However, you won’t want to show it because you know you need to impress and complete the task, even if your to-do list is about to stretch into several pages.

The good news is that at Ruthin Castle, our Conference Advisors can take away a lot of the stress and worry when you’re organising a conference here, but it’s still a great idea to have a basic understanding of how to organise a hotel conference.

Managing your task list

Having taken care of the easy part by choosing the conference venue, you will need to consider who is going to be on your guest list, as well as who you plan to leave out.

Depending upon the type of conference that your business is going to be presenting, you will need to ensure that all the necessary materials you need for the conference will be available well before the due date.

You’ll be able to discuss with the hotel the levels of technology that they have in place and also the other requests they’ll be able to cope with if they’re given sufficient notice.

As you would expect with most conferences, there will be a range of refreshments and some food available.  If you intend to keep people at your conference for the full day, you might need to provide a full lunch as well, but keep it light, as a heavy lunch might make people wish to sleep through your afternoon’s entertainment.

Time to open up your tablet computer

Once you have settled down and taken enough breaths to bring your heart rate back to normal after being tasked with the organising, it’s time to open up your tablet computer and begin to make notes.

The good news is you should know that you can achieve the targets for your conference if you know your goals before you start the preparation work, as these will help shape all of your decisions.

And where you know exactly what message your company wishes to get across to the conference delegates, it will be easier to plan the entire day

Hopefully, your boss will have dictated the size of the budget that you can spend on the conference. This may help organise the location of your day’s business and it might also suggest whether you’re going to invite just a few people, several dozen or more than 100.

The staff at your venue will be experienced people at holding conferences, even if it’s your first time. You should tap into this almost priceless resource, as they may be able to offer you a few pieces of advice that you would never have considered in your planning – they may remind you, for example, that some guests might need a specific food for dietary or allergy purposes.

At Ruthin Castle, we’re a hotel in North Wales who will be only too pleased to help you plan for your conference here.  We know just how much preparation is required, but that with the right approach, the conference can be a complete and utter resounding success.

But do you know where the idea of a castle comes from?

Castles that you visit in this country might have been built hundreds of years ago and may even be over 1,000 years old, but people still live in castles, others get married in them and some have become castle hotels (like we have!).

What is a castle?

After a lot of debate, castles can be described as fortified structures that belong mostly in Europe and the Middle East.  The early ones were owned by Royal families and governments during the building period across the early middle ages.

The fortification element is important and is probably why castles are so often related to curtain walls and arrow slits that you’ll see on picture postcards.

The Normans were considered extremely good castle builders and after a building programme ordered by William the Conqueror during 1066, the UK saw a great deal of castle building across England and then latterly across all of the UK.

William, to his friends, used stone to build enormous castles which effectively became home to the family of the Lord of the Manor which will, of course, have included enough soldiers and supplies to defend themselves from attack.

The Normans found that they were obviously outnumbered by the British population during their invasion and so the use of castles was a great way to prevent any uprisings from the local populations.

A good place to live?

The very earliest of the castles were simply wooden buildings, completed on the top of a hill so that it was easy to see if the enemy were approaching.  They contained everything a person could need to live in them for months on end.

It was only after the Normans felt that they had controlled the British people that they took the time to replace the wooden buildings with large stone entities, which are easily recognisable today.

The castles provided a great place for people to live, especially against the increasingly better-armed invading forces.  Plus, as many builders created a wide and deep moat all around the property, with just a drawbridge providing access to the inside, it prevented any attackers from easily gaining access.

At Ruthin Castle, which has developed over the years into a hotel in North Wales, we will be pleased to share our long history with you, but instead of finding invaders trying to ward off the peasants, you’ll find a great place to stay, a wonderful place to eat and a beautiful spa right on your doorstep!

Delighted to offer a fantastic array of rooms and facilities to make anyone’s stay particularly memorable, being somewhere people can call home – even if it’s just for one night – is something we thoroughly enjoy.

But as you may or may not know, we also have an array of other facilities at Ruthin Castle, with one of the most notable being our main restaurant, Bertie’s.

Producing some fantastic dishes using local produce, we’ve proud to say the restaurant has been awarded several accolades, with one of the most notable being two AA rosettes.

