If you’re looking for a winter destination to excite and motivate your group, head for the mountains of the West. The western regions of the U.S. and Canada are home to an impressive collection of iconic historic and modern mountain lodges and resorts, and these properties are often at their best in the snowy season.
Here’s a peek at a few of the best, and how they can make groups feel warm and fuzzy, even in the heart of winter.
The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Opened in 1918, this luxurious resort encompassing 5,000 acres in Colorado Springs, Colo., incorporates the timeless elegance of a historic hotel with a plethora of activities such as golf, spa, horseback riding, biking and boating.
“Executives and meeting planners select us for incentive trips, meetings, retreats and conferences because they appreciate our unique location and our award-winning, genuine service,” says Pepper Dombroski, director of sales for The Broadmoor. “We’ve expanded the boundaries of The Broadmoor experience and offer unique experiences in a wilderness setting at Cloud Camp, The Ranch at Emerald Valley and The Fishing Camp, which are perfect for board retreats, top-level incentives and planning meetings.”
A variety of accommodations are available at The Broadmoor, including 622 guest rooms, 111 suites, two brownstones, 44 cottage bedrooms and 10 cabins at The Ranch at Emerald Valley.
The Broadmoor has 185,000 square feet of meeting space with 62 meeting venues and several picturesque outdoor settings. Come the cold season, a “Winter Passport” offers a blizzard of cool experiences ranging from culinary courses and cosmic bowling to golfing—with indoor lessons and even outdoor play, weather permitting.
Inn of the Mountain Gods, Mescalero, N.M.
“Winter is a special time at Inn of the Mountain Gods, when snow blankets the surrounding Sierra Blanca, inviting guests up for an afternoon of skiing and snowboarding at Ski Apache,” says Frizzell Frizzell Jr., the property’s chief operating officer. “The quiet beauty of Lake Mescalero in winter is truly something to behold.”
The sprawling casino resort impresses throughout the year as well, with championship golf, a gamut of adventurous outdoor options that includes two zip-line tours and a dazzling casino with the full offering of gaming action.
The property also boasts 373 guest rooms and about 40,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space.
Fairmont Banff Springs, Alberta, Canada
Dubbed the “Castle in the Rockies”, this historic hotel built in 1888 is styled after a Scottish Baronial castle.
Perched in the Rocky Mountains in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, about a 90-minute drive from Calgary International Airport, the 768-room hotel offers amenities such as 27 holes of championship golf, a luxury spa and fine dining.
“The Fairmont Banff Springs is an iconic part of the Canadian landscape that triggers a sense of curiosity and excitement amongst today’s modern explorers,” says David Roberts, vice president and general manager for The Fairmont Banff Springs. “The meeting planner today is charged with the responsibility of being that explorer seeking out unique destinations on behalf of their client, with the mandate to awaken their souls and let them breathe again. In this regard, all roads lead to the Banff Springs.”
The hotel’s 76,000 square feet of meeting space encompasses a variety of indoor and outdoor venues as well as off-site settings. For execution ease, the Fairmont Banff Springs’ Signature Events offer one-of-a-kind themed, turn-key events such as the Medieval Castle Feast and Taste of Canada.
Wintertime doings range from snowshoe treks and cozy indoor wine tastings to hitting the nearby ski slopes and racing down the Rockies.
Deer Valley Resort, Park City, Utah
While it does offer ample other snowy options that include sleigh rides, snowshoeing and even hot-air ballooning, Deer Valley at its heart is truly a skiers’ paradise.
“Deer Valley Resort is consistently ranked No. 1 in the categories of guest service, on-mountain food and mountain grooming by the readers of SKI Magazine,” says Dirk Beal, director of sales.
The options for groups are pretty amazing, including watching top-tier ski races, partaking in their own customized competitions with fellow attendees or even skiing with three-time Olympian Heidi Voelker. And that’s truly just the tip of the iceberg.
Another awesome element of the resort is a robust offering of cool lodgings, letting planners pick the perfect place for their particular group. As just one example, the Grand Lodge boasts 17 three- to six-bedroom lodgings and ski-in/ski-out accessibility.
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Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Alberta, Canada
With a movable feast of panoramic mountain and lake views, elk sightings and wild geese flying above, the 446-room Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge immerses attendees in a rejuvenating environment engulfed by nature and abundant wildlife.
Set in Jasper National Park in Alberta, the 700-acre resort accommodates guests in a village of cedar chalets and luxury cabins connected by charming paths.
“Our conference services and sales team can customize ideas based on your schedule, budget, size and individual group needs to ensure a fun and memorable meeting or event”, says Uwe Walter, director of sales and marketing for the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. “From a stunning mountain-top stargazing reception to a black-tie gala dinner in the Mary Schaffer Ballroom, our inspiring teams will assist you in planning an unforgettable meeting or event.”
