Since its inception, the 20-square-mile community of Wisconsin Dells has been one of the most enjoyable all-ages destinations in the U.S., and planners have come to count on it for groups with children in tow. But the area is increasingly becoming a destination sought after strictly by adults.
"We are realizing how much the Dells has become a grown-up destination," says Melanie Platt-Gibson, spokesperson for the Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau (VCB). "In March 2009 we received Benchmark Research which shared that about 24 percent of our market is adults traveling without children."
With this knowledge, Platt-Gibson says, the VCB decided to address its growing adult-only segment via its marketing and advertising efforts, including a "Dells for Grown-Ups" video on its website.
"We want them to know about everything here for them to enjoy," she says, citing an array of dining and entertainment options, recreational pursuits and shopping.
Before planners jump to the usual meeting destinations, Platt-Gibson urges, they should strongly consider Wisconsin Dells.
"Yes, it’s the world’s waterpark capital, and yes, kids love this place, but the grown-up side of the Dells is worth a good long look, too," she says.
And that also goes for meetings, since aside from an unparalleled concentration of indoor and outdoor waterparks, the Dells also boasts group-friendly resorts and function spaces, as well as activities ranging from golf to riverboat cruises.
Diverse Digs
With more than 8,000 hotel rooms sprinkled throughout Wisconsin Dells, planners have many options for booking everything from intimate incentive programs to large-scale business meetings.
Perhaps sitting atop the list of particularly adult-oriented properties for group gatherings is Ho-Chunk Casino Hotel and Convention Center, where delegates are encouraged to try their luck at blackjack, poker, craps, bingo, off-track betting and more than 2,400 slot machines. After time at the tables, Platt-Gibson says groups will enjoy dinner at Ho-Chunk’s high-end Copper Oak Steakhouse.
If the group is after a bit of pampering during downtime, several properties offer a spa experience, including Sundara Inn and Spa, Spa Kalahari and Salon at Kalahari Resort, Spa del Sol at Chula Vista Resort, Elements Spa at Great Wolf Lodge, and Rhapsody Resort and Spa on Lake Delton, which features poolside spa services overlooking the lake.
Though seemingly geared toward children, adults also get a huge kick out of waterpark action. To provide them some privacy, many resorts have poolside cabanas available for rental for about a dozen people.
"Cabanas provide an adult oasis," Platt-Gibson says.
Among the properties that offer cabanas are Kalahari, Chula Vista, Great Wolf Lodge and Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort. Inside Wilderness’ Wild Waterdome groups can reserve a poolside cabana, complete with VIP service, Wi-Fi, televisions, a bar and comfortable seating.
Wilderness also features a zip line across its Wild Canyon, go-karts and miniature golf, all of which can be used for fun ice-breaking or team-building activities.
Eat, Drink and Be Merry
Much like the rest of the nation, currently obsessed with celebrity chefs and culinary-inspired television programs and networks, Wisconsin Dells offers a unique F&B experience.
According to Platt-Gibson, the area has taken hold of a Wisconsin tradition by featuring a number of classic Wisconsin supper clubs.
"People travel from near and far for these," she says. "It’s definitely a dining experience we know groups enjoy."
The classic Wisconsin supper club, she explains, grew out of the desire to use dining as a leisurely social event, which works perfectly within group itineraries so that attendees have time to network.
"Del-Bar [established in 1943 as a roadside steakhouse] puts out cheese and crackers, and with the meal comes salad, potato and relish trays," Platt-Gibson says, citing additional supper club venues such as Field’s at the Wilderness Resort, Wally’s House of Embers, Ishnala and Kaminski Bros. Chop House at Chula Vista Resort. "At Del-Bar, the steaks are great and the strawberry schaum torte dessert may be even greater, if that’s possible."
At the Wilderness Resort, groups might wind down after a day of meetings with a "Piano Fondue" performance at the resort’s Monk’s Bar & Grill. This live show, according to Platt-Gibson, features two "wildly talented guys, two pianos and an all-request sing-along format that’s a perfect mix of comedy and music."
At Trappers Turn Golf Club, those in the group not interested in a round of golf (see sidebar, page 21) can participate in a hands-on cooking class.
"Part of the group can golf and the other people in the group can take part in a culinary team-building event," Platt-Gibson says. "It really engages those who don’t want to golf."
Winery outings and off-site gatherings have also become popular for adults visiting the Dells. Wollersheim Winery, a national historic site, and Tourdot Winery, the area’s newest vintner, are both group-friendly and offer tours, tastings and event spaces.
Wollersheim, according to Platt-Gibson, recently added a beautiful room overlooking the Wisconsin River Valley for get-togethers in a rustic setting, and Tourdot’s pastoral setting features an outdoor wine garden and a deck for groups of up to 100 people.
"While at Tourdot, step into the Dell Prairie Soap Company, a boutique store that adjoins the property where you’ll find an array of handmade organic soaps and bath salts," Platt-Gibson says.
For a nice Italian meal after wine tasting, Platt-Gibson suggests Carvelli’s Pizza & Pasta House, where guests can watch pasta being made from scratch in the glass-walled pasta-viewing room at the front of the restaurant, and Sarento’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria at Wilderness Resort, where specialties include calamari and Caprese salad.
Fun for All Ages
After a memorable meal, groups can check out a live performance at Crystal Grand Music Theatre, "where there’s not a bad seat in the 2,000-seat house," according to Platt-Gibson.
"There’s every chance you’ll be enjoying your favorite country or classic rock artist whose last stop was Vegas," she says, citing a 2010 lineup including ZZ Top and Charlie Pride.
Two more noteworthy options for a group that would like to be entertained are Broadway Dinner Theatre, which annually stages several different musical shows, and Dells Comedy Club, which features a Wild 4 Hypnosis show that opens with a headlining comedian and then segues into a hypnosis routine that involves audience participation.
In 2009, Dells Raceway Park added a "Driving Experience" that’s well suited for corporate outings. Participants are invited to train with an on-staff driver before getting behind the wheel of a 400-plus horsepower stock car for some solo laps around the track.
"The experience provides a great adrenalin rush and impressive bragging rights," Platt-Gibson says.
Knucklehead’s Bowling & Indoor Amusement Park at Tanger Outlet Complex is another option for fun and games in the Dells. The facility includes interactive team-building opportunities such as rock climbing, bowling and go-karting. Not to mention, some attendees will simply like to browse and shop around Tanger Outlet Center’s 60-plus brand-name stores.
Lastly, chartering a riverboat for a group gathering via Dells Boat Tours makes for a lovely ending to a meeting. According to Platt-Gibson, a number of different tours that cruise the upper and lower Dells along the Wisconsin River are available. One, the 2.5-hour Sunset Dinner Cruise, features live music, a steak and lobster dinner, and a leisurely stroll on torch-lit paths at the Witches Gulch shorelanding.
—A memorable Dells getaway for freelance writer Carolyn Blackburn would include a relaxing apple spice stone massage at Sundara Inn and Spa after an adrenaline-pumping ride on Wild West Indoor Waterpark’s Black Hole water slide.
