Unique venues are becoming more and more popular as the events industry reopens and we move back into live events. Guests want to see something slightly different with the venues they visit as well as something that excites them. Here at The Event Book, we are looking for new and more unique venues to put forward to our clients. Here’s a list of some of our favourites!
The Standard Hotel, Kings Cross/St Pancras
The Standard is a chic, 70’s decor style independent hotel with quirky, yet classy event spaces. From apartments and meeting spaces, to outdoor courtyards and rooftops with 360 views of everything London’s skyline has to offer, this venue has it all!
The apartments are perfect for any brand launches or more casual meetings for smaller groups. The spaces are fully stocked already with a mix of seating and standing as well as a bar. The more formal meeting room spaces still have that chilled atmosphere with a sofa area in the room next door along with another bar area and a wrap-around terrace. All of these spaces have floor to ceiling windows to allow for lots of natural daylight and stunning views of London’s iconic skyline. Private dining is also an option on their top floor restaurant, with a Michelin star chef and views from St Pancras to The Shard. Can you think of a better way to dine in style?
The outdoor courtyard is self-contained and can be covered or uncovered depending on the weather, it even has heaters for slightly chillier months! It’s perfect for summer and Christmas parties. But if you prefer an outdoor space with a view, take the iconic red pill lift up to the 10th floor to explore the sights of London. This is a stunning rooftop in summer to have some sun, views and cocktails!
The venue even has a bar on the bottom floor which you can either privately hire out, or join them on any day of the week for one of their inhouse events, from chess games to drag bingo; it’s never a normal evening at The Standard.
The Nomad, Covent Garden
This stunning venue only opened in 2021, still making it a considerably new venue. Taking the building’s grade two listed features and combining them with New York based interior design, the venue explores the cultural connection between Covent Garden and New York. This theme is throughout the event spaces as well as the quirky, yet classy hotel rooms.
The building’s original Magistrates’ Courtroom, now the Magistrates’ Ballroom, has been re-imagined as a formal space with two adjacent private dining rooms, a separate bar, and a dedicated entrance from the street using the original courtroom’s entrance. The walls of the Magistrate’s Ballroom have been elegantly hand painted. The inbuilt stage is part of the grade two listed items within the venue, as it is the same stage that The Cray twins and Oliver Wilde were tested on.
The venue has lots of history and is a classy and unique venue to host your event at.
Victorian Bath House, Liverpool Street
Placed in the heart of London’s City, the Victorian Bath House is a venue like no other. The grade two listed building is brimming with character with its subterranean space. Step down into a building that cannot fail to capture the imagination and wonder of your event, complete with secluded alcoves and perfumed finery. The venues’ unusual venue is suffused with period detail, from old Turkish motifs and characterful Victoriana, creating a unique ambience and stylish backdrop to all presentations, dinners and celebrations.
This venue is perfect for any and every event from parties to banquets to receptions for all sizes as you can either hire out the venue as four separate spaces or the venue as a whole, allowing your guests to flow throughout the space. The venue even has a private ground-level terrace for you and your guests to relax and enjoy some fresh air.
Town Hall Hotel, Bethnel Green
In East London is an unconventional hotel, with original grade two listed features, as well as fun and different event spaces perfect for filming events as well as fashion shows and product launches. All of the rooms at this hotel are apartments which are perfect for smaller, more informal meetings. They also have bigger penthouse suits, with a grand piano and large stained glass windows, ideal for product launches and fashion shows.
The venue has a corporate space, with screens and the potential for hybrid events. The size of the room can be altered with bifolding doors, depending on the size of the group. They could also be used as breakout rooms throughout the day.
The venue also has onsite restaurants that are available to privately hire for private dining and receptions. Why not make the most of the Michelin star chef and treat yourself and your team to some delicious food?
The most iconic space the hotel has to offer is the Council Chamber, for quirky meetings or filming sets… You might recognise it from a few music videos!
The View, Holborn
The Royal College of Surgeons has teamed up with Searcy’s to revamp the classic building and create stunning event spaces aimed at corporate events, such as meeting rooms and private dining and receptions.
