EEF Venues has completed a £120K refurbishment project at its Woodland Grange conference centre in Leamington Spa. The company commissioned Coventry-based McCarthy Interiors, leading specialists in corporate refurbishment and space planning, to upgrade the venue’s lounge and bar areas. This included new flooring, lighting, décor and furniture. This latest project follows just one year after EEF Venues made a £1 million capital investment in the refurbishment of bedrooms and bathrooms at the AIM gold accredited venue.
David Vaughton, director of venues for EEF Venues, said: ”We have seen a 27 per cent growth increase across our three venues over the last four years. Because of this significant growth, our parent group, EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, made a commitment to invest further.
“Our newly refurbished lounge and bar areas now reflect the diversification of our client-base and their expectations. Softer lighting, more comfortable seating and colourful décor have changed the mood of these areas, providing a calmer and more relaxing environment for people to unwind after a busy conference or training session.”
The coffee lounge features a new Autobar bean-to-cup coffee station, where delegates can enjoy Woodland Grange’s range of hand-made biscuits, speciality teas, fresh juices and fruit.
“Delegates expectations are higher than ever so we now bench-mark ourselves against top quality hotels and conference venues,” said David Vaughton.
“We have dropped the lighting levels, created lower ceilings and added luxury fabrics and contemporary, retro-style seating to create a more chilled environment because we feel that when people are happy and relaxed, they are more productive and energised. Our meeting spaces are still comfortable yet functional but it’s important that break-out areas and lounges have a very different feel. This latest investment is about strengthening the total solution for our clients so that their every need is met, from state of the art technology to great food and a warm and inviting after-work ambience.
“It is also an indication of the confidence we feel in the market. August trading results alone for Woodland Grange show a 61 per cent year-on-year increase. Now that we have completed the refurbishment, we expect further enhanced performance going forward.”
Steve McCarthy, managing director of McCarthys, said:” We are delighted to be maintaining our strong relationship with EEF Venues through another challenging and unique project. This refurbishment took place in a live environment so programming the strip-out and fit-out to ensure minimal impact on the venue was our main challenge and focus. We teamed up with key EEF Venues’ staff throughout the design phase to agree the look and feel of the space.”
McCarthy’s design team mixed natural wall and floor finishes with bright and vivid soft furnishings to bring the classy and comforting space to life. The coffee bar’s fixed furniture and feature wood suspended ceilings were designed by McCarthys.
The 114-bedroom venue also features a health suite which includes a Jacuzzi, gym and sauna.
