indianapolis-airport

Indianapolis International Airport (IND) has been selected by passengers as the airport offering the best service quality in North America in 2015, in a recent survey.

Airport Council International announced the winners of its annual Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards, based on more than 555,000 passenger surveys at more than 300 airports around the world. The survey includes 34 important service areas and eight major categories, including access, security, check-in, facilities, food and beverage, and retail.

In the North America region, after the Indianapolis airport, there was a five-way tie for second place: Dallas Love Field (DAL), Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) in Grand Rapids, Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW) and Tampa International Airport (TPA). Five airports also tied for third place: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), Sacramento International Airport (SMF), San Antonio International Airport (SAT) and Toronto Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ).

The top American airports by number of passengers served were Indianapolis (5–15 million), Gerald R. Ford Airport (2–5 million) and Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon (under 2 million).

In other regions, the top airports were:

–Africa: first place, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) in Mauritius; second place (tie), Cape Town International Airport (CPT) and King Shaka International Airport in Durban, South Africa; third place, O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), near Johannesburg

–Asia Pacific: first place (tie), Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul and Singapore Changi Airport (SIN); second place (tie), Beijing Capital International Airport (BJS, PEK), Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM) in Mumbai, New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), Sanya Phoenix International Airport (SYX) in China and Shanghai Pudong Interanational Airport (PVG); third place (tie), Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) in China, Taiwan Taoyan International Aiport (TPE) and Tianjin Binhai (TSN) in China

–Europe: first place (tie) Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO), Pulkovo International Airport (LED) in Saint Petersburg (Russia) and Sochi International Airport (AER) in Russia; second place (tie) Dublin Airport (DUB), Malta International Airport (MLA), Vaclav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) and Zurich Airport (ZRH); third place (tie), Copenhagen Airport (CPH), Keflavik International Airport (KEF) in Iceland, Heathrow Airport (LHR) in London, Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport (OP), near Porto (Portugal) and Vienna International Airport (VIE)

–Latin America: first place, Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport (GYE) in Guayaquil, Ecuador; second place, Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), near Quito, Ecuador; third place, Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) in the Dominican Republic

–Middle East: first place, Amman Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) in Jordan; second place (tie) Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) in United Arab Emirates and Hamad International Airport in Doha (DOH), Qatar; third place (tie), King Fahd International Airport in Dammam (Saudi Arabia); Dubai International Airport (DXB) in United Arab Emirates and Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) in Tel Aviv, Israel

Passengers identified the following as the most improved airports, by region:

–North America: Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport (YXE) in Saskatchewan, Canada
–Africa: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi (Kenya)
–Asia-Pacific: Denpasar International Airport (DPS) in Bali
–Europe: Istanbul Ataturk Airport (IST)
–Latin America/Caribbean: Kingston/Norman Rogers Airport (YGK)
–Middle East: Dammam

convention center hotelDowntown Wilmington, North Carolina

Wilmington Convention Center in North Carolina will soon have its own convention center hotel. A full-service Embassy Suites broke ground this month, with an opening scheduled for spring 2017. The hotel site is adjacent to the conference venue and within walking distance of Wilmington’s historic river district.

“This is great news for the city of Wilmington,” said Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo. “We have been anxiously awaiting a hotel next to the convention center, since it opened late 2010. The new Embassy Suites will allow us to satisfy demand for larger groups in the downtown area and in onsite accommodations from a wider variety of groups and conventions that may not have considered us before now.”’

The new Embassy Suites will offer 186 guest suites and 6,600 sq. ft. of meeting space, including a ballroom and prefunction space on the first floor. There will be additional meeting and dining space on the second floor with a riverfront restaurant, boardroom and three smaller meeting rooms.  Hotel amenities include an indoor pool, fitness center, snack/coffee area and atrium seating. Plus, there will be a 4,003 sq. ft. roof deck and bar.

convention center hotelRendering of Embassy Suites Wilmington Downtown Hotel

The new convention center hotel joins several other establishments proposed for a convention center district. There will also be new restaurants, retail space, an event pier, a riverfront park and marina located close to three beaches. A neighboring 92-room Hampton Inn will open later this year. Nearby, the historic river district already has more than 200 restaurants, shops and attractions in the downtown area. Wilmington has an inventory  of nearly 8,000 hotel rooms.

