Groups and Events e-Newsletter First Quarter 2008

The Spa Hotel is an elegant country mansion, set in fourteen acres of beautiful grounds, overlooking the historic spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells, in the county of Kent.

Originally built in 1766, the Spa is privately owned. A sense of traditional British hospitality blends with a relaxed, modern approach to service and standards, promising a genuinely warm and comfortable welcome.
The M25 (Junction 5) is just twenty minutes away, Gatwick Airport thirty minutes, and we are about one hour from Heathrow. Dover and the Channel Tunnel are also easily accessible.

Each of the seventy bedrooms is attractively appointed, with all the facilities you might expect from a hotel of this stature. The smart yet friendly lounge provides a perfect meeting point for morning coffee, afternoon tea and light meals.

For fine dining, The Chandelier Restaurant is recognised as one of the region's best, with tall windows adding to the atmosphere of light and space.

The hotel has a luxurious health and leisure centre, Spa Health, as well as the superb Spa Spa. Facilities include an indoor heated pool and two gymnasiums with high quality fitness and exercise equipment, steam room and saunas. Outside there is a floodlit tennis court and a half-mile jogging trail.

Local attractions include Hever Castle, Chartwell, Penshurst Place, Groombridge Place and Leeds Castle. London and Brighton are within easy reach.

The aim at the Spa is to offer comfort, tranquillity and excellent hospitality for everyone in the family, for every month of the year.

The Study, on the ground floor overlooking the lawns at the back of the hotel, can cater for up to ten guests for a private lunch or dinner party.

The Frant Room, opposite The Study, is suitable for larger numbers up to sixteen people seated at one table, or an informal reception for twenty.

Suite 19, is located on the first floor with views across the grounds at the back of the hotel. This room can comfortably seat twenty-four guests at the oval table, or accommodate up to thirty-five for a cocktail party or informal reception.

The Yorke Suite, is an extremely versatile private dining room, with its own bar area, dance floor, air conditioning, subtle lighting and nearby cloakroom facilities. For private dining, this room can accommodate a maximum of six round tables in the Major Yorke Suite, with an additional two tables in the Minor Yorke Suite, bar area. For a reception or buffet with informal seating, the room can accommodate up to one hundred and fifty guests.

The Beau Nash, offers a large oak bar and dining facilities for up to forty-eight guests.

The Sir George Kelly Suite, with permanent dance floor and a stage area with spot lights, has direct access to the lawns and grounds at the back of the hotel. This suite can accommodate up to one hundred and eighty guests seated at round tables, with additional seating available in the Beau Nash Room.

The Ballroom, is created by opening up the Beau Nash, and the Sir George Kelly Suite.

For further information on any of our venues or to make a reservation please contact us.

Taking part in circus activities is not only highly enjoyable but an excellent way for teams and individuals to develope skills that apply to all walks of life.  Your staff will receive a unique experience whilst getting to know each other better in a lively, fun and safe environment.

One of the most popular team building days consists of the morning where all participants are taught the basis of several circus skills and after lunch choose one skill to create a performance within, culminating in a team show  Within this workshop participants will literaly support and encourage each other through each stage of the learning process, whilst sharing a common goal.

The following Circus Skills ar taught:-

• Acrobatic Balancing
• Juggling
• Flying Trapeze
• Stilt Walking
• Static Trapeze
• Tight-wire Walking
• Body Percussion
• Plate Spinning

For further details please do not hesitate to contact us.

Celebrating its 43rd anniversary, the famous 1200m international outdoor floodlit kart circuit is the most popular and successful privately owned karting venue in the UK.

Licensed by the MSA as a competition circuit, the venue not only promotes British and national championship karting events, but also specialises in exclusive corporate entertainment, offering a wide range of hire options.

Nestling within picturesque Kentish woodland, the circuit’s undulating nature adds to the Buckmore experience. The venue’s location is ideal, being situated just off Junction 3 of the M2, only 40 minutes drive from central London, 15 minutes from the M25 and less than an hour from Dover.

The venue is open all year and available for hire seven days a week, morning, afternoon or evening, by daylight or floodlight, dry weather or wet. Buckmore also offers the perfect backdrop for a product launch, photo shoot or media presentation.

Buckmore's first floor conference centre offers the ideal opportunity to combine a business meeting, product launch or conference with a karting or multi-activity event. For a business meeting with a difference, with or without karting, Buckmore's meeting room facilities are second to none and offer a unique and exciting alternative to more conventional venues. Ideal for AGMs, social events, training seminars, banquets etc. – the list is endless.

The unique and exciting facility incorporates a 200-seat conference room (The Buckmore Suite) with large folding acoustic screens that allow the room to be divided into smaller hospitality suites/meeting rooms (the Sisley, Herbert and Surtees suites). All rooms are bathed in natural light and have access to a balcony offering outstanding panoramic views of the circuit and Kentish countryside.

