The Palace Hotel & Spa Buxton hosts conferences, training days, private dinners and weddings in eight function suites that together take up to 500 delegates, the largest being the High Peak Ballroom for 300 theatre-style. The hotel stands in five acres of gardens in the center of Buxton, the spa town of Derbyshire on the edge of the Peak District National Park, and has 122 bedrooms.
Seminars and company events
The conference team sells day meetings, residential conferences and private functions, with on-site parking, Wi-Fi, catering and group rates on bedrooms. A plenary of 300 fits the ballroom, while the Derby Room next door works as a breakout room or for a small meeting. The Chatsworth and Cavendish Rooms adjoin and can be booked separately or together, which gives a second plenary of about 300 theatre-style on the front of the building. The Rutland, Haddon and Peveril Rooms cover boardroom meetings, workshops and training sessions from 36 to 120 people. Enquiries go to a dedicated conference team.
Weddings and receptions
The hotel has a wedding office and a dedicated planner who follows each couple from the first visit. Packages include a wedding coordinator, a toastmaster, a red carpet on arrival, arrival and toast drinks, a three-course wedding breakfast, linen, room hire and an evening buffet, with a bridal suite for the couple and special overnight rates for guests. The function rooms have stained glass windows and look over the gardens, which serve for photographs.
Rooms and capacities
Figures published by the hotel. The High Peak Ballroom seats 300 theatre-style and 240 for a dinner dance or banquet, with a built-in dance floor that can be covered and its own bar and lounge area. The Chatsworth Room takes 180 theatre-style and 90 for a dinner dance, with large windows on two sides. The Cavendish Room takes 120 theatre-style and 50 cabaret. The Haddon Room takes 120 theatre-style, 60 cabaret and 42 boardroom. The Peveril Room takes 100 theatre-style, 40 cabaret and 36 in a U-shape. The Rutland Room seats 42 boardroom, 40 cabaret and 36 in a U-shape, with high windows for daylight. The Derby Room, without windows, seats 70 for a private dinner. The Conservatory, used for afternoon tea, can be hired privately for 40 cabaret.
Accommodation
The 122 bedrooms are inside the historic building, each with an en-suite bathroom, television and tea and coffee facilities. Guests also have an indoor swimming pool, health and leisure facilities and a spa with treatments, which suits a two-day seminar with free time in the evening.
Catering
Food is prepared in-house. The Dovedale Restaurant serves breakfast every morning and dinner during the week, and the Lounge Bar and the Robert Rippon Duke Bar offer drinks, snacks and light meals. Wedding menus come with a choice of set options.
History and setting
The building has been part of Buxton since 1868 and is one of the larger Victorian hotels of the Peak District. The town around it keeps its spa heritage: the Opera House and the Pavilion Gardens are both a 6-minute walk away, and Buxton Museum and Art Gallery is 8 minutes on foot.
Getting there
Buxton railway station is a 3-minute walk from the hotel, so delegates can arrive by train without a transfer. The hotel has its own car park, which is chargeable. Cavendish Golf Club is a 4-minute drive away for an afternoon activity.
