While many of California’s urban hubs are pulsating with infrastructure growth and new business activity, the Golden State has no shortage of places to get away from it all. Here are a few new or renovated choices conducive for retreats, board meetings and other gatherings where bonding and creative contemplation are of topmost concern.
HorseTail Ranch, Paso Robles
Located in the heart of the Paso Robles wine country, HorseTail Ranch is newly available for corporate retreats as well as special events. Accommodations consist of the Main Villa—a 3,500-square-foot luxury house with a spacious patio, five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths and an open great room and kitchen—and The Cabin, a secluded one-bedroom structure with a loft.
The surrounding 150 acres of rolling hills offers a private lake and trails for hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. The property also has numerous outdoor event spaces and a barn for indoor events. Catered events for up to 120 people are frequently arranged, according to owner Kena Efraim who developed the property with her husband, Ben.
“You can have a great hoe-down type party in the barn—we even serve food in the stalls, which are very clean, as the horses are out grazing in the pastures,” she said. “We can host small corporate retreats where everyone stays on the property or larger meetings where some of the attendees stay at nearby hotels.”
Along with offering catered meals on-site, HorseTail Ranch can arrange for shuttle transportation to local restaurants as well as wine-tasting tours.
Hotel Corque, Solvang
With its vineyard views of the Santa Ynez Valley, Hotel Corque in Solvang seems a world away from the hubbub of Los Angeles yet is little more than two hours away by car. The stylish boutique property, which is owned by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, features 122 guest rooms and 7,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.
With retreats and small meetings among its target markets, the hotel is offering free meeting space to groups that book mid-week meetings that include certain room and food and beverage minimum requirements. The offer is valid through February 2018.
The Inn at Newport Ranch, Fort Bragg
Set amid 2,000 pristine acres just north of Mendocino, The Inn at Newport Ranch sits in splendid isolation on a bluff above the Pacific where whales spout offshore at any time of year. Just inland are hillside forests where guests can hike or ride horseback on 20 miles of trails, some following creek beds lined with redwoods and wild ferns. Also available are thrilling ATV tours along the bluffs and ridgetops.
Custom built by over 40 master craftsmen, the Inn is an architectural marvel with such features as a 20-foot-wide, walk-in stone fireplace, floor boards and paneling from salvaged old-growth redwoods, headboards of burnished burls, wrap-around porches and a hot tub set on top of a water tower.
Accommodating up to 30 guests, there is a main lodge and several outbuildings with luxury suites, saunas and other amenities.
Meeting spaces include a conference room, dining/boardroom for up to 30 and outdoor venues such as Council Bluffs, a gathering place above the Pacific with a fire pit and natural stones for seating. The Inn also provides on-site catering for groups, with an emphasis on wines from local vintners and vegetables grown on the property.
Since opening last year, the Inn has drawn numerous corporate retreat and board groups, most coming from the Bay Area, according to Creighton Smith, general manager. Many groups choose to buy out the property, he said.
“We’re ideal for strategy meetings where you really need to focus,” he said. “We can close the gates and totally concentrate on the group’s needs and budget. Nothing here is canned, everything is completely customized.”
Tallman Hotel, Upper Lake
Two-and-a-half hours north of San Francisco in the Lake County hamlet of Upper Lake, the Tallman Hotel, originally an 1860s stagecoach stop, is high on vintage charm and amenities for small meetings and retreats. Its 17 guest rooms each feature private verandas and patios, including some with ofuro—Japanese soaking tubs.
Accommodating up to 30 people, the free-standing Riffe’s Meeting House features an antique French conference table and full audiovisual capabilities. Catering and on-site dining is provided by the hotel’s Blue Wing Saloon & Restaurant, which serves casual California fare, handcrafted cocktails, artisan beers and local wines. Groups can also convene or dine in an outdoor courtyard shaded by sycamore trees.
“Since we’re convenient to both the Bay Area and Sacramento, we’re a good Northern California meeting point,” said Susan Mesick, general manager. “We can arrange for a lot of experiences for groups, including wine-tasting seminars, pontoon rides and kayaking on Clear Lake, or even a visit to a local goat farm that makes gourmet cheeses.”
The Clement Palo Alto
While it’s located across from the Stanford University campus and just down the road from the nucleus of Silicon Valley, The Clement Palo Alto exudes the secluded atmosphere and privacy of a luxurious residence. Accessible only to registrants and their guests, The Clement offers 23 one-bedroom suites and amenities that include a fully stocked food pantry available 24 hours, customized dining service and a concierge assigned to each guest. Groups will find such gathering spots as a spacious living room with a stone fireplace, boardroom, outdoor dining terrace with a fire pit and a rooftop pool deck with cabanas and a Jacuzzi.
According to Colleen Gerstner, director of sales and marketing, the property is frequently used for corporate retreats, often on a buyout basis, as well as for the top-tier of executives attending meetings based at the nearby Westin and Sheraton hotels, which are under the same ownership.
“The all-inclusive concept has been a welcome change for those who are constantly on the road traveling,” she said. “We provide a very private and customized experience for our corporate clients.”
Sanctuary Beach Resort, Monterey Bay
Comprised of 60 cottages and suites tucked along the protected Marina Dunes Preserve on the Monterey Peninsula, the Sanctuary Beach Resort is under new management by Hersha Hospitality and is upping its appeal as a corporate retreat destination. The luxury resort recently reopened Salt Wood Kitchen and Oysterette restaurant, following an extensive renovation that included the addition of meeting and event space that includes ocean-view conference rooms and a patio with a fire pit and green living wall.
Salt Wood Kitchen enables Sanctuary to host up to 120 people on a buyout of the property, which attracts tech-oriented and other groups from the Bay Area and Southern California.
The appeal of Sanctuary is that it’s not a typical hotel environment, but one that gives groups a sense of having their own private beach house. Sandcastle building, beach bonfires, nature walks, yoga sessions on the beach and mixology classes are among the teambuilding and relaxation options available for groups.
