Why leave? Groups find
plenty of ways to spend downtime at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass
Resort & Spa in Chandler, Ariz.
When the thought of coordinating a fleet of
shuttle buses is too much to bear, consider just staying put.
Indeed, at the right resorts, groups can tap into all kinds of
unusual offerings to augment their itineraries without ever leaving
the grounds, saving logistical headaches and high off-site
prices.
Want to treat a group to sailing lessons with America’s Cup
champions? How about a guided art tour or nature expedition as a
break in the meeting schedule? These are among the many options
found at top North American properties.
Some extras, such as a guided tour, often won’t cost a group a
cent. Other activities, especially the more unusual offerings, can
be expensive, even on site. A two-hour evening cruise with liquor
for 100 people can run $2,300 at the Bitter End Yacht Club in the
British Virgin Islands, for example. But, if the group is booking
enough room nights at the resort, even the most extravagant extras
like the cocktail cruise might be thrown in for free. Says John
Glynn, director of special events at the Bitter End, “If you’re
staying in the hotel with 100 people, chances are we’re going to
give it to you.”
Following are more ways to keep a group happy on site.
Culinary curricula
The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, offering
127 guest rooms and more than 6,000 square feet of meeting space,
is the longtime working home of chef Dean Fearing, considered the
dean of American Southwestern cuisine by the James Beard
Foundation. Fearing, known for inventive gustatory creations that
fuse a variety of Asian and American flavors, also is the focus of
the hotel’s popular culinary programs, which can be customized for
use with groups. Guests can shadow the chef for a day in and around
the bustling kitchen or enjoy a shorter session with him; either
way, they will leave the venue happily satiated and likely toting
an autographed cookbook or monogrammed chef’s coat. (214) 559-2100;
www.mansiononturtlecreek.com
Get cooking: The Mansion on
Forsyth Park
The 126-room Mansion on Forsyth Park in
Savannah, Ga., offers the 700 Kitchen Cooking School, featuring
themed classes for groups twice daily. The modern kitchen
facilities are equipped with LCD monitors and video cameras to aid
demonstrations. Throughout the year, the school rotates additional
special programs, such as “Grains with Gusto!” for July and August,
and “Autumn Harvest Supper” in September and October. The Mansion
has nearly 7,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. (912)
238-5158; www.mansiononforsythpark.com
Many resorts are capitalizing on the craze for Iron Chef-style
cooking competitions, including the 269-room Millennium
Harvest House Boulder (Colo.), which also offers culinary
activities for groups in a party setting. Chef Jason Morse will
supervise and judge the cooking competitions, often held at the
resort’s outdoor fire pit. Activities can coincide with the
property’s summer Friday afternoon parties, complete with live
music, volleyball and a rock-climbing wall. (303) 443-3805; www.millenniumhotels.com
The massive 4,027-room Venetian in Las Vegas
arranges in-house dine-arounds that invite groups to sample the
resort’s award-winning restaurants, 17 in all, which range from
Asian fusion and California-inspired seafood eateries to classic
American, authentic Northern Italian and three different takes on
French cuisine. (702) 414-1000; www.venetian.com
Looking for an excuse to add a wine tasting to the schedule? At
the 240-room American Club in Kohler, Wis., the
in-house chefs conduct a wine demonstration, then the group breaks
into teams to develop bottle labels and marketing schemes for
certain vintages. Each team presents its creations, and judges
awards points for best label, presentation and teamwork. (800)
344-2838, ext. 700; www.destinationkohler.com
The 71-suite Las Ventanas al Paraiso, a Rosewood
Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, offers tequila lessons.
So-called “trained tequileros” teach groups about the history,
classification and distillation of tequila, as well as practical
advice on how to drink it. Guests can earn Tequila Aficionado
certificates, but only if they’re able to pass a quiz conducted
after tasting three different kinds of the liquor. (011)
52-624-144-2800; www.lasventanas.com
Culture clubs
Known for its sumptuous 31,000-square-foot spa facility,
the 312-room Ojai Valley Inn & Spa has
developed a series of classes dubbed “Short Courses in Living
Better.” Local Ojai, Calif., artisans lead group workshops on
drawing, painting to music and making sarongs using the batik
dyeing technique. Other courses, which generally last 90 minutes,
include horsemanship (the resort is on an 800-acre ranch),
aromatherapy and golf etiquette. (800) 422-6524; www.ojairesort.com
At Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort in Utah,
artists-in-residence have developed programs that combine art with
nature for groups. Winter photography classes, for example, have
instructors leading students onto the property’s 6,000 acres on a
snowshoeing expedition with lessons in taking snapshots of nature.