Construction of the convention center hotel project is expected to generate approximately $46.8 million in economic activity in Wilmington, along with 346 jobs created. After the hotel opens, the city expects to receive a $19.9 million economic boost and 207 additional jobs.

Wilmington Convention Center is LEED Silver certified and can host up to 2,000 people. It has a 30,000-square-foot exhibit hall, 12,000-square-foot ballroom, 12,000-square-foot event lawn, more than 15,000 sq. ft. of prefunction space and nearly 6,000 sq. ft. of additional meeting space.

wolfgang-puck-catering-oscarsFor the past 21 years, Wolfgang Puck Catering has been creating the delicacies served at the annual Governors Ball, the official post-Oscar celebration hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The televised Oscar ceremony, attended by Hollywood glitterati and watched by millions across the globe, takes place this year on Sunday, Feb. 28. Smart Meetings offers a sneak peek at what Master Chef Wolfgang Puck and his esteemed team is cooking up for Oscar night.

The Envelope, Please

In addition to some of his signature dishes such as spicy tuna tartare in sesame miso cones; baked potato with caviar; chicken potpie with shaved black winter truffles; and little ramekins of baked macaroni and cheese, Puck is adding some new F&B items to the red carpet menu.

New options will include avocado toast with radish, sea salt and finger lime; grilled fig filled with local ricotta and saba; taro root tacos with wild mushrooms and salsa verde; artichoke and fromage agnolotti; braised Wagyu short ribs with cauliflower puree and golden raisin puffed Thai rice; ancient grain risotto with peas, mushrooms and pea leaves; and chilled white grape and almond gazpacho. An elaborate raw bar will feature made-to-order sushi, as well as poke, stone crab and king crab legs.

Some of the dishes will be one-bite hors d’oeuvres, while others will be small plates passed throughout the evening by servers clothed in attire chosen by acclaimed costume designer Jeffrey Kurland, who is marking his seventh year as chair of the Governors Ball. To appease Hollywood stars that adhere to special diets, many of the dishes are dairy, nut and gluten-free.

For dessert, the pastry team is creating mouthwatering treats such as pistachio crêpes with strawberry-Champagne foam and crumbled pistachio; caramelia shot with maple cream, muscovado couscous and coffee sorbet; chocolate passion layer cake with chocolate biscuit speculoos and banana ice cream; tiramisu push pops and passion fruit mallomars. The chocolate dessert bar will include Puck’s famous 24-karat-gold chocolate Oscars.

catering-oscars-nightThe glitzy event will take place immediately following the 88th annual Oscar ceremony, in the Ray Dolby Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Center. According to Kurland, the ballroom will feature more than 170 commissioned illustrations of film luminaries, including many who contributed to this year’s crop of esteemed films. The décor theme was inspired by the caricatures that cover the walls of Sardi’s and Brown Derby restaurants.

Oscar Night by the Numbers

1,500 – Number of guests, including Oscar winners, nominees and presenters, Puck and his team will serve
13,000 – Beverage glasses that will need to be washed
4,500 – Bamboo skewers for hors d’oeuvres
2,600 – Weight (in pounds) of the illuminated and sculpted ice raw bar
300 – Maine lobsters
300 – Pounds of Snake River Wagyu beef short rib
10 – Kilos of American caviar
15 – Pounds of winter black truffles, imported from Burgundy, France
800 – Asparagus spears
1,000 – Cara cara orange segments
5,000 – Cage-free local eggs
10 – Gallons of homemade banana ice cream
30 – Pounds of edible gold dust
7,000 – Mini chocolate Oscars
2,400 – Bottles of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne

consumer-electronics-show

We love clever advertising campaigns, especially travel ad campaigns that shine a light on the meetings and events industry.

This week, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) released the third video in its “Unconventional” series of promotional media. “Unconventional” aims to welcome conventions of all shapes, sizes and interests to Las Vegas by highlighting unique industries that help redefine the perception and standards of traditional conferences.

