Take A Look At Venues In The Gatwick And Brighton Area

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

I visited on a Sunday and couldn’t see a room for 30-40 people on the top floor of the hotel, which apparently has lovely views and is often used for drinks and dinners, as well as meetings.The Hilton works with all the other Brighton hotels for bedrooms when they have a large conference, particularly the Grand which is next door.Only the bedrooms in the front of the hotel have air conditioning.  Classic bedrooms are on the side, back or inwards facing. Parking in Brighton is a problem generally.  The hotel has limited parking or there is an NCP nearby.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

A 5* hotel on the seafront.  It’s key selling point is the large meeting space.  It has 9 small meeting rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors and some larger meeting rooms off the Lobby.  These have recently been refurbished.  At the back of the hotel there is a conference centre with 40+ meeting rooms for large events and exhibitions.  This area is accessed by stairs and corridors and really needs the paintwork re-done and new carpet.  There was a Bridge convention there when I visited and they had been in the hotel for 11 days.

I visited on a Sunday and couldn’t see a room for 30-40 people on the top floor of the hotel, which apparently has lovely views and is often used for drinks and dinners, as well as meetings.The Hilton works with all the other Brighton hotels for bedrooms when they have a large conference, particularly the Grand which is next door.Only the bedrooms in the front of the hotel have air conditioning.  Classic bedrooms are on the side, back or inwards facing. Parking in Brighton is a problem generally.  The hotel has limited parking or there is an NCP nearby.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

A 5* hotel on the seafront.  It’s key selling point is the large meeting space.  It has 9 small meeting rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors and some larger meeting rooms off the Lobby.  These have recently been refurbished.  At the back of the hotel there is a conference centre with 40+ meeting rooms for large events and exhibitions.  This area is accessed by stairs and corridors and really needs the paintwork re-done and new carpet.  There was a Bridge convention there when I visited and they had been in the hotel for 11 days.

I visited on a Sunday and couldn’t see a room for 30-40 people on the top floor of the hotel, which apparently has lovely views and is often used for drinks and dinners, as well as meetings.The Hilton works with all the other Brighton hotels for bedrooms when they have a large conference, particularly the Grand which is next door.Only the bedrooms in the front of the hotel have air conditioning.  Classic bedrooms are on the side, back or inwards facing. Parking in Brighton is a problem generally.  The hotel has limited parking or there is an NCP nearby.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Hilton Brighton Metropole

A 5* hotel on the seafront.  It’s key selling point is the large meeting space.  It has 9 small meeting rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors and some larger meeting rooms off the Lobby.  These have recently been refurbished.  At the back of the hotel there is a conference centre with 40+ meeting rooms for large events and exhibitions.  This area is accessed by stairs and corridors and really needs the paintwork re-done and new carpet.  There was a Bridge convention there when I visited and they had been in the hotel for 11 days.

I visited on a Sunday and couldn’t see a room for 30-40 people on the top floor of the hotel, which apparently has lovely views and is often used for drinks and dinners, as well as meetings.The Hilton works with all the other Brighton hotels for bedrooms when they have a large conference, particularly the Grand which is next door.Only the bedrooms in the front of the hotel have air conditioning.  Classic bedrooms are on the side, back or inwards facing. Parking in Brighton is a problem generally.  The hotel has limited parking or there is an NCP nearby.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Hilton Brighton Metropole

A 5* hotel on the seafront.  It’s key selling point is the large meeting space.  It has 9 small meeting rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors and some larger meeting rooms off the Lobby.  These have recently been refurbished.  At the back of the hotel there is a conference centre with 40+ meeting rooms for large events and exhibitions.  This area is accessed by stairs and corridors and really needs the paintwork re-done and new carpet.  There was a Bridge convention there when I visited and they had been in the hotel for 11 days.

