City or country? Suburban resorts promise the best of both worlds -- plenty of transportation options, beautiful surroundings and a nearby city within easy reach for downtime or add-on adventures. Following is a look at seven unique properties that offer groups relative seclusion, all within an hour of a major metropolis.
Cavallo Point LodgeSausalito, Calif.
(888) 651-2003
cavallopoint.com
Just across the bay from San Francisco, Cavallo Point Lodge lies within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In addition to its proximity to all the color and culture of the city, the site is an excellent jumping-off point for day trips to Napa and Sonoma wine country or the picturesque towns of Monterey and Carmel.
The 142-room resort is dotted with landmark houses that once surrounded historic Fort Baker, complemented by contemporary two-story lodges with floor-to-ceiling windows, fireplaces and private entrances. Hiking and guided tours of the property are available, as well as complimentary morning yoga classes. The on-site Healing Arts Center & Spa offers massages and facials and features a unique outdoor meditation pool.
Approximately 30,000 square feet of event space includes venues such as the divisible Verbena and Surfbird rooms, each spanning 2,050 square feet. All meeting space features high-speed Internet access, drop-down projection screens and built-in speakers. Groups also can spread out in several outdoor areas like the Mission Blue Lawn.
Two restaurants and a cooking school are on-site. Murray Circle, a fine-dining venue focused on local ingredients, has several private rooms for groups. Some 2,000 bottles of wine are in the cellar, with 30 wines by the glass on offer. The more casual Farley Bar focuses on oysters, charcuterie and cheese -- not to mention dessert.
The 1,200-square-foot Cavallo Point Cooking School has four fully equipped kitchen workstations and can accommodate up to 20 attendees for a class and 30 for a food demonstration.
Grand Cascades LodgeHamburg, N.J.
(973) 827-4357
crystalgolfresort.com
About an hour away from Manhattan in Northern New Jersey's Sussex County
is the Crystal Springs Resort, featuring the Grand Cascades Lodge, an
independently owned and managed property with 30,000 square feet of
meeting space, on-site golf, a newly opened spa and a 78,000-bottle wine
cellar. A tribute to the classic Adirondack-style lodge, the 250-room
property features wooden beams and natural stonework, and is decorated
throughout in forest green and other earth tones.
Meetings and events are held in the 4,300-square-foot Emerald Ballroom,
several large meeting rooms and two boardrooms. The lodge offers banquet
and catering services, along with audiovisual equipment such as
high-speed wireless Internet videoconferencing and flat-screen TVs.
Also on-site are three restaurants: Springs Bistro, which serves
Northern Italian fare; Crystal Tavern, a gastropub; and Kites, offering
casual dining and mountain views. In the warmer months, the Chef's
Garden is open for dinner and features a unique garden-to-table dining
experience.
While New York City is well within reach, nearby attractions include
seven championship golf courses, skiing, Mountain Creek Water Park, a
clutch of local wineries and the picturesque village of Warwick, with
its quaint shops, farmers markets and annual Applefest.
Lansdowne ResortLeesburg, Va.
(703) 729-8400
lansdowneresort.com
Spanning 500 acres in the Potomac River Valley, the bucolic setting of
the 296-room Lansdowne Resort belies its proximity to the hectic byways
of Washington, D.C., 40 minutes away. Washington Dulles International
Airport is just 8 miles from the property, which offers shuttle service
for $30 per person.
Groups will find 50,000 square feet of event space, including a
9,525-square-foot ballroom, a 4,184-square-foot clubhouse, 33 dedicated
meeting rooms and a 126-room theater available for groups. High-speed
Internet access is accessible throughout, with both wireless and wired
capability in guest rooms and free Wi-Fi in public areas.
Leisure time is well spent on a 45-hole golf course designed by Robert
Trent Jones Jr. and Greg Norman, or in the 12,000-square-foot Spa
Minérale, which offers a range of treatments, including a special menu
just for men. Also on the grounds: an adults-only Quiet Pool; courts for
basketball, racquetball and tennis; and a nature trail that meanders
along a riverbank.
Dining options include On the Potomac, an elegant farm-to-table gourmet
eatery that has won several Wine Spectator awards; Stonewalls Tavern, a
nautical-themed bar serving snacks and light meals; the Riverside Hearth
buffet; Crooked Billet in the golf clubhouse; and Pub 46, a cocktail
bar just steps from the greens.
Eaglewood ResortItasca, Ill.
(630) 773-1400
eaglewoodresort.com
Laid-back comfort reigns at the Eaglewood Resort, set on 106 rolling
acres in Itasca, Ill., just a 35-minute drive from Chicago and 12 miles
from O'Hare international Airport. The property's 277 guest
accommodations include 18 suites and 14 Americans with Disabilities
Act-compliant rooms with full wheelchair access and shower benches.
Golfers will enjoy Eaglewood's U.S. Golf Association-certified, par-72,
18-hole course, and if it's too cold for a round, there's Kegler's, a
retro six-lane bowling alley, and a 10,000-square-foot spa.
