Stamford Bridge

Chelsea FC's home ground, in Fulham, with over a century of football behind it and the Thames just beyond. Most people turn up for the match. You don't have to. The tour tends to be the part people remember. You walk out pitchside, through the dressing rooms, and into the Museum where the old trophies are kept. The guides know the history properly and aren't shy about telling it, which is half the reason the reviews stay as warm as they do. Hospitality bends to the occasion. The Harris Suite and Tamblings Suite handle sit-down dining. There's the Champions Club, and private boxes over the pitch. Under The Bridge takes the smaller groups and the live music. None of it is only about football. Corporate functions, private celebrations, gigs; the calendar runs year-round whether there's a fixture on or not. And the events tend to run to plan, which counts for more than it sounds when several hundred people want feeding at once. On a matchday it gets loud and close in a way the bigger grounds rarely manage. The rest comes down to the room you book and why you came. Pick accordingly.