Summer Mountain Meetings

Author: Avital Binshtock
March 2008

Features

Majestic peaks and high-altitude ranges

Close your eyes and envision a mountain resort. Do you see snow-capped mountains, skis and snowboards, scarves and beanies? Then think again. Though many of us associate mountain destinations with winter
fun, it’s time to recognize the potential they hold for another wondrous season: summer.

Why is a mountain property ideal for a summer event? Well, for starters, mountain resorts offer breathtaking backdrops for meetings and the perfect setting for a nearly endless array of outdoor team-building activities.

The invigorating alpine air commingled with abundant summer sunshine is a formula guaranteed to energize any group; attendees will jump at the chance to get away from the city and connect with nature.

On a practical level, mountain meeting locations offer professional venues and staff on par with their urban counterparts. And planning a summer mountain meeting is likely to equal affordability, since these months represent a value time for mountain towns. Thus, meeting planners can save significantly while still reaping the benefits of an upscale venue.

As Bobby Foster, a spokesperson for Premier Resorts puts it, “Summer meetings offer luxury accommodations at off-peak rates, with a wide variety of warm-weather activities nearby.”

Sarah McElwee, a vice president at H&R Block, has been planning meetings for 15 years. According to her, “Summer meetings in the mountains are a fabulous idea. It’s a great secret, which now may be blown, that there are very few crowds, as people tend to associate the mountains with winter activities.”

Also in on the secret is John Yodice, convention chair for the Lawyer Pilot Bar Association. Several years ago, he discovered “the bargains that can be had in the summertime at luxury hotels whose principal market has been winter skiers.” After planning two such meetings, both of which went off successfully, he booked one last summer at Park City’s Chateaux at Silver Lake. “It was as we anticipated,” he says. “Luxury at bargain prices. The staff at the hotel is used to catering to higher-class guests with higher-class amenities.”

Mountain meetings work particularly well for smaller conferences that require a more reclusive environment—but they also enable family-friendly events, a real bonus for attendees who wish to add pre- and post-days. Kids are out of school then, and the amount of available activities for people of all ages could make a great family vacation.

So, are there any reasons not to plan at mountain resorts? A few, yes. Foremost among them is that winter-centric destinations can slow down during “off” months; restaurants and entertainment venues may be closed.

Then there are the health considerations that come with being high above sea level; you’ll want to be sure that none of your key attendees have medical conditions prohibiting them from traveling to high altitudes—and you’ll want to inform all your attendees to stay hydrated, not to drink too much alcohol and to limit high-impact activities upon arrival.

One last limiting factor is transportation: “Traditionally, mountain resorts are not the easiest to get to, requiring multiple air connections or extended ground travel, but they certainly are worth it,” says Phelps Hope, vice president of Kellen Meetings (kellencompany.com). “There is an old adage in Vail that you come for the skiing but stay for the summer. The summertime in the mountain resorts is a magical time, as the environment creates such a sense of well-being.”

CALIFORNIA
The state that offers every imaginable kind of environs offers breathtaking mountains as well. In Mammoth, the Westin Monache is celebrating its first summer this year (it opened in November), and its staff is eager to show off. An indicator of the direction Mammoth’s going— upscale, that is— this Westin offers 24-hour room service, a restaurant, a pool and hot tubs, fitness facilities and underground parking.

But California’s quintessential mountain destination is none other than Lake Tahoe, a region that straddles Nevada’s border. Among its California-side properties is PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn, at the base of Squaw Valley USA Mountain, site of the 1960 Olympics. The property has an acclaimed restaurant, PlumpJack Cafe, and a plethora of team-building experiences within reach (think wine tasting, ice skating, waterskiing and hot-air ballooning).

Minutes away is the Village at Squaw Valley USA, gorgeous for a summer retreat. In February, a new 2,000-square-foot meeting facility was added to the existing meeting space. Accommodations consist of condos made attractive with mountain decor, and made practical with high-speed Internet access, a full kitchen, a fireplace, a patio and heated floors throughout.

On Tahoe’s North Shore is Northstar-at-Tahoe, where summer brings unique indoor-outdoor venue space for meetings, such as the Cabana Bar at the roller-skating rink, which is perfect for cocktails and special functions. Also in the Village at Northstar is the award-winning Mikuni Sushi restaurant, which can be reserved for group “Sushiology” classes.