This also is a place for work. The resort has 37,000 square feet of
function space, much of it flexible. The 7,031-square-foot Red Oak
Ballroom can be divided into three discrete spaces, with prefunction and
patio space accessible as well. The 1,387-square-foot Linden Ballroom
can be partitioned into two rooms. Among several smaller meeting spaces
is a private dining room and terrace that can be used for events.
High-speed Internet access is available, and the resort also can provide
videoconferencing equipment.
Eaglewood has three restaurants, including Prairie River, set on the
golf course, which serves small plates and a carefully honed selection
of entrées. The resort also offers buffet-style meals for breakfast,
lunch and dinner.
La Torretta Lake Resort & SpaMontgomery, Texas
(936) 448-4400
latorrettalakeresort.com
Nestled on the banks of Lake Conroe in the Piney Woods section of East
Texas, La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa feels light years away from
busy Houston, yet the city is an hour's drive southeast.
This is a Texas-size resort, with 445 guest rooms and fully 60,000
square feet of event space. Among 19 meeting rooms are three ballrooms
-- the 9,372-square-foot America's Ballroom, which can be divided into
thirds; the 7,380-square-foot Versailles Ballroom, and the
4,144-square-foot Venice Ballroom. Conference facilities include the
11,520-square-foot Atrium Conference Center, which offers easy access to
the ballrooms, and the 2,880-square-foot Bordeaux Conference Center,
with space for up to 240 attendees and a private terrace overlooking the
lake. All of the meeting space comes with free Wi-Fi.
The property's par-71, 18-hole golf course -- the Houston area's newest
-- was designed by Jeffrey Blum, who worked for many years as a
landscape architect before he turned his attention to fairways. The
17,000-square-foot spa has 13 treatment rooms as well as a hammam and an
outdoor Zen garden. The resort also has tennis courts and studios for
yoga, Pilates and spin classes.
For on-site dining, Prime specializes in New American cuisine and
gorgeous lake views, while Yoi Sushi Bar features contemporary Japanese
dishes as well as a range of imported sakes. The casual Mokka Café
serves bistro fare, and the poolside CocoCove Grill has light dishes and
snacks.
Perhaps the main draw here is the 22,000-acre Lake Conroe itself,
popular year-round for boating, waterskiing and other diversions.
Woodmark ResortKirkland, Wash.
(425) 822-3700
thewoodmark.com
If you buy a takeout coffee in downtown Seattle, it will still be hot by
the time you pull into the Woodmark Resort in Kirkland, 15 minutes
away. The property is even closer to Redmond, Wash., which Microsoft and
several other notable high-tech companies call home.
Guests might prefer to remain on-site, however, given the 100-room
property's spectacular setting on Lake Washington, with the Olympic
Mountains as a backdrop. Boating and kayaking are de rigueur, especially
since the resort has its own 28-foot Chris-Craft, the Woodmark II. The
full-service spa offers all the expected services, as well as
skin-analysis facials and laser and light therapy. In nearby downtown
Kirkland, art galleries, boutiques and sidewalk cafés abound.
The Woodmark has 9,000 square feet of meeting space, including the
2,630-square-foot Marina Room, which can accommodate up to 250 attendees
and has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake. The
1,500-square-foot Lake Washington Room is divisible by three for smaller
meetings. Also on-site are two boardrooms and the 920-square-foot Great
Room. All rooms offer high-speed Internet access.
The resort's two restaurants also feature water views. Stylish Bin on
the Lake adds Mediterranean flair to seasonal Northwest specialties like
clams, halibut and Arctic char. The restaurant's exceptional wine list
includes more than 40 varieties available by the glass. The Beach Café, a
casual bistro, is perfect for a waterside breakfast or a quick lunch.
Guests looking for a late-night nibble can help themselves to the lobby pantry, stocked with free snacks.
Terranea ResortRancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
(310) 265-2810
terranea.com
The 360-room Terranea Resort sits on 102 acres on the Palos Verdes
Peninsula, 35 miles south of Los Angeles. The area is known both for its
verdant hiking trails and its fabulous surfing. The property is
surrounded by water on three sides, and most guest rooms have ocean
views.
The nine-hole Links at Terranea is not a traditional golf layout, but
rather a collection of nine separate championship-caliber par-three
holes. After a round, the property's 50,000-square-foot spa beckons with
25 treatment rooms, as well as a sauna and steam room.
Restaurants include Mar'Sel, which takes a farm-to-table approach to
California cuisine and has private space for groups, and Bashi, with a
more casual Asian fusion menu. Several bars are on-property, along with
Cielo Point for poolside dining.
Terranea's meeting space includes two ballrooms, several midsize meeting
rooms and four boardrooms. The 18,000-square-foot Palos Verdes Grand
Ballroom seats up to 1,000 people and can be divided into as many as
eight smaller rooms, The 6,600-square-foot Marineland Ballroom is
divisible by three. Nine private lawns and terraces are available for
outdoor functions.