Facilities for special occasions

Press, 13 April 1989, Page 33

Facilities for special occasions

Providing facilities for special occasions is an important part of the Parkroyal service. One large function room that can be divided into four smaller area caters for a variety of events from business promotions through to private dinner parties. Along with the hotel’s Business Centre, the function area provides ideal facilities for business people working away from home, A board room can be set up for the day and, in the evening, the setting can be used for a cocktail party or some other event.

For Christchurch people, the function facilities can be ideal for that special anniversary dinner party. A room can be divided to comfortably cater for 20 to 30 people. A variety of special menus cater for coffee breaks and working lunches through to gourmet meals and cocktail receptions. According to Tania Mclntyre, the Parkroyal

functions co-ordinator, it is important to understand exactly what a client wants when booking a special event. “Everyone’s occasion is special whether it be a small business meeting, a large promotional meeting or family reunion. "People need to have the confidence to know that the event will be every bit as good as they imagined. “Hotel staff are very co-operative when providing for a special occasion. Nothing is too difficult and we are known for our attention to details. Often the chefs will provide something special on their own initiative.

“For example, for a Royal Viking tour group a chef provided a fantastic Viking ship covered with chocolate. And, for the Adelaide twin city festival, kitchen staff provided a margarine sculpture depicting an Australian pioneer. “People often comment about our attention to detail. We provide orange

juice and mineral water for business meetings along with rulers and pens. We are also appreciated for our special giant licorice allsorts. “We are often told that Parkroyal staff care and we are already getting a considerable amount of repeat business,” Tania Mclntyre says. Many functions at the Parkroyal can be arranged at short notice and no group is too small to have the best possible service.

A special Parkroyal function is the weekly wine tasting to promote mainly Canterbury wines. This is an ideal opportunity for international guests and those from other parts of New Zealand to get to know the quality wines produced near Christchurch.

A feature of the functions area is the lobby which is popular for prefunction drinks. From the lobby there is an attractive view of the Atrium Lounge and the hotel’s ground floor.