How much does hiring an exclusive event venue cost compared with a hotel?

Do you wonder why a quote from an exclusive event venue is so much higher than one from a hotel?

And are you really sure you’re comparing like with like, or are you comparing apples and oranges and wondering why one costs more?

After reading this article, you’ll know what’s included in the price for each cost item and what a hotel charges separately. That gives you the honest picture you need to make a sound decision internally, including the cases where a hotel is simply the better choice for a business event.

We cover:

• What’s included as standard in the cost of an exclusive event venue
• What a hotel often charges separately without you realising
• Which factors push the price up or down
• When an exclusive venue is worth it, and when it isn’t
• How to make a fair comparison

At InnStyle, we have this conversation every day. We’ve been organising events for brands such as Rabobank, bol. and Nike for 30 years, and in almost every sales conversation, there comes a point when an event organiser puts our quote next to one from a hotel and asks: why is there such a big difference? I’m Tanja, and I personally have this conversation every week. In this article, we give you the same answer we give in those conversations, including the times when we say ourselves: a hotel is the better choice for you.

A straightforward meeting or a vibrant experience: what do you want people to say when they get home that evening?

The first question we always ask isn’t how many people are coming or on what date. We ask: how do you want people to feel as they drive home? That determines how we can best shape your event.

If the answer is that guests should be well informed or that the meeting should run efficiently, then a hotel or conference venue is often the right choice. They’re designed specifically for meetings: functional, easy to get to, with everything needed for a professional meeting setting. In that case, we recommend choosing one of those.

But as soon as you want people to be moved by the message, connect with the brand or get moving, both literally and figuratively, the venue itself becomes part of what you’re creating. And that calls for something different.

Why an exclusive event venue costs more

When we ask what event managers look at first when comparing quotes, the answer is almost always the same: the bottom line. Understandable, but it doesn’t tell you much if you don’t know exactly what’s included in that price.

Take the moment your guests arrive. At InnStyle, they step out into a car park where the only people they meet are colleagues. They walk into an entrance area that’s yours for the day: styled with your branding, with your message taking centre stage. They don’t bump into employees from another company at the toilets. Lunch isn’t the same buffet that three other groups are also eating from that day. All of this is possible because we open specifically for you that day.

We call it exclusivity, but we don’t mean luxury or an unattainable price point. We simply mean that your event is the only event that matters that day. You create your own day, in a setting entirely focused on you. That comes at a price, and it is precisely what makes the difference in how guests experience the day and what they tell their colleagues the next morning.

You also have an event coordinator available throughout the day whose sole focus is making sure your day runs smoothly. Someone who understands your wishes, knows your programme and makes adjustments for you where needed: from the first coffee until the last guest leaves. At many hotels, you have a contact for bookings, but on the day itself you deal with different members of staff who are also looking after four other rooms on the same floor.

We previously wrote about service levels at event venues and what to look out for as an organiser.

What is included as standard in the cost of an event venue like InnStyle?

This is where comparisons usually become misleading. At InnStyle, we work with inclusive pricing, which means that much of what appears as a separate item on the invoice at other venues is already included in our proposal.

Item 1: technical equipment and audiovisual facilities

A projector and a flip chart are the starting point at most conference venues or hotels. At InnStyle, that starting point is a fully managed audiovisual setup tailored to the needs of your event. It is already included in the price, with no separate quote for technical equipment afterwards. If you expand the technical setup, you will be informed of the additional costs in advance.

Item 2: food and drinks packages

We work with external catering suppliers who create a bespoke menu for your event. That means we pay close attention to the details: not simply “a pasta salad for lunch”, but which pasta, with which filling, to suit the atmosphere of the day.

''That level of attention is possible because we are not cooking for four other groups at the same time.''

We prefer to agree drinks packages in advance. That way, you know where you stand and won’t face a bill based on actual consumption afterwards that throws your budget off course.

Item 3: parking and welcome

A thousand free parking spaces right outside: that may seem like a small detail, but work out what a car park charging fifty euros per person per day means for a hundred attendees. Those costs never appear in the hotel’s quote, but they always show up in your team’s expense claims.

From the car park onwards, the welcome is immediately personal and recognisably reflects your branding. No coffee machine in a shared kitchenette, but fresh cappuccinos made for you by someone who knows which company is visiting. That requires more staff, and those staff are part of what you pay for.

