What's Floating Around? 1 April 2019

Welcome to another week everyone and as it's April Fools Day, we thought we would take a quick look at some of the best Hotel Pranks.

A couple of years ago, at a Travelodge in Australia, they announced the launch of a  new Whiff & Wake Service. This was said to entail the smell of frying bacon being blown into guests’ rooms to help them wake up. The hotel chain said the new service was in response to an increasing number of guests reporting to struggle with snoozing through their alarm clocks in the morning. 

Back in 2009, the agency TTG Digital said it was going to open the world’s first ‘Hover Hotel’ in Dubai and that the 20-room boutique hotel, was apparently going to hover approximately a kilometre off the ground.

But perhaps our favourite story was in 2015 when the The Telegraph reported that Italian authorities were planning to turn the Leaning Tower of Pisa into a hotel called 3.99 Degrees. The newspaper claimed to have learned about the plans from a leaked document, which stated the hotel rooms would cost more than £14,000 per night. The article even stated a local carpenter had offered to make special beds with legs of differing lengths, so guests didn’t have to sleep at an angle. 

Stay sharp today and have a great week! 

What's Floating Around? 11 February 2019

Welcome to another week and yes, love is all around us this week in anticipation of Valentines Day. Before those of an allergic nature start rushing off to ditch this festival of love and romance, there are some venues that really go that extra mile to mark the occasion although if you have yet to book, you might struggle to get in!

Valentine's Day is normally a time when hotels bump up prices to take advantage of one of the most commercial holidays of the year and as the nation's restaurants and hotels get booked up for the big day,  a few chains have launched special Valentine's Day deals for couples looking to take a break.

They include the likes of Malmaison's annual great bed, bubbles and breakfast offer and now another chain has got in on the act. Village Hotels has revealed a Valentine's Day deal for couples looking for a last minute overnight stay which is available at over 30 hotels dotted across the UK and the deal includes a stay, meal and cocktails all from just £89 for two.

However, if you are looking for something a little more quirky, then there's a Valentine's Day party happening at the stylish Radisson Clydeside hotel... and your dog is invited. Radisson RED Glasgow is teaming up with Dog Furiendly to host the event – which celebrates that special bond we share with our pooches.The evening  will be inspired by the romantic TAIL of two dogs in love, Lady and the Tramp and this of course  means spaghetti and meatballs (veggie option available) along with a glass of prosecco!

  

The Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa, Newmarket’s luxury Hotel, restaurant and wedding venue, is also offering the perfect romantic experience for couples this Valentine’s Day. The Hotel’s award-winning restaurant, Squires, will be serving an exquisite 3-course set menu, complete with a complimentary glass of champagne on arrival, and for those looking to extend their Valentine’s getaway, the Hotel is introducing two luxurious Valentine’s Day packages which will be available throughout February.  

The first of the Hotel’s offers is the Valentine’s Day package, which includes a 3-course dinner at the Squires restaurant, an overnight stay in a Superior Room, a complimentary bottle of chilled Moet & Chandon Champagne and a box of luxury Hotel Chocolat chocolates in your room on arrival, plus – the perfect ending to a romantic retreat - a full English breakfast. The Ultimate Luxury Valentine’s Day package features an upgrade to a Luxury Suite, chocolate dipped strawberries on arrival, and the inclusion of a bouquet of six red roses - how decadent!


If you want to look at the stars, then the Bōkan, which means lighthouse in Old Saxon is a nifty opener to impress a prospective date while dining at Canary Wharf’s namesake restaurant. Bōkan occupies the 37-39 floors of the Canary Wharf Novotel, a feat that surpasses any restaurant at The Shard and makes it one of London's highest dining destinations. Far from your average hotel outpost, this award-winning 2 AA Rosette restaurant towers above Canary Wharf and offers panoramic view over London, visible from almost every angle.

Sending you all love, and have a great week - and please don't forget if you need a venue for something a little more formal, our free venue finding service is available to help 24/7

www.cloud9em.co.uk + 44(0)203 858 7809

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 4 February 2019

Welcome to another week and as busy venue finders here at Cloud 9 Towers we like to stay ahead of new venues and hotels for our clients, so we thought it timely to take a look at some of the new launches happening this month.