But what exactly does this mean?  What should you expect from a restaurant that has two AA rosettes?

Firstly, it’s important to understand that rosettes are awarded based on the quality of the food at a restaurant, which has to be to a continually high standard and can be judged over several visits.

Rosettes are presented to restaurants that genuinely go above and beyond what some might expect and vary from restaurants that are essentially much-loved in the local area to those that have achieved critical acclaim and where, according to the AA themselves, the “cooking compares with the best in the world”.

Now when it comes to what you should expect from a restaurant with two AA rosettes, one of the most noticeable aspects is a great precision with the cooking, ensuring that everything is cooked and presented in the best way possible.

What’s more, there’ll also be a noticeable amount of attention given to the produce used within the meals.  Nothing will appear to have been chosen simply for the sake of doing so and as we do at Bertie’s, it’s so often the case that as much local produce as possible is used.

You’ll also be able to see high standards right throughout the restaurant and complete consistency.  In two AA rosette restaurants, it’s unusual to see some people not as satisfied with their meals as others – everything is always aimed to be delivered to the highest of standards, something we pay exceptional attention to.

Above all else, you should always expect a great experience.  You’ll never have to worry about anything to do with the food or be concerned that something may not be cooked how you like it – the chefs are there to cater for your needs and you can rest assured the food that is presented on your plate will be perfectly suited to your needs and expectations.

As a popular hotel in North Wales, we really do aim to offer the highest level of service we possibly can and genuinely feel confident that no matter what you’re looking for from a hotel, we’ll be able to deliver – and our two AA rosette restaurant is just one key part of the service we provide.

It may not be an exact idea of what the venue should look like or offer, but they might have some criteria they want meeting.

For example, the venue may have to have lots of greenery or well-kept gardens, as you want all of your photographs to be taken outside and to you, this would offer the perfect backdrop.

Generally speaking, however, most couples are quite open to suggestions and don’t have any set venue in mind.

It’s because of this why today, we wanted to give you an insight into three clear reasons why getting married in one of the castle hotels around the country can be a fantastic idea – it may not be a type of venue you’ve thought of, but we’re certain the below information will make you at least want to go on to find out a little bit more about them!

1.  They’re unique

If you visit a handful of the most popular wedding venues in your area – wherever that may be – it’s understandable if you leave feeling they’re all much of a muchness.  You’ll obviously be able to remember which venue is which, as they all have their own individual styles and features, but more often than not one won’t stand out more than another.

And so if they don’t stand out to you, they’re not going to stand out to your guests, either.

For some, this won’t be a bad thing and in general, it’s not a major negative.  However, if you’re looking to add a unique touch to your big day, you ideally need a unique venue – and this is where castles really hold their own.

So often dating back centuries, they have vast and varied histories, with many housing fascinating stories.  This means that not only will the actual aesthetics of the castle make your big day unique, but the impact its history has on you and your guests will do, too.

2.  They’re spacious

Think of three words to describe a castle – chances are one of them is ‘big’!

Both inside and out, castles are expansive.  They’ll have dozens upon dozens of rooms for various different reasons, purposes and occasions and more often than not, what can seem like a never-ending amount of greenery and woodland surrounding it.

Obviously fantastic for large weddings, what is worthwhile pointing out here is that just because castles are large, it doesn’t mean they can’t be cosy or are unsuitable for smaller weddings.

The truth is, due to the sheer volume of rooms that are available, add in a bit of modern technology and equipment and they can be the ideal venue for your wedding, no matter whether there are 30 or 300 people attending!

3.  They’re memorable

When you think of the married couples you’ve spoke to about their weddings, how many times did they discuss the venue?  They might have mentioned it once to explain where it was they actually had their big day, but that may have been it.

That’s not to say the venue wasn’t fantastic, but it’s just that afterwards, it didn’t offer anything hugely memorable that left a lasting impression.

When it comes to castle hotels, we’re certain this won’t be the case!

As one of the most notable castle hotels in the UK, we really do aim to offer an unbeatable service to each and every one of our guests and feel confident that if you decide to hold your big day here, you’ll have nothing other than a fantastic, unforgettable time.

