Along with bald eagles, Red Delicious apples, wine grapes and Dungeness crab, Washington is a prime habitat for conference centers. The Evergreen State abounds with secluded yet accessible properties that are ideal for board meetings, retreats, seminars, training sessions and a whole lot more.
Washington has a conference center to fit almost every type of meeting, whether it’s a gathering of hobbyists or a top-level executive board retreat. Their locations range from Seattle’s hip University district to the wild waters of the Columbia River Gorge and the rolling vineyards of eastern Washington.
Willows Lodge, Woodinville
www.willowslodge.com
Willows Lodge, located in the winery mecca of Woodinville, is a big draw for Puget Sound-area companies looking for both accessibility and a rejuvenating environment, according to Janine Varden, the lodge’s director of sales and marketing. She says groups often buy out the 84-room property.
“We’re only 30 minutes from Seattle, yet groups feel like they’ve gotten out of the city,” she says. “They feel more focused and productive out here. They can buckle down and be productive.”
Built with Douglas fir timbers salvaged from the Port of Portland, the lodge features stone fireplaces and such serene touches as gardens planted with Japanese maples and a hydrotherapy pool set in a secluded courtyard. There is also 5,000 square feet of meeting space, a ropes course for team-building exercises and two acclaimed restaurants, Barking Frog and The Herbfarm, serving locally sourced cuisine,
With 90 wineries and tasting rooms nearby, wine-pairing dinners and other wine-themed events are frequently on the meeting agenda. A less expected activity option is horse leadership training through a company called Roam Consulting.
“Groups will go out to a meadow area with horses—not to ride them but to go through leadership training workshops with the horses,” Varden says. “We’re always looking to partner with companies for unique activities like this.”PageBreak
Resort at Port Ludlow
www.portludlowresort.com
Small groups of 50 or less are the specialty of the Resort at Port Ludlow, located on the Olympic Peninsula about 20 minutes from downtown Seattle by seaplane or 90 minutes by car. The waterfront property offers the 37-room Inn at Port Ludlow, condos, a marina, an 18-hole golf course, a spa and five meeting rooms, some with views of the Olympic Mountains.
“We’re small enough that when a group of 45 comes in, they have the run of the place,” says Susan Windle, sales manager at the property. “While some places don’t care about the six- or seven-person group, we welcome them. We have a meeting space with a fireplace and verandah that is set up just for them.”
Team-building options abound at Port Ludlow, including culinary competitions and programs arranged by Chef Dan Rattigan, who oversees the property’s acclaimed Fireside Restaurant.
“Dan has relationships with local farms, so we can organize events where groups go out to a goat cheese farm and milk the goats or go to an apple farm and make cider,” Windle says. “We also do culinary events where people gather the ingredients at the farms and then use them in a Top Chef competition.”
Water-focused team building is also available, including racing in two-person kayaks where one participant is blindfolded. Or groups can cruise aboard a replica of a classic tall ship, relaxing or joining the crew in climbing to the crow’s nest and working the rigging.
Salish Lodge & Spa, Snoqualmie
www.salishlodge.com
Perched above Snoqualmie Falls, 30 miles east of Seattle, the Salish Lodge & Spa caters to high-end board meetings, retreats and incentives for groups of 40 or less. Originally opened in 1908 and then expanded and renovated in 1988, the property overlooks one of Washington’s major attractions, a waterfall plunging into an emerald green river canyon 278 feet below.
Salish offers a full-service spa, two restaurants and guest rooms with wood-burning fireplaces and oversized whirlpool tubs. Meeting spaces include the Vintage Room, which has a wine cellar-like atmosphere that is conducive for wine-theme events; the Cliffside Room, which has vaulted ceilings and a balcony; and the Salish Ballroom, accommodating up to 180 people.
Along with hiking, fly-fishing, bocce ball and golf at a nearby private course, Salish offers a wide choice of team-building options, says Giselle Magbual, the property’s sales manager.
“One of the most popular is Corks and Canvas, where you can try your hand at painting while sipping local wines,” she says. “We do Iron Bar Tending competitions where people are divided into teams and given ingredients to be used in creating unique cocktails.”PageBreak
Skamania Lodge, Stevenson
www.skamania.com
When the directors of the National Audubon Society meet at Skamania Lodge next summer, they are almost certain to be treated to the sight of a bald eagle soaring above the Columbia River as they attend their general session in Skamania’s outdoor amphitheater.
“I spotted a bald eagle flying near the amphitheater this morning, so I’m hoping for a repeat appearance during their session,” says Todd Gillespie, director of sales and marketing for the 254-room property on a 175-acre wooded spread overlooking the Columbia River Gorge in Stevenson, Wash.
