Objectives for executive retreats vary, just as they do for any meeting type. Some retreats call for a secluded, tightly focused business agenda conducted in five-star surroundings offering top service. Others warrant more casual programs, designed for bonding and camaraderie in a resort environment full of recreational amenities.
Still others prescribe components of both styles. Some exec groups are small and elite; others are comprised of top sales performers in larger numbers, who come together for recognition and incentive.
Booking the right setting for an executive retreat is frequently one of the most critical components. Do we want a large resort that offers all the recreation, conferencing and tech amenities? Is an upscale small property in a secluded location right for this event? Or should we consider a resort property with a VIP enclave that will give the group privacy yet provide easy access to everything else?
Fortunately, there are an increasing number of good choices in all of these categories. Many properties around the country are so eager to attract executive meetings, which typically bring in revenue from golf and other extras, that they are designing and renovating with executive preferences in mind.
Designed for Privacy
Among properties designed for executive meetings is The Sanctuary, which opened three years ago on South Carolina’s Kiawah Island. Located near some of the world’s most famous golf courses and just 21 miles from Charleston’s historic district, the hotel resembles a grand Lowcountry mansion from an earlier era. At the same time, the hotel’s business features are strictly contemporary, including the elegant Calhoun Boardroom, a retreat space for up to 22 people.
Included in The Sanctuary’s third-floor meeting space is a dedicated foyer connected to the boardroom. According to Marty Couch, director of sales at the property, participants never have to leave the area because they can have a reception in the foyer, with food and beverage delivered there directly.
The boardroom and foyer area are in high demand by CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and others, he adds, because it allows people to be in a setting with all the services they need. Along with plenty of natural light, there is a balcony where attendees can enjoy the sea air.
The Sanctuary’s executive enclave was designed to fill a need on the island, according to Couch.
“Over the years, Kiawah was missing that high-end corporate customer because we just didn’t have the right kind of space for them,” he says. “Now we do, right on the ocean. They can fly into our executive airport 15 minutes from here and enjoy all that is Kiawah in the surroundings they want.”
Also providing privacy for executives is The Phoenician, a large resort in Scottsdale, Ariz., which has just completed a $5.5 million renovation of a free-standing wing called the Canyon Suites.
With the Canyon Suites, the resort has a new product that David Richard, director of sales and marketing, describes as a boutique resort of 40 suites and 20 guest rooms providing an exclusive environment within the larger resort. The recent renovation was done to raise the bar on a facility that had been underused, he explains.
“Since our February opening, we are really offering two different products to two different customers now,” he says. “The Canyon Suites customer is not the same one who is going into the main resort where we have 55,000 square feet of meeting space. This retreat segment has service delivery that’s the next step up.”
He adds that the wing provides meeting space and services specifically designed for high-end executive groups.
“The Canyon Suites meeting and boardrooms are state-of-the-art and possibly unique,” he adds. “The boardroom table has popup computer monitors for every three seats. We have a sales person dedicated to this part of the resort, and that person calls on CEOs and financial institutions who expect this level of service and amenities.”
High-Tech Touches
In Florida, a $100 million renovation has also positioned the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center & Spa near Fort Lauderdale for a new era of service to high-end corporate groups.
The 500-room resort includes over 100 one-bedroom suites with parlors, kitchenettes and spacious king-bedded rooms that, according to Director of Sales Kelly Commerford, are especially popular with executives. Meeting space at the property was renovated with IACC standards in mind, and Commerford says he expects it to have IACC approval next spring.
The centerpiece of the business facilities is an ultra-high-tech amphitheater.
“In that room we can accommodate up to 156 for laptop training meetings,” Commerford says. “We have four T1 lines and can bundle that for T4 speed, which is unheard of in a hotel conference center. Also, we have Wi-Fi and hardwire throughout the entire property, including guest rooms. That’s unusual, and it serves executives who want lightning-speed connect to the Internet.”
The Bonaventure also has appeal for groups that include team-building exercises in their program. The property’s 23 acres offers a variety of possibilities, including a Survivor-styled treasure hunt. Other options include sailboat racing in the resort’s network of four pools, tennis on 16 clay courts and private golf outings at the adjacent country club.
On Location
Many executives on retreat want to remain somewhat close to the office, perhaps no farther than a 90-minute drive away.
Properties like Virginia’s Lansdowne Resort, outside Washington, D.C., and Glen Cove Mansion Hotel and Conference Center, outside New York City, are good choices in this regard. Both are under Benchmark Hospitality International management.
“Our resort and conference center have just completed a $62 million re-do,” says Warren Breaux, Lansdowne’s director of sales and marketing. “We offer a fantastic location—eight miles from Washington Dulles International Airport and 30 miles from the nation’s capital. When you have a major golf resort like ours with all the other amenities that is close to both a major city and airport, we know we are positioned to serve small high-end meetings.”
Lansdowne is also next to Virginia’s rolling wine and Hunt country regions, so customized experiences for executive groups can include wine tasting and culinary pairings with Mary Watson-DeLauder, resident sommelier, who directs the resort’s beverage program. Golf clinics and outings on Lansdowne’s three championship courses are other options.
The “old money” elegance and élan of Long Island’s North Shore draws executives to Glen Cove, where second-floor buyouts in the manor house ensure seclusion for concentration and networking.
From the center of Manhattan, it’s an hour’s train ride to the resort. Once one of a string of large estates in the region, Glen Cove sits on 55 acres of land and is one of the East Coast’s original conference centers.
“We recently hosted a five-day international program here,” says Keith Battaglia, director of sales and marketing. “They used the second floor for breakouts and private meals in the main dining room, which just flows with historic charm and elegance.”
Groups may choose between meeting rooms that are in the manor house or attached in a modern addition, he adds. The Benchmark Conference Package features continuous refreshment breaks, audiovisual equipment and professional conference planner services, as well as day packages for groups not requiring overnight accommodations.
Also providing heritage and seclusion near Manhattan is Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa on the Hudson River. Long a celebrity destination and now designed for executive retreats, the inn can host up to 34 people, says Jodie Cummings, general manager and chef.
Antique-filled rooms and a dedication to making a small carbon footprint provides corporate clients like Lufthansa Airlines, Tiffany & Co. and Baume & Mercier a “green” environment where slow food gets created with ingredients from the property’s organic garden. Just opened is a 5,000-square-foot spa featuring geothermal and solar engineering.
“We have 70 acres of ground and a house that dates to 1764,” Cummings says. “The surroundings are totally serene and unique, with views of the river, an historic cemetery and a small menagerie of animals like swans, ducks and llamas.”
