Vine Hotels & Dan Wilson – get to know us!

With his role overseeing nine properties across England, from Sheffield to Southampton, Dan Wilson, Regional General Manager of Vine Hotels, has lots of conference and meetings insight for EDGE Venues users.

Dan’s expertise in all things Vine Hotels is clear from our interview: read all about the group in Dan’s words here, including the group’s pipeline projects and refurbishment plans.

Tell our meetings and event bookers about Vine Hotels 

Vine Hotels owns, manages, and operates a portfolio of eleven uniquely individual hotels and venues in the UK. Each is distinctively different in style. All focussed on delivering a consistently high standard of guest experience.

The portfolio spans the length of the UK and includes an eclectic blend of heritage hotels and modern properties, plus rural locations, and urban venues.

We have a collection of venues in the South Yorkshire/ Sheffield/ Peak District area, including the DoubleTree by Hilton Sheffield Park and Mercure Sheffield Kenwood Hall Hotel & Spa. Plus, two properties in the south Manchester area, and the remaining hotels are in the south of the country, including the Clarion Hotel Charlecote Pheasant (Stratford-upon-Avon).

Our venues operate as a mix of unbranded properties and we also work with key brands such as Accor, Best Western, Hilton, and Choice Hotels to offer hotels under the Best Western, DoubleTree by Hilton, Mercure and Clarion brands.

The style of our hotels and venues varies too from heritage locations such as Clarion Hotel Charlecote Pheasant to modern hotels such as the DoubleTree by Hilton Sheffield Park. It allows us to offer a range of small, intimate meeting spaces for one-to-one meetings, to larger event spaces accommodating up to 500 people theatre style.

A number of our venues also offer self-contained event rooms, for additional privacy, and extensive outdoor event space for team building or al fresco meetings.

Vine Hotels is owned by Greg Dyke (chairman), the former director general of the BBC and former chairman of the FA, and Garin Davies (chief executive), former divisional director of BDL Management and former main board director of Best Western UK. 

Can Vine Hotels support all event types?

Yes, there’s not much that we can’t offer—anything from a small meeting for two people to training facilities to large conferences and events with break-out space.  A number of our hotels and venues offer access to acres of landscaped grounds, perfect for outdoor events in marquees/tipis, team building days, outdoor dining, and more.

We offer maximum flexibility in how we plan an event with you, so pretty much anything can be delivered. Because we have hotels clustered in some areas, such as Sheffield, we can also provide cross-venue options allowing you to hold a meeting at one venue, and an evening event or team building at another. Many of our venues are hotels, and so can meet accommodation needs, but we also offer non-residential venues.

What trends are the team at Vine Hotels seeing that you can share with EDGE Venues users? 

We are seeing a renewed growth in conferences and meetings in our Sheffield properties. Historically, this business may have bypassed the city for other northern locations such as Manchester. However, they are seeing the great value, accessibility, and attraction of the location – which blends the best of city amenities on the doorstep of the Peak District countryside.

We are seeing growth in two areas – day delegate business and team building. The post-pandemic shift to homeworking has eased and we are seeing companies wanting to return to face-to-face meetings and, in particular, training. As teams are more dispersed, many see this gathering of employees as an opportunity to add building activities to meetings, to help bond remote workers.

Have you seen any change in seasonal events, like corporate Christmas?

Post covid, Christmas events were shrinking in size, but not this year. The enquiries are strongest for larger corporate Christmas parties. They are looking for innovative ideas on menu and décor, steering away from the normal turkey dinner. So, our creative chefs are collaborating with clients to develop food stations, sharing platters, and more.

We are also seeing a growth in more interactive Christmas events. A party where guests get involved – so part team build/part celebration. For example, mixology masterclasses. Painting a festive ‘graffiti wall.’  Quizzes with great prizes. Interactive food stations such as taco stands or hot dog stalls – where you personalise your food by serving your toppings and sauces.

And what about Vine Hotel’s approach to sustainability?

Vine Hotels is dedicated to sustainable growth and recognise that our business has an environmental and social impact on local, national, and global communities. Our sustainable approach means building strong relationships with our customers, employees, suppliers, regulators, investors, and the wider communities we serve, considering the issues that matter to them.

To ensure our business delivers integrity and compassion towards both people and the planet, we focus our strategy on the three key areas of Environment, Social, and Governance.

Our policies are consistently reviewed, and we work collaboratively with all our stakeholders and franchise partners to ensure that we are as effective as possible in addressing our responsibilities.

Environment

We commit to:

• Lessening our negative impact on the environment.
• Reducing carbon and working towards Government-defined net-zero targets.
• Effective waste management, including a reduction in single-use plastics.

Environmental sustainability is at the top of the agenda for our customers, team members, local communities, and investors. Our policy is therefore to approach every element of our business with a view to how we can lessen our impact on the environment. We consider the environment in our everyday decision-making and our supply chain has been subject to scrutiny, with the aim of developing strong relationships with like-minded suppliers.

With sustainability in mind, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint year-on-year by minimising our use of natural resources, and reducing the waste we generate and ensuring it is disposed of in a way that causes minimal harm. Where possible and viable, we aim to use local goods and suppliers to reduce our carbon footprint further whilst striving to continue to obtain the best value in terms of cost, quality, service, and innovation.

