VENUE MENU
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ROAD TEST
Laura Ashley has branched out into hotels. Executive PA Magazine went along to its first opening in the UK
LAURA ASHLEY THE MANOR: Given the name attached to this hotel we had high hopes for the décor… and we weren’t disappointed. The hotel had a make-over when it was taken over and those little Laura Ashley details are evident everywhere, from the soft furnishings and furniture through to the images on the wall and even the carpet. But, don’t be put off thinking the hotel will be too feminine for male guests – it strikes the perfect balance of being tastefully designed and suitably neutral while being appealing to both sexes. The global appeal of the Laura Ashley brand became appar-
ent when we arrived at our room. A simple trip to the toilet was met with an instruction manual – for this is a loo with a differ- ence. There are various settings and temperature controls, which have been introduced to satisfy the needs of guests from the Middle East and Asia. Our room was beautifully presented
and offered fantastic, far-reaching views to London – the hotel is situated in Elstree, Herts, just 11 miles from London. A tour of the public areas and the event and meeting space
and we could soon see the attention to detail. Forget faceless meeting rooms and instead imagine a spacious room which is elegantly decked out to feel welcoming and cosy. Stylish chairs and glass-effect coat hooks all add to the appeal of this venue for meetings with a stylish edge. There is a total of five conference suites which can accommodate 84 delegates seated, or reception-style event for up to 150 guests. Plus there is also breakout areas and extensive grounds which can play host to team building events. The restaurant has two menus – one the traditional menu
you might expect and one which features Malaysian cuisine. We opted for the traditional menu and loved every mouthful! The dishes were well presented and the standard of the food was exceptional, it’s no surprise that people will travel to the venue for the food alone. Our breakfast was equally well exe- cuted and set us up for the rest of the day. We thoroughly enjoyed staying here and it’s great to see a
venue that offers meeting and event space with a stylish edge. The hotel offers 49 rooms so the service received from staff tends to be a little more personal than in a large, chain hotel too. INFO
www.lauraashleyhotels.com
44 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 |
WWW.EXECUTIVEPA.COM
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