Skamania, about a 45-minute drive east of Portland International Airport, combines a spectacular natural environment of waterfalls and forests with sophisticated meeting facilities that include a 22,000-square-foot, IACC-approved conference center. The property, designed in classic lodge style with a river rock fireplace and salvaged 100-year-old timber columns, offers an 18-hole golf course, a full-service spa and several restaurants.
Skamania’s newest offering is an 18-hole putting golf course with a fire pit that is proving to be a popular venue for team-building events or casual gatherings, according to Gillespie, who describes the venue as “miniature golf for adults.”
“Groups also like our brew bus,” he says. “It picks up guests at the lodge and heads to Hood River, a cool mountain town where they can get a behind-the-scenes tour of the microbreweries.”
Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum
www.suncadiaresort.com
Accommodation choices for meetings abound at Suncadia Resort, a 6,400-acre complex 90 minutes east of Seattle in the Cascade Mountains adjacent to the Wenatchee National Forest. Small retreat groups can take over the 18-room Inn at Suncadia or one or two of the spacious vacation houses. For larger groups, the Lodge at Suncadia offers 254 condominium units and 16,000 square feet of meeting space.
Suncadia’s extensive amenities, which include three golf courses, a full-service spa and a swim and fitness center, make it appealing to a wide range of groups, according to Scott Verrue, director of sales at the property.
“We work with major corporations as well as with associations, military and church groups and family reunions,” he says. “We’re a destination resort that provides everything that you need, so groups need not leave the grounds. It’s conducive for team building, bonding and all the reasons groups gather.”
In spring and summer, recreational options include fly-fishing, hiking, cycling and horseback riding, while winter brings ice skating on a private rink, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Talaris Conference Center, Seattle
www.talarisconferencecenter.com
Located in Seattle just east of the University of Washington campus, Talaris Conference Center bills itself as an “urban oasis” that is just minutes from downtown but miles away from distractions. Set on 18 acres of landscaped grounds, Talaris is where corporate groups such as Alaska Airlines and UPS come for training sessions and retreats. The adjacent university is also a frequent customer.
“We’re a very serene environment where you can enjoy a wildlife pond and even see bald eagles,” says Jason Loya, director of operations. “We can handle up to 100 people in our Cedar Room, but also can accommodate groups as small as two people.”
In addition to 4,200 square feet of meeting space, Talaris offers on-site accommodations in three lodge buildings. According to Loya, accommodations also include hospitality suites that can be used for informal gatherings.
“When Alaska Airlines was here recently, they took over a lodge building and a hospitality suite,” he says. “There are some unique configurations that we can do for groups to have the kind of private space they need.”
Golf and hiking are among the activities that can be easily arranged. Groups can enjoy either indoor or outdoor dining, including barbecue events during the summer. Eclectic restaurants and shops in the University District are nearby. PageBreak
kitsap conference center, bremerton
www.willowslodge.com
On the Bremerton waterfront, an hour’s ferry ride from Seattle, Kitsap Conference Center draws military and government groups as well as social and corporate business, says Ken Millsap, the center’s general manager. The 10,000-square-foot venue does not have on-site accommodations but is steps away from a Hampton Inn and Fairfield Inn.
Bremerton’s importance as a Navy shipyard is evidenced by one of its prime visitor attractions, the USS Turner Joy, a historic battleship that is now a museum.
“Groups can tour the ship and we can arrange catered events onboard,” Millsap says. “We’re located right on a marina and have a breakwater and dock area where we can also do events.”
The conference center recently added a new 1,650-square-foot meeting space, the Fountain Room, overlooking the Harborside Fountain Park and its copper-ringed fountains where water jets soar on a timed basis. An area outside the Fountain Room makes a spectacular event setting, Millsap says.
Cameo Heights Mansion, Touchet
www.cameoheightsmansion.com
Surrounded by 400 acres of orchards and vineyards, Cameo Heights Mansion outside Walla Walla in Eastern Washington hosts small corporate retreats and board meetings. Groups can take over the inn, which offers seven individually decorated suites, a meeting room with a large screen and audiovisual capabilities and a fine dining restaurant called The Vine.
“We have business groups that come back to us year after year for retreats,” says Alan Fielding, owner of the property. “We can arrange for wine tours, which are very big in this area, or cooking classes in our restaurants, which has an open kitchen.”
Groups can kick back at Cameo Heights, playing horseshoes or other lawn games, or fine-tuning their golf game at the on-site driving range.
Maria Lenhart is a former Meetings Focus editor.