I visited on a Sunday and couldn’t see a room for 30-40 people on the top floor of the hotel, which apparently has lovely views and is often used for drinks and dinners, as well as meetings.The Hilton works with all the other Brighton hotels for bedrooms when they have a large conference, particularly the Grand which is next door.Only the bedrooms in the front of the hotel have air conditioning.  Classic bedrooms are on the side, back or inwards facing. Parking in Brighton is a problem generally.  The hotel has limited parking or there is an NCP nearby.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Parking in Brighton is a problem generally. The hotel has 40 spaces which are available on a first-come, first-served basis or there is an NCP nearby.

Hilton Brighton Metropole

A 5* hotel on the seafront.  It’s key selling point is the large meeting space.  It has 9 small meeting rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors and some larger meeting rooms off the Lobby.  These have recently been refurbished.  At the back of the hotel there is a conference centre with 40+ meeting rooms for large events and exhibitions.  This area is accessed by stairs and corridors and really needs the paintwork re-done and new carpet.  There was a Bridge convention there when I visited and they had been in the hotel for 11 days.

I visited on a Sunday and couldn’t see a room for 30-40 people on the top floor of the hotel, which apparently has lovely views and is often used for drinks and dinners, as well as meetings.The Hilton works with all the other Brighton hotels for bedrooms when they have a large conference, particularly the Grand which is next door.Only the bedrooms in the front of the hotel have air conditioning.  Classic bedrooms are on the side, back or inwards facing. Parking in Brighton is a problem generally.  The hotel has limited parking or there is an NCP nearby.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

The nicest bedrooms overlook the sea and there are three feature rooms, one of which has a wooden bath in the bedroom.  The classic rooms are to the side or back of the hotel and don’t have views.  There is a seafood restaurant with a conservatory area on the front with sea views.  I thought that this was the best hotel of all the seafront properties.

Parking in Brighton is a problem generally. The hotel has 40 spaces which are available on a first-come, first-served basis or there is an NCP nearby.

Hilton Brighton Metropole

A 5* hotel on the seafront.  It’s key selling point is the large meeting space.  It has 9 small meeting rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors and some larger meeting rooms off the Lobby.  These have recently been refurbished.  At the back of the hotel there is a conference centre with 40+ meeting rooms for large events and exhibitions.  This area is accessed by stairs and corridors and really needs the paintwork re-done and new carpet.  There was a Bridge convention there when I visited and they had been in the hotel for 11 days.

I visited on a Sunday and couldn’t see a room for 30-40 people on the top floor of the hotel, which apparently has lovely views and is often used for drinks and dinners, as well as meetings.The Hilton works with all the other Brighton hotels for bedrooms when they have a large conference, particularly the Grand which is next door.Only the bedrooms in the front of the hotel have air conditioning.  Classic bedrooms are on the side, back or inwards facing. Parking in Brighton is a problem generally.  The hotel has limited parking or there is an NCP nearby.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

5* Victorian hotel on the seafront which has recently been refurbished.  It has three lovely interconnecting meeting rooms on the 1st floor with sea views which can be used separately, or as a suite with private dining, or break outs. The remaining meeting rooms are on the ground floor, not all have natural daylight.  The largest room is on the left hand side of the hotel with its own entrance and can be divided into three.  There is a wooden panelled room which used to be a library off the lobby area which would be good for a dinner and has an entrance from the bar, but does not have daylight.

The nicest bedrooms overlook the sea and there are three feature rooms, one of which has a wooden bath in the bedroom.  The classic rooms are to the side or back of the hotel and don’t have views.  There is a seafood restaurant with a conservatory area on the front with sea views.  I thought that this was the best hotel of all the seafront properties.

Parking in Brighton is a problem generally. The hotel has 40 spaces which are available on a first-come, first-served basis or there is an NCP nearby.

Hilton Brighton Metropole

A 5* hotel on the seafront.  It’s key selling point is the large meeting space.  It has 9 small meeting rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors and some larger meeting rooms off the Lobby.  These have recently been refurbished.  At the back of the hotel there is a conference centre with 40+ meeting rooms for large events and exhibitions.  This area is accessed by stairs and corridors and really needs the paintwork re-done and new carpet.  There was a Bridge convention there when I visited and they had been in the hotel for 11 days.

