Why have a Christmas Party at the value for money Bridge Hotel Chertsey?

In the current economic climate, many company directors and owners may well be questioning the value of staging a Christmas celebration for their staff.

Charles Cotton, an independent expert from the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development's expert on staff rewards, says

"As ever, employers need to think about why they are providing a Christmas party in the first place. If it is to recognise the collective contribution of their employees then what are the alternatives and are they more effective?"

If holding a Christmas party is the most effective way of achieving this then employers should be wary about scrapping them in response to the economic downturn because the long-term impact could be damaging on employee engagement and organisational performance.

The Christmas party is one way of reminding staff that they are part of a common endeavour."

And as the campaign Keep Britain Working has reported that more than half the UK's bosses have got worse at motivating their staff since the recession began, this could make the Christmas party even more important this year!

In the end, as with all business decisions, it will be the return on investment that many decision makers will focus on, so here are a few of our thoughts on the value of Christmas Parties and a few ways in which you can help in justifying the budget.

Although the cost may seem high, assuming an Xmas party costs say £40 per guest and the average salary in a company is £40,000, then this only represents 0.1% of the salary bill, if you come to the Bridge Hotel in Chertsey .

Many companies have found that the value in entertaining staff far outweighs the cost in terms of loyalty, networking, motivation, team spirit and enjoy a halo effect of higher productivity after such a Christmas celebration  (Most of the "Top 100 Companies To Work For" survey, carried out by The Sunday Times, invest heavily in staff communication and reward programmes.)

This value can be further enhanced by making sure that you take the opportunity for the MD to address the staff during dinner. This could include some annual recognition awards, which are a great way to celebrate success and encourage increased future personal performance.

To extend this idea further, the great value Bridge Hotel in Chertsey  is ideally suited to staging an afternoon conference or presentation before the party for large groups to increase the business content of the event further. The party itself could then be run all evening with dancing, or converted into a more informal drinks and canapés or bowl food service, ending at say 10pm.

If costs need to be reduced, consider having a full or part pay bar or reducing the price by taking a Monday or Tuesday, where prices are often lower due to reduced demand for these dates.

In the current marketplace, when there may have been recent redundancies and/or pay freezes, a very extravagant Christmas party may well be viewed as inappropriate. We therefore recommend that any company in this position organises their party to deliver a great night without any unnecessary upgrades (ie Champagne, additional live entertainment or pre-dinner canapés).

Remember that as long as you have a beautifully lit and themed venue, great food and a DJ playing your kind of music, you are assured a great night!

So whatever party you have in mind large or small, unique or shared call our Christmas Co-ordinator now on 01932 565644 to ensure you get your party when you want it and how you want it.

Looking for a Family-Friendly Restaurant? Come to the Boat House in Chertsey

Steeped in history, Chertsey is located in Surrey, part of Greater London on the River Thames.  It’s a great place to go out for a meal with your family.  Many families go out of their way to come to the family friendly Boat House restaurant  for a night out.

Waterfront Dining

Being located on the banks the River Thames, the Boat House restaurant has a patio on the waterfront.  When it’s warm, many families enjoy dining by the river.  Kids can keep entertained by all the water traffic coming and going while they eat their dinner.  They’ll love the backdrop that the Thames provides!

After you’ve spent an exciting day out at one of the nearby theme parks like Chessington World of Adventure or Thorpe Park, mums and dads will enjoy the rest they gain by dining al fresco with the kids.  Since the kids are entertained, parents can relax and linger a little longer over their meals and the family-friendly restaurant, The Boat House Restaurant attracts many visitors from far and wide.

Kid-Friendly Meals

When you are out for a meal, the last thing you want to do is row with your kids over what they will or won’t eat.  The family-friendly Boat House Restaurant offers many child-friendly menu options, so you’re sure to find something that your kids will eat.  One less battle in your day can make a huge difference. Their menus also include great value food that parents will enjoy. 

Once you’ve finished your meal, why not wrap up your family evening with a leisurely walk across the Chertsey Bridge?  This local landmark has lots of history behind it.  It spans the Thames and provides a nice view of the River and the surrounding area.  You’ll be able to see the Chertsey Lock.  It’s a nice way to wind down for the evening and the extra fresh air should help the kids to settle down for the night.

Chertsey is a in a nice location, close to Central London and many attractions.  It’s a great place to grab a bite to eat.  The family-friendly Boat House Restaurant is sure to please your entire family.

So call us today on 01932 565644 for our latest offers and to book your table in the Boat House Restaurant before winter sets in.

Choose the Bridge Hotel in Chertsey for Your Next Trip

Choosing the great value for money Bridge Hotel in Chertsey should not be a difficult decision for those wishing to visit the local museum and yet be a short distance from the centre of London.