Other courses include jewelry making, watercolor painting and
drawing. Planners also can arrange for an exclusive performance by
musicians from Nashville’s famed Bluebird Café. Of course, groups
can watch Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the
President’s Men or any other of Redford’s films (or other favorite
flicks, for that matter) in a plush 150-seat screening room. The
resort has 95 guest cottages. (801) 225-4107; www.sundanceresort.com
Ginger Sunbird Martin was born and raised on the 2,400 acres of
pristine Native American reservation land that’s now home to the
Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa in
Chandler, Ariz. She currently serves as the 500-room resort’s
cultural liaison to guests and will work with groups to incorporate
Pima and Maricopa tribe culture into their meetings. During breaks,
groups can partake of pottery, basket weaving or other artistic
workshops. In addition, tribe elders are available to speak at
meetings. Meeting planners also can arrange interesting
team-building events that benefit the community, such as building
bicycles for the children who live on the reservation. (602)
225-0100; www.wildhorsepassresort.com
The Royal Palms Resort & Spa in Phoenix
offers an array of art workshops that are perfect for budding
Rembrandts and Van Goghs. Beth Zink, a Scottsdale, Ariz., painter
and teacher, starts by sketching a resort-specific view or
landmark, which allows each participant to focus solely on coloring
and shading the image. Among other classes: a “spray, splatter and
sponge” paint workshop and an introduction to the art of
papermaking. Corporate groups can arrange for customized classes;
recent offerings at the resort have included astrology sessions and
tango lessons. The resort features 117 guest rooms and casitas,
plus 20,000 square feet of meeting and function space. (602)
840-3610; www.royalpalmshotel.com
The Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort
in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., can take groups on tours of its
contemporary art collection, comprised of some 1,000 pieces by the
likes of Alexander Calder, Ellsworth Kelly, Roy Lichtenstein and
Robert Mangold. The property offers 390 guest rooms and more than
20,000 square feet of meeting space. (305) 692-5600; www.sonesta.com
The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City can
arrange a “Cirque du Beserk” show on multiple stages under colorful
tents in the hotel’s ballroom. Inspired by the popular Cirque du
Soleil spectaculars, the evening includes traditional circus acts,
roving jugglers, stilt walkers, magicians and mimes, not to mention
buffet stations adorned with whimsical sculptures. The 775-room
resort offers 80,000 square feet of meeting and event space. (801)
258-6000; www.grandamerica.com
Dropping the Ballroom
Party out: Our Lucaya Beach & Golf ResortResorts and hotels offer venues for receptions that go beyond the typical ballroom. Some examples:
" The 625-room
Millennium Broadway Hotel (
www.millenniumhotels.com) is adjacent to the Hudson Theatre, the only Broadway theater that’s regularly available for meetings and events. Millennium completed a $1.2 million restoration of the venue last summer. Details include Tiffany chandeliers, mosaics and gold-gilded boxes. Bob Hope and Elvis Presley, among others, performed on the stage.
" A short horse-drawn carriage ride from the 331-room
Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa (
www.wigwamresort.com) in Litchfield Park, Ariz., takes groups to Sunset Point, the resort’s outdoor Western-themed venue overlooking the White Tank Mountains. Here can be found a mission building, an elevated stage, a working saloon, permanent grills and buffets, a fire pit and picnic tables.
" The Farm at
Old Edwards Inn & Spa (
www.oldedwardsinn.com) in Highlands, N.C., features The Barn, a reception space for up to 100. Equipped with a full-service catering kitchen, The Barn has a casually elegant interior with Adirondack furnishings, pine floors, a stone fireplace and doors opening onto a 4,900-square-foot lawn that can be tented. The inn has 30 guest rooms, suites and cottages.
" Walls are unnecessary for receptions at
Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort (
www.ourlucaya.com) on Grand Bahama Island. The resort will set up brilliantly colored tables and centerpieces around a bonfire for groups staying at the 749-room Westin or 511-room Sheraton. The property also stages traditional Junkanoo festivals, usually held on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, beginning with a large street parade of floats, music, masks and colorful costumes. -- T.I.