For a function space with a sweeping view of the lake, forest and mountains, the Beauvert Room, with expansive windows and a 25-foot-high ceiling, can accommodate up to 600 people for receptions.
The wonders of winter run the gamut from ice skating and dogsledding treks to soaking in a spacious Jacuzzi surrounded by snow.
Glacier Park Lodge, Glacier National Park, Mont.
“One of our goals is to make our guests’ days as beautiful and stress-free as the scenery itself,” says Heather Cauffman, marketing coordinator for the Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier Park, Mont.
Set in the Blackfeet Reservation, the 161-room Glacier Park Lodge opened in 1913. The giant timbers that support the lodge were 500 to 800 years old when they were cut and measure 40 feet long and more than 40 inches in diameter.
Popular group activities include horseback riding, fishing excursions, rafting trips, hiking on 735 miles of trails, golf on the lodge’s nine-hole course and treatments at the Day Spa. Arrangements can also be made for a private boat cruise on Two Medicine Lake.
Glacier Park Lodge has three banquet rooms with space to accommodate up to 300 people.
“Our famous Cowboy Cookout is perfect for welcome and farewell dinners and always puts everyone in a great mood,” Cauffman says.
While some of the park’s tempting hiking trails aren’t accessible in winter, active attendees can still get out for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and other doings.
Sun Mountain Lodge, Winthrop, Wash.
Nestled in the foothills of the North Cascade mountain range in Washington state, 182 miles from Spokane, Sun Mountain sits on 3,000 acres above the Western-themed town of Winthrop.
Built in 1968, the 115-room Sun Mountain Resort has 5,800 square feet of meeting space with six meeting rooms.
Some of its more popular group activities are cowboy dinners, wintertime sleigh-ride dinners, group games and casino nights.
For teambuilding, the “Wounded Pilot” program involves a reconnaissance team (up to 32 people) searching for a downed pilot in enemy territory through a series of clues along the Sun Mountain Trail system.
Sundance Mountain Resort, Sundance, Utah
Founded in 1969 by Robert Redford, Sundance has evolved into a resort haven combining the celebrated actor’s vision of a place committed to the balance of art, nature and community.
Located about 20 minutes from Provo, Utah, at the base of 12,000-foot Mount Timpanogos, Sundance Mountain Resort has 95 guest cottages, 10 mountain homes and 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.
“Our lodging and event spaces are nestled beneath breathtaking mountains and provide a truly unique, nature-inspired experience with all of the luxury our guests expect from Sundance,” says Chad Linebaugh, general manager for Sundance Mountain Resort.
Highlighting Sundance’s meeting and event venues are the 3,500-square-foot Redford Conference Center; the 144-seat Screening Room Theatre, which is used for the Sundance Film Festival; and the Outdoor Amphitheatre, with a mountain backdrop, 840 bench seats and 400 lawn seats.
As for snow business, the resort is a veritable hub of frosty fun, with a Nordic Center for snowshoeing and cross-country, a ski school and even wintertime fly-fishing.
Thunderbird Lodge, Incline Village, Nev.
Known as Lake Tahoe’s Castle-in-the-Sky, this magnificent stone structure near Incline Village, Nev., is a museum and learning center in addition to an iconic lodging.
The 70-year old Thunderbird Lodge, a National Historic Site, is accented with beautiful landscaping, providing groups with a tranquil setting of Lake Tahoe and surrounding snow-capped mountains.
Up to 16 people can enjoy an elegant private dinner at the main building. Other venues for events and small meetings include a waterfront gazebo, small patios connected by stone pathways, a conference room and lakeside lawn.
Private cocktail cruises are possible for up to 20 people on the Thunderbird Yacht, a sleek, Art Deco-style speedboat with impressive wood detailing.
And when Jack Frost comes to town, guests will find plenty of nearby skiing ops. It is Incline Village after all!
Timberline Lodge, Mount Hood, Ore.
A classic American ski lodge and a National Historic Landmark, the 70-room Timberline Lodge, 60 miles east of Portland, Ore., sits on the south slope of Mount Hood at an elevation of 6,000 feet.
“Teamwork built Timberline Lodge in 1937 and it is an inspiration to our business retreat guests to become part of something bigger than themselves where they can clear their heads with fresh mountain air and a view of the Cascade Mountain Range,” says Tammy Villali, director of sales.
Timberline’s teambuilding menu includes igloo building, group skiing and a scavenger hunt.
There are four event venues and conference space ranging in size from 1,100 to 2,400 square feet. Other options include the Silcox Hut, which is located up the mountain and can accommodate small meetings and 22 overnight guests, and the main lobby with a fireplace where meal functions of up to 40 are possible.
Movie buffs will recognize the resort’s handsome exterior from The Shining, but the property truly shines come winter with robust skiing and snowboarding, and you can even take your group for a rugged ride on a Snowcat mountain vehicle.
EDWARD SCHMIDT JR. is an Orlando-based writer who loves to go visit the mountains.
