Conference News Supplements Wales Supplement | Page 12

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Wales
Beyond the Vale
Wales’ Vale Resort is set within 650 acres of countryside:
the perfect retreat for delegates looking to escape the urban smoke
onference and event
organisers who are
looking for somewhere
that combines
character with cutting-edge
technology, exclusive hire with
award-winning facilities and
meeting rooms that range in size
from 16 to 700 delegates should
look no further than The Vale
Resort in south Wales.
Situated just two hours’ drive
from London and 20 minutes from
Cardiff city centre, the Vale Resort
is set in 650 acres of countryside,
giving a sense of remoteness
while being highly accessible from
many areas of the UK.
The jewel in the crown of the
Vale Resort conference and events
estate is the 400-year-old Grade I
listed Hensol Castle, which has
undergone a multi-million-pound
refurbishment programme to
restore it to its former glory.
Available for exclusive hire,
Hensol Castle has five meeting
rooms: four smaller rooms in the
castle, which can host up to 90
delegates theatre style, and the
larger purpose-built Courtyard
Hall, which is capable of hosting
308 delegates theatre-style and
180 delegates banquet-style.
The plan is to embark on the
second phase of refurbishment to
Hensol Castle this year, adding
bedrooms and a top-end
destination restaurant to the
offering.
Paul Beddoe, sales and
marketing director at the Vale
Resort, says: “There’s not many
conferences or meetings that can
be said to be held in a 17th
century castle, so Hensol Castle
often gets snapped up by event
organisers who want to put on
Above:
Vale Resort
from the air
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something a little special for their
delegates. The fact that it can be
hired exclusively and that it used
to be used as a set backdrop on
programmes such as Doctor Who,
Sherlock Holmes and Torchwood,
all add to its attraction and sense
of cachet.”
The Vale Resort itself also has
a range of different meeting
spaces including one of the
largest rooms available to hire in
Wales – the Castle Suite. Taking
its name from the panoramic
views overlooking Hensol Castle,
the room can cater for up to 700
delegates theatre style and 526
for a dinner. The suite can also be
broken down into smaller meeting
rooms allowing for two or three
events to be hosted at the same
time.
This is complemented by a host
of other smaller meeting rooms