A civil ceremony may be the answer to your question and a concentrated look around any castle hotels UK website will quickly show you the potential location of your dreams (and we’re sure Ruthin Castle in North Wales will be it!).

And as complicated as you may believe it is, the truth is it’s anything but.

What is a civil ceremony?

A civil ceremony has many likenesses to a traditional church wedding, but it also has many differences.

In the area of similarities, two people will be committing themselves to each other for the rest of their lives and making a declaration to all of those present that this is their wish.

Away from the church, a civil ceremony, as far as the law is concerned in England and Wales, is a marriage without any religious context and can take place at either a registry office or a venue, like Ruthin Castle, that has been formally approved for civil marriages.

Making it personal

For some reason, television programmes do try to make a civil ceremony look particularly impersonal, but they really don’t have to be this way.

While there won’t be any religious content, the register will be able to explain how your ceremony can be given your own personal touch so that you can include, for example, music and readings of your own choice.

The official procedures

With a church wedding, it’s usually expected that at least one person in the couple will have been brought up or live in the area – this doesn’t apply to a civil ceremony.

Legally you will be giving notice by contacting the registrar of the district where you wish to marry so that you can discuss any arrangements that you wish to make.

The law says that you must have lived at least seven days in a registration district in England or Wales before you give notice at the register office of your wish to be married. You’ll both need to go to your local register office to give this notice of your intention to marry, but if you live in different districts then you need to give notice separately in each area.

Furthermore, there has to be 16 days after giving notice before the marriage can actually take place and you have to ensure that all of the legal formalities have been completed properly.

If either of the couple is between 16 and 18 years of age, parental or guardian consent will need to be provided. However, once you have the permission to be married in a civil ceremony, it’s valid for a full 12 months ahead.

One of the great advantages of using your favourite hotel North Wales location is the ability of the helpful wedding staff who can help arrange much of the legalities with you to ensure your civil ceremony is remembered as one of – if not the – greatest days of your life.

The prestigious Bertie’s restaurant offers patrons a wide array of menu options, such as regionally grown produce, lamb from Welsh grazing land and Welsh cheeses.

Chef Darren Shenton-Morris and his team spare no expense when it comes to preparing creative dishes that’ll leave your mouth watering and wanting more of the local delicacies Bertie’s has to offer.

With a dessert menu including items such as Crème Brûlée infused with Ruthin Castle Lavender and Pineapple and Poppy seed Upside Down Cake, it’s no wonder guests declare Bertie’s a favourite amongst restaurants in North Wales.

If you’re seeking something more than a typical dining experience, however, then take a look at our Jester’s Feasts.

Here we host mediaeval dinners, replicating the renowned feasts the Earl of Warwick held at Ruthin Castle in the 16th century. A pre-meal tour of the walls, dungeon, whipping pit and drowning pool is available for just £3.00 per person and jugs of mead, wine and ale are offered during the course of your delectable meal.

For those with a lighter appetite, be sure to check out the Library Bar from noon until 9pm (9:30pm on weekends). Whether you would like al fresco cuisine on the Bar Terrace or in the Peacock Garden or you would like afternoon tea next to the fireplace in the Cornwallis Lounge, the Library Bar is an excellent place to retreat for a few hours of peace and tranquility.

Plus, for those who want to dine in their rooms, there’s access to 24 hours room service, coffee and tea makers, Welsh biscuits, hospitality beverages and a mini bar.

For the budget traveller, we offer a midweek special in September and October. From Sunday through Thursday, you can get dinner, bed and breakfast for only £62.50. Prices are contingent upon two adults sharing a noble room – be sure to mention this website offer when calling to book your room.

No matter what your dining preferences may be, Ruthin Castle is likely to be the hotel North Wales you’re looking for.

From Bertie’s award-winning dining through to a Welsh-inspired historical experience with our Jester’s Feasts, there’s something for everyone and we really are proud that our track record of culinary excellence speaks for itself.

Having been home to a vast array of different guests, we’ve always strived to deliver the best service we possibly can, something that’s helped us to establish ourselves as a notable hotel North Wales.

Truly enjoying satisfying our guests, it really does put a smile on our faces when we do exactly the same to them.

