Although new-build destination resorts tend to be a rarity these days, Washington has yielded a mini-bumper crop within just the last few months. All three of these new properties are targeting the group market, and each is bringing something fresh and distinctive to the region.
Located on the eastern slope of the Casacades about 90 minutes from Seattle, Suncadia (509.649.6400; www.suncadiaresort.com) is a 6,400-acre resort community where the 254-room Lodge at Suncadia opened in April, followed by the full-service Glad Spring Spa in July. Surrounded by fir trees and ringed by majestic peaks, Suncadia also boasts two golf courses; a swim and fitness center with waterslides, pools and an exercise room; an ice-skating rink; an artificial lake with pleasure boats; an amphitheater; and 50 miles of groomed multiuse trails.
The new property, which is managed by Destination Hotels and Resorts, is designed in a style reminiscent of historic national park lodges, featuring soaring ceilings and large windows overlooking the mountains and Cle Elum River Valley. Along with a full-service restaurant, the lodge offers 20,000 square feet of meeting space that includes a 6,000-square-foot ballroom, a junior ballroom, breakout rooms, and a boardroom.
According to Jack Schmidt, regional vice president of sales and marketing, Suncadia is actively targeting both corporate and association business, much of it from within the Pacific Northwest.
“We’ve got a lot of groups on the books through 2010, one reason being that there’s not a lot of resort product in this region,” he says. “In particular, we’re seeing a lot of interest from the tech community and also getting some interest from corporate incentives.”
While spring and summer will be prime meeting seasons, Schmidt says the resort, which will offer cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding, and other snow-season activities, is also promoting itself as a winter destination. Although meetings are also hosted during June, July and August, summer is also prime season for leisure business.
Adding some distinction to the meeting space is the fact that each room is named after a pioneer family in the area, which includes the historic mining town of Roslyn, where the TV series Northern Exposure was filmed.
“We consulted with a local museum and asked 20 local families to send us memorabilia and to be involved in our opening,” Schmidt says. “If you put a large resort in the ground, you need to be sensitive in working with the local people.”
With the opening of Great Wolf Lodge Grand Mound (360.273.7718; www.greatwolf.com), Washington—and the West Coast—now has its first indoor waterpark destination resort. Operated by Madison, Wis.-based Great Wolf Resorts, the new property, located 45 miles southwest of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and 90 miles north of Portland, offers 398 all-suite guest rooms; a 30,000-square-foot conference center; several food and beverage outlets; a full-service spa with 12 treatment rooms; and a 78,000-square-foot waterpark with a wave pool, water rides and other features.
According to John Poole, director of sales and marketing for the resort, the waterpark can be closed off for evening events, while Great Wolf Resorts’ signature MagiQuest adventure game is available as a team-building event.
“We’re unique in that we’re a destination under one roof,” he says. “We provide an experience—one where you can take your family along, which is what a lot of meeting attendees are doing these days. Right now we’re focusing heavily on corporate business in our own backyard, appealing to companies based in and around Seattle, Portland and Olympia.”
Poole says the resort has been promoting the waterpark concept heavily in the local market.
Also capitalizing on its location is the Tulalip Resort Casino (360.716.7162; www.tulalipcasino.com), situated on the Tulalip Reservation 30 miles north of Seattle. The 370-room resort, which celebrated its grand opening in August, offers 30,000 square feet of meeting space plus a number of large theme suits that are also available for events.
“We’re in a great position with this new resort, as we’re strategically located between Seattle and Vancouver,” says Troy Longwith, director of sales. “A lot of people are looking to hold meetings closer to home, so we’re focusing a lot on these local markets. We’re a great alternative to Las Vegas.”
While leisure tourism is the main focus on weekends, Longwith says meetings are expected to be extremely important from Sunday through Thursday.
“We’re not quite a convention hotel, but we do have the largest ballroom in the state north of Seattle—15,000 square feet,” he says. “We’re seeing a lot of interest from the corporate market as well as from state and regional associations.”
Longwith emphasizes that groups will find a variety of experiences at the resort, including gaming and nightly live entertainment. Golf, whale watching and shopping at Seattle Premium Outlets are among the other options.
The resort also showcases over $1 million worth of artwork created by local Tulalip artists. A Tulalip cultural museum will open on the reservation near the hotel in late 2009, providing an off-site venue for events.
