The Castle Hotel hosts board meetings, training days, private dinners, drinks receptions and weddings for groups of up to 100 people, with 44 bedrooms upstairs for guests who stay the night. The hotel stands on Castle Green in the center of Taunton, Somerset, and has been run by three generations of the Chapman family. It presents itself as an independent house, not part of a chain.
Seminars and company events
The meetings offer rests on five function rooms of different sizes, so a team can hold a plenary, a breakout and a private dinner under one roof. The Music Room is the largest, with up to 100 people theatre-style, a large drop-down screen, a projector and a Sonos sound system. For smaller groups, the Penthouse takes a board meeting of up to 16 and the Wisteria Room a boardroom layout of up to 24 or a theatre layout of 60. Parking is available for event guests, and the M5 is about two miles away, which makes the hotel practical for regional teams arriving by car.
Weddings and receptions
Four rooms hold a ceremony license, so a couple can marry and celebrate in the same building. The Music Room seats up to 80 guests for a reception. The Garden Room, on the ground floor, seats 50 for a banquet and opens into the Wisteria Room to form an L-shaped space for up to 80. The Wisteria Room alone takes 30 for dinner or 40 for a ceremony, with views of the wisteria in summer. The Penthouse suits a small reception of up to 20, with its own roof terrace and views over the town.
Rooms and capacities
Penthouse: board meeting 16, private dinner 12, drinks and canapés 30, with a private bar and a rooftop terrace facing the Blackdown and Quantock Hills. Music Room: theatre 100, high ceilings and paneled walls. Garden Room: 50 on its own, 80 when joined with the Wisteria Room. Wisteria Room: dining 30, boardroom 24, theatre 60. Castle Bow: private dining for 18 at one table or 24 at several tables, in an Art Deco room.
Accommodation
The hotel has 44 bedrooms, enough to house a board, a project team or the core of a wedding party on site. Overnight guests can park at the hotel for a charge, paid at reception.
Catering
Food comes from the hotel kitchen, led by chef Jacques Ballinger, which covers wedding breakfasts, canapé receptions and private dinner menus. Brazz, the hotel's bar and restaurant, has private booths for 6 to 10 people, useful for an informal team dinner after a working day. Castle Bow serves private dinners in its Art Deco setting.
History and setting
The hotel occupies a historic building on Castle Green, in the heart of the county town of Somerset. Its reputation was built over three generations by the Chapman family, who still own it. From the Penthouse terrace the view reaches the Blackdown and Quantock Hills.
Getting there
The address is Castle Green, Taunton, TA1 1NF. Drivers reach it about two miles from the M5, and the hotel offers parking for events. Taunton railway station is a short ride from the town center.