At Kirkwood, also north of the lake, lodging varies from single units to three-bedroom condos; eight meeting locations are spread throughout the resort, as are six restaurants and four lounges. Summer activities include geocaching, a ropes course, ziplining, white-water rafting, hiking, golf and rock-climbing.

Before we move on to the Nevada side of the Sierra, it’s worth mentioning that The Ritz-Carlton Highlands is scheduled to open on the California side of Lake Tahoe late next year.

NEVADA
Just over the Nevada border, MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa is a hip, modern beacon for those seeking exciting meetings in Tahoe. Its convention center, plus great dining and nightlife options, can be the preferred destination for a 1,300-person gathering.

About 20 miles north of MontBleu is the Hyatt Regency, with its own private beach and pier, plus 25,000 sq. ft. of outdoor function space alone. The Lakeside Ballroom provides unobstructed views, while 16 meeting rooms serve as command centers for conferences. The staff creates memorable summer events right on the lake—think sunset cocktails on Pier 111, roast-your-own-s’mores parties and guided hikes. The Hyatt’s 20,000-square-foot spa is Tahoe’s largest, and offers altitude-acclimatizing treatments incorporating mountain-derived essential oils. There’s also 24-hour gambling, a 55-foot catamaran available to groups and two on-site Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed golf courses.

Zephyr Cove is another Nevada-side Tahoe property perfect for group retreats. Its lodging is within attractive cabins, the largest one of which works for a 15-person event. The lakefront Shoreline at Zephyr Cove can hold up to 1,000, while Zephyr Cove Restaurant seats 80. The resort’s boats make for lovely on-the-water venues: the MS Dixie II can take 400 to see the lake’s most scenic spots.

NEW MEXICO
Taos, a mountain town that’s also a UNESCO World Heritage site, possesses a healing, earthy essence that has attracted luminaries from Georgia O'Keeffe to Ansel Adams to Julia Roberts, all of whom have chosen to call this 400-year-old artists’ colony home. Taos Convention Center has more than 30,000 sq. ft.; the versatile Rio Grande Hall hosts 700 within its 7,536 square feet.
When choosing group lodging in Taos, opt for El Monte Sagrado, which offers enchanting meeting spaces like the private wine room, with a domed ceiling and mosaic-marble floor, to the cavernous library and to the Anaconda Bar, named for the massive snake sculpture slithering across the ceiling.
Over in Santa Fe, historic Sunrise Springs Resort, a 70-acre eco-resort, has flexible meeting spaces that are airy and light-filled, with windows overlooking ponds, gardens or the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The resort’s newer buildings are made of reclaimed materials and use energy-saving light bulbs, pressure-reducing showerheads and locally made in-room amenities. The resort’s Sages Arts Center offers stress-relieving activities that deepen creativity, such as tai chi, meditation and raku pottery. At Spa Samadhi, healers draw upon centuries-old seasonal healing methods.

COLORADO
Colorado is unarguably America’s mountain capital, with 54 mountains topping 14,000 feet. And Colorado’s prototypical mountain town is Aspen.
Planners seeking to provide attendees with the royal treatment should book the luxurious St. Regis. It’s at the base of Aspen Mountain, a block from downtown and steps from the gondola. Meeting space includes a grand ballroom, breakout rooms and a business center. Olives Restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine by Todd English, while treatments at Remede Spa include champagne and truffles.
Also in Aspen is Hotel Jerome, a Rock-Resort that can host 600. It’s home to Aspen’s historic J-Bar, a watering hole since 1889,
and guests are entitled to use the exclusive Aspen Club & Spa, a 77,000-square-foot fitness facility.

As fabulous as Aspen is, Colorado does have other locations to consider, and they’re as broad-ranging as the Rockies are high. Vail is another high-class mountain town with a constantly evolving set of offerings. The newest arrival is Arrabelle at Vail Square, which opened in January. At the base of Vail Mountain, its elegant banquet facility offers luxury and the possibility of a buyout. Its French brasserie, Centre V, is headed by acclaimed chef Thomas Salamunovich. In February, Arrabelle opened its 9,000-square-foot spa.

Vail Cascade Resort, on Gore Creek, is a AAA Four-Diamond property undergoing a $30-million transformation. Says Director of Sales Matthew Martinucci, “When this renovation is complete, it will be evident that we’ve listened to our guests and designed new spaces and services especially for them.” Additions include a 4,000-square-foot conference area; lodging options include suites, condos and private homes.