Vintry & Mercer, which officially opens in London today,  is named after two of the City’s historic guilds: vinters, who traded fine wines, and mercers, who sold fine silks, and both trades will be reflected in the hotel’s interior. 

The hotel will feature three food and beverage outlets: Vintry Kitchen, which will serve an Asian-inspired menu of small plates; and the Mercer Roof Terrace, which will have a covered, glass-walled area as well as an outside space, with some dishes prepared in a charcoal oven. The DND (Do Not Disturb) cocktail bar will be located in the basement, a 60-cover space inspired by New York bars of the 1920 and whilst it's not a huge property, it has three great spaces for intimate meetings and events. 

Step inside and discover an indulgent city hideaway with the new Belmond Cadogan which opens this month in Chelsea, where every detail weaves together past and present. If walls could talk, the new walls would have some captivating stories to tell as the site of the new hotel has long been a playground for socialites and bohemians like Oscar Wilde and Lillie Langtry. They are marking their launch and celebrating past and heritage while offering modern, understated luxury. From the world-class restaurants and tranquil garden to quirky design details and in-room libraries, they can host key business lunches, with a  private dining room and the space can accommodation for up to 50 guests, the space can be divided into two sections and the Lounge can be used as an additional breakout area.

Set to open on Valentines Day, Monkey Island Estate lies on a picturesque island in the River Thames in the historic village of Bray, Berkshire. The island has a rich history centuries old, and has been the haunt of monarchs, aristocrats and artists, along with writers, famous performers and Berkshire locals and now is home to one of the finest hotels in Bray. The two grade I listed heritage pavilions which form the property were originally commissioned as a fishing retreat in 1723 by the third Duke of Marlborough. These have been completely restored and renovated, with beautifully landscaped gardens and picturesque views of the River Thames. Set across seven acres, Monkey Island Estate features 27 exquisite guestrooms and three sumptuous suites, and featuring the stately and spacious Ballroom, the graceful River Room and the more intimate Spencer Suite and Boardroom, so great for events of all sizes.

Also opening this month is the new Hampton by Hilton Stockton on Tees, based in the heart of Northshore, opposite Teesdale Business Area, surrounded by the stunning countryside of North Yorkshire Moors, County Durham. Enjoy easy access to major roads: the North A19 and A1, the South A1 and A19 and West to Darlington A66 as well as the Tees Valley area to the east. You can explore the dramatic east coast towards Whitby and Scarborough. Local attractions include Tees Valley Barrage and International White Water Centre, the Globe Theatre (opening 2019) Stockton International Riverside Festival, Tees Valley and many more. The hotel rooms are fresh and modern spaces with a microwave, mini-fridge, 50-inch HDTV, coffeemaker, and a work desk with ergonomic chair. Feel rested after a great night’s sleep on the comfy bed, and stay connected with free WiFi and plenty of device-charging spots.  There is no meeting space at this hotel but it does have a business centre and is ideal for those looking for somewhere quiet to work.

There are lots of new hotels and venues coming soon, and do please remember to check back with us and shout if you need a venue for any occasion, locally, nationally or internationally.

Have a great week!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 29 October 2018

Welcome to another week and we are looking forward to next weekend already and the My Sight Notts Fireworks, family fun event taking place at Nottingham Racecourse on Sunday 4 November.

November, already! Where has the year gone. We are already booking events not just for 2019 but through into 2020 and in some cases 2021.

For most #eventprofs its been a challenging year and staying on top of all of the changes within hotels and venues is not easy. 

Most of the Q hotels have been sold or are undergoing a rebrand under their new ownership and will emerge as Hilton’s or Marriott’s and Accor are increasing their portfolio with the purchase of Movenpick.

These are just two examples of the ever-changing face of the industry, and it got us thinking about what happens to all of the marketing materials and branded elements when something like this happens.

Whenever we engage with suppliers, in addition to the details about their portfolios or venues, we also usually end up with everything from branded pens to post it notes, notes books and note pads, and stress balls and screen wipes.

In all honesty, some of it is useful but the bulk of it is not, and normally ends up collecting dust in some cupboard or on an inaccessible shelf.

