Jersey
Jersey is the most southerly of the British
Isles, 100 miles off the coast. It is accessible from 20 UK airports and
there are regular ferry sailings from Poole, Weymouth and Portsmouth.
Most
hotels are within a 15-minute drive on the largest of the Channel
Islands. Jersey may have shed a layer or two of its ‘expensive’
hospitality skin during the recession and is maybe not
as exclusive
as a decade ago. In 2002 there were seven four-star hotels with 600
bedrooms. Now there are 16 four- and five-star hotels with over 1,600
bedrooms.
Jersey Conferences GM Hamish Reid says Jersey is a
multi-market destination. “We don’t rely on one industry to bring in
events like some cities can.
Organisers have to make a distinct
choice to choose Jersey, so our strategies are about making the customer
aware of the benefits of choosing somewhere neutral, with pan-UK
access, easy to get around and plenty of bang for your buck. Plus,
flying south always has a cachet.”
Reid says a trip to Jersey
provides a chance to take colleagues or clients to somewhere that is
familiar but has an air of glamour about it.
“Britain with brio,” as he puts it. And, for UK visitors, there is no need for passports or exchange rate issues.
According
to Reid, it is cheaper to fly to Jersey now than it was 10 years ago.
The island is only nine miles by five and delegates are never stuck on
coaches for long. In terms of activities there are the War Tunnels and
the Durrell Conservation Trust as learning experiences, as well as
plenty of sailing opportunities.
Hotels and venues
The
five-star Grand Jersey Hotel and Spa overlooks St Aubin’s Bay in St
Helier and offers conference facilities, a Michelin-starred Tassili
restaurant and is home to the only private cinema available for business
presentations and private screenings. The Grand Suite can accommodate
220 theatre-style.
The island has a higher density of AA Awarded
restaurants (35) than any other holiday destination across the British
Isles according to the AA Restaurant Guide 2012.Only London (with 678)
and Edinburgh (with 56) have more AA rosettes for their restaurants.
Patrick
Burke, Chairman of Luxury Jersey Hotels and owner of The Atlantic Hotel
and Michelin-starred Ocean restaurant, says: “Our island provides us
with a wealth of high quality ingredients from world acclaimed seod
to the renowned Jersey Royal.”
The L’Horizon Hotel & Spa,
part of the Handpicked Hotels group, has meeting space, as does the
four-star Radission Blu Wateont in St Helier. But, be careful there,
as its walkway
to the island can get cut off at high tide.
The
Hotel de France has 16 conference rooms and 2,920sqm of events floor
space. Over in the financial centre of St Helier, the Pomme D’or is a
business hotel which prides itself on the high
spec of its conference technology.
Away from the hotels, La Mare Wine Estate (above right) has a conference centre able to seat 160.
Delegates
can try their hand at barrel-making, wine blending and labelling.
Jersey’s best rates can be achieved generally by avoiding the high
season.
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Scotland’s islands
With
a culture and history all of their own and breathtaking natural beauty,
Scotland’s 200 islands present numerous possibilities for organisers.
Many, though not all, have a range of accommodation and some larger islands even have
their own airports.
On
the tiny island of Barra the planes land on the beach, while Shetland
and Orkney have regular flights from elsewhere within the UK.
Auchrannie Resort
On
the island of Arran, off the west coast and an hour by ferry from the
mainland, Auchrannie Resort offers spa and conference facilities. Known
as ‘Scotland in Miniature’, Arran boasts seven golf courses.
Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa
One of the Crerar Hotels, the Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa, offers meeting facilities and
a
new spa. Forty-five minutes by ferry from the mainland, the Isle of
Mull is popular with city based organisations looking for a retreat. The
hotel offers a separate conference suite and a wide range of
teambuilding and outdoor activities are available on the island.
Amhuinnsuidhe Castle
With
12 bedrooms, Amhinnsuidhe Castle on the remote island of Harris is
another potential meetings retreat. Following a meeting in the private
rooms, with views
of the loch and salmon leap, guests can enjoy a range of sporting pursuits.
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WOW factor on the IOW
The
Isle of Wight is not well known for conferencing, although it has
carved a niche for music festivals, such as August’s WOWFest which
attracts 12,000 visitors each day.
There is a lack of major
venues on the island, although Ashley Curzon, Strategic Manager
–Economy, Tourism and Events at County Hall, says many the hotels do
have small spaces for more bespoke meetings.
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Island isolation
For those who want real seclusion, Spitbank Fort (above), a sea fortress in the Solent, offers
nine
luxury suites, bars, restaurant areas and spa facilities.Osea Island in
Essex is another isolated destination. Opened in 2011, the island is
connected to the mainland by the tidal road shown in the BBC’s Great
Expectations drama and Woman in Black staring Daniel Ratcliffe.
The island has accommodation varying between The Manor House (10 doubles), 11 cottages and
The
Courtyard which is made up of six apartments. The Chapel venue can seat
36 for dining, and art, fishing, bird watching and walking can all be
incorporated into events on Osea.
Access to the island is dependent on the tides and walking or cycling are the only methods of transport on the island.
This was first published in the June edition of CN. Any comments? Email conferencenews@mashmedia.net