Vail Valley is anticipating the July opening of the Westin Riverfront Resort at Beaver Creek Mountain’s base. The resort is incorporating green practices (such as recycling bins on every floor and native-plant landscaping) and is on track to receive LEED certification. Indoor facilities will offer mountain views from floor-to-ceiling windows, while a 2,000-square-foot outdoor banquet terrace adjoins a riverfront lawn. A concierge will arrange adventures like river rafting and jeep tours. At Spa Anjali, treatments will be mountain-inspired; at Chef Thomas Salamunovich’s restaurant, local ingredients will come together for an eco-friendly abundance of flavor.

Another of Colorado’s character-filled mountain towns is Telluride, a National Historic Landmark District in the Rockies. At 8,750 feet, it’s within North America’s largest concentration of 14,000-foot peaks—and renowned for its Old West charm and 300 sunny days per year. Summer gatherings here can incorporate walking tours, visits to old mining camps and a free gondola ride that provides glorious mountain views. Once your group arrives, however, there’s no need for transportation arrangements, as everything is within easy walking distance.

Telluride Conference Center has more than 11,000 square feet. For lodging, choose the Inn at Lost Creek, a three-minute walk from the conference center. Its lodge-style ambience creates a warm, sociable atmosphere.
Grand Junction, halfway between Denver and Salt Lake City, has a CVB ready to help plan. Nine in-town lodgings offer 66,000 sq. ft. of meeting space; three of them opened in 2006, including Marriott’s Residence Inn and Courtyard. Offsite events are a huge selling point here: there’s the Chateau at Two Rivers Winery, harvest tours (peaches, apples and cherries) and the Colorado National Monument, a National Park Service preserve encompassing 32 square miles of rugged Western landscape including nature-filled canyons, cliffs and monoliths.

About an hour southwest of Grand Junction, in the heart of red-rock country, is Gateway Canyons Resort, which opened in 2005 and is expanding through 2011. Constructed adobe-style, it offers accommodations with woodsy decor, plus a fine-dining restaurant, a general store and on-site rentals for outdoor activities. Meeting options include a company picnic in a mining tent. Two more facilities, an event center and an outdoor amphitheater, will open in 2009. Perhaps the resort’s most interesting offering is the Gateway Colorado Auto Museum, a 30,000-square-foot celebration of the American automobile, housing some of America’s most prized classic cars, including the one-of-a-kind 1954 Oldsmobile F-88. Up to 75 can meet at the museum.

Colorado Springs is home to a winner of both the AAA Five-Diamond and Mobil Five-Star awards: the 90-year-old Broadmoor. The 3,000-acre resort boasts three of the world’s finest golf courses, a superlative tennis program, 25 boutiques, an award-winning spa and 14 eateries, including Colorado’s only Five-Diamond restaurant. Summer attendees can enjoy horseback riding, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, hiking and biking in nearby Cheyenne Cañon and sightseeing at Pikes Peak.

In Breckenridge, Beaver Run Resort features a dramatic view of the slopes. The property recently underwent a $3.5-million renovation that refaced the 2,700-square-foot Imperial Ballroom (offering floor-to-ceiling windows and a balcony) and the 5,000-square-foot Coppertop Cafe. There’s a new spa, too, with two indoor-outdoor pools and seven hot tubs.

UTAH
Utah’s summertime place to be is Park City. With outdoor concerts almost nightly, festivals, gallery strolls, al fresco dining, mountain biking and hiking trails, an alpine slide and zip rides, horseback riding and waterskiing, the summer months bustle with activity.

St. Regis Deer Crest is within walking distance of the Deer Valley concert venue and 1.5 miles from historic Main Street. Amenities at this elegant, service-oriented property include Remede Spa, a fitness center, a two-tiered swimming pool and fine dining.
Also in Park City is the Chateaux at Silver Lake, with a 6,627-square-foot ballroom and a conference department that sees to many details, including state-of-the-art audiovisuals and catering by the resort’s Bistro Toujours restaurant. The spa soothes while the outdoor pool invigorates.

