SEPTEMBER 2019 businesstravelerusa.com54
DESTINATIONS
per year required for delegates attending
conferences at the new venue.”
In addition to the Celtic Manor Resort
adjacent to the ICC Wales, the new Coldra
Court Hotel, is closing in on completion of a
£2m ($2.2 million) refurbishment program.
A further new 146-room-hotel adjacent to
Coldra Court has gotten a planning nod,
boosting accommodation capacity for the
new ICC.CASTLE DREAMS
But Cardiff is definitely not all business all
the time. Bleisure options abound, from a
lunchtime walk around Cardiff Bay (the
largest waterfront redevelopment project in
Europe when it was created in the late 90s)
to a visit to Cardiff Castle.
The castle, a city landmark, comprises
a nest of buildings from different eras: a
Norman castle keep, an ancient Roman wall
and a Victorian-era mansion. The elaborately
furnished Gothic Revival mansion built by
the Marquess of Bute in the 1840s is tucked
within an original structure created by Norman invaders built on the
site of a Roman fort. The grand dining room and reception halls of
the mansion, which hosted the NATO banquet, are all open to the
public (and special VIP groups) for tours.
So many layers of history are showcased at the castle that it often
serves as settings for film and TV shows, including Dr. Who, Sherlock
and Torchwood (the castle offers a movie and TV location tour onweekends). There's also a web of tunnels
beneath the castle that were used during the
Second World War for refuge during the
Blitz. The castle does a 30-minute tour of
the World War II-era world of the tunnels,
helmed by an air-raid warden-costumed
guide, also on weekends.
Climb up a spiral staircase on the Bute
Tower of Cardiff Castle to find a hidden gem- the rooftop garden of the 3rd Marquess of
Bute who had architect William
Burgess build this urban oasis
at the turn of the century. The
sounds of the city fade far away
in this enclosed space, meant to
echo historical influences like the
interior gardens of Pompeii. Take
a deep, green breath and catch
the lilt of the distinctive Welsh
accent. Locals meet here to soak
up the peace and tranquility, high
up from Cardiff 's street scene.EXPLORING FAR & WIDE
Cardiff 's eating venues are also
legendary, so many that recent foodie
safaris to the city are thriving (loving-
welshfood.co.uk is a major source for the best
of these). Bleisure travelers are packing the halls of
food emporiums like The Clink (theclinkcharity.org ), a unique dining
experience in the grounds of a working Category B prison.
Prisoners participating in the restaurant's training program prepare
dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients and the latest cooking tech-
niques. There's just one catch: no wine list or alcohol as it is banned
on prison premises. The food at The Clink has gotten critical acclaim
and its program has changed lives.
Other venues to explore (which also host meeting and events)
include the open air museum Saint Fagans National History Museum
just outside Cardiff. This 100-acre space interprets the history of
Wales through over 40 original buildings and complexes that show
how real people lived from medieval times to the present.
The museum has been assembled on the site of Saint Fagans Castle
and Gardens, an equally grand 16th century manor house furnishedABOVE:
President Barack
Obama, Prime
Minister David
Cameron, German
Chancellor Angela
Merkel and the
other leaders of
the 2014 NATO
Conference at
Cardiff Castle;
Cardiff National
MuseumThe castle comprises
a Norman keep, a
Roman wall and a
Victorian-era mansionNew hotel, new approach. Bankside Hotel has everything a business traveller wants,
bedrooms & suites, the latest technology, meeting spaces... but most importantly it has
personality. A personality that comes from its design and location on the culturally vibrant
South Bank. Our neighbourhood, close to The City and Blackfriars station, is home to
London’s creative scene with many local artists having made original pieces for us.Blurring the lines between work and play, public spaces are filled with handpicked furniture
creating a residential atmosphere, while Art|Yard Bar & Kitchen serves up seasonal food
all day in relaxed surroundings.Bankside Hotel, 2 Blackfriars Road, Upper Ground, London SE1 9JU T: +44 (0)203 319 5988 http://www.banksidehotel.comA different view
on business travel
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