A Stratford hotel has channelled over £500,000 worth of investment into upgrading its conference facilities to extend its reach in the meetings and events market.
The Macdonald Alveston Manor Hotel began its extensive renovation programme in early 2014, and as work has now been completed can begin to advertise the improved space to businesses. Upgrades to the Manor Bar and lounge area have provided additional space for networking and relaxation opportunities, while the transformation of a number of meeting rooms into executive boardrooms has allowed the hotel to cater to a higher class of business.
In addition, the largest banqueting suite, known as The Cedar Room, has undergone a full refurbishment which has modernised the interior whilst remaining true to the space’s extensive history. This suite is rumoured to have hosted the very first performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, so designers have incorporated themes related to this work in order to attract a larger number of visitors.
General manager of the Macdonald Alveston Manor Hotel, Sam Aziz, believes that the works have further enhanced the appeal of the four star facility for a wider variety of consumers.
He says; “Meetings and conferences are an important way of attracting businesses to Stratford-upon-Avon.
“We get bookings from many businesses who want to hold their events in an historic location.
“We hope that this significant investment will attract more business and leisure guests to the hotel.”
As well as being a major player in the conferences field, however, the hotel also hosts a large number of weddings per year – in fact, it has been named as one of Warwickshire’s leading wedding venues and has in the past received the prestigious Pride of Stratford Business of the Year award.
According to a survey conducted by hitched.co.uk, the UK wedding industry is worth around £10 billion per year which, broken down, equates to around £36,000 per wedding; in other words, these renovations could prove extremely financially profitable for the hotel should they play a role in attracting a higher number of wedding parties.
Mr Aziz points out that the landscaping works conducted in the hotel’s private grounds and new refreshment area could further add to the appeal of the property as a wedding venue.
He concludes; “The refurbishment has been very exciting for our team, from having Gerry Thompson design our new bar area, to investing a significant amount on our new state of the art gym facilities.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming guests.”
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