The latest video tracks one company’s trip from Australia to Las Vegas with the hopes of launching its product at CES in January. The product will assist visually impaired people around the world.

More than 170,000 scientists, visionaries, inventors, engineers and brilliant minds took over Las Vegas Jan. 6-9 for the annual CES convention. Attendees ranged from self-proclaimed scientists to those looking for a lucky business break, but the small start-up team from Aipoly of Australia came with ambitions to change the world.

The video series can be found at viva.lasvegas.com as well as on the Las Vegas YouTube, Facebook and Twitter accounts. Two previous videos were released, including “Magic: The Gathering Grand Prix,” which has nearly 57,000 views, and “RollerCon,” which received more than 67,000 views.

Travel Ad Campaigns

Just this week, Texas Tourism launched a new advertising campaign, with the theme of “Texas. It’s Like A Whole Other Country.” The campaign is being rolled out across national television, print and digital media. The campaign transitions the traveler from the big picture to a more in-depth, focus on the unique individual experiences waiting to be discovered.

Three television ads are focusing on family fun, cuisine and traveling like a local. Print ads call attention to the state’s beaches, cuisine, outdoors, Western cultural, music and shopping.

“We are excited to showcase the many unique aspects of Texas through our new campaign,” said Brad Smyth, Tourism Director for Texas Tourism. “Texas is a diverse destination, and the goal of our new creative is to showcase that diversity and immerse prospective travelers in the sights, sounds and flavors they will experience during a trip to our state.”

The Politics of Advertising

Hotels.com is taking advantage of the 2016 presidential campaigns to unveil its new travel ad campaign. The booking agency will be featuring a real person—Captain Obvious—who will be physically running across the United States to prove that he is fitter than other candidates.

Beginning with a national TV commercial airing tonight, Captain Obvious will spend the next several months running across the nation training and monitoring the pulse of the country – and his own pulse. Throughout the race, he will be promoting Hotels.com because it’s simple to book a room, and because he really needs a place to sleep at night.

Hotels.com is using its campaign to call attention to how candidates (and ordinary travelers) can save money using its services. Hotels. com estimates that each presidential candidate spends more than $405,000 on hotels during the primaries and caucuses in 2016. The campaign points out that if they were Hotels.com Rewards members, they’d save more than $40,000 because for every 10 nights you book and stay, you get one free.

To follow Captain Obvious’ race for presidency, use @CaptainObvious or the hashtag #ObviousPresident on Twitter. At CaptainObviousRunsForPresident.com, you can see the latest TV commercials and watch 51 video messages from Captain Obvious from all 50 states and Washington D.C.

Hope you enjoy these travel ad campaigns. They’re inspiring, creative and pro-travel.

Spring Training 2016

America’s pastime is warming up for the upcoming MLB season, with spring training 2016 beginning next week in Arizona and Florida.

We’re a little biased in favor of the San Francisco Giants, who use Scottsdale Stadium in Arizona as their home base this time of year. The stadium has a fantastic location in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale. It seats 12,000, which seems like a lot for spring training, but the Giants seem to have no trouble packing ’em in for their exhibition season.

Scottsdale Stadium is near several hotels and resorts with ample meeting space. Less than a mile from the stadium are Hotel Valley Ho and W Scottsdale. The Valley Ho is celebrating its 60th birthday this year. It offers 191 guest rooms, 13,000 sq. ft. of indoor meeting space and 20,000 sq. ft. of outdoor event space. W Scottsdale anchors the Scottsdale entertainment district. It features 230 guest rooms and 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. The pool creates a dynamic event space.

About 1.5 miles from the stadium is Firesky Resort & Spa, which has 204 guest rooms and suites. There’s 14,000 sq. ft. of event space, including two ballrooms, with room for up to 600.

There’s a $22 million transformation underway at Chaparral Suites, which will soon become Embassy Suites by Hilton Scottsdale Resort. The property is 1.8 miles form Scottsdale Stadium and 3.4 miles from Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. The resort features 312 upgraded guest suites, including multiple-room executive and VIP suites. There’s 60,000 sq. ft. of flexible meetings space, which includes an 11,000-square-foot conference center.