We have pledged to significantly reduce our consumption of single-use plastics across all areas of the company, and we are working towards increasing energy efficiency across the entire business. Vine Hotels has been awarded the MIA Green Meetings Standard. Visit:  https://www.mia-uk.org/Green-Meetings 

Some of our Best Western properties are also working towards the REST accreditation, a quality grading scheme for tourism and hospitality businesses that measures the responsibility, ethics, and sustainability of our practices. The scheme is designed to objectively quantify our hotel’s commitment to the environment, visitors, staff, and suppliers.

Social

We commit to:

• Positively impacting communities by encouraging our staff to support national and local charities.
• Upholding the highest standards for human rights and labour.
• Nurturing talent from within by providing ongoing staff development opportunities.

We actively encourage our staff to support local and national charities, through charitable giving, fundraising, and volunteering.

Vine Hotels operates a no-ceiling policy, it is the company’s aim to be fully inclusive, encouraging diversity at all management levels. We continually strive to provide a safe, inclusive, and healthy workplace that supports employee safety and physical and emotional well-being. The company operates a fair pay policy with additional rewards for team members.

At Vine Hotels we recognise that investment in people is one of the most important elements that can help a business to grow exponentially. Our commitment to building the skills and confidence of our workforce is evident in several internal development programmes that aim to help our staff accelerate their professional growth, develop new skills, and progress along their chosen career path.

Governance

We commit to:

• Adhering to the correct legislation and governance to protect our staff and communities.
• Delivering first-class service
• Ensuring our facilities meet the highest standards and are safe, healthy, and hygienic.

Vine Hotels aims to be a fair and trusted business that upholds the highest professional, ethical, and quality standards. We strive to promote best practice and comply with the relevant legislation and standards of the locations in which we operate.

As many of our venues are MIA-accredited, we have the recognition and endorsement from the sector’s leading trade association for business meetings and events. This qualification recognises first-class service, excellent facilities, and a total commitment to upholding legal compliance and health and hygiene protocols.

A number of our hotels have achieved customer service awards, and we continually invest in training and development of teams, to ensure the highest standards of service.

We have clear business policies that ensure we take a professional approach to business and offer an environment that is healthy, hygienic, and safe. We aim to do the absolute best for customers and staff and are aware of social, political, and environmental issues that could affect them negatively ensuring we have stringent policies set out for their protection.

Brand Partnerships and ESG

Vine Hotels operates hotels across the UK with a number of international brand partners. Where our properties operate as a franchise to a wider group, we will embrace and support the specific brand’s ESG charter to ensure consistency and focus on our ESG principles. Examples of these policies can be found at the links below:

• Hilton
• Best Western
• IHG

Does the group have any plans on the horizon that we are allowed to talk about? 

Pipeline projects include the 216-bedroom Gateshead Novotel and the 140-bedroom Gateshead ibis. This is a £48m hotel spanning nine storeys at a major quayside development. The 344-room hotel will be built at the Baltic Quarter in Gateshead with more than 100 jobs being created when it opens.  Vine Hotels is involved in the planning of the Hotel and will operate it once open.

We are also working on soft refurbishment plans at the Best Western Abbots Barton Hotel, Clarion Hotel Charlecote Pheasant, and Best Western Cresta Court Hotel.

What do you think sells Vine Hotels to meetings and events bookers? 

Most importantly, the team cares about the business and the bookings. We have a team dedicated to finding solutions for clients. Flexibility is the key, and the team takes the extra time needed to ensure that each booking meets the needs and expectations of the booker.

Tell our readers a little about you and your role

I am the Regional General Manager at Vine Hotels, overseeing nine properties across England, from Stockport to Canterbury and Southampton.

My role involves supervising the general managers at each location, supporting them in developing their hotels, ensuring smooth operational structures, and delivering excellent guest service. This often requires traveling across the country to visit each property and collaborate with the on-site operational and management teams.

Additionally, I maintain close communication with the hotel owners, keeping them informed about the progress and future development plans for their properties.

Do you have a favourite event that  took place at one of your properties? 

Yes, there was a particularly memorable event at one of our properties in Sheffield. We hosted a large event where the booker decided to have a blend of event elements, split between our beautiful garden, and our Event Suite. They had a live jazz band, a gourmet dinner, and spectacular fireworks display to end the night.

The entire event was flawlessly executed by our team, and the feedback from the guests was overwhelmingly positive. It was truly a standout occasion that showcased the versatility and elegance of our venue.

And another one of my favourite events that took place at one of our properties was a charity gala held at our Southampton location. The event brought together community leaders, local celebrities, and our wonderful guests to raise funds for a local cancer charity. The hotel was transformed into a glamorous venue, complete with live music, a silent auction, and a four-course dinner prepared by our talented chefs.

The evening was a resounding success, not only raising a significant amount of money for a great cause but also showcasing the exceptional teamwork and dedication of our staff. It was truly a memorable night that highlighted the positive impact our hotels can have on the community.

Vine Hotels on EDGE Venues

Let’s take a quick look at some of Vine Hotels properties:

---

Let EDGE Venues, your global venue sourcing solution, take the stress out of finding the right venue for you. Register today for free access!