Luxury meetings may have been as scarce as hen’s teeth for the past few years, but demand has returned—almost to pre 9/11 levels—say managers of Orlando, Fla.’s Grande Lakes Resort.
That’s one thing planners learned at the recent Ritz-Carlton Luxury Meetings Forum held at the 500-acre resort, which pairs a 584-room Ritz-Carlton and a 1,000-room JW Marriott.
But just what is a luxury meeting or incentive event?
“It is the combination of design and service that anticipates guest needs and expectations—the going above and beyond what the client asks,” says Chris Gabaldon, vice president of sales for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
In other words, if you have the budget to impress, spend your money with folks who know how to creatively customize the experience.
The Forum guest experience reflected this esthetic. The staging process began and ended with private limousine transport between home and airport. Suite accommodations, complete with arrival amenities and long views of Grande Lakes’ 18-hole Greg Norman golf course, set the tone.
Meeting venues and breaks demonstrated sophisticated forethought. One working session had participants settled into a circle of oversized leather chairs and couches to promote informal discussion.
The Forum’s culinary events spotlighted Grande Lakes’ commitment to service and creativity best. One dinner was an eight-course chef’s table tasting experience coupled by a quartet of singing chefs. Kobe beef tenderloin headlined a culinary theater event in the new Ritz-Carlton Tuscany Ballroom, where the decor, theatrical lighting, on-stage chefs, and each guest’s “personal butler” lobbed the message that ballrooms can rise above boring banquets.
Turndown service carried some unexpected touches, such as monogrammed pillowcases and perfumed bathwater drawn to coincide with the return of guests from the evening’s agenda.
Forum guests also got a taste of Grande Lakes recreation options: golf pro lessons and casting instruction by Orvis Fly Fishing School; canoe excursions on Shingle Creek; and an off-site excursion to Discovery Cove, a lush, all-inclusive retreat with exotic animals.
At the end of the Forum’s three days, participants were convinced the “ladies and gentlemen” responsible for The Ritz-Carlton standard of service were ready to craft a customized group experience to exceed even the most hard to impress attendee.