Much farther south, in St. George and the foothills of Snow Canyon, is spiritual Red Mountain Spa, a destination devoted to wellness and activity. Group packages can include spa treatments, geology hikes, life-coaching sessions and nutrition classes. Other offerings include daily morning hikes, “awareness walks” and tai chi. Planners can even opt for a private poolside mud party, during which attendees are given therapeutic clay to slather on their bodies.

IDAHO
McCall, 100 miles north of Boise, is a great summer destination, with farmers’ markets, art fairs, sailing regattas, concerts and Independence Day festivities that include a boat parade on Lake Payette.

On the pristine lake banks, in beautiful Ponderosa State Park, is 1,300-acre Whitetail Club & Resort, which has the ambience of a European-style sporting lodge. This all-suite resort presents a high level of service and can host 300. There’s a 45-seat private movie theater, a private marina (with ski and tour boats) and the Andy North-designed golf course. Two restaurants, run by David Campbell, offer exquisite cuisine alongside sweeping lake vistas, while the spa offers custom treatments.

MONTANA
In a state named after mountains, you can expect that mountain meetings will be as great as the Montana Rockies themselves. One wonderful venue, in Darby, is Triple Creek Ranch, perfect for 30-person meetings (though 56 can sleep in on-property cabins). An event coordinator plans activities (horseback riding, cattle drives, ATV tours) at this upscale, all-inclusive 600-acre property. Exclusive use ensures customized food menus, choice of meeting space, airport transfers and welcome gifts.

WYOMING
Perhaps the best view of the Tetons—the world’s most photographed mountains—is from 1,000-acre Spring Creek Ranch. Their innovative meetings offerings (for 290) are unique to the resort’s stellar position near Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks; outdoor spaces include a firepit and teepees, while activities include naturalist-led hikes that culminate in a campfire breakfast.

Jackson Lake Lodge, where the two national parks converge, is an authorized concessionaire of the National Park Service and just minutes from Jackson Hole. With 17 versatile conference rooms that can fit 700, this lodge can coordinate formal, five-course dinners as easily as outdoor barbeques on Elk Island or a Western hoedown. At the Mural Dining Room (think authentic Western cuisine), the Teton Range looks magnificent from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Meetings here are eco-friendly, too: recyclables are collected after each event, and organic, local ingredients are used when preparing the cuisine.

In Jackson Hole proper is alpine-style Teton Mountain Lodge, with five flexible event rooms that can be configured to fit 120. The property opened in 2002 and grew in 2007 with a fitness center, a wing of rooms and a 16,000-square-foot spa. Also added was a rooftop studio for Pilates and Bikram-style yoga. The signature restaurant, 105-seat Cascade Grill House, uses free-range, organic products and offers views of the Gros Ventre Mountain Range.

CANADA
Think Canadian mountains, and you think Whistler. British Columbia’s peak of pride is also the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics. But what’s there to do in summer, when warm weather and wildflowers are abundant? Lots. How about ATV-ing or mountain biking? Bear-viewing or bungee jumping? Ziplining or trapeze lessons? The possibilities are virtually endless.
The venerable Four Seasons Resort Whistler is full of luxury and built like an opulent mountainside chalet. Its rustic-modern Harmony Ballroom can host 350, while the 90-seat Fifty Two 80 Bistro (named after Blackcomb’s vertical-mile elevation) shows off Chef Jason McLeod’s culinary prowess.

Yet another impressive Whistler property is The Fairmont Chateau, which has award-winning facilities, inspired West Coast cuisine, experienced staff and the ability to host more than 3,300. One of the Chateau’s more unique spaces is the Woodlands Terrace, a rooftop venue that affords a 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains. Available group workshops include mixology, mushroom foraging and food-wine pairing. On-property golf is available at the Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed, 18-hole course.

Still in British Columbia, but on Vancouver Island, is the Five-Star Aerie Resort, a Relais & Chateaux member, whose full-service conference facility proffers three distinctive meeting spaces: the sunlit Bonelli Garden Room, from which attendees can see mountains (its outdoor lounge provides 180-degree panoramic views and has a fireplace); and the lavish, hilltop Villa Cielo, which includes a kitchen, a 10-person living room, a dining room, a wrap-around patio, colorful gardens – and, if you want, a personal chef and a butler. Set 1,500 feet above the ocean, Aerie’s powerful mountainside setting and old-world luxuries are complemented by on-site professional planners who customize brilliant retreat packages.

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