Introduction
Hotels and conference centers are useful types of accommodation especially when it comes to hosting conferences, workshops and conventions. In the UK, as elsewhere in the world, hotel and conference centers proliferated because there was a demand for accommodation that could, at the same time, serve as a venue when conferences are hosted. Hotels and conference centers are prevalent in an urban setting rather than a rural one where people converge for gatherings, events, and meetings. Metropolitan areas are convenient because you have all the amenities such as airports, ports, transport, dining, and entertainment facilities.
History
Decades before, people were also traveling moving from one place to another to visit friends or family, find jobs, work, harvest crops, trade and so on. Because there were no other means of transport or there were few ways of going from one place to another, traveling took longer. People needed to stop somewhere or cut their trip in half. If they were using horses, the animals also needed to rest. As such, they made breaks and looked for places to stay for the night. Some even camped.
There were no hotels and conference centers to speak of. People gathered in pubs, restaurants, and bars to discuss business or chat. The first kinds of hotels were private houses where the owners allowed guests for the night or a couple of nights. As modernization took place, inns and guest houses sprung with better amenities. Snack bars and small restaurants were included in these hotels and nowadays, you can find practically everything in a hotel. These hotels also got bigger in size, accommodating more people. A conference center was added in addition to recreation and dining facilities.
Features
One of the top hotel and conference centers in the UK is the Shaw Hill Golf & Country Club. Located in Chorley, Lancashire, it has 30 ensuite bedrooms. Amenities include a golf course, restaurants, health and spa facilities, and banquet rooms. The hotel and conference center has 6 meeting and banquet rooms that can host up to 300 day delegates. Each meeting room is properly equipped and includes wireless internet. Parking is available on the spot. Guests can stay at the hotel or day delegates can go back to their homes.
In London, one of the top hotel and conference center is the Grovesnor House, A JW Marriott Hotel. Boasting of 494 guestrooms, it is one of the largest hotel and conference centers in the UK. It has 31 meeting rooms and its biggest function room can host up to 2,000 delegates at one time. It is well located in the center of London, making it a convenient conference venue for business or government organizations hosting large gatherings. There is also an exhibition site in the hotel.
Scotland, which is officially part of the United Kingdom, has The Beardmore Hotel & Conference Centre. Located near Glasgow, it boasts of 168 rooms, an auditorium that can seat 178 people, 14 fully-equipped training rooms, sauna, restaurants, and parking. This hotel and conference center is an ideal venue for hosting conferences and large gatherings.
Other hotel and conference centers worth mentioning are the Weetwood Hall in Leeds, Chancellors Hotel in Manchester, and Sheraton Skyline Hotel in London.
Tips and comments
There are special companies engaged in arranging hotel and conference venues for workshops, events, and business meetings in the UK. They can arrange everything for you from finding to booking a suitable venue. Another site that is worth looking into is London Partners (londonandpartners.com), a promotional, non-profit website funded by the Office of the City Mayor of London and business enterprises.
