After the past year and the ongoing pandemic and uncertainties, you may wish to consider a venue for exclusive use, to keep your delegates together and almost in a ‘safe bubble’ for the duration of your event, without other events taking place at the same venue. This could be for a full live event or a hybrid event.
Most venues can obviously be taken over on an exclusive basis, for the right price, however here are just a few suggestions of venues that you may wish to consider.
Warbrook House, Hampshire
A Grade I listed country estate located near the Berkshire-Hampshire border, close to Heathrow Airport and Central London. It is accessible by train with connections from Reading, Fleet and Farnborough rail stations.
It is set in impressive surroundings; as you reach the end of a tree-lined driveway, Warbrook House Hotel sweeps into view, a building built in 1724, set in 121 acres of Grade II listed gardens, complete with its very own Versailles-style canal and Waterloo bridge!
Warbrook House has a stand-alone venue called The Grange, which is ideal for exclusive use. It is a purpose-built conference hotel made up of 30 en-suite bedrooms, private restaurant and break out lounge, with four main conference rooms and three syndicate rooms. There is a private south facing garden with outdoor seating, which is perfect for the summer months and indeed spring and early autumn too.
Complimentary WiFi is available throughout with a 100Mb upload & download.
Darby House at the Telford Hotel & Golf Resort, Shropshire
Situated in the grounds of the Telford Hotel & Golf Resort is Darby House, a 17th century manor house lending itself perfectly for as an exclusive use venue.
Originally a farmhouse, Darby House is now home to nine bespoke bedrooms featuring period features. It also houses the Morning Room, an intimate room perfect for a meeting or private dining for up to 10 people.
Whether an important board meeting or a meeting for high-end clients, you won’t have to worry about anyone else joining you and all your needs will be catered for. The spectacular views over the Ironbridge Gorge will inspire and delight!
Guests can also enjoy the facilities within the main hotel including the health club and spa or a round on the golf course overlooking the beautiful scenery.
Lane End Conference Centre, Buckinghamshire
This venue is set in 26 acres of the Chilterns countryside in Buckinghamshire. It offers a focused environment and exclusive use of 1 of 5 or all self-contained, purpose-built conference buildings on-site.
Each of the self-contained buildings offers a main conference room and a number of syndicate rooms, dedicated bedrooms, dining room, lounge and bar. Across the whole venue, there are a total of eight conference rooms, twenty-four syndicates and 111 en-suite bedrooms.
Hiring out one or more of the self-contained buildings ensures 100% privacy with no external distractions.
Risley Hall, Derbyshire
Risley Hall is hidden amongst the tranquillity of the Derbyshire countryside, but located between the cities of Nottingham and Derby. With a unique heritage, this 11th Century Saxon country house has 35 bedrooms and a 16th-century Baronial Hall, making it the ideal location for an exclusive event, incentive trip or other type of meeting.
The hotel has five function rooms in total and they have a capacity of from 9-40 people u-shape. The Baronial Hall can hold up to 110 guests for a banquet or 60 classroom. This hotel is set in 10 acres of its own private landscaped gardens and grounds, a great space for outdoor team building activities.
Farleigh Wallop, Hampshire
A private events venue in the south of England, Farleigh Wallop is a secluded estate that is available to rent for corporate retreats and events for a day, an overnight stay or longer. It is located just over an hour’s drive from central London and Heathrow Airport and an hour and a half from Gatwick Airport.
Farleigh’s function rooms suit confidential negotiations, corporate strategy retreats, and dining for up to 40, as formal or relaxed as the situation demands. In terms of the dining experience, the menus are specially prepared by the private chef and can range from a relaxed casual BBQ around the pool to a formal gastronomic dinner. Farleigh Wallop has 11 bedrooms, a cinema room for presentations, viewings or movies, high-speed Wi-Fi and dedicated onsite house managers.
The house is set in ten acres of formal gardens and the tennis court, cricket pitch and heated outdoor swimming pool offer exercise and recreation. Team building activities, for example shooting, can be organised in the 4,000 acres of private estate.
Crossbasket Castle, Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Crossbasket Castle is an ideal setting for a corporate event such as two day conference, including a group dinner. It is also located in a tranquil spot but only 20-25 minutes away from Glasgow city Centre, so is an ideal setting for exclusivity. The quiet location, beautiful grounds with the river Calder flowing behind the castle gives the venue the added privacy. Onsite parking means there is ample room to accommodate conferences or corporate away days.
The main castle has nine en-suite bedrooms, each decorated in a classical style, individually crafted and striking a balance between traditional character and modern finishing. It has three reception rooms which would be perfect for smaller meetings, or boardroom set up. In addition, the castle has The Roosevelt Ballroom, which has high beams, natural daylight and views onto the river. A new addition to the property is the James Little Hall, which can accommodate up to 150 on rounds or a drinks reception for 200.
Additionally, the Castle has two gate lodges located in the grounds and provide an option for additional bedrooms (5 in total).
In terms of food and beverage, Crossbasket has the latest contemporary fine-dining restaurant from the Roux culinary dynasty. Dishes showcase fare from Scotland’s renowned natural larder with an added touch of creative flair from the iconic Roux team.
In our opinion, Crossbasket Castle would be best suited to 2-3 day events, all delegates being fairly local and who will return home each night; the senior management team could stay on-site,. Alternatively, for groups arriving from other parts of the country, again the senior team could stay on-site, with accommodation for all other delegates being arranged at Glasgow hotels approximately 20 minutes away. As a guide, the exclusive use rate for the castle, which includes the 9 bedrooms (for up to 18 people) and Full Scottish breakfast is £7,500 for a 24 hr period.
