While it's still winter outside and the days are short, planning your next company get-together, meeting or brainstorming session somewhere out in the countryside might seem a little premature. But in the time it takes to do a little research on the venue, find a mutually clear day or two in the diary and communicate the decision it will be spring, daylight saving will have ended and the clocks will have sprung forward. So where better to head for than a place in the country, with the daffodils in bloom, the days lengthening and some fresh air after a winter stuck indoors?
Ashdown Park
Set in 186 acres of beautifully landscaped Sussex countryside in the heart of Ashdown Forest, in the south-east of England, Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club (above and left) is based around an old stately home. The 106 bedrooms and suites are all individually styled with stunning views of the hotel grounds. All guests have complimentary membership of the indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, sauna, steam rooms, whirlpool, tennis courts, indoor golf nets, putting green, croquet lawn and jogging trails. Other activities include golf, clay pigeon shooting, laser clays, archery, falconry, horseriding, rifle shooting, indoor laser shooting, radio-controlled model car racing, off-road vehicle driving days (held off-site) and It's a Knockout games.
For meetings there are 16 fully-equipped suites and syndicate rooms of varying sizes offering superb surroundings for conferences, seminars, business or private functions, wedding receptions and celebrations. Any size of corporate function from board meetings of eight to grand banquets for 160 can be accommodated. The conference facilities are second to none. Audio-visual equipment – projectors, screens, video recorders and flip charts – is available so delegates can be assured of efficient presentations. ISDN2 lines, full back projection, simultaneous translation and a range of state-of-the-art equipment can be hired.
Details Day delegate rates from £99, 24-hour rates from £317; The Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club, Wych Cross, Nr Forest Row, East Sussex, tel +44 (0)1342 824 988, ashdownpark.com.
Calcot Manor
Located in the idyllic Cotswold countryside, this traditional farmhouse has been a hotel since 1984 but has recently refurbished its 14th-century barn into an inspiring meeting space. Calcot is easily accessible from both the M4 and M5, something you may forget once in the depths of the manor's 220 acres of gardens.
Calcot has 34 bedrooms and suites, which are spread throughout the manor's various buildings. Most of the traditional rooms overlook a delightful courtyard, while the original farmhouse has nine rooms and the converted barn has ten family rooms. All rooms have kept original features such as beams and slanted ceilings and are stylish and comfortable with modern décor and ensuite bathrooms.
To relax there is the Calcot Spa, which features a 16-metre pool, sauna, steam room, outdoor spa pool, exercise studio, tennis courts and seven treatment rooms with a range of therapies. Access to the spa is free for 24-hour delegates.
A sign of the times is Calcot's addition of the Barn, which opened in June 2006 following an 18-month restoration project. The two-storey building, once part of a medieval monastery, is now a beautiful meeting space with wifi access. The largest room in the Barn, the Thomas Suite on the first floor, holds 120 theatre-style and 35 boardroom-style. There are two smaller boardrooms on the ground floor which hold 16 and they open up into one room for 90 theatre-style and around 28 boardroom-style.The Barn is also used for private dining and weddings.
Details Day delegate rates from £88, 24-hour rates from £311; Calcot Manor, Nr Tetbury, Gloucestershire; tel +44 (0)1666 890 391, calcotmanor.co.uk.
Runnymede
With an attractive location overlooking the River Thames yet only ten minutes' drive from Heathrow airport, the Runnymede Hotel and Spa is purpose-designed for corporate use. There are excellent recreational facilities including three tennis courts, an 18-metre indoor pool and gym, as well as an extensive spa treatment menu. The hotel has 180 rooms, many with river views, and there are 12 meeting rooms and 14 syndicate rooms, all with natural daylight, air conditioning, wired/wifi internet, plasma screens and ISDN links. Room capacities range from 12 boardroom-style to 350 theatre-style.
Details Day delegate rates from £78, 24-hour rates from £265; Runnymede Hotel and Spa, Windsor Road, Egham, Surrey; tel +44 (0)1784 436 171; runnymedehotel.com.
Hunton Park
Formerly a Verve Venue, now a De Vere Venue (30 venues on 25 sites), Hunton Park is a Queen Anne house combined with a modern training and conference centre. There are excellent recreational facilities including an indoor swimming pool and spa bath as well as lawn sports, a trim trail, fun days and team-building activities in the 22 acres of grounds.
Located between junctions 19 and 20 of the M25 and junction 6 of the M1, the 60 bedrooms, eight training and meeting rooms and 12 syndicate rooms make planning an event easy. Room capacities range from eight boardroom-style up to 100 theatre-style.
Details Day delegate rates from £47, 24-hour rates from £164; Hunton Park, Essex Lane, Hunton Bridge, Hertfordshire; tel +44 (0)870 609 1150, deverevenues.co.uk.
The Macdonald Compleat Angler
Being in the countryside needn't mean being surrounded by fields. The Macdonald Compleat Angler in Marlow has views of the River Thames and Marlow Weir yet is an hour's drive from Heathrow airport (or 15 minutes from Maidenhead station). Within walking distance of Marlow town centre, the hotel has five conference and banqueting suites, a large open riverside lawn, glass terrace and dedicated hospitality area as well as a private jetty and boats for hire. Sovereign Waters is a luxurious cocktail boat with the capacity to hold 12 delegates, while Silent Waters is a beautifully maintained Edwardian boat which accommodates up to six. Riverside Restaurant was awarded three AA Rosettes in 2006 and the chef continues to strive for even higher accolades.