Spring Training 2016W Scottsdale, Arizona

Spring Training 2016 Luxury

The Phoenician is about 2 miles away. Offering 160,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor event space, this jewel has 643 guest rooms and suites, and the 60-room Forbes Five Star Canyon Suites.

The Scottsdale Plaza Resort is located 3.5 miles from the stadium. There are 404 guest rooms and 40,000 sq. ft. of event space. A full-service spa and salon, tennis center, nine-hole putting green and five pools make this property a great home base for all-around sports fans.

The Colorado Rockies and hometown Arizona Diamondbacks play at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch, A Destination Hotel is the place to stay and meet if you’re interested in attending a spring training game at Salt River Fields. The resort is coming off a $10 million renovation, including new outdoor event space, two new restaurants and a bar, and enhanced guest rooms, There’s more than 80,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting space and 326 spacious guest rooms and suites.

Known as the Cactus League, Arizona hosts 15 teams in nine cities and 10 stadiums. Last year, Cactus League fans set attendance records with nearly 1.9 million attending at least one game in greater Scottsdale, according to Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Travel marketing engine Sojern has just released their 2015 hotel insights report, compiled with the help of over one billion traveler intent data points, obtained through Sojern’s  partnerships with myriad travel brands.

The year over year study revealed several things about the changing behaviors of travelers in different countries. For starters, the overall length of time to book is getting longer and the booking lead windows are shrinking.

The study compared booking behaviors in the United States and Europe to illustrate how their behaviors differed, finding that Americans spent 25 percent more time on the “path to purchase” booking a hotel and 15 percent more time booking their flight than Europeans.

Meanwhile only 9 percent of flight searches are conducted three days or less in advance for both Americans and Europeans and 18 and 10 percent of flights are booked same-day, respectively, shrinking the average lead time.

The study found 46 percent of all travelers book their flights the same day as their hotel.

2016 Booking Behavior Forecast

According to the study’s forecast, fourth quarter travelers start booking warmer destinations, increasing the booking rates for Austin, Texas, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Phoenix, Arizona, San Juan, and Dubai. In the same timeframe, Pacific Northwest destinations including Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, San Antonio, Texas, Atlantic City, New Jersey, Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington see a significant drop in bookings compared to third quarter.

You can see the rest of the report’s findings on booking behaviors in the following infographic from Sojern:

Sojerns Hotel Travel Insights Report

Forbes Five Star RatingsThe Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain, Marana, Arizona

The Forbes Five Star ratings were released Monday and some of our favorite meeting properties made the cut. Forbes Travel Guide’s 58th annual lists feature 42 new five-star hotels, expanding the elite club to 154.

As a journalist covering business travel, it’s always fun (and smart) to check out the prestigious rankings to find out how we’re doing with our coverage. And I am pleased to report that we have our fingers on the luxury meetings pulse.

The Forbes Five Star ratings are based on more than 750 standardized criteria for hotels, making it the most rigorous and comprehensive in the industry. The process begins with a facility inspection that considers every aspect of the property, including its overall cleanliness, condition and location.

The five-star property I was most happy about earning yet another coveted rating was Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley in Park City, Utah. It’s one of only two five-star hotels in Utah and was refined and defined by legendary Olympic gold medalist Stein Eriksen, who passed away in December.

Forbes Five Star RatingsStein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley, Park City, Utah

Eriksen granted Smart Meetings an exclusive Q&A interview just before he passed away. Here’s what he told us about how he’d like to be remembered: “I would like to be remembered as an Olympic and world champion who loved the sport of skiing from childhood on, with good friendships, love for nature and a love for life.”

Here are a few other stellar Forbes Five Star meeting properties that have been regularly featured online and in print by Smart Meetings:

The Tower Suites at Wynn and Encore Las Vegas both earned five-star ratings. This marks the 11th year for Wynn Tower Suites and eighth year for Encore Tower Suites to be recognized with this prestigious accolade. Additionally, the Spas at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore were recognized with five-star awards.

