Much like New England is often thought of as a getaway East Coast destination, complete with picturesque surroundings and stories to tell, its grand resorts, particularly those scattered throughout New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont, could be thought of as getaways within the getaway.
Situated in glorious settings a bit off the beaten path, complete with unique function spaces and activities galore, the following eight properties should be top of mind for planners in search of retreat-like resorts that cater to all types of meetings—from intimate board retreats to incentive agendas and corporate gatherings.
Maine
Samoset Resort
Rockport
Since 1889, the historic, 230-acre, AAA Four Diamond Samoset Resort has been hosting guests on Penobscot Bay overlooking the islands of North Haven and Vinalhaven, according to Cornelius J. Russell, the property’s general manager.
The property boasts 178 guest rooms, 22,000 square feet of meeting space, a championship golf course situated alongside the Atlantic Ocean, the highly praised Flume Cottage (renovated in 2010 and ideal for up to six VIPs) and an extensive health club.
Samoset Resort is nestled in between the quintessential New England towns of Rockland and Camden, where during day trips attendees will find specialty boutiques, museums and dining options.
"Pen Bay Gardens hosts authentic Maine lobster bakes with a backdrop of sailboats and lobster boats and buoys," Russell says. "It is perfect for casual celebrations."
With 40 percent of the Maine lobster catch taken from the waters of Penobscot Bay, right outside Samoset’s windows, the resort is no stranger to lobster dishes.
"Maine blueberry pancakes and lobster omelets for breakfast are a great way to begin your day, followed by a bowl of our signature lobster corn chowder for dinner," Russell says. "The resort hosts live lobster demonstrations highlighting the history of its native species, including how it is caught and prepared, as well as wine-tasting seminars on-site or at nearby Cellar Door Winery in Lincolnville, and New England cooking classes.
Russell adds the Farnsworth Art, Maine Lighthouse and Owls Head Transportation museums are ideal for sightseeing as well as hosting off-property functions.
The Spruce Point Inn Resort & Spa
Boothbay Harbor
The Spruce Point Inn Resort & Spa, located on a private 100-acre peninsula at the entrance to Boothbay Harbor, enjoys wonderful views of the open ocean and surrounding islands from most of its 104 guest accommodations. According to Angelo DiGiulian, owner and innkeeper, while the Inn dates back to 1896, it was not until the ’50s and the ’60s that it became an "Inn of Distinction."
"During this period, it was common for the inn to be visited by movie stars and political figures of the day," he says, explaining that the Kennedy family frequented the inn during the 1960s. "When President Kennedy would visit the inn, the entire point would be shut down and the family entourage would take over the inn for a traditional Maine family vacation."
Today, a buyout of the property could accommodate up to 250 attendees, who will appreciate both on-site amenities and off-site adventures.
DiGiulian says meeting space at the inn is truly unique, including Pemaquid Hall, with 40-foot gabled ceilings covered in Maine yellow pine and soaring windows that promote forest and garden views; Linekin Hall, with vaulted ceilings, a private kitchen and an outdoor tented deck; and 88 Grandview, the inn’s premier waterfront meeting space with ocean views.
Off-session activities that are popular with Spruce Point’s guests include taking a bike ride to town and window shopping in Boothbay Harbor, joining a lobsterman as he brings his catch offshore, kayaking along the coast, sailing, fishing, golfing and indulging in spa treatments.
The inn specializes in incentive travel and can also provide team-building activities, DiGiulian adds.
New Hampshire
Mountain Club on Loon Resort & Spa
Lincoln
Since 1966 when the ski resort opened with only a few trails, the area where Mountain Club on Loon Resort & Spa resides has been known as the most popular ski area in New Hampshire.
Today, with over 55 trails and some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the East, Loon Mountain offers unique recreational options during every season, according to Kellee Pfeuti, senior sales manager.
"The Mountain Club on Loon Resort & Spa has been executing meetings, gatherings and weddings for the past decade with each season featuring something different," Pfeuti says. "Many of our guests know of us from ski trips and then decide to get married or have their company host a retreat with us. Our summers are just as busy as the winters, and we cannot forget how beautiful the fall foliage is in the White Mountains in late September and early October."
Filling the calendar of activities that groups can enjoy are five area golf courses, including Jack O’Lantern Golf Club; summer or winter safaris offered by Alpine Adventures; the on-site Viaggio Spa, whose signature treatments include the Cucumber Mint Rejuvenating Wrap and the Pear and Green Apple Scrub; popular annual events such as the New England Brewfest in late June and the Oktoberfest in early October; horseback riding; and culinary demonstrations with Executive Chef Mike Beers, who enjoys performing in front of a crowd.
"We like to query the meeting planner to see what theme might best fit the overall group and then [Beers] will put together a menu based on those requirements," Pfeuti says. "New this summer is a zipline right out the front door—a great way to break up a long meeting day. Or have the group take a fun gondola ride to the top of the Summit with a lunch."