The hotel offers 64 beautifully appointed rooms, there is ample parking and a wide variety of attractions in the area including the Nirvana Spa, one of the few natural spas in the country. For meetings the hotel has three conference suites and two retreat-style boardrooms, all with natural daylight, air conditioning, wifi internet access, video conferencing and ISDN lines.
Details Day delegate rates from £95, 24-hour rates from £314pp. The Macdonald Compleat Angler, Marlow, Buckinghamshire; tel: +44 (0) 870 400 9090; macdonaldhotels.co.uk.
The Gleneagles Hotel
An hour's drive from both Glasgow and Edinburgh, and set in its own 850-acre estate surrounded by breathtaking Perthshire scenery, Gleneagles handles more than 500 major events every year including, of course, the G8 summit. The 232-bedroom resort has 16 function rooms, catering for groups of all sizes from 12 to 300 delegates, and has a number of different packages for incentivising and motivating teams, including all-inclusive ones (all based on a two-night stay).
Golf is a big draw, of course, with the famous King's Course, as well as the Queen's Course, the nine-hole Wee Course, and the PGA Centenary Course created by Jack Nicklaus, the planned venue for the 40th Ryder Cup matches in 2014. Add to this an outstanding spa and a choice of rejuvenating activities including yoga, tai chi, pilates, a life-coach presentation, guided scenic walks, falconry demonstrations and archery as well as mini stress-busting massages, and it is a top choice for corporate functions.
Details Day delegate rates from £71, 24-hour rates from £325; The Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland; tel +44 (0)800 389 3737; gleneagles.com.
Solent Hotel & Spa
A homely option for a meeting on the south coast, boasting rich cherry wood panelling and attractive terracotta tiles in the public areas, deep pile rugs scattered around, and eight spa treatment rooms with extensive wet and dry sports areas for relaxing. (This four-star chain is also the first UK hotel group to institute a non-smoking policy throughout its seven hotels.)
The Solent property has 19 meeting rooms catering for between 10 and 200 delegates in a purpose-built area featuring separate breakout and lounge areas, all with natural daylight. Private dining rooms are available, and there is free high-speed wifi internet access. The hotel is just off the M27 with Portsmouth, Southampton, Basingstoke, Winchester and the M3 within striking distance, and it's only an hour's journey from London on the fast train service.
Details Day delegate rates from £68, 24-hour rates from £179; Solent Hotel & Spa, Whiteley, Hampshire; tel +44 (0)1489 880 000; solenthotel.com.
Thistle Stratford Upon Avon
You don't have to spend a fortune to have your event in a boutique country hotel. The Thistle Stratford Upon Avon is opposite the world-famous Shakespeare and Swan theatres and fronted by award-winning gardens. The Regency-style hotel has 63 bedrooms including executive rooms and suites while the restaurant, which can be hired for private use, seats 75 comfortably and offers superb views of both the theatres as well as a wonderful dining experience. The conservatory seats 45 for dinner and there is also a bar and lounge, with flexible options for meeting planners. There are four meeting rooms, two of which are syndicate rooms and the largest of which seats 50 theatre-style, and there are 65 car-parking spaces which are available at an additional charge.
Details Day delegate rates from £30, 24-hour rates from £105; Thistle Stratford Upon Avon, Waterside, Stratford Upon Avon; tel +44 (0)1789 294 949; thistle.com.
Whatley Manor
The progress made by country-house hotels is most clearly demonstrated by Whatley Manor. The 23-bedroom hotel is a converted Grade II listed manor house located in 12 acres of grounds near Malmesbury in Wiltshire.
So far, so traditional. But the hotel celebrated its third birthday last summer by opening a 40-seater cinema in the courtyard area of the hotel, alongside the conference suite and spa. Ideal for private screenings and presentations, the 62sqm cinema interior has 40 claret-coloured, Italian leather chairs by Poltrona Frau, matching suede walls and acoustics installed by Dawsons of Bournemouth, with a built-in 7ft-wide screen.
High-definition projection is located behind the screen to ensure that the picture is not interrupted by any movement in the audience and projection can also be linked to the plasma screen in the boardroom to show the same pictures. There is a DVD, Video Super VHS and Sky Box installed, with an audio-visual system powered from a central computer located outside the room.
The aesthetics of the environment have been further enhanced by the use of a hidden 5.1 Digital Surround Sound System. "Artcoustic" speakers hang from the wall like integrated pieces of artwork, keeping the room uncluttered. They also synchronise the sound to give the impression of following the action or characters around the screen, with no dislocation between the two.
Details From £280 per room for a standard room including bed and breakfast and 10 per cent discretionary service charge, plus use of the spa Aquarias. The cinema is available to hire on an exclusive basis for £375 per day. Whatley Manor, Easton Grey, Malmesbury; tel +44 (0)1666 822 888; whatleymanor.com.
