Two centuries as a vacation hot spot have honed the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania into a visitors’ paradise with something to delight everyone. The four-county region covers 2,400 square miles of peaks, valleys, forests, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls, just to list a few of its natural charms. Over the decades man has added resorts, golf courses, shopping, and dozens of other attractions to make it even more appealing.
“The Pocono Mountains region has been a vibrant resort destination for over 200 years,” says David Jackson, director of sales for the Pocono Mountains CVB. “Its regional location is bordering New York and New Jersey, and 20 percent of the U.S. population is within a 200-mile radius. In addition to the magnificent mountains and natural beauty, the Pocono Mountains region offers a multitude of activities year-round for team building, relaxation and endless fun.”
Best of Both Worlds
The Poconos isn’t just for leisure getaways anymore. Meetings are taking a front seat as the region promotes itself as a destination for business as well as pleasure, leveraging its unbeatable location, high value for money, all-season outdoor activities, and unique resort spaces as powerful draws for groups as large as 1,000.
“Everyone knows that the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania offer vacationers a great outdoor escape,” Jackson says. “But one of the best-kept secrets of the popular resort region is its meeting facilities, ranging from quaint country inns perfect for quiet executive retreats to large resorts and conference facilities with state-of-the-art meeting rooms capable of hosting over 1,000 attendees.”
The region’s major meeting resorts include Chateau Resort and Conference Center, with 152 guest rooms and 14,000 square feet of meeting space; Fernwood Hotel and Resort, with 775 guest units and 5,200 square feet of meeting space; Great Wolf Lodge, with 401 suites and more than 7,000 square feet of meeting space; the Inn at Pocono Manor, with 250 guest rooms and meeting space for 500 people; the 166-room Pocmont Resort, with 12,000 square feet of meeting space; Skytop Lodge, with 17 meeting rooms and 193 guest rooms; and Woodloch Pines Resort & Meeting Facility, with 165 guest rooms and meeting space for 300 people.
Aside from the scenery and outdoor opportunities, the friendly small-town culture makes the area intriguing to groups tired of shouldering their way through city crowds.
“Historic towns such as Honesdale, Jim Thorpe, Milford, Stroudsburg, Blakeslee, and Hawley are situated throughout the Pocono Mountains region, offering history, culture and unique shopping and dining experiences in the midst of scenic natural environments,” Jackson says. “We hear planners say they enjoy the warm feeling they get when conducting business in the Pocono Mountains. Most of the resorts are independent, family-owned establishments where owners are both visible and attentive to their needs.”
New and Improved
Another top selling point for the region is the wealth of new spaces on the horizon.
“The current development of the Pocono Mountains region will cause the meetings industry to take a long hard look at its true value,” Jackson says. “Value is a key advantage of the Pocono Mountains, with prices considerably lower than big-city alternatives. With gas prices on the rise, people will still travel, just not as far.”
The Waterpark at Split Rock Resort and Golf Club will open this summer. The property will feature a 48,000-square-foot indoor waterpark with a number of water rides and slides and more than 500 guest suites and rooms, placing it among the largest hotels in the Poconos. It will also rank as one of the larger meeting venues, with 77,000 square feet of space capable of welcoming groups of 1,500 people. Other attractions will include 36 holes of championship golf, a movie theater, restaurants, an arcade, and mini-golf.
Mount Airy Casino Resort in Paradise Township opened last October and unveiled a new 188-room luxury hotel in November and a 150-seat nightclub, Gypsies, in December. The resort offers 2,500 of the latest slot machines, three restaurants and three meeting rooms with a total of 7,200 square feet of function space. The property’s golf course closed in 2007 for a facelift that will be finished in 2009.
Camelback/Camelbeach Resort in Tannersville, slated for completion in 2009, is bringing a new and ambitious concept to fruition. The property plans to create the country’s first combination ski-in, ski-out resort and indoor waterpark. The resort will also include a 400-room hotel.