Situated at the base of ski and hiking trails, the resort is also conveniently located only 1.5 miles from the center of town, with a bustling main street peppered with shops and eateries. Another mile away, Pfeuti says, and you come upon historic North Woodstock.
"We always recommend that meeting groups stop by the famous Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery, as it features the original floor layout of the train station used back in the day," Pfeuti says.
The property offers 234 newly renovated guest rooms, meeting rooms that feature windows showcasing the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and the Mountain View Terrace for outdoor events with a beautiful view of Mt. Moosilauke.
The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel
Dixville Notch
As the oldest continuously operating Grand Hotel in New England, The Balsams history dates back over 150 years, with its halls having been visited by celebrity guests including Julia Child and Frank Sinatra, and every corner of the hotel featuring artifacts, photos and treasures.
According to Gary Armitage, vice president of sales and new business development, the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel is set on 8,000 pristine acres and offers groups beautiful scenery, exceptional service and one of the finest dining experiences in the Northeast.
"The Balsams has a rich and unique meeting history, as the location where Babe Ruth was traded to the Yankees from the Red Sox, the Big Mac was introduced and, of course, the location where the votes of the First-in-the-Nation Presidential Primary are cast every four years," he says.
With 202 guest rooms and nearly 20,000 square feet of meeting space, Armitage says the Balsams is able to accommodate small, medium or large groups, and planners find the staff to be exceptionally well-organized, professional and able to meet their every need.
Among its unique meeting locations are the Grand Ballroom, which hearkens back to a ’50s-era ballroom with tiered seating, a stage and full audiovisual equipment setup, and for smaller groups the Ballot Room, featuring the ballot box that attendees are welcome to use to hold their own elections.
"Groups will also find that there are countless on-site activities," Armitage says, citing golf at the Donald Ross-designed course, swimming, tennis, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, snowmobiling, skiing, sleigh rides, a nearby ropes course, covered bridge photography tours and culinary activities.
In addition to interactive culinary demonstrations run by Executive Chef Josh Berry is the popular Last Chef Standing team-building experience that has groups preparing a dish or a meal.
"It helps with problem-solving, team building and of course they learn how to make amazing food," Armitage says.
Omni Mount Washington Resort
Bretton Woods
Located at the base of the stunning Mount Washington is Omni Mount Washington Resort, whose facilities include Omni Mount Washington Hotel, with 200 guest rooms and suites, and the Omni Bretton Arms Inn, with 34 guest units. After a recent addition of 20,000 square feet of event space to the hotel’s Presidential wing, the resort is now home to 18 unique meeting rooms, many with views of the Presidential mountain range, covering 30,000 square feet of dedicated event space to accommodate groups of up to 1,000 attendees.
"In addition, the resort’s 900-foot, wrap-around Veranda, which recently underwent an extensive restoration, is a superb venue for warm-weather outdoor affairs," says Craig Clemmer, director of marketing, adding that the Jewell Terrace, a new rooftop garden extending from the Veranda, is a beautiful event facility with panoramic mountain views. "You’d be hard pressed to find any place in the world with meeting space that has these 360-degree views."
The resort has been successfully hosting meetings since its opening in 1902, and its Gold Room was memorably the site of the signing of all major documents at the Bretton Woods International Monetary Conference in 1944, when 730 delegates from the 44 allied nations met to discuss bringing about financial order following World War II.
Nowadays, groups that convene at the resort have plenty of off-session activities to choose from, Clemmer says.
"What makes the resort so special is the ability for everyone in the group to come together and focus on the meeting, but also have time for recreation," he says, citing skiing, dog sledding and snowshoeing in the winter, and golfing, horseback riding and fishing in the spring and summer. "The resort truly has something for everyone."
The 25,000-square-foot Spa at Omni Mount Washington is available for downtime diversions. Special treatments include the Alpine Body Glo, Maple Sugar Pedicure and Mount Washington Signature Body Ritual.
"In addition, the Canopy Tour is the ultimate team-bonding activity," Clemmer says, explaining that the tour takes guests soaring past the tops of ancient hemlocks, spruces and white pines.
Vermont
The Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Conference Center
Killington
Defined by elegant facilities and gorgeous settings, the Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Conference Center is one of Vermont’s most sought-after locations for conferences, according to the property’s spokesperson, Tom Horrocks.
"Here in Killington, the Grand Resort Hotel provides a unique wedding and conference location complemented not only with beautiful surroundings, but the ability to discover, explore and enjoy a mountain location with modern amenities far away and removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life," he says.
The Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Conference Center is Killington’s only full-service mountainside hotel. Features include 200 guest rooms with views of the surrounding Green Mountains of Central Vermont, 15,000 square feet of meeting space (an additional 25,000 square feet of space is available during the summer at the Snowshed Lodge), the Rendezvous Lounge, Ovations Restaurant, the Grand Spa, a health club with two outdoor hot tubs and numerous condominium facilities.
