Local adventures are in the eyes of the adventurers. To some, a walk through a stunning garden is an adventure, while others may prefer surfing in the Pacific Ocean.

With more and more business travelers arriving a day early or sticking around a little longer to experience a slice of local adventure, meeting hotels and resorts are armed with options for every occasion. This includes team building during conferences through activities that are part of the very fabric of each destination.

Authentic Adventures

Cape Rey Carlsbad, A Hilton Resort, has unveiled its School of Adventures, which provides meeting and incentive guests with complete cultural immersion into San Diego’s beach vibe through local experiences with expert guides.

The offerings include Surf “Board” Meetings, Wellness 101 and Coastal Cruising. All activities can be customized for attendees or meeting planners who are looking for team building or outdoor excursions to complement traditional boardroom programs. Adventures are designed for a minimum of four participants.

“With School of Adventures, visiting groups can bond while connecting with locals and the places they frequent in an authentic and real way,” said Rob Stirling, director of sales and marketing for Cape Rey. “It’s a great complement to our existing offerings for groups, which already include beautiful ocean view meeting spaces, coastal menus inspired by local produce and carefully curated on-property activities such as our Iron Chef-style Chopped Kitchen and ocean-themed mini-spa sessions in the boardroom.”

Cape Rey’s initial School of Adventures offerings include Surf “Board” Meetings, Wellness 101 and Coastal Cruising. All activities can be customized for attendees or meeting planners who are looking for team building or outdoor excursions to complement traditional boardroom programs. A minimum of four participants is required for each activity.

The 215-room resort has 25,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor event space.

Got Art?

The ART, a hotel, is setting itself apart from its Denver neighbors by offering a unique art team-building experience. The property lives up to its name in more ways than one.

For starters, it has a collection of more than 50 pieces of modern art, including commissioned works by Leo Villareal, Larry Bell and Rob Reynolds. Located steps from Colorado History Center and Denver Art Museum, The ART offers an urban art run and art-inspired team building for breakouts.

Celebrating its one-year anniversary this summer, The ART has 165 guest rooms 5,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor event space.

Never too Hot for Golf

Scottsdale, Arizona, features more than 200 golf courses, including Troon North Golf Club, We-Ko-Pa Golf Club and Grayhawk Golf Club. But when summer brings triple digit temperature, know there are other options in Scottsdale.

X-Golf is a world-class golf simulator experience that meshes golf and entertainment. The top-notch facility features state-of-the-art technology, motivational coaches and a beer and wine bar. Six simulators are designed for golfers of all skill levels and provide data about swings and ball-striking ability.

Shark Adventures

Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa organizes shark dives, both cage and free, for a one-of-a-kind meeting experience for adrenaline junkies. The resort is positioned on Florida’s famed Gold Coast with access to the world’s third-largest barrier reef. This adventure allows attendees to skip the coffee break for a chance to share the water with predators ranging from Florida’s sandbar and lemon sharks to massive tiger sharks.

The resort features 193 guest rooms and 3,604 sq. ft. of meeting space, with room for up to 160.

Caribbean Concentrate

The menu of team-building and group activities at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman features a team of naturalists affiliated with the resort’s Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment program.  Among the adventures here is a scenic cruise to Stingray City Sandbar, where guests explore the local marine life including interacting with stingrays in a natural setting. The sea-life adventures continue with snorkeling in the clear, turquoise, Cayman waters.  Kayak tours explore the coastal mangrove wetlands.

The 375-room luxury resort offers 13,000 sq. ft. of event space, including a 9,000-square-foot ballroom.

The winding, 3,168-foot pathway from Naples Grande Beach Resort to the Gulf of Mexico is an excursion unto itself. One of the top meeting resorts in Florida’s Paradise Coast, Naples Grande sits back a tad from the beachfront, but makes sure its guests have access to the Gulf by offering a shuttle that weaves through a mangrove forest. It’s just one of the amenities attendees will enjoy if you meet here.

At the end of the path, the mangroves give way to a white-sand beach that stretches endlessly in both directions. With the calm, warm water of the gulf gently kissing the shoreline, it’s a very safe option for swimming—and all water sports—especially compared to Florida’s meeting giants across the state on the Atlantic Ocean.

But for those who prefer pools, Naples Grande has three of them. There’s a large family pool with a slide, an adjacent adult-only pool and a lap pool just off the tennis complex, which sports 15 clay courts. Just want to relax? Enjoy a treatment at The Spa at Naples Grande, which was recently renovated. Naples Grande even has its own private golf course, located about 15 minutes from the resort. It’s only open to hotel guests and local members. The new clubhouse makes a great one-two punch for a golf outing followed by a reception, creating an offsite that is very easy to coordinate.

What is Paradise Coast?

There’s so much to do at Naples Grande that a visit to the resort will give any first-time guest to Southwest Florida a vivid experience emblematic of the Paradise Coast. Naples is the key meeting city in Collier County, which has been dubbed Florida’s Paradise Coast by the local convention and visitors bureau. The county also includes Marco Island and Everglades City, and the CVB promotes all three cities.

Most visitors to Naples will be flying through Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers, about a 30-minute drive to Naples Grande. (Fort Myers is the meetings hub for neighboring Lee County.) RSW currently offers direct international flights to and from Dusseldorf, Germany; Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, Canada; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Nassau, Bahamas; and Cancun, Mexico. The airport provides nonstop service to 45 destinations on 14 air carriers.

Kayaking in Paradise

Back to the beach, which is one of the things Naples Grande and Paradise Coast is known for. During a recent visit, I took the shuttle down to the beach, where I went kayaking. The resort rents single and double kayaks, with the ability to accommodate around 15 people at a time. It’s not uncommon for groups to rent out the entire supply and take turns kayaking, once again taking full advantage of the calm waters and incredible scenic waterways that separate the resort from the Gulf.

During my paddle, I saw herons, egrets, ibis and pelicans. Two anglers getting around on pedal-powered kayaks cast out nets to haul in bait. As one man removed the bait fish from his net, an elegant, bold heron walked right up to him and took a small fish from his hand. It was an amazing sight and reminded me of the paradise that surrounded me.

After I kayaked, I relaxed beachside at the Naples Grande cafe called Rhode’s End. Sipping on a pina colada, a tradition I usually reserve for vacation, I chatted with a Naples local and asked where he takes his out-of-town guests. He smiled and said “right here.” Not only is the beach virtually private due to its isolation, but it offers a magnificent setting to experience the colorful sunset and have a cocktail; food is also served.

Meeting & Event Details

Besides its recreation opportunities, Naples Grande offers 474 guest rooms in its main, 18-floor tower and 50 villas, which feature a bedroom area and living room.

Most indoor meeting space is conveniently positioned on the resort’s second floor, creating a contained area for groups to easily move from general sessions to breakouts. In total, there is 83,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, including a 14,442-square-foot ballroom, one of the largest in Collier County. The 5,802-square-foot ground-level ballroom opens up to the terrace, creating great flow for receptions.

The ground level is open and inviting, with a lobby bar and restaurant that are conducive for networking. It’s totally easy to meet on the second floor and continue the conversations with a cocktail at the oblong bar or on the terrace or at the pool just beyond the terrace.

Florida’s Paradise Coast is just that—a slice of paradise. And Naples Grande Beach Resort is doing its part to help build and uphold that reputation.