But whilst we’re always learning, developing and improving, we’re confident that every single person who stays with us at Ruthin Castle will fully enjoy their stay.

It doesn’t matter what your expectations or requirements are, we’re certain you’ll love your time here – and there’s one very simple reason why we have this level of confidence.

We listen.

It may sound like an obvious point and one you believe every hotel does, but the unfortunate truth is it’s not as obvious as you may think, nor as common of a quality as you’re likely to expect for any organisation to have.

Yet we ensure listening to our guests plays a huge role in every single part of the service we deliver, as the simple fact is, by listening to what our guests are telling us and what they’re thinking in general, we can be sure we’re delivering to their needs and expectations every time.

We’re happy to say that in some instances, we may not have to act on what we hear, as we’re already doing what’s being discussed – it’s just a matter of pointing the guest in the right direction or if they’re simply passing comment, gracefully accepting their feedback.

Knowing we’re not perfect, however, in other instances we have to listen to what’s being said and actively tackle the issue in a head-on way.  Whether it’s something relatively minor or particularly large scale, we don’t shy away from it, but instead both deliver what’s needed and do our utmost to learn from it.

Linked in here is the point that when we listen to our guests and they make a comment about something we’re not currently doing, we don’t just do what we can to meet that guest’s specific expectations, but we look at what we can take away from the comment in general.

For example, could we have predicted what the guest was going to say or was it a complete ‘once in a blue moon’-type scenario?  If it was the former, are there any associated comments likely to be made that we could deal with now, before they are actually raised?

As you’ll hopefully have realised by reading this blog post, customer satisfaction is hugely important to us at Ruthin Moat.  We’ve developed a great reputation as one of the most notable castle hotels UK and do what we can to maintain this by offering the best hotel experience possible – an experience we’re certain you’ll love.

Delighted with the positive feedback we so regularly receive, we really do do our utmost to provide an entire hotel experience that’s going to satisfy each and every one of our guests.

With many returning time and time again, we have plenty of guests who are visiting us for the first time – and when they do, they usually have an even better stay than they first expected!

With lots to offer and understand, the following five points are just a selection of those we like our guests to know about Ruthin Castle.

1.  We’re an actual castle!

This may sound like an obvious point to some, but we wanted to mention it as we know some people will believe it’s just a name – the truth is we really are a castle!

Built in the latter part of the 13th century, it was used as a castle for centuries and only relatively recently began to be used for other purposes (including a private hospital!).

2.  We’ve got a unique spa

Built in the grounds of the castle’s original moat, our Ruthin Moat spa offers a range of fantastic spa treatments, each and every time providing an unforgettable experience.

Mixing modern and traditional together in a variety of different ways, you can be confident you’ll truly love every moment you spend in the spa.

3.  You can get married here

As a fully-licensed civil ceremony venue, we can generally hold up to 120 guests, but we do have the capacity (by means of a beautiful outdoor marquee) to cater for 500 guests!

Having a dedicated wedding co-ordinator to ensure your day goes perfectly, we can offer a classic wedding experience or for something a little different, we can also arrange a number of themed weddings, all fitting in with the beautiful surroundings of our castle and grounds.

4.  All of our rooms are themed

Something we talked about previously, our rooms at Ruthin Castle are all themed and linked to notable people who have stayed in the castle at some point in history.

From Oscar Wilde through to the Prince of Wales, we’ve drawn on inspiration from some of the castle’s most notable guests and strongly believe you’ll have a fantastic time with us, whichever room you choose to stay in.

5.  We get rave reviews about our food

Understanding that food plays an important role in the whole hotel experience, we do our best to provide you with both quality and selection.

From the 2 AA rosetted Bertie’s, where you can get everything from leek and Pant-Ysgawn goat cheese croustade and poached William pear salad through to fillet of Welsh black beef served with thyme rosti, wilted spinach, glazed baby carrots and port jus to our library bar, lounge and outdoor areas where you can enjoy a range of high quality bar snacks, we’re certain you’ll be blown away by the standard of food on offer.

One of the most popular castle hotels UK, we’re confident you’ll love every part of your stay at Ruthin Castle, as we really do do as much as we can to offer the best experience possible.

