Do You Really Know The Grove, The Runnymede-On-Thames And The Athenaeum Hotels?

Here are some fun facts that we learnt last week when these hotels came to visit … you’ll be able to amaze your delegates with this fascinating information .

THE GROVE

•         Queen Victoria is said to have invented ‘the weekend break’ following her visits to The Grove.

•         George Stubbs was a frequent guest of the Earls of Clarendon and many of his works feature the horses on the estate.

•         The Grove was the secret wartime HQ for the London, Midland & Scottish Railway.  It was of great strategic importance and called “Project X”. 

•         The cast of Harry Potter stayed at The Grove whilst filming the most successful film series of all time at nearby Warner Bros Studios Leavesden.

•         In 2006, The Grove welcomed the world’s top 64 players as part of the World Golf Championships, which was won by Tiger Woods.

•         The Grove is a popular destination for sports teams and has welcomed international sides for football, rugby, cricket and the NFL.

THE ATHENAEUM

•         To work on his movies, Steven Spielberg installed an edit suite in the adjoining apartment to his own and edited ET, First Encounters and Indiana Jones right there.

•         During World War II, Winston Churchill used the disused tube station on Down Street as a secret bunker and requested that the Athenaeum provide all his meals.

•         The 8-storey Living Wall at the front of the building contains more than 12,000 plants. It helps keep the hotel warm during the winter and cool during the summer!

•         The Whisky Bar is home to over 300 types of whisky (and counting) – an unrivalled selection in London!

THE RUNNYMEDE

•         The Runnymede-on-Thames has the UK’s only HotTug boat, if you fancy sailing down the river in a hot tub!

•         The hotel is located on the meadows opposite where the “Magna Carta” or “The Great Charter” was signed on 15th June 1215. It’s the 800th Anniversary this year. 

•         The JFK Memorial is nearby; it’s a British memorial to the assassinated president  and was jointly dedicated in May 1965, by Queen Elizabeth II and Jacqueline Kennedy, prior to a reception for the Kennedy family at Windsor Castle. 

•         Olympic welcome. On Bank Holiday Monday 25th August 2008, the Runnymede-on-Thames hosted Team GB’s homecoming following their most successful Olympics in 100 years.