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Ochil House , a new event space at Scotland ’ s Gleneagles , is modeled on a private country house . With seven employees trained in private dining and the total events and banquets team numbering 21 , the hotel trains all front of house staff in private dining events . “ This means we can ‘ borrow ’ an unlimited number of fully trained events staff from restaurants and bars across the hotel to suit the needs of groups of any size ,” says GM Conor O ’ Leary , matching expertise to events and ensuring that “ service is always ‘ Gleneagles ’ and not externally sourced .” The result : an 80 % reduction in the use of agencies . an agricultural theme that reflects the area ’ s heritage and matches consumers ’ continued obsession with food . When it opens in December , the farmhouse will host meetings and events with a team of chefs as rock stars .
Not every hotel can build new spaces , but outside-the-box thinking can reveal otherwise ignored opportunities that could work , depending on the group .
“ We look for any and all areas that could be transformed into an event space ,” says Matt Stuhl , vice president of restaurants , bars and events at Two Roads Hospitality . At San Francisco ’ s Hotel Vitale , some sleeping rooms were outfitted with murphy beds and easily moved furniture and converted to cocktail reception spaces , while the rooftop was reinforced to allow groups outdoor access to the property ’ s bay views .
The Wit , a Chicago hotel , wows groups by taking them up to the 27th floor for breakfast or lunch at Roof , an indooroutdoor restaurant and bar with stunning city views .
INFORMALITY RULES Balancing casual and special can be approached a variety of ways . Handson experiences resonate : The Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach , Florida , recently hosted a group that wanted a different type of bar experience , so the team set up a frontless bar that got attendees involved in the anatomy of a cocktail , from ingredient to finished product .
Hotels that keep up with restaurant menu trends are better positioned to compete with outside venues as well . Stressing local and seasonal sourcing , having delicious gluten-free and plantbased options and getting creative with cocktails are all ways to get buy-in from even the most jaded meeting planner .
Ochil House ’ s Pantry is designed for breakout sessions .
November 2018 hotelsmag . com 41