Wynn and Encore Las Vegas feature two luxury hotel towers with a total of 4,748 guest rooms, suites and villas, 34 food and beverage outlets featuring signature chefs, an on-site 18-hole golf course, meeting space, three nightclubs, including Intrigue that will debut in April.

Our CEO and founder Marin Bright just stayed at the Wynn over Presidents Weekend and she raves about the property. In fact, she even writes about her experience in our March issue.

Smart Meetings’ March issue also features our destination article on Arizona, focusing on the many grand resorts that make the state such a very popular meetings and conventions destination. Of course, our report includes The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician in Scottsdale and The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, in Marana. Both earned five-star awards Monday.

Forbes Five Star RatingsThe Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colorado

The Broadmoor hosted a Smart Meetings event last fall. I also had the pleasure of visiting the Colorado Springs properties on a fam trip and it’s easy to understand why it’s so popular with planners. The Broadmoor is considered the standard bearer when it comes to five-star ratings, earning the lofty ranking for a record 56th consecutive year.

Closer to our home office in Sausalito, California, we have several Bay Area neighbors who made the Forbes Five Star list: In Wine County, Napa Valley’s Auberge du Soleil continues to offer amazing everything, including views of vineyards, rolling hills and mountains. Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco and The St. Regis San Francisco made the five-star cut.

The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, California, is set on 504 acres by the Pacific Ocean. There are 204 bungalow guest rooms and suites with private terraces. It also features 128 villas with magnificent coastal views. The Spa at Pelican Hill earned its seventh consecutive five star award and the golf course boasts ocean views.

In Las Vegas, Aria Sky Suites and Skylofts at MGM Grand both earned five-star awards. Newcomers to the five-star club this year include Montage Kapalua Bay on Maui, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Palm Beach County Florida and The Langham, Chicago.

Smart Meetings’ annual Platinum Choice Awards, which are announced each December, is a valuable resource when it comes to top-rated hotels that specialize in meetings. Our 2015 award-winners who also earned five-star awards (in addition to several properties mentioned above) include Boston Harbor Hotel, Montage Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club in Georgia, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Hawaii and Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago.

Congrats to all hotels, spas and restaurants that have been honored this year with Forbes Five Star ratings. Thanks for allowing us to tell your stories and share all the amenities that make your properties ideal for meetings.

Winter Adventures

Nothing may be more inviting to winter sports enthusiasts than blankets of fresh powder covering the mountain trails. The great outdoors and cozy cabins beckon for a few magical months, until the snowy wonderland starts to disappear. Booking.com , the global leader in connecting travelers with the most incredible places to stay around the world, recently surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. travelers and found that nearly four in 10 people would like to take a ski trip this season. So if you haven’t booked that winter adventure just yet don’t panic, there’s still time!

Booking.com looked to the experts—your fellow travelers—to offer insights to the best resorts and places to stay that are flourishing as the ski season nears its end, so you can get a few more runs in down the mountain! Using verified guest review data that shows which properties travelers rated most highly for downhill skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing combined with local expert insight, Booking.com recommends these destinations as the best escapes for late-season fun on the slopes.

1. Mont-Tremblant, Quebec 

Imagine a cosy B&B with all the comforts of home nestled in its beautiful surroundings. Only a 10-minute drive from Mont-Tremblant Ski Resort, Au Beau Soleil Bed & Breakfast is sure to soothe the soul after the exciting slopes.

2. Big Sky, Montana 

The western stylings of Shoshone embrace the countryside with great views and private balconies to show off the majestic landscape, while placing you just a short stroll from the mountain village and several ski slopes. Also, Yellowstone National Park is only an hour’s drive.

3. Whistler, British Columbia 

Whistler Lodge Hostel is full of fun with a game lounge, large open terrace, soothing sauna and even a hot tub. Not to mention it is less than 2 miles from your ultimate destination, one of the longest and greatest ski runs in North America.

4. Killington, Vermont 

Killington Grand Resort Hotel offers comfort and class in stunning surroundings. And if you’re game to explore more of this gorgeous area, the famous Killington Peak is only a 3 minute drive away.