I visited on a Sunday and couldn’t see a room for 30-40 people on the top floor of the hotel, which apparently has lovely views and is often used for drinks and dinners, as well as meetings.The Hilton works with all the other Brighton hotels for bedrooms when they have a large conference, particularly the Grand which is next door.Only the bedrooms in the front of the hotel have air conditioning.  Classic bedrooms are on the side, back or inwards facing. Parking in Brighton is a problem generally.  The hotel has limited parking or there is an NCP nearby.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

5* Victorian hotel on the seafront which has recently been refurbished.  It has three lovely interconnecting meeting rooms on the 1st floor with sea views which can be used separately, or as a suite with private dining, or break outs. The remaining meeting rooms are on the ground floor, not all have natural daylight.  The largest room is on the left hand side of the hotel with its own entrance and can be divided into three.  There is a wooden panelled room which used to be a library off the lobby area which would be good for a dinner and has an entrance from the bar, but does not have daylight.

The nicest bedrooms overlook the sea and there are three feature rooms, one of which has a wooden bath in the bedroom.  The classic rooms are to the side or back of the hotel and don’t have views.  There is a seafood restaurant with a conservatory area on the front with sea views.  I thought that this was the best hotel of all the seafront properties.

Parking in Brighton is a problem generally. The hotel has 40 spaces which are available on a first-come, first-served basis or there is an NCP nearby.

Hilton Brighton Metropole

A 5* hotel on the seafront.  It’s key selling point is the large meeting space.  It has 9 small meeting rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors and some larger meeting rooms off the Lobby.  These have recently been refurbished.  At the back of the hotel there is a conference centre with 40+ meeting rooms for large events and exhibitions.  This area is accessed by stairs and corridors and really needs the paintwork re-done and new carpet.  There was a Bridge convention there when I visited and they had been in the hotel for 11 days.

I visited on a Sunday and couldn’t see a room for 30-40 people on the top floor of the hotel, which apparently has lovely views and is often used for drinks and dinners, as well as meetings.The Hilton works with all the other Brighton hotels for bedrooms when they have a large conference, particularly the Grand which is next door.Only the bedrooms in the front of the hotel have air conditioning.  Classic bedrooms are on the side, back or inwards facing. Parking in Brighton is a problem generally.  The hotel has limited parking or there is an NCP nearby.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Grand Hotel, Brighton

5* Victorian hotel on the seafront which has recently been refurbished.  It has three lovely interconnecting meeting rooms on the 1st floor with sea views which can be used separately, or as a suite with private dining, or break outs. The remaining meeting rooms are on the ground floor, not all have natural daylight.  The largest room is on the left hand side of the hotel with its own entrance and can be divided into three.  There is a wooden panelled room which used to be a library off the lobby area which would be good for a dinner and has an entrance from the bar, but does not have daylight.

The nicest bedrooms overlook the sea and there are three feature rooms, one of which has a wooden bath in the bedroom.  The classic rooms are to the side or back of the hotel and don’t have views.  There is a seafood restaurant with a conservatory area on the front with sea views.  I thought that this was the best hotel of all the seafront properties.

Parking in Brighton is a problem generally. The hotel has 40 spaces which are available on a first-come, first-served basis or there is an NCP nearby.

Hilton Brighton Metropole

A 5* hotel on the seafront.  It’s key selling point is the large meeting space.  It has 9 small meeting rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors and some larger meeting rooms off the Lobby.  These have recently been refurbished.  At the back of the hotel there is a conference centre with 40+ meeting rooms for large events and exhibitions.  This area is accessed by stairs and corridors and really needs the paintwork re-done and new carpet.  There was a Bridge convention there when I visited and they had been in the hotel for 11 days.