The 200-acre Jack Frost National Golf Club opened in May 2007 in Blakeslee. The property touts its magnificent landscapes and top-drawer A-4 bent grass greens that accommodate players of every level, and it welcomes corporate group outings of any size. Construction will begin soon on a clubhouse.
A Staybridge Suites is under construction in Smithfield Township and set to open in late 2008, and a 100-room Wingate Hotel by Wyndham is expected to debut in Swiftwater in 2009.
There have also been several renovations and expansions to existing properties.
Penn’s Peak, an 1,800-seat concert venue in Jim Thorpe, is planning a 9,500-square-foot expansion that includes a new entrance and lobby, a 50-seat, second-floor bar and lounge, and a 30-seat expansion of its restaurant, as well as an additional parking lot.
Pocmont Resort is adding a $3.5 million, 10,000-square-foot spa as well as upgrades to its teen center, batting cages, skeet-shooting center, kids’ pool, and ropes course.
Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort in Shawnee on Delaware opened its Legacy Collection of cottages in January. Capable of sleeping 20, the new accommodations join a spa, meeting space for 300 people and 27 holes of golf, most of which are located on a private island.
This year, Skytop Lodge will unveil its new Adventure Center, which will feature a 40-foot climbing wall, paintball, a mountain biking course, kayaking, geocaching, and wilderness survival classes.
Woodloch Pines Resort will begin construction in fall 2008 on a new $500,000 reception center; the property is also working on adding a $1.5 million indoor splash park.
The historic Flagstaff Ballroom in Jim Thorpe is breaking ground on a 78-room hotel and restaurant this year.
Budget Inn & Suites in East Stroudsburg is undergoing an exterior facelift and adding an indoor swimming pool.
Break with Tradition
Apart from the more traditional facilities, the region is also home to outstanding off-site venues that get groups into the fresh air—or onto the track—exploring the best the Poconos has to offer.
In addition to being the home of the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 and Pocono 500 races, Pocono Raceway makes a great off-site venue. Groups can view races from sky boxes accommodating 12 to 56 people or pit-side suites welcoming up to 50 guests. An outdoor tented chalet is large enough for 350 people. Team-building opportunities at the raceway include stock car racing programs ranging from half-day outings to five-day adventures.
Pocono Environmental Education Center gives groups a chance to learn about the region’s rich natural wonders in a beautiful and informal setting. The Visitor Education and Administration Building Center offers two classrooms, a library, a craft center, an indoor pool, and meeting areas for presentations and dances. The 38-acre facility is located within the 67,000-acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and surrounded by another 70,000 acres of public land, presenting visitors with unlimited opportunities for exploring and enjoying the outdoors.
Large corporate picnics are a specialty at Camelbeach Waterpark, where as many as 10,000 people can enjoy a customizable menu ranging from hot dogs to top-quality steaks. Groups might enjoy combining the outdoor eats with a few hours of relaxation time at the waterpark.
Attendees can also leave civilization behind entirely and spend a glorious day or half-day in the vaunted natural beauty of the Pocono Mountains. Each season brings a new opportunity to get out on the trails, water or snow.
“Outdoor activities, perfect for team building, abound in this four-county region,” Jackson says. “In the spring, summer and fall months, white-water outfitters along the Delaware and Lehigh rivers offer rafting, kayaking and canoeing. Ski and snowboard packages are an enticing addition to the average winter meeting, offering winter fun for all skill levels, including snow tubing, a fun activity suitable for just about anyone.”
For those whose idea of exhilaration is more along the lines of a big sale at BCBG Max Azria than a rafting trip down a mountain gorge, there are plenty of retail adventures in store here, too.
“Business associates and spouses are sure to enjoy the variety of shopping excursions available in the Pocono Mountains,” Jackson says. “The Crossings Premium Outlets in Tannersville offers brand-name goods at discounted prices, including business and casual attire from top-notch designers such as Ann Taylor, Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein, and Jones New York, among others. Visitors enjoy impressive savings on luggage, housewares, jewelry, children’s items, and much more.”
For More Info
Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau 570.421.5791 wwww.800poconos.com
