WILDERNESS RESERVE, SUFFOLK

Where is it? 

As memorable locations for corporate events go, they don’t come much more bucolic than Wilderness Reserve, a collection of restored properties located in the idyllic Suffolk countryside. 

Delegates can stay in the elegant Grade II listed manor house, a restored 15th-century barn, or one of several remote thatch-roofed cottages (you’d have to bite your tongue not to call them charming on sight). 

Why is it unique?

It’s not just a playground for fish and fowl. The estate offers 40 outdoor activities, ideal for memorable team-building activities, from spoon-carving, and paddle-boarding, to axe throwing (should your team need to let off some steam). 

Utterly gorgeous, it’s hosted corporate events for organisations as varied as Volvo, Penhalgions, KFC, the Adoreum ‘experiments series,’ and M&S. 

Sustainability credentials

The Wilderness Reserve is a long-term restoration project dedicated to celebrating and preserving the English wilderness, the reserve is home to 153 species of birds, 33 mammals, over 300 plants, 28 butterflies, 20 dragonflies… not to mention 736 moths and 3 reptiles. 

How to get there 

The nearest train station, Darsham, is a five-minute drive from the estate, and Wilderness is happy to organise chauffeur-driven cars, for both train pick-ups and tours of the coast. They also offer helipad facilities. 

NEW HALL, BIRMINGHAM 

Where is it?

New Hall itself is somewhat reticent about the allure of Birmingham - on their website they damn it with the observation ‘it might not strike you as one of the best cities in Britain to visit.’ But Birmingham offers many pleasures. In addition to being centrally located within the UK, it features canals, biking and hiking trails, excellent galleries, and beautiful heritage attractions - such as New Hall itself. Conveniently situated near both Sutton Park and Pype Halls Golf Course, the estate has a distinctly fairy-tale ambiance - it's not often that one enters a conference venue via a drawbridge.

Why is it unique?

The UK's oldest inhabitable moated building (insert joke about treating delegates like royalty here) offers the opportunity to host team meetings in the Great Chamber, which was originally built for use by King Henry VIII. The venue also features a 9-hole golf course, gym, pool, tennis courts, and spa on-site, offering a modern twist on regal treatment in a traditional setting.

How to get there

The nearest airport, Birmingham International, is conveniently located 12 miles away, while the nearest train station, Sutton Coldfield, is only 2 miles from the property. 

Facilities 

There are six meeting spaces at New Hall, from the bijou Oak Room (8-person capacity), the aptly named Great Chamber (65-person capacity), to the largest space, the Garden Pavilion, which can host 200 delegates (or a sit-down dinner of 150). 

There are 60 bedrooms to accommodate overnight guests. 

CAMERON HOUSE, LOCH LOMOND 

Where is it?

Red deer, mighty oaks, and the largest freshwater lake in the UK: Loch Lomond is a place once visited, never forgotten. Its natural outstanding majesty is matched by the grand baronial charm of the 17th-century Cameron House. 

Why is it unique?

Named the UK’s nineteenth-best hotel in the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice poll, Cameron House offers decadence in a divinely beautiful setting. It’s well situated for active outings for delegates: paddle-boarding, canoeing, kayaking, or a Segway Safari across the estate grounds. More decadently, you can take your team on a champagne cruise on the property’s luxury cruiser, the Celtic Warrior, or a flight on a Loch Lomond Seaplane.

Sustainability credentials 

The property has a Resort Conservation Manager, who works with staff to steer and implement green policies. They are currently working to reduce energy usage, waste outputs, and emissions.

How to get there

The property has a convoy of Audis at its disposal to whisk delegates from Glasgow Airport or Glasgow Central Train Station to its doors in a brisk 30 minutes. 

Facilities 

The property has elegantly appointed function rooms able to host up to 500 delegates. They pride themselves on their indulgent decadent, all-inclusive delegate packages, promising five-star treatment and ‘the perfect mix of business and leisure.’ 

BELFAST'S ROOM 2, BELFAST

Where is it? 

Travel experts have been championing Belfast’s emergence as one of the UK’s liveliest and most cultural cities for the past decade. Belfast’s Room 2 is situated at the very heart of this vital, spirited capital.  

Why is it unique?

Owned by the Lamington Group, Belfast's Room 2 is a 'hometel' - the company’s coinage for an accommodation designed to provide the comforts of home and the convenience of a hotel. If your delegates are frequent flyers, the cosiness and laidback nature of the rooms can offer a welcome reprieve from generic corporate hotels.  It’s also supremely well decorated - local artists, including James Beard, were commissioned to create bespoke artwork for Room2. Beard’s pieces in particular are a celebration of Irish mythology and folklore.