On the 1st floor is the library room, which is perfect for dining or receptions with a bit of character. The Lumley Library, as well as an evening event space is also a fully functioning library. This is the original library from the Royal College of Surgeons, as this side of the building is grade two listed they have kept all of the original features and used them to create a unique and interesting space.
The View on the 6th floor of The Royal College of Surgeons, has two main rooms, The Conference Suite and The Park View for your catering or evening reception. The Park View space with access to the terrace looks out onto the historic Lincoln Inn Fields, and wider London beyond. There are also two smaller rooms, The Linder Boardroom and Newman which are perfect for a small breakout room. These rooms are great for hybrid events as they have state of the art technology to support all of your virtual needs!
Montague on the Gardens, Bloomsbury
This hotel, stated in the middle of Bloomsbury, has a classic feel to it. There are lots of different spaces from meeting rooms to conservatories which can create lots of versatile events. The conservatory spaces look out to gardens giving them lots of light and air, perfect for their famous afternoon teas.
The space that makes this hotel unique is their outdoor space which they transform depending on the season. During the summer and autumn the space is a beach bar, complete with sand and surf boards. Hiring this space out is ideal for summer parties and team building days outside of the office. The beach bar has a great atmosphere, great food and drinks and is even covered for those not so sunny summer days!
During Christmas time, the venue transforms their iconic beach bar into a Christmas Ski Lodge. The sand is swapped for snow and surf boards are switched for snow men. The team gives the Ski Lodge a warm and cosy atmosphere with lots of fairy lights and garlands all around. This is one of our favourite Christmas venues if you are looking for a fun theme for you and your team to get into the Christmassy spirit.
NYX Hotel, Holborn
The Leonardo group, popular for their high-end, luxury hotels, have come out of lockdown with a bang! The transformation of the NYX hotel over the past two years is insane, they have designed a fun and quirky hotel with lots of personality to fit the Holborn area.
The vibrant design when you enter the hotel makes a statement, with lots of neon colours and quirky art it turns heads and draws you in. On the ground floor is a lovely bar area with lots of smaller semi-private areas, perfect for team drinks after work as well as a larger semi-private area with a private entrance to give your reception more exclusivity.
In the spa area of the hotel is a swimming pool, which can be brought up to floor level and hired out as another private space. This area is great for product launches and parties as it’s a very trendy and exclusive area.
Last but not least, the rooftop has almost finished its refurbishment and we can’t wait to see it in action!
Bateaux, Embankment
The most unique thing about this venue is that it’s the only venue on this list that isn’t on land. Not only does the boat live in the Thames, just along from Embankment, it also travels down the river towards Greenwich for events. With two boats and a pier venue, there’s lots of different spaces at Bateaux.
Encased in glass and offering panoramic, ever-changing views over the Thames, the Glass Room is a stunning river boat featuring 360 views of London. Enjoy a reception or a classy afternoon tea whilst taking in the sights. The river boat has lots of potential for larger groups, with spaces downstairs for dinner and dancing, the rooftop allows for a more relaxed atmosphere enjoying the views. The rooftop is great for summer events, to enjoy London in the summer without having to do the travelling.
Introducing London’s newest waterfront venue, The Pier offers unparalleled and uninterrupted riverside views of the glittering Thames. The perfect setting for drinks and canapes for those who love the views, but prefer land to water.
The Vaults at Old Billingsgate, London Bridge
Old Billingsgate is a timeless and iconic venue with stunning features, however the venue has a hidden gem which isn’t as well known… The Vaults.
Concealed beneath the banks of the River Thames, the exposed brickwork and vaulted ceilings create a unique atmosphere that is perfect for distinctive sit down dinners, parties and conferences. The Victorian architecture has been enhanced to offer a cool and contemporary, urban event space.
As the walls are made up of exposed brickwork, it leaves the space as a blank canvas for you to brand and theme the space as your own. This makes it one of the most unique spaces on the list as you could design the Vaults however you want meaning that no two events in this venue are the same.
