Business venues in Ashford

Business venues in Ashford: the short answer

• Largest venue: Ashford International Hotel, with 18 meeting rooms and the Kent Suite seating 400 theatre style.
• Country house option: Eastwell Manor at Boughton Lees, with rooms for 10 to 100 and day delegate rates from £55 per person.
• Good-value room hire: Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, from £140 plus VAT for a full day.
• Next to the station: Curious Brewery, two minutes' walk from Ashford International.
• Getting there: about 38 minutes from London St Pancras by high-speed train; M20 junctions 9, 10 and 10a.

Why Ashford works for business events

Ashford is where Kent's rail and road links meet. High-speed services from London St Pancras arrive in about 38 minutes, and the town sits on five railway lines, so delegates from across Kent and London can reach it without a car.

On the road, the M20 runs along the edge of town with three junctions, and the A28 and A2070 link Ashford to Canterbury and the south coast.

That makes Ashford a strong choice for regional meetings, training days and sales conferences where you need people to arrive on time from different directions. It also has a good spread of venue types: a large conference hotel, a country house, business centres and dozens of village halls in the surrounding countryside.

Getting to Ashford

How	Details
By train	Ashford International: high-speed trains to London St Pancras in about 38 minutes, plus lines to Canterbury, Maidstone, Hastings, Folkestone and Dover. International Eurostar services have not called here since 2020
By road	M20 junctions 9, 10 and 10a. The A28 runs to Canterbury and Tenterden
Parking	Ashford International Hotel, Eastwell Manor, Kent Invicta Chamber and Ashford Business Hub all have free parking

Choosing a venue in Ashford

Conferences and large meetings

Ashford International Hotel is the town's main conference venue. It has 18 meeting rooms for 2 to 400 delegates, including two boardrooms, with the Kent Suite seating 400 theatre style. There are 179 bedrooms, a spa, a gym and a pool, free parking and free Wi-Fi, and it sits two minutes off the M20.

Country house meetings and away days

Eastwell Manor is a Champneys country house hotel and spa at Boughton Lees, about 2 miles from M20 junction 9. Its meeting rooms hold 10 to 100, with a summer marquee for up to 300. Day delegate packages start at £55 per person midweek including VAT, and include AV, Wi-Fi, lunch and parking. Falconry, pitch and putt and off-road driving are available for team activities.

Business centres and good-value meeting rooms

• Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, just south of M20 junction 10, has meeting rooms for 12 and 18 and a conference room for 120 theatre style. Full-day hire starts at £140 plus VAT, and Chamber members save 20%.
• Ashford Business Hub on Stanhope Road is run for Kent County Council. Every booking includes a projector, laptop and flipchart, and parking is free.

Something different

Curious Brewery is a working brewery, bar and restaurant two minutes' walk from Ashford International. It has a mezzanine meeting space for up to 16, a private tap room and whole-venue hire, with brewery tours and tastings as an add-on. It suits team socials, client events and meetings for people arriving by train.

Clubs and village halls

For social events and lower-cost meetings, Ashford Golf Club has a clubhouse for up to 100, Ashford Masonic Hall in the town centre has a training and dining room for 45, and village halls such as Aldington Village Hall (up to 150) and Appledore Village Hall (up to 100) offer space in the surrounding countryside.

Planning tips for Ashford events

• Use the train as a selling point. At about 38 minutes from St Pancras, Ashford is within easy reach for delegates coming from central London.
• Give clear motorway directions. Ask the venue which M20 junction is best, as it can differ by direction of travel, and put it in your joining instructions.
• Mix venues for longer events. Hold the business sessions at a conference hotel and the evening event at the brewery, both a short taxi ride apart.
• Check what's included. Some business centres include AV in the room price; hotels usually include it in a day delegate package.

Looking for a specific type of event? See meeting rooms in Ashford, conference venues in Ashford, training rooms in Ashford, networking venues in Ashford and Christmas party venues in Ashford.