They offer Multi-Activity Events using Karts, Quad Bikes, Argocats and Powerturns and these can be incorporated into your Conference for team Building or if you are just looking for something different in a staff outing, can be booked separately.

Full corporate catering facilities and a bar are also available.

For further details please do not hesitate to contact us.

Boys Hall is a 17th century Jacobean Manor House set in beautifully landscaped gardens. It retains an historical feeling with its low beams and huge fireplaces and has a wealth of stories and local legends attached to it.

What makes Boys Hall really special is the flexible approach by its owners ensuring that every event held in the house is a unique and unforgettable experience.

The owners of Boys Hall have spent the last few years lovingly restoring it to its former glory after many years of neglect.

The Hall is now available under full license for civil partnerships, weddings, corporate functions and provides 4 star luxury accommodation

Conveniently located close to Ashford domestic and International rail stations, junction 10 of the M20 and nestled in the heart of Kent, (the “Garden of England”) it is the perfect venue for your special occasion.

Whatever your requirements may be, the owners of this wonderful venue are on hand to personally discuss your event with you. Although there are some set packages available we are more than happy to tailor make your day for you.

For your conference or event, it is the flexible approach that makes Boys Hall so easy to work with. There are several choices and combinations from providing reception refreshments to organising a mini theatre style conference facility where they are able to accommodate from 10 to 50 attendees depending on your specific requirements.

They understand the needs of businesses both large and small and to that end nothing is too much trouble, you simply have to ask


Boys Hall provides luxury 4 star accommodation. Each bedroom is themed and decorated to a very high standard and no expense has been spared in furnishing. Every room has a television along with tea/coffee making facilities and fresh fruit on each dresser.

Whether you are looking to host a special intimate dinner for close friends or family or a surpirse party for someone close to you they are happy to discuss plans with you.


For many events you will have exclusive use of the house and gardens. You will be made to feel welcome and at home. This a jewel in the East of Kent that you cannot afford to miss.

Please contact our Groups and Events specialists for more details and to discuss your requirements. We have access to hundreds of venues in the South East, and can shortlist conference centres worldwide, in order to match your needs with the ideal venue, or perhaps you would prefer to look through the Groups and Events section of our website first?

Situated in the heart of Kent in 8 acres of grounds, the Ashford International is ideally located just off Junction 9 of the M20, perfect for exploring the local area. The hotel is surrounded by castles, gardens, seaside resorts and shopping centres. Historic Canterbury is close by as is magnificent Leeds Castle.

After a 10million pound refurbishment the Ashford International Hotel has reopened with a largely increased Meetings capacity. The four meeting rooms have now been extended to 16 making the Ashford International Hotel the largest functions facility in Kent. All rooms have now been fitted with Air Conditioning and WIFI technology. Four new conference rooms have been created on the ground floor, two of which have natural daylight and views over the courtyard gardens.

Guests can choose from from 179 spacious bedrooms, an array of dining facilities including Horizon's Wine Bar and Restaurant, Reflections - Health, Fitness and Spa and parking for over 400 cars.

For further information on any of our venues or to make a reservation please contact us.

The award winning 9 acre grounds, which are floodlit at dusk, are offered on an exlusive use basis.  Guests or delegates can enjoy the sweeping lawns, huge Wellingtonia Pines, Blue Cedars, the waterfall and lake. 

The Orangery

Combine business and pleasure. Entertain, inform and relax your guests/employees all at one exclusive venue. The purpose-built Orangery, completed in May 2002, is an ideal setting for day or evening meetings, product launches, seminars, formal dinners, dinner dances and evening receptions.

The décor and furnishings within are discreetly stylish. A mechanical ventilation system refreshes the air within, whilst under-floor heating warms the room when necessary. Arched windows reach from floor to ceiling, giving guests superb views of the garden landscapes. An exterior terrace is available with outdoor heating.

A variety of seating arrangements can be catered for, from board meetings to theatre-style presentations.

Capacities for some of the seating styles most often requested are as follows:

• Theatre-style presentation with informal buffet = 160 delegates
• Cabaret-style meeting with seated buffet = 140 delegates
• Boardroom-style meeting with seated lunch = 38 delegates
• Seated meal = 200 guests
• Dinner dance = 160 guests

Expert catering is provided, from a sandwich lunch to a formal banquet, according to your personal requirements. A licensed bar and wine ordering service are both provided.

The Whatman Room

The elegant Whatman Room is located on the ground floor of the Turkey Court main building. It is generally offered for presentations, training sessions, seminars, interviews or similar small meetings and is available for hire during office hours Monday to Friday.

Capacities for some of the seating styles most often requested are as follows:

• Classroom style = 20 delegates
• "Open U" seating 16 delegates
• Open block/boardroom = 18 delegates
• Large hexagonal = 12 delegates
• Theatre-style = 25 delegates (40 if no refreshments required)

We will be happy to advise on additional seating styles and requirements.

A screen, flip chart and OHP are available for hire. Refreshments and light lunches can be arranged.

For further information on any of our venues or to make a reservation please contact us.