I visited on a Sunday and couldn’t see a room for 30-40 people on the top floor of the hotel, which apparently has lovely views and is often used for drinks and dinners, as well as meetings.The Hilton works with all the other Brighton hotels for bedrooms when they have a large conference, particularly the Grand which is next door.Only the bedrooms in the front of the hotel have air conditioning.  Classic bedrooms are on the side, back or inwards facing. Parking in Brighton is a problem generally.  The hotel has limited parking or there is an NCP nearby.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

Grand Hotel, Brighton

5* Victorian hotel on the seafront which has recently been refurbished.  It has three lovely interconnecting meeting rooms on the 1st floor with sea views which can be used separately, or as a suite with private dining, or break outs. The remaining meeting rooms are on the ground floor, not all have natural daylight.  The largest room is on the left hand side of the hotel with its own entrance and can be divided into three.  There is a wooden panelled room which used to be a library off the lobby area which would be good for a dinner and has an entrance from the bar, but does not have daylight.

The nicest bedrooms overlook the sea and there are three feature rooms, one of which has a wooden bath in the bedroom.  The classic rooms are to the side or back of the hotel and don’t have views.  There is a seafood restaurant with a conservatory area on the front with sea views.  I thought that this was the best hotel of all the seafront properties.

Parking in Brighton is a problem generally. The hotel has 40 spaces which are available on a first-come, first-served basis or there is an NCP nearby.

Hilton Brighton Metropole

A 5* hotel on the seafront.  It’s key selling point is the large meeting space.  It has 9 small meeting rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors and some larger meeting rooms off the Lobby.  These have recently been refurbished.  At the back of the hotel there is a conference centre with 40+ meeting rooms for large events and exhibitions.  This area is accessed by stairs and corridors and really needs the paintwork re-done and new carpet.  There was a Bridge convention there when I visited and they had been in the hotel for 11 days.

I visited on a Sunday and couldn’t see a room for 30-40 people on the top floor of the hotel, which apparently has lovely views and is often used for drinks and dinners, as well as meetings.The Hilton works with all the other Brighton hotels for bedrooms when they have a large conference, particularly the Grand which is next door.Only the bedrooms in the front of the hotel have air conditioning.  Classic bedrooms are on the side, back or inwards facing. Parking in Brighton is a problem generally.  The hotel has limited parking or there is an NCP nearby.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

I recently spent the day in Sussex, visiting hotels and venues Gatwick and Brighton area.  There are a good variety of properties to choose from; something to suit all budgets and styles whether you want to be on the sea front, close to the airport or secluded in the country.  For more information or to book any of these properties, just give our venue finding team a call on 01780 484050 or email [email protected] 

Grand Hotel, Brighton

5* Victorian hotel on the seafront which has recently been refurbished.  It has three lovely interconnecting meeting rooms on the 1st floor with sea views which can be used separately, or as a suite with private dining, or break outs. The remaining meeting rooms are on the ground floor, not all have natural daylight.  The largest room is on the left hand side of the hotel with its own entrance and can be divided into three.  There is a wooden panelled room which used to be a library off the lobby area which would be good for a dinner and has an entrance from the bar, but does not have daylight.

The nicest bedrooms overlook the sea and there are three feature rooms, one of which has a wooden bath in the bedroom.  The classic rooms are to the side or back of the hotel and don’t have views.  There is a seafood restaurant with a conservatory area on the front with sea views.  I thought that this was the best hotel of all the seafront properties.

Parking in Brighton is a problem generally. The hotel has 40 spaces which are available on a first-come, first-served basis or there is an NCP nearby.

Hilton Brighton Metropole

A 5* hotel on the seafront.  It’s key selling point is the large meeting space.  It has 9 small meeting rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors and some larger meeting rooms off the Lobby.  These have recently been refurbished.  At the back of the hotel there is a conference centre with 40+ meeting rooms for large events and exhibitions.  This area is accessed by stairs and corridors and really needs the paintwork re-done and new carpet.  There was a Bridge convention there when I visited and they had been in the hotel for 11 days.

