HOTELS and conference venues across Worcestershire are being redeveloped at a cost of more than £6 míllion to make some of the West Midlands' finest facilities even more impressive.

The Elms Hotel at Abberley is the latest Conference-Worcestershire venue to transform what it has to offer with a £3.5m refurbishment, including a spa, a brand new function room and a second restaurant, the Pear Terrace.

The remainder of the stunning Queen Anne mansion has also been upgraded, but features such as carved fireplaces, elegant gardens and the award-winning Brooke restaurant remain.

The continuing £2.5m refurbishment of The Bromsgrove Hotel will see 109 bedrooms equipped with state-of-the-art business extras and a complete redesign of the main meeting room. A £600,000 renovation project at the Dormy House Hotel, Broadway, last year saw 12 bedrooms converted into deluxe suites and helped it secure the Small Hotel of the Year award.

Emma Robinson, Conference-Worcestershire's conference desk co-ordinator, said: "Worcestershire already has many of the finest conference venues in the Midlands and this investment will ensure we remain at the forefront of the industry for years.'' West Midlands Safari Park is also planning a major redevelopment of its business facilities, with a total redesign of Spring Grove House's conference rooms - following a fire over the Christmas period - an entirely new corporate hospitality building, and a new marquee facility to hold several thousand also on the cards.

Ms Robinson said: Last year saw first-class new facilities at Worcester racecourse, while this summer, plans have been submitted for investment at both Worces-tershire County Cricket Club and Worcester Rugby Club.

"The county is ideally positioned as a conference destination in the heart of England, near Birmingham Airport and at the centre of several motorway networks. With venues investing millions to strengthen the county's appeal and improve its high-quality facilities, it is a massively exciting time."

Conference-Worcestershire a county council service, promotes the area as a leading destination for business tourism, meetings and events.