Sustainability credentials 

Wary of green-washing? Rest assured, this stylish locale earns its sustainability credentials. Their goal? To be net zero by 2030. 

This funky spot runs on 100% renewable electricity and uses low-carbon renewable energy, which means no natural gas. It relies on solar, hydro, and wind power. Additionally, any unavoidable carbon emissions will be offset by planting and maintaining giant clumping bamboo in Nicaragua. The property also follows a zero-waste-to-landfill policy.

Facilities 

The meeting rooms are spacious, well-lit, and modern. The largest has space for up to 120 people. The Kitchen Workshop is a fun space for a different style of meeting, with a dining table to accommodate 10 diners - the venue suggests you may want to hold a cook-off between colleagues.  Workshops One, Two, and Three all have floor-to-ceiling windows, versatile meeting spaces with plenty of natural light - a fair cry from the windowless conference rooms of yesteryear. 

The hotel proper has 170 rooms for delegates to rest their weary heads. 

How to get there

Located flush in Belfast city centre on the vibrant Queen Street, it’s a 30-minute drive from Belfast Airport or a ten-minute taxi from the city’s railway station.

CELTIC MANOR RESORT, CARDIFF 

Where is it?

Newport makes for a fascinating - and picturesque - visit. This historic port city has Roman ruins and is famed for being where Chartists fought for democracy. Sluiced through by the serene River Esk, it is also a buzzing University town, with a distinct multicultural energy. The Celtic Manor House sits on the city outskirts, within 1,400 acres of lushly verdant Welsh woodland. It's great if your delegates need an 'away from it all' vibe but handy to a city's mod-cons. 

Why is it unique?

In some circles, the golf game still reigns supreme for business brokering - the Celtic Manor Hotel has three world-class (it hosted the Ryder Cup in 2010) thoroughfares if your delegates fancy 18 holes.  

For those less keen on swinging a club, team events can be built around resort laser combat or the forest jump ropes adventure. Too active? There's a spa on-site and seven restaurants and bars. 

Sustainability credentials 

The resort has achieved Wales' prestigious Green Dragon Environmental Standard and is committed to sustainability. Per their website: 'Whether we’re harvesting honey from our hives or surpassing our energy targets, nothing makes us prouder than making a difference and exceeding our sustainability goals. We divert all of our waste from landfills and source 100% of our electricity from renewable energy.' 

Facilities 

This five-star hotel has spacious conference rooms to accommodate groups of 8 to 1200 guests. The facilities are top-tier and efficient, professional staff offer prompt, polite support. 

While the Manor House has classically appointed hotel rooms, you could also put delegates up in one of the Hunter Lodges located on the site, which are secluded and self-catering (in case guests are keen for a little personal downtime between events). 

How to get there

The resort is a nifty 12-minute drive from Newport Railway Station and a 45-minute drive from Cardiff International Airport and Bristol Airport. 

NOBU HOTEL, LONDON

Where is it? 

There's a borough to suit everyone in London, and if swish is the vibe you seek, Marylebone offers as high falutin' a taste of the capital as you can find. This leafy, lovely central city locale is home to Portman Square, where Nobu resides. You're ideally located for quintessential London hotspots:  a five-minute walk to Oxford Street, and Mayfair, Soho, and Fitzrovia are all a stone's throw away. 

Why is it unique?

While Marylebone might represent the best of traditional London, the property itself glimmers with the sheen of celebrity glamour - owned, as it is, by chef Nobu Matsuhisa (of the burgeoning and beloved restaurant chain), Robert De Niro, and Meir Teper. Its design is cooly contemporary, minimalism perfectly executed - think calm natural fabrics and muted wooden furnishings. But the strongest draw is its restaurant, as you might expect - Nobu represents the apex of Japanese cuisine transported for a Western audience. Conde Nast described the culinary offerings as 'mind-blowingly tasty'. 

Facilities 

Keep it stylish, keep it high-functioning, keep it technical. That's what Nobu offers for meetings and events. Their meeting rooms run from a four-seater boardroom to an elaborate reception hall for 700. They endeavour to make the company's lives easier with a Nobu meeting planner for every function. You can even organise that sumptuous Nobu cuisine for delegates - now that's an incentive. 

How to get there

Handily positioned in central London - a five-minute walk from Marble Arch Station - the hotel is 45 minutes via tube from Heathrow Airport or an hour from Gatwick AIrport. 

Sustainability 

This luxe spot is 'impact-certified' by Future Plus, an organisation that comprehensively works with companies to improve their sustainability measurement, management, and reporting.