Dreaming of summer? We’ve selected five venue scorchers, new to the London hotel and restaurant scene
The first few months of the year is a time when event planner thoughts turn to the warm glow of summer and booking those venues that predominantly provide roof terrace and outside space.
According to a survey of 252 London-based corporate buyers, the results of which were unveiled at this year’s London Summer Event Show, 77% of companies in the UK capital held a summer staff event in 2019, which was up 11% from the year before.
The majority of these parties and receptions (90%) were held on either a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, with 66% opting for buffet or bowl food catering.
Based on these findings, events planned for a Monday or Tuesday this summer will be able to secure more significant venue discounts. At the same time, a raft of recent new London openings are providing exceptional levels of choice and variety.
Here’s our handful of the best new London venues to consider for that sizzling summer staff party:
The Treehouse Hotel
Opened in November 2019, The Treehouse Hotel in Langham Place is a younger sibling to the eco-design focused, U.S-based, 1 Hotels brand and the first of its kind overseas.
Located next-door to BBC Broadcasting House, eight storeys of rooms start on the ninth floor and culminate with rooftop bar Nest and a wraparound terrace with phenomenal views.
The hotel’s reception and 130-cover Mexican restaurant, Madera can be found on the fifteenth floor. Two private dining rooms can seat eight and 10 guests respectively, while the terrace has a capacity for 200-standing.
Some 95 bedrooms, including 15 suites, feature eco-design and childhood quirks such as Paddington Bear, cuckoo clocks, a view-master and a magic eight-ball.
The Hoxton, Southwark
The third Hoxton hotel in the UK capital opened on Blackfriars Road in September 2019. Its expansive lobby doubles as a bar, lounge and also houses the ground-floor restaurant Albie.
Seabird, a rooftop seafood restaurant and outside terrace, can cater for 150 standing guests and boasts the world’s most extensive Oyster list.
The Hoxton, Southwark’s 192 guest bedrooms come in signature brand categories – ‘Shoebox’, ‘Snug’, ‘Cosy’, ‘Roomy’ and ‘Biggy’.
14 Hills
14 Hills is a £5 million ‘forest in the sky’ restaurant, which opened on the 14th floor of 120 Fenchurch Street on 11 November 2019, and features an evergreen canopy of 2,500 plants.
Managed by D&D London dining group (think Bluebird Cafe, Coq d’Argent, Quaglino’s), 14 Hills features a private dining room with cityscape views that can seat up to 22 guests for lunch or dinner. The restaurant, run by Executive Chef, Thomas Piat, can be hired on an exclusive basis for up to 350 guests and just upstairs on the floor above, The Garden at 120 is the largest public roof-garden in London.
Belmond Cadogan Hotel
London’s historic Cadogan Hotel reopened as a Belmond property in February last year after being closed for refurbishment for four years.
Owned by LVMH (owner of Moet and Chandon, Hennessy and Louis Vuitton), this 54-bedroom luxury boutique property next to Sloane Square station, features the Adam Handling Chelsea restaurant, with private dining for up to 50 guests and a six-course tasting menu.
More intimate dining for up to eight guests can also be held in the Royal Suite, once Oscar Wilde’s favourite bedroom. After lunch, guests can enjoy a summer stroll in the Cadogan Place Gardens, a private hideaway, featuring ornamental planting, sweeping lawns and tennis courts.
The Betterment at the Biltmore, Mayfair
Michelin-starred Jason Atherton’s latest hotel restaurant opened in September 2019 and has marked his return to London’s Grosvenor Square after 10 years.
Head Chef is Paul Walsh, who led Jason Atherton’s City Social for five years and achieved the restaurant’s Michelin-starred status within seven months of its opening.
The Betterment’s seasonally driven menu features beautifully presented dishes of wood-fired fish and meats, fresh seafood, signature salads and inventive side dishes.
Two private dining rooms include The Aquarium and The Chairman’s Room for eight and 14 guests respectively. Leading on from the restaurant, a covered garden with foliage walls and comfortable seating is an elegant spot for al fresco receptions.
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