"Plus, we offer a unique option for dinners and special events atop Killington Peak, the second-highest mountain peak in Vermont, at the Peak Restaurant," he says, explaining that groups travel up 10 minutes via the K-1 Gondola, and the restaurant is available for buyouts. "The views from the top of our mountain are priceless in any season."
Experiencing those views up close and personal is also possible via numerous outdoor pursuits, according to Horrocks.
"The Killington Grand Resort Hotel can provide professional instruction to work out the perfect plan for motivating and unifying everyone," he says, citing four seasons of activities, from skiing to golfing Killington’s 18-hole championship golf course. "We can arrange whatever you dream up."
Options include orienteering through the woods with compasses, snowmobiling, mountain biking at Kona "Groove-Approved" Mountain Bike Park, horseback riding at Pico Mountain Stables, canoeing or kayaking via Base Camp Outfitters, or taking the Pico Power Jump (bungee jumping on a trampoline) at Pico Mountain Adventure Center.
Horrocks adds that while Killington is considered a ski resort, quaint Vermont towns such as Woodstock, Manchester and Rutland are within close proximity for groups interested in off-site outings.
The Equinox, a Luxury Collection Golf Resort & Spa
Manchester Village
The Equinox has been hosting meetings since 1772, when the Green Mountain Boys met at the property to organize their efforts to defend against the Tories, according to Michael Chagnon, director of sales and marketing. The story goes that shortly after the owner at the time, William Marsh, decided the British were going to win and switched sides, the Green Mountain Boys gained control and seized the building from him.
"Arriving at the Equinox in the historical Village of Manchester is like stepping back in time or looking at an old postcard that you may find in your grandmother’s attic," Chagnon says, explaining the property is idyllically surrounded by Mount Equinox and the Green Mountains. "We enjoy watching first-time meeting planners and attendees who are consistently struck with awe at the stark contradiction to an urban setting such as NYC or Boston when they arrive at the Equinox. It’s fun to watch the stress and intense focus on their faces ease away as their senses begin to absorb the Vermont vibe."
One way to enhance that "vibe" is to incorporate a cheese farm excursion into the agenda. Groups can choose from some 150 Artisanal Vermont Cheese Farms to tour, and often planners invite the cheese makers to receptions where the cheeses are paired with wines.
"The Hildene Estate is one of the most popular, with their new goat cheese farm specializing in chevre cheese," Chagnon says, adding that there is also a variety of team-building opportunities when meeting at the Equinox.
Among the options are Orvis Fly Fishing lessons, off-road driving via the Land Rover Experience Driving School, archery, hands-on lessons at the British School of Falconry and a round at the Golf Club at Equinox.
The resort’s meetings-friendly features also include 195 guest rooms and suites, and indoor and outdoor function space, including the Rockwell Room for conferences of up to 300 people, the Battenkill Room for small board meetings and the Taconic Tent for large, catered events, as well as Pond Pavilion, an 1896 boathouse set alongside a pond located one mile from the resort and surrounded by 900-plus acres in Green Mountain.
Lake Morey Resort
Fairlee
Lake Morey Resort can be identified by boats, trains and automobiles, according to Mark Avery, owner and general manager.
"Occupying the very land where the inventor of the steamboat, Samuel Morey, navigated his vessels in 1795, and situated adjacent to the Boston and Maine Railroad that introduced the lake to urbanites from Boston and New York, and now accessible via all vehicles with wheels, we have truly experienced America from its roots," he says.
The hotel, which now boasts 130 guest rooms and 22,000 square feet of meeting space (95 percent with spectacular views of Lake Morey and the surrounding mountains) was built in 1905 and added meeting space in the 1940s to accommodate business professionals from the Boston area searching for an experience to connect with Vermont’s rural beauty. And the same holds true today.
"We like to joke that we are a park and play facility; once you are here, simply park your car and you won’t need it again until you are on your way home," Avery says. "Everything a meeting planner and their guests would want is located right here."
In addition to unique meeting space, including a 120-seat theater and outdoor lakefront and formal garden breakout spaces, the resort features year-round off-session options, including an 18-hole championship golf course, Waters Spa, tennis, biking, hiking, waterborne lake activities, ice-skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, culinary classes and team-building programs.
During Office Olympics, teams compete in activities such as a three-legged race, water balloon distance toss, wheelbarrow race and nine-hole timed putting.
And during Boat Relay Races, teams of four navigate the lake via kayak, rowboat and canoe to win.
"The challenge is that the person in the back of the canoe is blindfolded and has to rely on the teammate in the front to guide them," Avery says. "It’s very funny."
Attendees at Lake Morey will also recognize the resort’s commitment to community.
"We celebrate our heritage every day by using local products and vendors, from the maple syrup on your pancakes and the microbrews on tap to the furniture manufacturer," Avery says. "The history of Lake Morey lives on with every boat that floats on the water, and our hallways are lined with pictures that tell the story of the town and the resort beginning in the early 1900s."
