If you are the person responsible for organising the work Christmas party, the festive season can arrive rather sooner than expected.
The best Christmas party venues in Cambridge, and the most sought-after December dates, tend to be snapped up early, so a little forward planning really pays off. Whether you are arranging an intimate team dinner, a private dining celebration or a larger company occasion, here are a few things worth knowing before you book.
First things first: when should you book?
Our first tip is a simple one: don't wait for Christmas to start thinking about Christmas.
September and October are excellent months to secure your booking, particularly if you have your heart set on a Thursday or Friday evening in December.
Before you begin contacting venues, agree three things: your approximate number of guests, a couple of possible dates and a rough budget per person. It sounds obvious, but having those details to hand makes comparing your options considerably easier.
And if your preferred date isn't available? Try a Wednesday, or even a festive lunch. Both can be every bit as celebratory and are often a rather lovely alternative to the traditional Friday night office party.
Choosing a Christmas party venue in Cambridge
The best celebrations feel effortless on the night. The secret, of course, is choosing somewhere that makes the organisation feel effortless beforehand. When considering venues in Cambridge, think beyond the room itself.
Is it easy for everyone to reach? Can the venue accommodate your group comfortably? Is there a private space if you want speeches or awards? What happens after dinner? And, particularly for companies with colleagues travelling from further afield, is there somewhere to stay?
That may sound like a lot to consider, but set on the edge of Parker's Piece in the heart of Cambridge, University Arms and Parkers Tavern bring many of those details together under one roof.
One small tip: When comparing venues, ask what is included rather than simply looking at the headline price. The details can make quite a difference.
For smaller teams, make dinner the occasion
Not every work celebration needs a dance floor, DJ and hundreds of guests. For a smaller team, one of the nicest ways to mark the end of the year is simply to gather around a table for an excellent dinner, open a bottle or two and allow the evening to unfold.
Parkers Tavern is particularly suited to this style of occasion combining the atmosphere of a grand Cambridge dining room with exactly the sort of warmth and conviviality you want at Christmas.
For smaller groups searching for somewhere special to dine in Cambridge, our advice is to think about atmosphere as much as the menu. You want somewhere that feels memorable enough to mark the end of the year without making the evening overly formal.
And don't underestimate the value of a long table. There is something wonderfully festive about getting the whole team around one.
Consider private dining
If you'd like the intimacy of dinner with a little more privacy, a private dining room can offer the best of both worlds.
Having a room to yourselves makes speeches, end-of-year awards and exchanging gifts much easier. It is also an excellent choice for client entertaining or a senior leadership dinner, where being able to talk comfortably matters.
At University Arms, private rooms allow you to shape the occasion around the size and style of your gathering, from intimate dinners to much larger company celebrations.
For bigger events, The Watson can host up to 70 guests, The Crick up to 90, and the Ballroom up to 180.
Our insider tip? Don't automatically choose the largest room your budget allows. A celebration always feels better when the space suits the number of guests. A beautifully dressed room with just the right amount of buzz will invariably feel more inviting than one that is simply large.
What should you look for in a Christmas party package?
Packages can be wonderfully useful because they take much of the arithmetic, and organisation, out of the evening. But they can vary considerably, so it is worth looking beyond the headline price.
Check exactly what is included: arrival drinks, the festive menu, wine, tea and coffee, decorations, crackers, room hire and entertainment can all affect the final cost.
At University Arms, festive packages are designed to make planning rather more straightforward, bringing together the setting, seasonal food and those all-important finishing touches.
If you're comparing corporate Christmas party packages in Cambridge, decide what really matters to your team before choosing. For some, it is a fabulous dinner. For others, it is music and dancing. And for some groups, being able to finish the evening by simply taking the lift upstairs to bed may be the greatest luxury of all.
The menu matters
There are many ingredients to a memorable party, but we would argue that dinner is fairly high on the list.
A good festive menu should feel reassuringly seasonal without being predictable. Generous cooking, beautiful ingredients and a few unexpected touches can turn dinner into one of the most memorable parts of the evening.
At Parkers Tavern, the festive menu takes its cues from the season and the best of British cooking.
