Choosing the Venue for a Corporate Away Day: Hotel or Other Venues

When it comes to organising a corporate away day, one of the first questions is ‘where are we going to do this?’. Hotels are the first point of call, but are they the best choice or are there better venues?

There’s really no arguing the convenience factor for hotels. Everything for the corporate away day is in one location. Meeting rooms, restrooms, food, parking, tech support if the projector breaks. You don’t have to coordinate several suppliers or figure out the logistics. You book the hotel and they handle all the rest.

But with all the other venues, like purpose-built conference centers, quirky sites like museums or galleries, and outdoor activity centers, there comes much more work. You may have to hire external catering, and supply your own AV equipment, or they may have access issues which is a pain to deal with. The more moving pieces there are, the more chance for things to go wrong.

Cost-wise, hotels sit in the middle. They are more affordable than dedicated conference centers, because that’s their main business. Unusual venues can be cheaper to hire, but once you factor in catering and equipment, it can be the same or more. Activity centers are all over the place. Hotels give you a predictable cost that covers most of what you need.

The atmosphere at hotels is professional but a bit sterile. It’s clearly a business environment, which is perfectly fine. Other venues can feel more inspiring, but it can also be what you need to get people to focus. Sometimes having your away day somewhere different, like a renovated warehouse, a country estate, or a museum space, can really shake people out of their normal thinking patterns.

Accessibility matters and hotels generally get this right. They’re set up for people with mobility issues, there are lifts, disabled toilets, that sort of thing. Alternative venues can be hit and miss. That quirky barn conversion might look great, but if someone in your team uses a wheelchair, it could be completely impractical.

Hotel catering is dependable but not exactly thrilling. It’ll always be the same standard meal options, so you know what to expect – sandwiches, coffee, tea, maybe a hot lunch. Other venues let you bring in outside catered food or offer on-site catered options that are unique, but that add extra work, additional fees and coordination with the vendors. It depends on your groups interest in food or if you feel food is functional for your away day.

Travel and location is always a consideration. Hotels are located everywhere so its typical that you can find one easily that is centrally located and convenient for the majority. Other venues are located in less convenient locations. For example, an outdoor activity center is likely located in the middle of nowhere. That can be great for some types of away days but is frustrating if people are coming from a long distance to join.

Hotels also take the win for day-of schedule changes. If your session is overrun or if you simply want to switch the order of your schedule, hotels are usually more available to that. They have multiple rooms, staff that can help with shifting things around, and they are used to events that have changes. Alternative venues can be more inflexible because they have other bookings, less available space, or limited staff.

A hotel’s “wow factor” is usually not one of their strengths. Nobody is excited about walking into a nice hotel of conference rooms. But walking into a place that’s got skylights, exposed brick, a view of a wildlife park, or is a historic building? People are excited about that. For away days that are about inspiring the team or signaling something important, a unique venue will certainly work better.

Hotels usually have the tech sorted. WiFi that works for a number of people at the same time, screens and projectors, phones lines if you need them. While alternative venues have this too, they can be a bit patchy on this. An amazing looking converted church will be super beautiful, but does it also have mobile signal issues and WiFi that drops too constantly?

If your away day extends into the evening or if it’s a two day event, hotels obviously have the overnight options sorted. Rather than the tired drive home, everyone can stay in the same place, continue conversations over dinner or at the bar. Other venues don’t offer this unless they are specifically set up for residential stays.

Amenities like cloakrooms, nice bathrooms, private, quiet spaces for phone calls, and round-the-clock availability of tea and coffee – hotels have all of this. Other locations may have a few of these amenities, but they often aren’t set up for large groups spending a full day on-site.

The decision really comes down to what you want from the away day. If you want peace of mind and professionalism, go for the hotels. If you want to create an unusual memory for the day, look to alternative/unique venues, but be prepared for a lot more organisation. Neither option is better, it really comes down to your priorities and time available for the planning.