However, whilst we may suffer from a little clutter, what on earth do hotels do with the mountains of branded items they must have when they are no longer synonymous with their brand.

The bulk of hotels have branded menus, notepads, pens, signage an all sorts of uniforms and promotional items so its an awful lot of stuff to simply send to landfill especially when its such a hot topic and sustainability is all the rage.

When a hotel does rebrand, and before any of us have the chance to check in – and check out the refurbishments – there is an awful lot of work to be done. A hotel rebrand goes way beyond a few new dressing gowns and a fresh box of newly branded pens.

The numbers, it turns out, are quite extraordinary. Even at the Melia Desert Palm, which only has 39 rooms and has just undergone a rebrand has had to order 2,000 key cards, 2,000 luggage tags and 1,000 pens. 

While most hotels are able to stay with the same brand for the entirety of its lifetime, 43 percent of hotels change affiliations at least once, according to data collected by the STR Census Database, which tracks hotel affiliations over time. Nearly one-quarter undergo two or more brand changes.

So that’s an awful lot of unwanted post it notes, where do they all go?

Have a great week.

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 3 September 2018

Welcome to another week and it's back to normality and back to school for many, so a busy month ahead. 

What is always strange to us here at Cloud 9 Towers, is that no sooner do the kids break up from school then the TV and Media fills up with ads promoting School uniforms and stationery, and they have barely had time to unpack their school bags or stick their PE kit in the washing machine!

This means that by the time the new terms all start, the promotion starts for Bonfire Night, Halloween, and dare we say it, Christmas! 

To a certain extent, September feels like some to January, the chance to start over or embrace change, and it doesn't matter whether your school days are just or even well behind you, that September feeling never really fades.

We're always up for something new here at Cloud 9 and when we are not busy sourcing venues for clients with our free venue finding service, or delivering effective event management solutions, we like to look around the latest trends and ideas to make sure we are always up to date.

And this September? Well, one thing that is really interesting is the Zero Waste Week which is on now. As #eventprofs we often get the luxury of staying in hotels and venues around the globe and we've all abandoned toiletries in hotels, even on holidays.

But what really happens when you throw something away? Away isn't some magical place, it's actually landfill, an incinerator, the bottom of the ocean, litter or the stomach of an animal. It's always somewhere else...

Makes you think doesn't it? We're not massive campaigners here at Cloud 9 but our thinking is that every little helps so all this week we'll do what we can do to reduce our waste, even just a tiny bit.

So maybe we can use last nights meal to make something tasty for lunch and ensure that this week, whenever we print something, its on both sides rather than one to save paper.

We'll also check what we throw away and make sure the right thing is in the right bin - and you never know, we might get some hotels to donate left over toiletries to those in need on a monthly basis or something similar as part of their CSR policies if they are not already doing it. 

Have a great week and if you do get two mins, please take a look at the Zero Waste Week website...

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 30 July 2018

Welcome to another week #EventProfs and as August rolls in this week it's time to remind you about the fabulous Alliance of Independent Event Agencies - if you are small independent agency and you are not a member yet, then you should be! 

The AIEA is an Alliance of independent, small and privately owned event agencies working in the (MICE) sector and is a group of unique and individual companies, sharing our knowledge, experience and resource to enable us to provide the best quality service to our clients. 

Collectively we responsible for a significant proportion of the business generated in the MICE sector, and in addition to providing education, training and a support mechanism for smaller agencies, the Alliance has also enabled us to strengthen our relationships with suppliers.

Our suppliers are hotels and other unique venues that offer first class meeting and event space. The relationships we have with them are vitally important as they provide us, through meetings, forums, exhibitions and fam trips, the information we need and to keep our clients up to date.The main criteria for choosing a supplier is that they fit our client brief. 

We are completely independent and do not favour or exclude any venue based on prearranged override or fulfilment contracts. Our suppliers also understand the value we add to the booking process and work closely with us to make sure our client’s expectations and needs are fulfilled.  
 

The AIEA is finding new and innovative ways to work, and network with suppliers and such initiatives as our irreverent annual awards and summer carnival are underlining the important of this small but perfectly formed Alliance. The AIEA is not for profit and is open to any independent agency with less than 20 employees. For details please see www.aiea.co.uk

Have a great week.