One hotel, many rooms

When teams compare Christmas party venues, they usually compare hotels. At a large property with several wings, it is just as useful to compare the spaces inside one hotel, because a ballroom, a garden lawn and a smaller function room each suit a very different party.

Begin with the shape of the party

A gathering for the whole company and a dinner for one department need different rooms and different programmes. Decide which one you are planning before you look at floor plans. That single choice shapes the stage, the activities and how guests move through the evening.

The ballroom

A ballroom suits a full programme with a stage, entertainment, a lucky draw and a dance floor. The catch is atmosphere: a big room needs warm lighting and proper styling or it can look cavernous, especially if attendance comes in lower than hoped.

A garden space

Hotels set in tropical grounds, such as Shangri-La Singapore off Orange Grove Road, offer garden areas that give Christmas a distinctly local twist. They work beautifully for a welcome drink at dusk. Outdoor spaces bring rain risk and often tighter sound limits, so pair a garden with an indoor room for the main programme and keep an eye on the forecast from the Meteorological Service Singapore.

A smaller room

For a department or leadership dinner, a smaller room is more personal and easier to fill with atmosphere. Check ceiling height, screen positions and space for a modest stage before booking any act.

Questions to put to the hotel

• Which spaces are open on your preferred dates?
• What festive styling will already be in the public areas?
• What are the sound limits and finishing times for each space?
• When can setup and a rehearsal take place?

Hotel arrangements change from season to season, so check current details with the venue.

If you are weighing up these options at one particular property, it helps to read about comparing ballroom, garden and smaller rooms at Shangri-La before your site visit.