Christmas Party Venues in Essendon

What to Know Before Booking Christmas Party Venues

Upstairs at the Cross Keys Hotel, 350 Pascoe Vale Road, two private rooms with their own bars give an Essendon workplace a self-contained end-of-year party. The pub sits across the road from Strathmore station, with parking behind the hotel off Woodland Street.

Ways to set up the work party:

The Keys Room: up to 150 on their feet, with a stage and projector for speeches and thank-yous.
The Cross Room: a crowd of up to 120, plus a dance floor, its own DJ booth and a balcony facing the skyline.
The Terrace: a semi-private bistro corner with a fireplace for a seated team lunch of 30 to 60, with no minimum spend.
Pricing: from $2,000 minimum spend on a Friday in the Cross Room, covering food and drinks.
Bar control: a bar tab with a limit you set, with guests buying anything beyond it.

The minimum spend applies to Friday to Sunday bookings, which is worth weighing up when picking a December date.

Night events run from 7pm to 1am.
The sound system takes a phone or laptop for the playlist, and a microphone is on hand.
The Keys Room can be set for seated conferences of 40 to 80 – handy for a business wrap-up before the drinks.
Air conditioning and wifi are among the facilities.

Platters for the office

Platters are priced one by one, from party pies and arancini to gyoza and sushi.
Sliders round out the hot options.
A grazing table feeds 50 guests.
BYO isn't allowed, though a cake can be brought in.

Venues for Christmas Parties: Your Questions Answered

How many staff fit at the Cross Keys?

Up to 150 standing in the Keys Room or 120 in the Cross Room; the Terrace seats 30 to 60.

Is there parking for the team?

Yes, behind the hotel off Woodland Street.

Can we hold a short presentation first?

The Keys Room has a projector, a built-in stage and seating for conferences of 40 to 80.

Does the Cross Keys minimum spend cover drinks?

Yes – Friday to Sunday minimum spends cover food and drinks, starting from $2,000 minimum spend in the Cross Room on Fridays.