I visited on a Sunday and couldn’t see a room for 30-40 people on the top floor of the hotel, which apparently has lovely views and is often used for drinks and dinners, as well as meetings.The Hilton works with all the other Brighton hotels for bedrooms when they have a large conference, particularly the Grand which is next door.Only the bedrooms in the front of the hotel have air conditioning.  Classic bedrooms are on the side, back or inwards facing. Parking in Brighton is a problem generally.  The hotel has limited parking or there is an NCP nearby.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.

I recently spent the day in Sussex, visiting hotels and venues Gatwick and Brighton area.  There are a good variety of properties to choose from; something to suit all budgets and styles whether you want to be on the sea front, close to the airport or secluded in the country.  For more information or to book any of these properties, just give our venue finding team a call on 01780 484050 or email [email protected] 

Grand Hotel, Brighton

5* Victorian hotel on the seafront which has recently been refurbished.  It has three lovely interconnecting meeting rooms on the 1st floor with sea views which can be used separately, or as a suite with private dining, or break outs. The remaining meeting rooms are on the ground floor, not all have natural daylight.  The largest room is on the left hand side of the hotel with its own entrance and can be divided into three.  There is a wooden panelled room which used to be a library off the lobby area which would be good for a dinner and has an entrance from the bar, but does not have daylight.

The nicest bedrooms overlook the sea and there are three feature rooms, one of which has a wooden bath in the bedroom.  The classic rooms are to the side or back of the hotel and don’t have views.  There is a seafood restaurant with a conservatory area on the front with sea views.  I thought that this was the best hotel of all the seafront properties.

Parking in Brighton is a problem generally. The hotel has 40 spaces which are available on a first-come, first-served basis or there is an NCP nearby.

Hilton Brighton Metropole

A 5* hotel on the seafront.  It’s key selling point is the large meeting space.  It has 9 small meeting rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors and some larger meeting rooms off the Lobby.  These have recently been refurbished.  At the back of the hotel there is a conference centre with 40+ meeting rooms for large events and exhibitions.  This area is accessed by stairs and corridors and really needs the paintwork re-done and new carpet.  There was a Bridge convention there when I visited and they had been in the hotel for 11 days.

I visited on a Sunday and couldn’t see a room for 30-40 people on the top floor of the hotel, which apparently has lovely views and is often used for drinks and dinners, as well as meetings.The Hilton works with all the other Brighton hotels for bedrooms when they have a large conference, particularly the Grand which is next door.Only the bedrooms in the front of the hotel have air conditioning.  Classic bedrooms are on the side, back or inwards facing. Parking in Brighton is a problem generally.  The hotel has limited parking or there is an NCP nearby.

Thistle Brighton

This is not a good looking hotel from the outside, but was purpose built about 30 years ago as a hotel and does not have the challenges of some of the older properties in Brighton.  It is a good location with the sea front is on one side and the Lanes on the other.  Inside it is built around an atrium so is bright. All 210 bedrooms are having a soft refurbishment this year.  The maximum capacity for a residential group is 180. There are two bars, one which can be used for private receptions and is complimentary for groups of 50+.  Most of the meeting space is on the 1st floor.  The meeting foyer is shared between all groups, but an area can be sectioned off if required.  All the meeting space has air conditioning and only one room does not have natural daylight. The ballroom is on the ground floor and is the only room I have seen with oval tables (not round) which would be good for 6-7 people in cabaret style. Executive bedrooms have sea views or face the Lanes and are good sized rooms.  The standard rooms are internal facing to the atrium.

The Noblesse meeting room has a pillar in the middle, but would be good for a group of 30 to use half for a meeting and half for catering or break out space. The hotel is very leisure focussed in the school holidays and has an indoor heated pool, so attracts families. Car parking is in the Lanes NCP and the hotel offers 15% discount.

Mercure Brighton

4* hotel which is 150 years old and traditional in style.  It is on the seafront in the direction of Hove.  It looks a bit tired and needs some money spent.  There are a variety of styles, carpets, paintwork etc. There are 7 meeting rooms and the largest takes 180 theatre-style.  The meeting rooms are scattered around the hotel and accessed by corridors and stairs so not DDA compliant.  The meeting rooms have air conditioning, but bedrooms do not. The largest room is the Ballroom on the ground floor which was refurbished in October 2013 and takes 180 theatre-style or 80 cabaret-style.  There are two pillars at the side of the room and chandeliers. 