Weddings.  Engagements.  Family events.  Birthdays.  Relaxation days.  Spas.  No matter what you’re looking for, there’ll be a venue near you that can provide it.

And as a hotel North Wales, we’re one of them in the North Wales area.

Having facilities to cater for weddings for up to 500 people and a highly-regarded spa in Ruthin Moat, we have the confidence that we’ll be able to provide something for almost every occasion, no matter what your requirements are.

But what we’re also confident about is that we stand out.  There might be a whole host of venues up and down the country to suit your specific needs, but we’re certain that we stand out amongst the crowd for various reasons.

For example, take the fact we’re particularly unique, something our spa – Ruthin Moat – showcases perfectly.

Set in the actual grounds of the castle’s original moat, you can indulge in a range of different treatments from qualified and experienced professionals, whilst also sampling several one-off experiences – drinking bubbly in the outdoor hot tubs set in our stunning grounds, for instance, comes very highly recommended!

Look at the rooms we have on offer within our hotel itself, too.  As we talked about previously, most rooms are themed to relate to notable previous guests – including the Prince of Wales – and perfectly combine traditional aspects with all of the modern facilities you’d expect from a high quality hotel.

Unless you’ve stayed with us before, it’s a little difficult to fully explain how memorable of an experience you’ll have as a guest at Ruthin Castle.  As with every hotel – or as every hotel ideally should – customer satisfaction is always at the forefront of our mind.  However, we aim to take it one step further and ensure that every single guest, no matter how long they’re staying with us, leaves wanting to come back as soon as they possibly can.

To us, it’s all about offering a unique experience, but one that isn’t too different.  Delivering all of the facilities and amenities expected in a modern hotel in a way that makes you stop and think, we’re confident that as one of the most popular castle hotels UK, this is exactly what happens every day of the year.

From our unique Ruthin Moat spa (which is actually in the castle’s original moat) through to the rooms that we have available, for many, it’s the latter which makes their stay such an enjoyable one and one that they’ll never forget.

Offering various different rooms, many of which have housed Royalty over the years, the rooms we have to offer generally fall into five different types, all with their unique aspects and suitability for a range of different guests.

1.  Prince Of Wales

Having many historical ties with the Prince of Wales (going right back to King Edward I, who built the original castle), our Prince of Wales salon covers the entire floor of one of our towers.

Home to a raised King size bed, beautiful chandelier, stunning pieces of antique furniture and enough modern touches (such as an extra large TV) to ensure you have the comforts you expect from a hotel, our Prince of Wales room is extravagant, stylish and particularly indulgent.

2.  Royal Salons

When you realise our Prince of Wales room above is technically a Royal Salon, you begin to realise just how special these rooms are.

All named after people with a distinct connection to the castle (our ‘Oscar’ salon, for example, is named after Oscar Wilde, a frequent visitor), each room is individually themed, has a vast array of facilities and windows that look out onto the beautiful surroundings of the castle.

3.  Sovereign Suites

Three individual rooms all designed around notable figures related to the castle, our Sovereign Suites are all furnished to a high standard, easily exceeding the four star requirements set by Visit Wales.

With views of the woodland and pastures, you’ve got everything you’d need to make your stay comfortable – WiFi, 24 hour room service, etc – but in a setting that’s only going to make you want to return to Ruthin Castle.

4.  Regal Rooms

Traditionally designed, the Regal Rooms we have on offer are spacious, comfortable and perfectly reflect the experience you’ll have as a whole whilst staying with us.

With beautiful views over the surrounding area, the modern bathrooms offer a complimentary contrast to the bedrooms, showing our aim to bridge old and new perfectly.

5.  Noble Rooms

Compact and housing everything you’d need whilst staying at Ruthin Castle, our Noble Rooms are great for those looking for a clean and comfortable space to rest their head at night.

As with all of our rooms, you can expect at least Visit Wales four star standard here, as well as everything from 24 hour room service through to WiFi and a sound dock system.

Whatever type of accommodation experience you’re looking for, at Ruthin Castle, we’re confident we can meet your expectations perfectly as a notable hotel North Wales.