Item 4: coordination and bespoke arrangements

Every proposal we put together is bespoke, not a standard package. The set-up, layout, timings and programme are discussed and agreed together. Need staff to change rooms and layouts during the day? Those costs are clearly set out in the quote, so you know exactly where you stand in advance.

What do hotels often charge separately without you realising?

For larger groups or more extensive programmes, hotels often charge catering staff costs separately. These do not appear in the quote, but they do appear on the final invoice. At InnStyle, the food price includes the external partner, with no separate staffing bill afterwards.

Want a technical set-up at a hotel that goes beyond the basics? You will receive a separate technical quote. Want a dedicated contact who is available exclusively for your event throughout the day? In many cases, that is possible, but at an additional charge.

Then there is parking. A hotel near a station rightly promotes itself as easy to reach by public transport, but for participants arriving by car, the car park around the corner is a cost that appears nowhere in the quote and always turns up in expense claims.

When is InnStyle the right choice, and when is it not?

This deserves an honest answer too.

An exclusive event venue like InnStyle is the right choice if you want the venue to contribute to the experience and message of your event, if you have a group you want to surprise or inspire to take action, and if you want a team of event experts who work with you from the initial enquiry to the final invoice.

InnStyle is probably not the right choice for a small, purely functional meeting for ten people lasting two hours, if your budget is limited and your objective is purely operational, or if a central city location is the deciding factor because it makes travel easier for your participants.

We say this deliberately, because an event that does not suit the venue benefits neither party.

''Better an honest conversation beforehand than disappointment afterwards.''

What makes costs higher at an exclusive event venue?

The price of an event at InnStyle is determined by a combination of factors that can vary considerably.

Factor 1: group size and season

We use dynamic pricing. An event in June for two hundred people using all the spaces has a different price from an event for fifty people on a quiet Wednesday in February. Do you have some flexibility with your date? Then it is always worth looking together at dates with greater availability, as that can make a real difference to what you pay.

Factor 2: internal or external event

An internal event that brings colleagues together calls for a different approach from a client or business partner event. For an internal event during a period of change, you want to strike the right balance: look after people well, without giving the impression that money is being spent in the wrong places. For an external event, you can go a little further, because your choice of venue is itself part of the impression you make on your guests. Both are possible at InnStyle, with a pricing structure we are happy to walk you through.

How do you fairly compare the costs of an event venue with those of a hotel?

Compare the quotes item by item, rather than simply looking at the total.

Look at what you get for each item and what is not included. What exactly is included in the technical provision, and what does additional support cost? Is staffing included in the catering price, or charged separately? What are the actual parking costs for your attendees? Is there someone available exclusively for your event throughout the day?

If you structure your comparison this way, you will almost always find that the total cost of an exclusive venue is closer to the hotel quote than it first appeared. This is not because the price of an event venue such as InnStyle comes down, but because the hotel costs turn out to be higher than the quote suggested.

What does an event at InnStyle cost? A realistic price range

It is difficult to give a specific price because the variables can differ considerably, but to give you an idea: for a typical business event for one hundred to two hundred people in peak season, prices at InnStyle are between one hundred and two hundred euros per person, depending on the programme, your menu preferences and the length of the day. Outside peak periods and with a more compact format, the cost can be lower.

The factors that have the greatest impact on the price are the number of attendees, the date, the duration, your catering requirements and the use of additional services or activities.

An event people are still talking about the next morning

You now know what is included in the cost of an exclusive event venue, what a hotel often charges separately for, and when each option suits your situation. This gives you a much stronger case to present internally than “the other venue is cheaper.”

Because the events people remember are rarely the ones where everything looked right on paper. They are the moments when your colleagues’ shoulders relaxed as they arrived in a peaceful setting, the cappuccino on the terrace, the conversation by the water that was never actually on the programme. Those moments do not happen by themselves. They happen when the surroundings help the message sink in.

Want to know whether your event is a good fit for what InnStyle has to offer? Then also read how to avoid common mistakes when requesting a quote, because a good quote comparison starts before you even call the first venue.

At InnStyle, we help you bring that day to life, from your initial enquiry to the moment when you, as the organiser, can enjoy what you have created. Request a proposal through our website, or come and visit the venue.