Our tip - When organising a group dinner is to ask about dietary requirements early. Gathering them when you send your invitation saves a flurry of messages in December and means everyone can simply sit down and enjoy themselves when the evening arrives.
Don't forget the drinks
The best evenings rarely begin the moment everyone sits down for dinner. Build a little breathing room into your plans. An arrival drink gives colleagues time to gather, catch up and make the transition from working day to festive evening before heading to the table.
It also means the inevitable person stuck finishing an email or battling Cambridge traffic doesn't make everyone else feel as though things are running late.
Cocktails before dinner can set the tone rather nicely, while choosing the wines in advance leaves one less decision to make once the evening is underway.
And the non-alcoholic choices should feel every bit as considered. The Honey and Basil mocktail at Parkers Tavern is particularly lovely: floral Seedlip Garden softened with honey, lifted by fresh lime and fragrant basil. Light, herbaceous and beautifully balanced, it feels every bit as sophisticated as a well-made cocktail.
Make a night of it
One advantage of choosing a hotel for your Christmas party is that nobody has to watch the clock.
For colleagues travelling into Cambridge, or anyone who simply wants to enjoy the evening without contemplating the journey home, staying overnight at University Arms turns a work celebration into something of an occasion.
It is particularly worth considering when your team is spread around the country. Instead of asking everyone to travel home late on a December night, the gathering becomes a chance to spend a little more time together.
Our suggestion? If several colleagues are likely to stay, discuss bedrooms when you make your initial enquiry rather than leaving accommodation until later.
Think beyond the traditional office Christmas party
There is no rule saying an end-of-year celebration has to involve dinner and dancing.
A festive afternoon tea can make a charming daytime occasion. A private Christmas lunch works beautifully for teams who would prefer not to lose an evening. A long dinner at Parkers Tavern suits smaller groups, while a private room gives larger teams the freedom to create an evening entirely their own.
Essentially, the best celebration is the one that feels right for the people attending it. So before booking, think about your team rather than what an office Christmas party is supposed to look like.
Would they prefer cocktails and dinner? A private dining room? A grand celebration? An afternoon gathering? Or dinner followed by a night at the hotel?
Once you know the answer, choosing where, and how, to celebrate becomes considerably easier.
A final piece of Christmas party advice
If there is one thing we'd recommend, it is to make the big decisions early and leave a little room for spontaneity later.
Secure your date. Confirm your guest numbers. Choose your menu and drinks. Gather dietary requirements. Arrange accommodation for anyone who needs it. Then, when December finally arrives, there should be very little left to organise.
Whether you're planning a small team dinner at Parkers Tavern, looking for private dining in Cambridge or searching for a Christmas party venue for the whole company, University Arms offers a collection of spaces in the heart of the city in which to celebrate.
There is a particular kind of magic to Cambridge at Christmas: Parker's Piece on a crisp winter evening, the city glowing after dark, and the welcome of somewhere warm and convivial waiting at the end of it all.
After all, you may be organising the Christmas party, but you should be able to enjoy it too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cambridge a good location for a corporate Christmas party?
Cambridge is an excellent choice for an end-of-year celebration, particularly for teams travelling from different parts of the country. Its historic city centre creates a suitably special backdrop for Christmas, while good transport connections make it convenient for both local guests and those coming from further afield.
Choosing a centrally located venue such as University Arms also means you can bring dinner, drinks, private event spaces and overnight accommodation together in one place, making the occasion considerably easier for guests to enjoy.
Can you host a Christmas party with accommodation in Cambridge?
Yes. Holding your Christmas party at a hotel can be particularly useful when colleagues or clients are travelling to Cambridge. Guests can enjoy the evening without arranging a late journey home, while an overnight stay can turn a company Christmas party into a more memorable end-of-year occasion.
At University Arms, guests can celebrate in the hotel's event spaces or dine at Parkers Tavern before retiring upstairs for the night.
Can University Arms create a bespoke corporate Christmas celebration?
Christmas celebrations needn't follow a set formula. Depending on the size and style of your gathering, University Arms can accommodate everything from elegant private dinners and festive lunches to larger company parties and overnight celebrations.
If you have something particular in mind, the events team can help you explore the spaces, dining and accommodation options available and shape an occasion around your requirements.