Forest Pines completes 10million refurbishment
Friday 10th November 2006
Lincolnshire is famed for its broad horizons and rural idylls and it is in this county of verdant woodlands and rustic charm that the Forest Pines Golf and Country Club Hotel has been transformed into a multi-faceted centre for business and leisure after their £10 million refurbishment.
The tranquil setting of the venue belies the fact that Forest Pines Golf and Country Club Hotel is set close to the busy M180 motorway and within easy reach of the bustling commercial centres of South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It is this ease of access that has, in part, justified the £10 million extension and refurbishment that will play a major part in the growth of the conference business for the region.
The substantial investment at Forest Pine
s Golf and Country Hotel is courtesy of owners QHotels, Forest Pines Golf and Country Club Hotel was the 6th edition in their growing portfolio, which currently boasts nine 4-star deluxe hotels located throughout the UK, including The Midland in Manchester.
The £10 million investment included the development of the new state-of-the-art Events Centre, which is able to accommodate up to 620 delegates at once. The Events Centre is fully air conditioned with flexible lighting configurations, power to stages in the two theatre-style suites and data transmission facilities.
The entrance to the new Events Centre is a feature in its own right, consisting of spectacular atrium leading from the landscaped gardens and creating an impression of elegance and sophistication, which will enhance the facilities within. The influence of the surrounding natural landscape can be seen in the décor style of the Events Centre. Warm, rustic tones have been combined with natural textures such as wood and leather to create a welcoming environment.
The main suite has a capacity for 370 delegates in 340 sq m of space on the ground floor and boasts vehicular access. On the first floor a similar but slightly smaller facility accommodates up to 250 delegates or guests. Both these spaces can, in turn, be sub-divided by the use of acoustic screens into separate areas.
For more intimate gatherings, the Events Centre’s first floor will also offer a meeting room for up to 70 people. This is again configured in the theatre style and the same floor is also home to a Business Centre offering a wide range of services and facilities.
The scope and flexibility in the well-planned design of the Events Centre offers considerable benefits to organisers as rooms can be configured to accommodate a range of needs from boardroom meeting to training events to large-scale conferences or exhibitions.
In terms of personnel, the Events Centre will have resident production staff providing audio-visual support which covers every aspect of an organiser’s needs from concept to supply and which includes on the day technical support and delivery.
Much of the refurbishment has concentrated on the conference, meeting and event facilities but the leisure aspects of the hotel have by no means been overlooked. These include the creation of an extra 75 bedrooms, totalling 188 bedrooms, an extended café bar, a complete transformation of the public areas, and the addition of a new health, leisure and grooming facility.
Surrounding the hotel are award winning landscaped gardens and 27 holes of championship golf. The refurbishment of the three 9-hole golf courses was well planned and sensitively undertaken to ensure that the stunning natural landscape of the surrounding woods and heathlands was both utilised and maintained. The three courses offer unique challenges to golfers and are often the focus of leisure breaks at Forest Pines as well as corporate and associate golf days.
In terms of accommodation, Forest Pines Golf and Country Hotel offers 188 luxury en-suite bedrooms, including two new suites. Each of these include flat screen TVs, mini bars and full air conditioning to offer guests maximum comfort at any time of year. The bathrooms have been designed to incorporate heated towel rails, glazed bathroom doors and timber vanity units with black granite tops.
Forest Pines Hotel and Golf Club already enjoys a considerable reputation with both leisure and business guests and the extensive refurbishment is sure to add to that.
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Notes to Editors:
• QHotels has not only invested heavily in their properties but also in their staff with a commitment to the training and development of their personnel across the group. This approach means that they can offer a consistency across all the facilities at each hotel without offering indistinguishable surroundings as they develop an individual design for each hotel.
• QHotels strong emphasis on conference service delivery has seen the introduction of ‘Events by QHotels’, a total meetings package introduced to ensure that their clients are offered complete flexibility and choice, with a dedicated events manager and no surprise hidden costs.
