 period.

Center Parcs Conferences & Events has reopened its doors for corporate bookings at Sherwood Forest

The resort has reopened following a £4.5 million refurbishment of its dedicated events venue, which began in May 2023.

As part of its multi-million-pound refurbishment, The Venue boasts a major extension which includes four brand new meeting spaces ideal for smaller groups, and an event capacity of up to 550 delegates in The Venue as a whole.

Other additions include a new entrance and reception area overlooking the lake, as well as two outdoor terraces ideal for delegates to enjoy a break under the forest canopy. A significant investment in the AV and lighting systems also takes events at Sherwood Forest to the next level.

Bespoke Hotels is set to expand its portfolio

Bespoke Hotels plans to open two further Hotel Gotham properties over the next two years.

The independent group, which includes almost 90 hotels across the British Isles, has confirmed it has multiple development projects in its pipeline.

These include the opening of Hotel Gotham Newcastle in winter 2024, and Hotel Gotham Bristol in 2025.

The Newcastle launch will come nine years after the original Hotel Gotham opened in an Art Deco building in Manchester in 2015.

This year will also see a soft refurbishment of the four-AA-star Lumley Castle hotel in Durham, which will be managed by Bespoke following a takeover by Lord Scarborough and trustees.

The Bailiffgate Hotel in Northumberland, set in the former Duchess High School, is set to open this summer and Bespoke is working with Biarritz Hôtel in Jersey for its season opening in April ahead of a full refurbishment next winter.

Construction is due to start on a hotel development at the Noss on Dart Marina in Dartmouth, with the finished property expected to open in 2025.

The expansion plan for 2024 will further strengthen Bespoke Hotels' portfolio within the UK hotel market, taking its coverage to over 5,000 rooms and more than 6,000 staff.

The Mercure Manchester Piccadilly hotel has announced a new vision

The strategy will see major investments across the hotel’s high-profile meetings and investment spaces, including its International Suite. It will also modernise all of its 280 bedrooms and a new concept and redesign of its entrance.

At the same time, the hotel’s leadership will be announcing a series of partnerships and innovations that will change the way the hotel supports its customers and the wider industry.

The Mercure Manchester Piccadilly will be announcing new stages of investment and the completion of projects throughout 2024.

30 Euston Square focuses on welfare

London venue 30 Euston Square, is bringing the welfare of its conference guests to the fore with the addition of breathing and mindfulness exercises to its delegate offering. 

30 Euston Square has created a suite of bite-sized videos that can be screened both at the start of an event and post-lunch.

Titled ‘Moments of Mindfulness’, the films feature corporate wellbeing specialist Nick Stolerman and are designed to share wellbeing techniques that can be easily practised in any meeting room set up.

Brussels' Astoria Hotel to reopen

Abandoned since 2007, Brussels' Astoria Hotel will be brought back to life in the summer of 2024, under the management of the Corinthia Group.

Situated on the historic Rue Royale, just minutes from the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Grand Place, the hotel was built in 1909 at the behest of King Leopold II, this landmark building served as a grand meeting place for kings, dignitaries and world personalities. Acquired by Corinthia Hotels in 2016, the property is currently undergoing extensive redevelopment but once completed, will comprise 125 bedrooms and suites, as well as extensive banqueting, dining and spa facilities.

Marriott to open all-inclusive hotel Almare in Isla Mujeres, Mexico in Q2 2024’.

An off-the-beaten-path destination for adventure-seeking travellers, Isla Mujeres is an island paradise located just a short car or ferry ride away from Costa Mujeres and across the bay from Cancun. 

The 105-room property will feature a modern, sophisticated take on vernacular architecture, layered with locally inspired interior design to showcase the beauty of the locale.

Hilton Heidelberg opens in Germany

Famous for its Gothic architecture and celebrated as a UNESCO “City of Literature”, this alternative destination is quickly gaining attention for its picturesque views and rich cultural heritage.

The new hotel features 244 rooms and suites with contemporary design, paying tribute to the rich literary heritage of Heidelberg.

Hilton Heidelberg is just a stroll away from the Old Town, brimming with ancient buildings and quaint streets and squares.

Hilton Heidelberg is also committed to sustainability, harnessing the latest technology and energy-efficient systems with plans in place to ensure the reduction of the hotel's carbon emissions, water usage and food waste.

Rixos Tersane Istanbul hotel to open in spring

Located in the revived Tersane historical district and nestled in the Golden Horn estuary of the Bosphorus River, the opening marks Rixos’ thirteenth hotel in Türkiye and will be a flagship property for the brand.

The hotel will boast 432 rooms, the majority with views of the Golden Horn, and 67 suites, 55 of which will have an outdoor terrace.

Framed by panoramic views of the Haliç, the hotel provides an elegant backdrop for corporate events.

The property is furnished with a 2,027 sqm ballroom with natural daylight which can be divided into two or three different sections and adjacent pre-function areas ideal for greeting guests and hosting receptions.

The windows of the ballroom can be opened completely from floor to ceiling which connects to the 1600 sqm outdoor area. In addition, the ballroom foyer is 929 sqm in size, also with a view of the Haliç.

The property has also been developed with the business traveller in mind, with four meeting rooms designed to suit all business needs. Business travellers are invited to enjoy the corporate facilities with the chance to relax, unwind and de-stress with the use of the hotel facilities and dining options once the day’s work is done.