Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2009 | Page 99
FOOD & DRINK
Details like nautical artwork
soften but don’t detract from
the firm, contemporary lines
of the décor, which can easily
be dressed according to client’s
wishes. With the natural
backdrop of the lake, with
beautiful reflections of the
surrounding woodland, it is
hardly surprisingly there are
already plenty of bookings for
weddings. The pretty gazebo
by the water is licensed for
civil ceremonies, as is the
formal restaurant and one of
the largest Private Function
Suites on the Island, which
has plasma monitor on which
photographs of the day can be
displayed.
Such thoughtful touches will
ensure Lakeside’s success, too,
as a venue for conferences.
If the Island has an image
problem – or is remembered
fondly but none-too-smartly as
a place of childhood holidays
of sea and sandcastles – then
the unabashed luxury on offer
life
here will come of something
of a surprise. “I believe we
must strive not only to be the
best but to be different,” says
Robert Tether.
So the bedrooms and the
suites differ only in amount of
accommodation – they share
the same meticulous quality.
There are three suites, which
all have decking down to the
lake, which meet different
needs, depending whether
you need a separate area for
private business meetings or
a totally open space. In both
rooms and suites there is an
unusual amount of storage.
Drawers and wardrobes, in
unostentatious matt-finished
walnut, are generous, and
there is a lockable laptop-sized
safe– a nice touch for the
conference delegate. The en
suite bathroom fittings are
high-end as you’d expect – but
when you find the loo lid has
a slow-action drop to avoid
night-time disturbance, and
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