Holiday Inn Woking - Meetings venue

If you are looking for a meeting venue in Woking, this is the one … Holiday inn Woking. I have recently organised a small afternoon tea for 50 there and I must say, this is one venue in which I would be glad to return.

From the first contact the staff was very accommodating and really helpful. The venue is situated about 10 minutes’ walk from Woking train station and is literally 2 minutes from the pedestrian shopping area.

The main entrance of the hotel isn’t impressive from the street … The main doors are almost in the back yard of a multi storey car park… a bit of a weird set up. But once in the hotel the visitor is almost taken aback with the decoration and colours… This interior is almost out of place compared to the outside environs… I couldn’t really take pictures as I may have had to explain why, but you can see the photos gallery here. The meetings area is at the end of a corridor directly opposite the reception desk… but before getting there the visitor walks pas, this beautiful, relaxed and colourful café-bar where the meeting attendees can stop and have a drink before attending their function. My understanding is that locals also often stop by for a bite to eat… If you live in the area, I recommend to stop by and just enjoy the atmosphere; have a coffee and a piece of cake.

Continuing in the corridor, the visitor enters the meetings area where the colours are mostly black & grey, with a great variety of textures form mat to gloss, from leather to velvet… a lot of black & with photo frames and just one set of 3 red paintings subtlety placed near the ladies…. Great touch and great result. The loos do not let us down as, contrary to the outside (literally) everything in here is just whites and silvers with a tastefully placed bouquet of fake red roses…

Our meeting room just reflects the corridors, and ideal for a late winter’s afternoon event.

As for the catering, again, the hotel doesn’t let us down and offers us a great selection of (very rich) mini tartelettes… including my preferred one filled with frangipane and almond flakes.

Many people who attended the events were locals who had never been in the hotel and were all very impressed with the venue… and the cakes of course. I am convinced that after our event, many local retirees will make the most of this little haven in the heart of Woking.

I just wish the night stay was cheaper enough for me to try out the accommodation and other guests’ services.

The whole event is inexpensive and I think that the venue, given its location and standard could have gotten way with charging me the double of the cost… I guess Holiday Inn Woking makes more money from the overpriced accommodations…

I certainly recommend it for meetings from 3 to 70 attendees. 

If you have stayed overnight at this Hotel, please tell me about it! DM by email at  

See you soon!

Croydon Park Hotel - The restaurant

Hotel's own photo

There is something silently reassuring to know that a town that you love so much has a hang out where you can go with friends and visitors from other towns to have a drink, or a meal.

The Croydon Park hotel has such facilities. I have visited the hotel many times before for conferences and meetings but had not had the time to seat and take in the décors and customers service. Having recently been there as a client of the restaurant, I would recommend it and would invite mostly people based North of the river to come check it out.

Usually, people who speak badly of an area have never visited the area. I love Croydon and have leaved there for the past 13 years… I am continuously discovering great things about my area and have many times found myself defending it in front of people who have never crossed the river southward.

Well to you misery guts, Let me tell you about the Croydon Park hotel where I had dinner few days ago. The hotel is literally situated 2 minutes from East Croydon and 5 minutes from the town centre where all the night clubs and restaurants are concentrated.

Upon entering the hotel, the visitor is bathed with an impression of gold lights and, a comfortable reception area with modern soft furnishings and abstract giant art deco objects. At the left, is a reception desk and to the right, is are the lifts and corridor leading to the Brasserie and the restaurant.


The buffet area and ceiling

On the evening of our visit, the restaurant was full and buzzing; as far as I could see, the guests were a mix of hotel guests but mainly locals making the most of this beautiful space. The menu this particular night was a 3-course buffet with drink at £22.95 per person.

The well displayed buffet has offers for all tastes from vegetarian to pescetarian and a very large choice for the carnivores as usual. No matter your palate preferences, you would find something to eat at this beautiful buffet displayed on a giant hexagonal hotplate which, seems to have been carved out of the Ceiling. The latter is covered with tiled mirrors and is reflecting the food on display just below.

The starters buffet was by far the side I had decided to settle in as it offered Salmon, artichokes mozzarella, melon, Parma ham, eggs, king prawns etc… I was spoilt for choice and having taken a quick tour of the mains and having seen the tired green vegetables, wrinkly roast potatoes & colourless broccoli. I was reassured that there was enough salad combos to make my outing worthwhile.

No thank you

For dessert I tried the Tarte aux Pommes which would have been overly sweet had I not chose to have it with double cream. All the other cakes were oversized and full of cream… not to forget the ugliest dessert in the world the crumble… I don’t think the latter has a place in a restaurant unless it is baked in individual ramekins…

If the food was to be marked on 10, I would mark it here at 4. But the atmosphere and service would be marked at 7/10.

In my opinion going out to eat is as much about the atmosphere as it is about the service and food… I loved the atmosphere at the Croydon Park Hotel and will go again. I may not have enjoyed the food here, but for my dinner companions, they seem to love it. Mind you Brits are not too fussed about what they eat and I flippin’ Frenchie seem to be the one to complain every time we go out.

Well dear friends, if I am paying, it gives me the right to express my likes and dislikes freely and I refuse to let go of that right.

See you soon!

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