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Kent Conference Bureau
Kent is renowned for its natural beauty and when such
backdrops are combined with a great range of venues for
meetings, conferences or training purposes, business
travellers will find something to suit every event or meeting.
Modern meeting facilities
complement the charm of castles
and country houses, while the
countyÕs larger hotels offer a stylish
alternative. Kent can offer several
flagship chain hotels such as the
Hilton, QHotels, Holiday Inn and
Marriott, and there have been
recent additions in the boutique
hotel sector.
Ongoing transport improvements
and a strategic location between
London and the Continent make
Kent an ideal spot whether itÕs for
a business meeting set against
the stunning backdrop of Leeds
castle Ð or perhaps an impressive
conference at Dover Cruise Port.
The Kent Conference Bureau is
celebrating its 10th year offering
the free venue finding service,
with impartial and practical advice
readily available and a personalised
proposal within 24 working hours.
Reasons to conference
in Kent
¥ There is a vibrancy in the towns
and cities, where an excellent
selection of theatres, restaurants,
nightclubs and pubs offer a
variety of entertainment options.
¥ Kent has all the advantages
of being both close to London
and mainland Europe, yet easily
accessible from the rest of the
UK. The excellent road and rail
networks ensure that all the
venues are easy to reach.
¥ For delegates arriving by air,
Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted
are within easy driving distance
and the Channel Ports and
Eurotunnel operate frequent
services to and from France.
¥ Venues start only 12 miles
from the City of London and
stretch throughout the county
to the coastal resorts, only 40
minutes from Calais.
¥ Historically, Kent shares many
links with neighbouring regions
across the channel, and with
Ashford now as close to Lille
as it is to London (one hour
by Eurostar), it is ideally placed
for all European connections.
¥ Bluewater, EuropeÕs largest
indoor shopping centre, and
McArthur Glen Outlet in Ashford
offer visitors plenty of choice.
¥ A wide choice of unusual
and historic venues to suit
corporate needs.
¥ Home to the biggest regeneration
project in Europe, The Thames
Gateway, Kent is an exciting and
growing county in which to host
business conferences. ³
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The Ramada Tunbridge Wells has
completed a £100,000 refurbishment
of the restaurant and lounge area
giving the hotel a fresh and
contemporary feel. The Summit
Conference Centre at the hotel
comprises eight flexible conference
rooms, some of which are airconditioned
and suitable for hosting
discreet boardroom meetings or
conferences for up to 180 delegates.
www.ramadajarvis.co.uk
Venue Developments
The Ashford International Hotel
has benefited from a £10 million
refurbishment which was completed
on 15th October 2007. QHotels
purchased the hotel in July 2006
and pledged to invest heavily in
the property. A large majority of
the 179 guest bedrooms have been
completed with stunning new dŽcor
and flat-screen TVs. The reception
and newly named Quench Bar have
been completely redesigned and
include two large plasma screens
showing high profile sports events
while the Horizon Wine Bar and
Restaurant is set in a slick and
contemporary environment with
polished dark wood tables and
a vibrant maroon colour scheme.
With 16 conference and meeting
rooms Ashford International is the
largest functions facility in Kent and
a large proportion of the investment
will be spent on the conference and
event facilities. All of the conference
and meeting rooms will be
News in brief
Dover Cruise Port hosted the first
ever Discerning Traveller Show in
October 2007.
Sixteen cruise lines and 20 tour
operators exhibited at the event
which was organised by Travelux, the
Tenterden-based travel agency. The
show, which was free to the public,
attracted over 1,500 visitors at Cruise
Terminal 1 at Dover Western Docks.
www.doverport.co.uk
Eastwell Manor Hotel and Spa
Summer 2008 will see the opening
of the newly constructed nine-hole
golf course which will be an added
facility for residents and conference
delegates. Set in the heart of the
Kent countryside there are 62
elegant manor bedrooms and luxury
Mews Cottages, seven private dining
and meeting rooms as well as
extensive leisure and spa facilities.
Visitors can choose to dine in the
Manor Restaurant or the less
formal Brasserie.
www.eastwellmanor.co.uk
Hempstead House is embarking on
an extension to the hotel to provide
a spa, health and fitness suite, extra
bedrooms and treatment rooms.