The hotel has 12 parking spaces at the front and 30 at the back available on a first-come first-served basis.  The nearest car parks are a 10 minute walk. 

Myhotel Brighton

In the north Laine area of the city, next to the theatre and Pavilion.  It is 6 years old and very contemporary with lots of white, pink and green decoration.  There are crystals for Feng Shui and they have used local designers and source local products.  It is run on eco-friendly principals with organic tea, chocolate etc and they recycle.  Jubilee Square is on one side of the hotel and something happens there all the time.  When I visited it was covered in astroturf and 4 table tennis tables were set up for anyone to use. Next month a large converted vintage car will be parked where people can go and watch a film.  Then it will change to sculpture. There are only 2 meeting rooms and the maximum capacity of the larger room is 50 people, but fewer would be better.  Both are white, bright rooms with natural daylight and air conditioning.  Lunch is either served in the meeting room or 10 people can have a cold buffet in the bar. The hotel bar is a destination, and they can allocate a semi-private area for 50 people.  It is a fun hotel, there is a photo booth in the bar area and you get a token with drinks.  The bedrooms have a disposable camera and if you use it and leave it in the room, the hotel will send the developed pictures later. There are 80 bedrooms, all double beds and all with showers.  They have wifi, dvd players and you can plug your iphone into the bedroom’s sound system.  Signature rooms are on the corners and are all different in style. here is an Indian restaurant on site, run by an external company, tables need to be booked directly, but they will allocate a semi private area for a group from the hotel.

The hotel has a small underground car park and can allocate 10 spaces for meeting attendees, or there are NCP car parks nearby. Myhotel is probably not to everyone’s taste, it is very lively and fashionable.  They do well with the IT, comms and travel industries.

Jurys Inn Brighton

4* hotel next to the station, about 10 mins walk to the North Laine area.  There are 9 meeting rooms in a dedicated conference area.  The largest room has access to a roof terrace and has capacity for 80 in cabaret style.  The hotel does well with charities and associations and is fully DDA compliant.  Everything was clean and tidy and it appeared to be efficient. All 234 bedrooms have double beds and triple glazed windows. There is free wifi throughout the hotel. There is some complimentary parking or there is a large car park opposite and it is half the price of the ones at the seafront.

The hotel will spend £2m on refurbishment.  Bedrooms will be done a floor at a time starting in October 2014 and public areas done after Christmas. The rates are competitive as they recognise that they are not in the centre of town or on the seafront.  But if you don’t want to get tangled up in Brighton’s traffic then it is a good option.

Ashdown Park

Traditional  style hotel set in 1,500 acres of grounds with a lake, fountain and lovely views of the Ashdown Forest.  It is a 19th century stone mansion, with a spa, golf and they can organise team building events. There are 14 meeting rooms of different sizes, which can be flexible with private dining.  The highlight of the building is a converted chapel, which has function rooms on the ground and 1st floor.  The ideal size group is 80-100 for this area and it would work well with a meeting on one floor and catering on the other.  This would keep the group in one place and would be completely private.  There is stained glass at one end of the building and a working organ, so is a spectacular dinner venue.

I stayed the night here and had a lovely large room and it was completely quiet, although there was a wedding reception in the hotel that evening.  I ate in the Anderida Restaurant, the food, service and all the staff were excellent. 

Roffey Park

I really enjoyed my visit to this management training centre.  it is 5 minutes from the M23, just south of Gatwick.  It is modern, bright and welcoming – a great place to have a meeting, conference or training event.  It is not open to the public, so the clients are only there to work.  Roffey is set in 40 acres of grounds and backs on to forest so it is peaceful and you have a feeling of space.  There are paths around the grounds, lots of seating and areas for team building.  It has a lovely indoor pool or you can borrow a bike to get some exercise. All meeting rooms are light and airy with natural daylight and all rooms on the ground floor open to the garden, so they have their own outside area.  There are two restaurants which can be open, secluded or have private areas. There are 60 bedrooms, 10 of which are twins, in one wing of the property.  They are plain, so designed for work, but have everything you need.

