With global transport links and London a 20-minute train ride away, Heathrow is a convenient place to host a conference, meet clients or hold a teambuilding event
SOFITEL
Accor’s luxury brand Sofitel is the only hotel directly connected to T5. One of the newest properties at Heathrow, having opened shortly after Terminal 5 in 2008, it offers some of the largest conference facilities at the airport. The 605-bedroom hotel has 45 meeting rooms, and the largest, the Arora Suite, can accommodate up to 1,700 delegates theatre-style. Many of the other spaces are named after cities of the world – the 90 sqm London Suite, for instance, hosts up to 45 people for a banquet. Boardrooms feature Hugo Boss leather chairs, and audio-visual facilities have been outsourced to AVC Productions, which has an on-site team. Other venues include a 117-seat tiered theatre and a green room for performers. T5; tel +44 (0)20 8757 7777; sofitel.com
PARK INN
The Park Inn Heathrow hotel can accommodate up to 700 delegates across its 41 meeting rooms. Located on Bath Road, this flagship property has two conference centres (named Red and Blue) occupying more than 2,000 sqm. In Blue, where all rooms have natural daylight, the largest space is Discovery, which can host up to 500 people theatre-style. There is also the 179 sqm Atlantis and the smaller 74 sqm Endeavour, which can seat up to 60 people theatre-style.
In Red, where none of the rooms has natural light, the 220-capacity Bleriot is the largest space at 201 sqm and can be split in two. There are a further eight meeting spaces, all named after aviators, seating between eight and 40 people, as well as breakout areas and a dedicated car park for event participants. For boardroom-style meetings there are 26 syndicate rooms, all of which have daylight and can seat ten people. If attendees want some late-night fun after a day of meetings, Park Inn’s restaurant Bravo! Bravo! turns from eatery to disco after 11pm. The KI spa, offering various treatments, a fitness centre and pool, also offers a light reprieve. Bath Road; tel +44 (0)20 8759 6611; parkinn.co.uk
SHERATON SKYLINE
Part of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, the Sheraton Skyline has recently seen a major refurbishment, adding 65 Club rooms and a Club lounge. These executive bedrooms are charged at a slightly higher rate but offer access to more facilities, including the 24-hour lounge, which can often be used for informal one-to-one meetings and offers a free continental breakfast, drinks and snacks throughout the day, flight departure and arrival screens, a 42-inch flatscreen TV, and two computer terminals with free internet access.
The property is also set up for large-scale events – its 18-room conference centre covers more than 1,500 sqm, and the Sky Garden, with its swimming pool, cocktail bar and tropical plants, provides a great environment for glamorous summer get-togethers. The biggest event space is the 450 sqm International suite, which can host up to 500 people theatre-style. The Atlantic suite can seat 70 for dinner or 120 for a presentation, while the Pacific suite can seat up to 50 delegates theatre-style, or be divided into three smaller venues. There are also ten meeting rooms.
A short distance away there is a second Sheraton property – the Sheraton Heathrow hotel has 17 meeting spaces including boardrooms accommodating up to ten people, and the 218 sqm Knightsbridge suite, which can host up to 200 delegates theatre-style.
- Sheraton Skyline: Bath Road; tel +44 (0)20 8759 2535; sheratonskyline.com
- Sheraton Heathrow: Colnbrook Bypass; tel +44 (0)20 8759 2424; starwoodhotels.com/sheraton
HILTON T4
Heathrow’s T4 Hilton is one of the airport’s most iconic hotels, with an open-plan atrium that provides an impressive welcome – this year, the glass and steel structure celebrates its 20th anniversary. The meeting facilities were refurbished in 2007 and, making use of a patch of land and a pool at the back, sand has been put down to create a private “beach”. The area can be hired out for teambuilding activities or can seat up to 42.
Most of the conference space is on the ground floor but there are also two meeting rooms and an interview room on the first floor. In total, there are 32 venues – the largest, the Heathrow suite, holds up to 350 delegates. All boardrooms feature a fridge stocked with soft drinks, and Rubik’s cubes are on hand for brainstorming sessions. The hotel is directly linked to T4 with a covered walkway, and there is a free shuttle bus to T5 every 30 minutes. T4; tel +44 (0)20 8759 7755; hilton.co.uk
OTHER OPTIONS
If you want to escape the airport’s environs, there are a number of meeting venues within close reach of Heathrow. Below are two very different locations, both within 16km. Alternatively, you could try out a nearby country house hotel – see our online guide at businesstraveller.com/heathrow
DE VERE DENHAM GROVE
Set in 42 acres of parkland, De Vere Denham Grove has a spa and pool, tennis courts, pitch and putt, and croquet, while the grounds offer plenty of space for teambuilding activities. The property has 96 bedrooms and there is free wired and wifi internet. De Vere has been running the venue since 2007, and over the past three years has updated the meeting spaces and bedrooms, and opened a new lounge and restaurant – the Steam, Bake and Grill features live theatre kitchens.
The largest conference venues, the Princess and Durdent suites, hold 160 people in each. There are a further eight meeting rooms for larger events, and 18 syndicate rooms for up to eight people. With De Vere’s all-inclusive policy, audio-visual equipment, snacks and drinks are included in the rate. Denham Grove is accessible via the M40 and M25 and offers convenient train connections to Wembley stadium, so tickets to a concert or football match could be booked for your group. Denham Grove, Tilehouse Lane; tel +44 (0)844 980 2305; deverevenues.co.uk
AUDI QUATTRO ROOMS
Located within Audi’s flagship London showroom, the Audi Quattro Rooms is ideal for small-scale, high-profile events. It features floor-to-ceiling windows, furniture by Fritz Hansen and the latest technology from Bang and Olufsen. Open since last October, the 2,000 sqm venue can host up to 340 guests. Its three boardrooms have glass walls and can seat up to six people in each.
Its three meeting rooms on the top floor have excellent city views, while the Audi Lounge screening room has a 103-inch Beovision screen and surround sound, and can host 60 people. Audi Quattro Rooms is about 15 minutes’ drive from Heathrow, on the Great West Road, just off junction two of the M4. The venue also offers a chauffeur service to and from the airport. 958 Great West Road, Brentford; tel +44 (0)20 8326 1810; audi.co.uk