The Spa (opening Oct 2008) will have
an indoor pool, hydrotherapy pool,
jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and
fully-equipped gym. Within the
area will be a Brasserie which will
be open to non-members as well
as members and residents.
www.hempsteadhouse.co.uk
³ Kent Conference Bureau continued...
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This elegant and spacious room
has plenty of natural light, air
conditioning, the latest audiovisual
technology. The room can
accommodate up to 300 delegates
theatre style, or 200 cabaret style for
all types of conferences or events.
Oakwood has 37 en-suite bedrooms
and all conference rooms offer free
broadband WIFI internet.
Tel: 01622 626600
www.oakwoodhouse-kcc.com
Ramada Hotel and Resort
Maidstone. The bedrooms have
undergone a superb £750,000
refurbishment and now feature flat
screen televisions with digital picture,
internet access and blockbuster films
on demand. Set within 26 acres of
tranquil Kent countryside by Leeds
Castle, the Ramada Hotel and Resort
Maidstone is the ideal place for
corporate events
With years of experience running
special events and having recently
updated their events package,
the Ramada Hotel and Resort
Maidstone provides the perfect
backdrop for any occasion, whether
it is a gala dinner, private party ³
refurbished and modernised in line
with QHotels Conference Standards.
Four new conference rooms will
be created on the ground floor, two
of which will benefit from natural
daylight and pleasant views over
the courtyard gardens.
A full refit of the leisure club
will include luxurious new
shower and changing areas, new
Technogym equipped studio and
dance studio, and poolside; a rock
sauna, ice fountain, aroma steam
room, ÔexperienceÕ shower, Jacuzzi
and ÔReflectionsÕ spa facilities
with six treatment rooms and
a relaxation area.
Tel: 01233 219988
www.qhotels.co.uk
Oakwood House Conference Centre
is a superb Victorian mansion dating
from 1870, set in a beautiful location
just 10 minutes from Junction 5 of
the M20.
Following a £1.7million
refurbishment Oakwood offers a
wide range of conference facilities
including the newly-built John
Wigan Room.
The Ramada Hotel
and Resort
Maidstone provides
the perfect backdrop
for any occasion
Welcoming reception, Best Western Hotel, Gravesend
Leeds Castle
business
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Marriott Tudor Park Hotel will be
fitted with the new style bedrooms.
The work will be completed in
sections meaning customers will not
be disturbed throughout this period.
The rooms have been designed to
fit in with the surroundings of
the Country Club and the Kent
countryside including pictures of
local heritage and features.
Tel: 01622 734334
www.marriott.com
Kings Hill Conference & Training
Centre has increased the number of
large rooms available for meetings
and courses to meet growing
demand. Fourteen rooms of varying
sizes can now be booked at the
purpose-built centre at Kings Hill,
near West Malling. These include
a 140-seat conference suite with
dais and lectern, two other large
meeting rooms seating 100 in each,
and a computer-training suite with
18 wireless networked PCs available
to delegates alongside the
presentation PC.
Tel: 01732 842842
Email: khi-events@gre.ac.uk
www.kingshillconferences.co.uk
or corporate event. With an
investment of £500,000 on the
Heart of Kent suite, the hotel is in
an even better position to service
the business world.
The Summit Conference Centre
comprises fifteen flexible conference
rooms suitable for hosting discreet
boardroom meetings or conferences
for up to 650 delegates. The Video
Theatre combines a teaching wall
with integrated audio-visual system
and LCD back projection.
Tel: 01622 631 163
www.maidstonehotel.com
Marriott Tudor Park Golf and
Country Club
Following the completion of Phases
1 and 2, the complete refurbishment
of all 11 meeting rooms and
re-modelling of the Leisure Club
changing rooms, Phase 3 of
Marriott Tudor Park Golf
and Country ClubÕs £4 Million
refurbishment is now underway.
Phase 3 of the hotelÕs transformation
began on 1st October 2007, as the
first wing of guestrooms began their
renovation. All 120 bedrooms at the
Newly refurbished bedroom,
Ashford International Hotel
Horizons Bar, Ashford International Hotel