Royal Pavilion

Ever since King George IV commissioned the Royal Pavilion, complete with minarets and domes and bearing a likeness to the Taj Mahal, Brighton has earned a reputation for the alternative, an escape from the capital where anything goes and all ideas are welcome, says Andy Hoskins

Today, Brighton has been recognised as the UK’s greenest city, while new boutique hotels and stylish restaurants keep it at the cutting edge of cool. Its meeting and events facilities are diverse too, ranging from the seafront’s Grand Hotel and Brighton Centre – host to the Labour Party conference this month – to offbeat gems such as the Fishing Museum, the Brighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium or even the famous Brighton Pier, with a fish and chip supper and four facilities to choose from. We profile six of the best of Brighton’s event facilities.

Wow Factor
The Royal Pavillion
Address: 4/5 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton, BN1 1EE
Tel: 03000 290905
Email: royalpavilion@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Web: www.royalpavilion.org.uk
Probably Brighton’s best-known building, the Royal Pavilion’s Asian appearance looks somewhat incongruous in a city otherwise dominated by Georgian and Victorian architecture. There’s no denying though that any event held at the splendidly extravagant Pavilion will make a statement. The Main State Rooms provide a stunning setting for impressive corporate entertaining, with the Great Kitchen suitable for seated dinners for up to 40 guests, and the Banqueting Room for dinners for up to 90 or receptions for up to 200 guests. The Music Room, where the Prince Regent used to entertain guests some 200 years ago, has capacity for up to 180 for seated meetings and presentations, while for smaller gatherings the Red Drawing Room can host up to 30 for dinners or 40 for theatre-style meetings. Finally, the King William IV room can seat up to 80 delegates for meetings or 60 for dinners.

Quirky Venue
Yellowave Beach Volleyball Centre
Address: 299 Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1EN
Tel: 01273 672222
Email: info@yellowave.co.uk
Web: www.yellowave.co.uk
You may wonder how volleyball is played on a famously pebbly beach but, of course, several tonnes of sand has been laid out on Brighton seafront and the Yellowave Beach Volleyball Centre was born. A popular recreational facility – and a designated training centre for the 2012 Olympic Games – the venue can also be hired out for corporate functions. Flexibility and team-building activities are the name of the game here, with the Centre able to host groups of all sizes by day or night, organise and coordinate beach volleyball, football or rugby tournaments, and put on a beachside barbeque. A bar playing chilled-out tunes and with an outside decking area and palm trees completes the picture.

New Kid on the Block
Pub Du Vin
Address: Pub du Vin, 7 Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AD
Tel: 01273 718588
Web: www.hotelduvin.com
From the company behind the boutique Hotel du Vin brand comes Pub du Vin, with the first of the new line opening in Brighton in April 2008. The ‘traditional old British pub’ features a public bar serving fine local ales and signature pies made from only local ingredients, while two rooms are available for meetings and private events. The Captain’s Table is a private function room for dinners and meetings while The Dome, an impressive circular room with a glass-panelled ceiling and ‘wineglass’ chandelier, is suitable for groups of up to 80.

On a Shoestring
Jurys Inn
Address: 101 Stroudley Road, Brighton, BN1 4DJ
Tel: 01273 862 121
Web: http://brightonhotels.jurysinns.com
Adjacent to Brighton station, the Jurys Inn couldn’t be better placed for delegates arriving in the city by train. The hotel opened less than two years ago and offers well equipped meeting facilities – and modern guestrooms – at value-for-money rates. There are nine meeting rooms across the ground and lower ground floors, with most seating between 24 and 32 delegates theatre-style. Suite 1, at 126 square metres, is the largest meeting room and can host up to 80 for banquets or up to 110 theatre-style. All feature natural daylight and wifi internet access. The hotel also features Innfusion, a restaurant serving affordable contemporary cuisine, and Inntro Bar, for drinks and lighter meals, plus an Il Barista Coffee Bar.

Wired Up
The Lighthouse
Address: 28 Kensington Street, Brighton, BN1 4AJ
Tel: 01273 647197
Email: miriam@lighthouse.org.uk
Web: www.lighthouse.org.uk
One of the South’s leading arts agencies, The Lighthouse beats the drum for the region’s up and coming artists and filmmakers and has impressive facilities with which to do so. Located in the North Laines at the heart of Brighton’s cultural and creative hub, The Lighthouse also makes its various hi-tech exhibition and meeting spaces available for private hire. The multipurpose Digital Lounge has capacity for up to 50 people for meetings and presentations, while the light and airy Conference room can host up to 20 delegates. Two Training rooms can be set up with desks and computers for bespoke training sessions and a large reception area is suitable for lunches, drinks receptions or presentations. Wifi internet access is available throughout the building’s meeting spaces, while audio visual equipment and technical support is offered with all rooms.

Small but Perfectly Formed
myhotel
Address: 17 Jubilee Street, Brighton, BN1 1GE
Tel: 01273 900 300
Email: brighton@myhotels.com
Web: www.myhotels.com
What can you expect from a hotel that’s been described as where Freddie Mercury meets the Maharishi? Well, according to Andy Thrasyvoulou, the man behind the 80-room property, you’ll find “an exhilarating destination hotel, juxtaposing sexy cutting-edge design and state-of-the-art technology with serene spirituality and the principles of feng shui.” Thankfully myhotel Brighton, which opened in April 2008, is not ‘far out’ enough to dispense with meetings facilities. Its seven very different facilities include the Mercury room for up to 25 people and featuring touch screen technology, HD projector, 50-inch plasma screen, surround sound and DVD player. The Rishi room, meanwhile, can host up to 15 delegates and overlooks the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Dome, while areas of the space-age Merkaba bar can be set aside for private meetings and events too.

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