This is probably the best management training centre that I have visited.  The environment was very pleasant and conducive to work.  As it is not a hotel there is never an overlap with leisure guests.  The staff were very welcoming and efficient and gave me an excellent sandwich lunch, with very fresh ingredients. If there is a large meeting and extra accommodation is needed, they use the Arora Gatwick. 

Sofitel London Gatwick

This does not feel like an airport hotel.  The entrance has a bright atrium and was quiet and calm on the day that I visited.  The hotel has 518 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms that can be divided into 14 smaller ones.  There are lots of areas of casual seating areas and a bar which can be privatised or used as a casual break out area.  The restaurant has two rosettes, has a private room for 42 or can be privatised for 100 people.  The largest meeting room is on the ground floor with its own reception are and bar.  This is the only room without natural daylight, the others have large windows or two have secondary light from the atrium, they were all bright with high ceilings.

There is a very interesting room on the lower ground floor, with daylight and its own entrance.  It was used as an airline lounge and has a sunken seating area, fireplace, bar and room previously used for computers.  It is flexible space and can be used for a completely private meeting, with dining in the same room, or parties, meetings with break out areas. The largest residential group that this hotel can take is 240/250 people.

Copthorne London Gatwick

This hotel is traditional in style and has recently been refurbished.  It has some nice meeting rooms, with natural daylight and there are four dining outlets, so they can offer variation with lunches and dinners.  The Lion d’Or a la carte restaurant has semi-private dining for 8 people.  The garden is lovely and there is good outdoor space for breaks or BBQ.

Although there are 227 bedrooms the maximum size residential group is 100 people. The largest room can take 100 theatre style, but is more frequently used for dinners or weddings than meetings, as it has a bar in the corner and dance floor covered with carpet.  It has pillars and the natural daylight is from a skylight which has a retractable blackout blind

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick

The largest meeting room is an oval room with large windows either side and takes 650 people with stage and back projection.  It is in a separate building, but opposite reception and with a walkway from the hotel on the 1st floor.  There are no pillars and a high ceiling, so can be used as blank canvass space.  The remaining smaller rooms are in different parts of the hotel.  The Wellingtonia suite has been refurbished and consists of 4 joining rooms, with its own terrace overlooking the garden.  This is a good training room or meeting room with breakouts.  Lunch and breaks can be served there, so meetings can have their own private part of the hotel. The hotel is traditional in style.  The club bedrooms have their own balconies. 

The decor of this venue is tired, however, they are about to start refurbishment which will take at least a year, so be completed by the end of 2015. The hotel has a large amount of meeting space, but only 122 bedrooms, so works with the Copthorne London Gatwick for overflow accommodation (3 mins by car)

Hickstead Hotel

A 3* hotel that is better inside than it looks from the approach.  The reception and meeting rooms are in the old part of the building and there is a newer wing with 54 bedrooms.  The main meeting room is on the ground floor with access to a gravel garden, which can be used for breaks or lunch if the weather is good.  There are two boardrooms in another area of the hotel on separate floors.

A good hotel for a regional meeting, without getting involved in the traffic of a town and plenty of free parking

South Lodge

Very impressive building and setting.  It is a traditional hotel, with wood panneling and tapestries, terraces leading to gardens and views over the Sussex hills.  The 12 meeting rooms are in one area of the hotel, on several floors, the largest takes 130 people on rounds.  There is a new conference room, the Arundel, which has a fixed U-shaped table for 18 people. Tables in the Pass restaurant have views of the kitchen.  It takes 32 for private hire.

There are bedrooms in the old part of the hotel and a newer wing.  There is refurbishment going on at the moment. The head chef is Stephen Edwards, who won Masterchef in 2014, consequently the hotel is popular with leisure guests.