Chertsey is a wonderful location for business and leisure travellers who wish to stay close to London, but avoid the madness of the city. When it comes to choosing a great value hotel in Chertsey, the Bridge Hotel  provides you with a good stopping point with many people choosing to visit the local museum in the town centre.

The Chertsey Museum

With Chertsey being such a short drive from Junction 11 of the M25, the Bridge Hotel is close to the town centre, which is where the Chertsey Museum is located

This admission free museum will give you full information about the history of the Runnymede area. There is fine art and decorative art on display along with significant demonstrations of social history of the area, including many original documents and photographs.

The museum houses clocks completed by two local makers and the significant Olive Matthews Collection of local dresses and textiles.

Making the Right Hotel Choice

If you are a music fan, you might be tracing the life history of Keith Moon, the drummer with rock band The Who. He lived in Chertsey for over a decade. More recently Vince Clarke of Yazoo, Depeche Mode and Erasure lived in the town where they recorded most of the Erasure songs, close to his home.

If you have planned a walking tour to take in their homes and the Chertsey Museum, location of your hotel will be extremely important. The great value for money Bridge Hotel  is ideally situated so that you can drive, bike or take a taxi to the scene of your choice.

Your decision about which hotel in Chertsey to stay in, might be dictated by the choice of restaurant  located in the hotel. Many people choose a hotel by the quality of the breakfast and the availability of a range of food for the evening meal to cope with vegetarians and carnivores alike. The Bridge Hotel’s newly refurbished restaurant – The Boat House Restaurant ticks all those boxes.

Where you park your car can also dictate which hotel you choose. The Bridge Hotel has FREE on-site parking so you don’t have to think about how you can move your suitcases to and from the hotel and your vehicle.

Whatever your budget, the Bridge Hotel in Chertsey is going to be your best choice. The time of year and the days of week that you travel will affect the price of your hotel room. If you can travel at the less busy times it may be less expensive than you originally expected, and still within a short train journey from London. We have many offers for both business and leisure travellers so check out our web site then phone us for availability on 01932 565644.

A great value short break – why and where?

Most surveys of holidaymakers suggest that, however bad the economy gets, we are loath to give up our annual summer holiday. But there is no doubt that many of us are being much more cautious when it comes to booking a short break. We see that under the category of "discretionary spending", and it has an air of extravagance about it at a time when most of us are watching our budgets carefully.

The short break, especially in England, though, is one of the great pleasures of travel – the escape that combines a dose of culture, a decent meal and the discovery of somewhere new with an escape from routine. And if you plan your trip and choose your destination carefully, there is a lot that can be done to make it more affordable. Here are some strategies for booking a short break without breaking the bank.

Living costs

Which destination is going to offer best value depends to a large extent on how much you spend when you get there. Of course, you can save money by eating pizza and buying sandwiches, but do you really want to when the hotel can offer a great value dinner? It is the combination of the price of your hotel and your travel costs that will make the biggest difference to the overall amount you have to pay for the holiday.

Impulse buys

You can pick your way through cost-of-living data and average hotel prices, but it's sometimes worth being spontaneous: you can find some incredibly good offers if you simply check what is available online. Dozens of websites allow you to do this, including Expedia and Lastminute. But the best route that I have found is to go to Google and key in my chosen destination and phone the hotel.

Why not try the River Thames

A great value place to visit this Autumn is the Bridge Hotel on the River Thames at Chertsey. For you and your partner on a one night weekend break away from the children it has much to offer. Nearby are Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace, Painshill Park, Wisley Gardens and Viginia Waters. And we mustn’t forget a walk along the Thames taking in the historic Chertsey Bridge! Afterwards relax for a drink before dinner in the Boat House Restaurant, it’s great value even for dinner.

Our value for money Autumn break offer is called You & Me Time Together. It is just £69 per room on any weekend (Friday – Sunday), subject to availability, between 14th September and 23rd December 2012. So it’s perfect for that weekend away for you and your partner.

This EXCLUSIVE Bed and Breakfast offer includes:

•    Overnight Accommodation
•    Full English Breakfast For 2
•    Complimentary Parking
•    Complimentary WI-FI
•    Complimentary Tea Or Coffee On Arrival
•    Complimentary Upgrade To Superior Room
•    If available a River View Room

So for a great break that won’t break the bank call The Bridge in Chertsey on 01932 565644 to make that booking and get in quick to get a River View!

Try a Hotel in Chertsey for Your Next Business Trip

When you are looking for a place to stay in Greater London for your next business trip, give Chertsey a try.  There are many reasons why the Bridge Hotel in Chertsey would be the right choice for your next work trip.

