Principal Hayley Group invests £100 million, Docklands gets a 3,000-capacity ballroom with the opening of InterContinental London - The O2 and the Natural History Museum reveals new event spaces
The Royal York and The George receive £100 million investment
Conference centre provider Principal Hayley Group has relaunched The Royal York hotel [pictured below] in York and The George in Edinburgh after a £100 million investment programme.
In Edinburgh, the five listed Georgian townhouses and contemporary wing that makes-up The George Hotel now boasts 240 new-look bedrooms and suites.
Its refurbished meetings and events spaces, include nine flexible conference suites, the library space, the 315sqm Kings Hall and the Forth View Suite, which has its own private rooftop balcony space offering city views. There is also a new restaurant and bar.
At the Royal York hotel, the 167 bedrooms and suites have been restored and new smart TVs with fast free wi-fi have been added along with Neals Yard bathroom amenities. The hotel also boasts a new restaurant and garden room space.
InterContinental London - The O2 opens with 3000-capacity ballroom in Docklands
The InterContinental London - The O2 opened at the end of last month, offering 453 rooms and a 3.100sqm ballroom for 3,000 guests in North Greenwich.
Alongside the pillar-free ballroom, there’s also 19 additional meeting rooms and a 1,600sqm pre-function space with views over Canary Wharf.
Alongside its five destination-inspired restaurants and bars, including The Peninsula Restaurant, Market Brasserie, Clipper Bar and rooftop sky-bar, Eighteen, the hotel also offers a health spa and 59 available suites.
Natural History Museum reveals new event spaces
London’s Natural History Museum is opening six more of its spaces for corporate hire.
Images of Nature, Whale Hall, Volcanoes and Earthquake Gallery and Earth’s Treasury are all now available for meetings and events. In addition, North Hall and Waterhouse Way will open for groups from 1 January 2017.
Catering for all types of events from team-building to private viewings and dinners, the museum’s spaces are flexible and will accommodate groups of between ten and 400.
From the Earth Hall entrance, guests can explore the Earth’s molten laver core and arrive in a private dining setting within the Volcanoes and Earthquakes gallery and Earth’s Treasury or gather for drinks around Sophie the Stegosaurus.
Lucy Meehan, senior event manager at the Natural History Museum, said: "There are many hidden gems in the museum and the addition of these magnificent spaces to our venue-hire roster provides organisers with increased flexibility, especially for smaller capacity, standalone events.”
Article written by Mike Fletcher