Outdoor activities
The only place in the United States where people can
(legally) handle eagles and the exotic breed known as Harris’ hawks
is at The Equinox Resort & Spa, a Rock Resort
in Manchester Village, Vt. The 183-room property on 1,300 acres
offers falconry sessions in which groups can learn about the birds
and actually watch them soar from a perch to the back of each
participant’s hand in the field.
The Equinox also provides an on-site archery school and 80
acres of off-road vehicle trails, with a fleet of Land Rovers and
Hummers to traverse them. As a memorable team-building exercise,
drivers can attempt to navigate the trails blindfolded while
passengers provide direction. The Equinox Resort & Spa offers
15,000 square feet of meeting space. (802) 362-4700;
equinox.rockresorts.com
“Geocaching” is high-tech outdoor treasure hunting for adults
as practiced at the recently renamed Mountain View, The
Grand Resort & Spa in Whitefield, N.H. Armed with GPS
devices, groups set out across the 1,800-acre property on foot,
mountain bikes, horseback, Nordic skis or snowshoes, depending on
the season and individual preference to locate hidden caches
containing small items to collect and trade as well as the
coordinates for moving on to the next target. The event can offer
winners prizes such as complimentary cocktails, a gift certificate
or perhaps even a luxurious spa treatment. The Mountain View
features 152 guest rooms and approximately 20,000 square feet of
flexible meeting space. (800) 438-3017; www.mountainviewgrand.com
The 400-room Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort,
Spa and Marina in Cambridge, Md., has an 18-acre bird
sanctuary and a nature trail perfect for hiking. Guests also can
grab a pail and head down to the property’s waterfront for crab
catching, which can be organized as a competitive activity. (410)
901-1234; chesapeakebay.hyatt.com
Water sports
Yacht charters aren’t difficult to find in oceanfront
locales, but some resorts keep their own craft on hand for guests
and groups. The 401-room Sanibel Harbour Resort &
Spa in Fort Myers, Fla., has a 100-foot yacht that docks
on site and can host receptions or small daytime meetings. Groups
can clamber aboard and sail up the Caloosahatchee River, past the
historic neighboring riverfront estates of inventors Henry Ford and
Thomas Edison, or out into the Gulf of Mexico. It’s not unusual for
chattering dolphins to swim alongside. (239) 466-4000; www.sanibel-resort.com
Fleeting pleasures: Group
sailing at Bitter End Yacht Club
The Bitter End Yacht Club, on Virgin Gorda
in the British Virgin Islands, has more than 100 vessels in its
fleet, including sailboats of all descriptions, catamarans and
powerboats. The resort, which has 85 beachfront guest rooms and a
conference center for 100 people, also hosts dinners or receptions
for 150 or 200 on some of the larger vessels. Guests can take
sailing lessons with America’s Cup champions, enlist the sailors as
motivational speakers, participate in team-building activities such
as kayak relays or sailing races, or head off with snorkel or
diving gear to unwind after the day’s long schedule. (800)
872-2392; www.beyc.com
A little closer to home, the Basin Harbor Club
on Lake Champlain in Vermont offers boats for group use, as well as
dockside dining upon return from a lake cruise. For those looking
for some New England history, cruises can be lead by experts from
the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Set on 700 lakeside acres, the
resort has 77 cottages, 36 individual rooms and, despite its
quaint, remote feel, is equipped with wireless Internet and other
modern amenities. (800) 622-4000; www.basinharbor.com
Group challenges
The 261-room Mohonk Mountain House in New
York’s Hudson Valley employs a full-time event staff and has some
of the wackiest group activities that purport an educational value,
including game shows, remote-control car races, tricycle polo and
“human foosball.” Mohonk also offers a gnome hunt, which is an
expedition to find a gnome named Wheel’in Barrow; a “musical
chairs” painting workshop, in which each participant contributes to
all of the canvases; and cardboard boat regattas. (845) 255-1000;
www.mohonk.com
For a different kind of group experience, Jumby Bay, a
Rosewood Resort in Antigua, offers croquet tournaments.
Participants can sip Pimm’s as they stroke their way toward victory
and the silver trophy cup, then gloat about it over post-tournament
scotch and cigars. Jumby Bay offers 40 deluxe suites and 11
two-bedroom villas. (248) 462-6000; www.jumbybayresort.com
The 349-room Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas
offers 25 different on-site group activities and a willingness to
customize. Favorites include Texas Hold ’Em tournaments, CSI-style
forensic investigations and Segway polo a spirited match with foam
mallets following a short introduction to the people-moving
technology. (702) 567-4700; www.ritzcarlton.com