Stoke up some business ideas
Words | Robina Dam IDENTIKIT HOTELS THAT were usually part of a chain and could have been anywhere used to be the venues of choice for corporate conferences. But a new trend has emerged where originality of location and quality of rooms and food are just as important as PowerPoint presentation equipment. It’s a trend [...]
Words | Robina Dam
IDENTIKIT HOTELS THAT were usually part of a chain and could have been anywhere used to be the venues of choice for corporate conferences. But a
new trend has emerged where originality of location and quality of rooms and food are just as important as PowerPoint presentation equipment.
It’s a trend that has found a champion in the English country house look. Step forward Buckinghamshire’s Stoke Place. The recently refurbished four-star hotel in the Dhillon Group has kept its original 17th-century country manor features, but has discreetly extended a conference hall that serves for presentations during the day (for up to 185 people) and transforms into a ballroom in the evening.
Its proximity to Heathrow Airport, while still being tucked away from motorways to ensure tranquillity for hush-hush takeover bids and other business, has made
it an in-demand location for companies bringing together their international counterparts.
“During rush hour, we are about 30-40 minutes away from Heathrow, but during off-peak times it’s only a 15-20 minute drive,” says Stoke Place’s
general manager Gareth Davies. “The recently done-up reception rooms [designed by Ilse Crawford] make it an ideal corporate bonding or away-weekend think-tank venue, but it’s the new restaurant that has introduced a different aspect.” The new Vyse Room opens to views of the Capability Brown landscaped garden, and the restaurant’s cuisine delights its blue-chip clients.
The Vyse Room, Stoke Place, Stoke Green, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire SL2 4HT, +44 (0)1753 534790;
www.stokeplace.co.uk
