COMMENT: Tips for Hosting a Murder Mystery Weekend

Anyone looking for a special weekend getaway will likely have come across murder mystery weekends. Inspired by the works of the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, the growing popularity of these means, if carried out successfully, you could be creating some great marketing and brand awareness for your hotel. It’s vital therefore, that you plan it thoroughly and we hope this handy guide will provide you with a few useful tips. Play the part Keep reminding yourself that this event is going to last an entire weekend; you must ensure that you and all your staff stay in character the whole time. If you want your guests to rave about their weekend at your hotel, you must make sure that everything you do is believable. And the first step to achieving this is by playing the part and maintaining it over the course of the weekend. Send invites What better way to build excitement and formally greet everyone to your upcoming event than by sending them an invite? You must make sure that you send these out within plenty of time of the event. For instance, sending invites out six weeks before your murder mystery takes place will tease your guests, causing excitement to start brewing, but it will also give them the chance to familiarise themselves with the character you’ve given them. And on that note... Provide character information When sending your invites, use this opportunity to give each of your guests information on the character they will play during the weekend. Make sure you put a lot of thought into this part. Providing your guests with a character name, background, dress sense and personality will allow you to essentially become the puppet master of the event; you will be influencing your guests to act and behave in a certain way, meaning the events that unfold will be more believable and under your control. But you must remember, no one is supposed to know the identity of the culprit just yet. Stress how important secrecy is to the success of the event and ask each guest to keep their identity secret for the time being. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse The last thing you want is for anything to go wrong. Don’t be tempted to take an “it’ll be alright on the night” approach. If you and your staff carry out a full rehearsal prior to the main event, you are more likely to reduce the chances of mistakes being made. But, if anything does go a little off-plan, at least you will be more prepared for it and getting things back on track will be a little easier. Serve some classic culinary dishes Every little detail is vital to the success of your murder mystery weekend. So everything, down to the food you serve, must be carefully thought through. We would recommend you research the period between 1900s and 1930s to see what foods would have been eaten back then. Be sure to serve something that all your guests are bound to love but why not also provide them with a talking point by serving a few eyebrow-raising delicacies? At least this way, you’ll be pleasing the more adventurous people out there and simultaneously, providing an ice-breaker. Provide socialising opportunities In order to be comfortable enough to play their roles to the best of their ability, your guests need to get to know one another. Nearer the beginning of the weekend, allocate some time for your guests to mingle. You will be providing them with a great ice-breaker opportunity, but you’ll also feel the atmosphere start to change whilst they begin to talk about the upcoming days, getting excited and causing a bit of a buzz. Make sure that you allow further chances for this socialising throughout the weekend. As friendships start to develop, people become more comfortable with one another and you may see some friendly banter taking place, with accusations being thrown around left, right and centre as to who the culprit could be. Reward the winner At the end of the day, this is a game and all games must have a winner. So make sure you reward whichever super sleuth identifies the culprit with a fantastic prize. Why not offer a free night’s B&B at your hotel? If people know there is a good prize on offer, they’re more likely to tell all their friends about it, generating a little more brand awareness for your hotel. Classic country house hotel furniture Remember, the finishing touches are sometimes the most important. So why not complete the classic look with country house hotel furniture? Taylor’s Classics, based in Stafford, are designers, makers and restorers of a wide range of furniture for businesses in the hospitality industry. Their country house collection contains a variety of chairs, tables and more that will perfectly compliment your murder mystery weekend. So be sure to visit their website today and get a little interior design inspiration.