Convenient Location

You can get into Central London by car or train in under an hour from Chertsey.  When you have meetings in town, you won’t be too far away.  It’s also a short drive from Heathrow, so the Bridge Hotel in Chertsey is convenient as a place to stay on your way out of the country or as a stopping place on your way home.  It’s also a nice place to meet clients who are flying in to London.  Since a hotel here is more reasonably priced than a hotel in Central London, you’ll be saving money on your business trip too.  The great value Bridge Hotel in Chertsey could make good business sense.

Business Hotel in Chertsey

To help you to get your work done, the Bridge Hotel offers free wireless Internet access.  With your laptop or your mobile phone, you’ll be able to send and receive e-mails and messages to keep in touch with your office while you’re away and you won’t have to hang out in the lobby waiting to receive a message.

As our rates mostly offer breakfast in the Boat House Restaurant, you’ll be able to start your day off fully fueled for your business meetings.  You can hold dinner meetings in the hotel restaurant as well if you wish. 

Take Some Time to Unwind

When all your meetings have finished for the day, take the time to relax and unwind a bit.  Have a glass of wine in the Boat House Restaurant bar.  A scenic walk near the Thames can be just the ticket to help you to let off some steam and enjoy the fresh air.  Stroll along the Chertsey Bridge, or wander through town a bit to see some of the history that Chertsey has to offer.  Whatever you choose to do, make it a priority to relax before the end of your day.  and then enjoy your sleep time in one of our 51 en-suite bedrooms that include an extra 11 newly built rooms in 2011 containing special Executive Rooms and Junior Suites. 

Business travel doesn’t have to be inconvenient. The great value Bridge Hotel in Chertsey could be a great choice for your next business stay.  Many guests who stay in Chertsey for business welcome the opportunity to come back at a later date to enjoy a leisure trip so that they can take part in all that Chertsey has to offer. Call us on 01932 565644 to get our latest business rates and special offer details.

How to enjoy your Christmas Party in Chertsey

At Christmas time hotels, restaurants and bars in Chertsey are full of companies enjoying their annual Christmas parties. The Christmas party is a great time to celebrate the end of a hard year’s work, to let down your hair a little and to enjoy some fun with those people you spend most of your waking hours with.

But Christmas parties can also spell disaster for those that take the celebrations a little too far. No-one’s suggesting that a Christmas party needs to be a strictly sober affair but urban myths abound of careers in tatters after over-exuberant partying, while employers can find themselves embroiled in legal action and compensation claims.

Here’s the great value Bridge Hotel in Chertsey’s guide to the best way to navigate some of the more common office party pitfalls.

For employees:

Do go the Christmas Party. They’re great for company morale and often a good night out is all that’s needed to turn workmates into real mates. You don’t want to be labelled as a party-pooper – you might not get invited next time. And there’s nothing worse than being left out of all the in-jokes for weeks afterwards.

Don’t be the first or last to leave.

Do act as if your every move is being observed, it may well be!

Don’t get too drunk. Easier said than done when the free fizz is flowing and that guy from accounts gets the tequila shots in. No-one’s suggesting that you be the sober sulk in the corner but if you leave the drunken abandon to a night out with your non-work mates you could be saving yourself from more than just a hangover the next day.

Do show restraint when choosing your party outfit. Obviously you want to ditch the conservative office attire but you also don’t want to find that the IT department have made your photo their new screensaver the next day. Also don’t get into any state of undress. Sure you might want to live a little and ditch the tie but despite how hilarious you might think it is at the time no-one’s going to appreciate a Full Monty-style strip – and you certainly won’t appreciate the photographic evidence the next day.

Don’t gossip or bitch. If you’ve had a few drinks you’ll probably be talking louder than you imagine and are less likely to notice who’s in earshot.

Do resist the urge to flirt. Sure many people meet their partners at work but the Christmas party is rarely the best place to start something serious. And if it isn’t going to be serious, don’t do it! You’re guaranteed to regret it the next day.

For employers:

Do hold a Christmas party. No-one wants to come across as a Scrooge after all. Company morale will be all the better for it and the goodwill should last into the New Year.

Don’t expect your employees in at the regular hour the next day. Better still if the party’s not on a weekend night give them the following morning off.

Do ensure that food and non-alcoholic drinks are alongside the booze at your party. That way you’re at least trying to keep things under control!

Don’t talk shop all night long, everyone needs a break from the work stuff so let them have it.

Do provide transport home for employees such as laying on a bus or doling out cab vouchers.

So now you know the dos and don’ts, you just need to decide where to party. The Boat House Restaurant at the Bridge Hotel is just perfect for Christmas Parties, you just need to decide how many people you want and the style of the event you want to hold. Whether you take over the whole Boat House Restaurant or come to one of our selection of Christmas Party options including Disco Party Nights, Festive Lunches and Dinners, we’ll ensure your Christmas party 2012 is one you’ll be proud to talk about. And for large groups there are special discounts and a Free Accommodation Offer. To find out more fill in the form and download the brochure from here .