5. Sun Peaks, British Columbia 

Don’t get confused thinking you’re in the Swiss Alps when you arrive at Sun Peaks Lodge. This quaint chalet provides all the essentials for a spa day and is only steps away from the chair lifts.

6. Olympic Valley, California 

Tucked amongst enormous and enchanting trees, Resort at Squaw Creek is one of the highest resorts in California. Step outside to hit the mountain or take a short drive to one of California’s greatest gems, Lake Tahoe. No matter what you’re looking for, this area has plenty of lasting winter festivities.

7. Winter Park, Colorado 

The gorgeous Zephyr Mountain Lodge offers spacious suites with phenomenal fireplaces and fully equipped kitchens. Take a 4-minute stroll straight to the ski lifts and start your winter adventure.

Motif-Seattle-Outside-2The second Smart Meeting event of the year kicks off at Motif Seattle Feb. 23, and planners and suppliers alike are buzzing with excitement–both over the modern venue and the great agenda for the day-long event.

In addition to one-on-one appointments with targeted matches to create valuable relationships, attendees are eager to hear the keynote presentations, delivered by engaging industry professionals. Communications expert Gayle Cotton teaches attendees how their words, tonality, and body language affect their success. Next up is Michael Lyons, who will share his expertise on building a personal brand.

Plus, every attendee is receiving a free pair of Revo sunglasses at the event! Learn more about Smart Meetings’ partnership with Revo and Bono, and how you can receive a pair at our next event.

The after-party, filled with more valuable networking opportunity, wraps up on Safeco field after a tour of the stunning Motif Seattle hotel.

Last Updated Feb. 23, 2016 – 12:00 PM

 

Justice Antonin Scalia

No disrespect to the dead, but when I heard that Justice Antonin Scalia passed away in his sleep at Cibolo Creek Ranch in West Texas over the weekend, one of my first thoughts beyond the political ramifications was “Does the property have meeting space?” As soon as news began to spread about the justice’s surprising death, the ranch was portrayed as a luxury lodge, where movie stars and famous people sneak away to do a little hunting.

Others who have reportedly visited the 30,000-acre ranch near the Chinati Mountains include Julia Roberts, Tommy Lee Jones and Mick Jagger. Site of several acclaimed films, the ranch served as the backdrop for Giant, the 1957 Oscar-winning movie that featured Rock Hudson, James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor.

It was Scalia’s first time to the ranch, where guest rooms go for between $350 and $800 a night. There were more than 30 invited guests attending the non-political event during Scalia’s visit.

Cibolo dates to 1857, when it was developed by Texas cattle baron Milton Faver. The ranch still exudes a Wild West vibe, including three centuries-old Adobe forts that have been restored for lodging.

Cibolo Fort has 22 guest rooms in two adjoining haciendas and can be bought out for up to 44 people. Cienega Fort is located a 30-minute drive from Cibolo Fort and can be bought out for 20 people. Rustic Morita Fort does not have electricity, relying on oil lamps, a gas-log stove for heat and a gas-burning water heater. It’s designed for single or double occupancy.

The grounds feature a pool, a spa, a gym and a stocked lake for fishing. Guests can also take advantage of clay shooting and a shooting range. Hunting takes place in remote areas of the property, where birds, several kinds of deer, elk, buffalo, mountain lions, foxes and coyotes can be targeted. The expansive property is also great for hiking and exploring via all-terrain vehicles.

Justice Antonin Scalia Surrounded by Stars

Star gazing is a big deal and the ranch boasts telescopes to help guests experience the great wide open. The ranch has its own landing strip. There’s a museum, with historical and regional artifacts.

To answer my question, yes, the ranch does have indoor and outdoor event space. It can host 120 for special events. The Great Hall at Cibolo Fort can seat up to 42 for meetings. There’s a hacienda veranda that can accommodate 20. Cibolo ranch even has event planners, and, of course, full catering services.

About 15 miles from the Mexican border, Cibolo is as special a place as any to take ones final breath. Justice Scalia died surrounded by luxury and a sky packed full of stars. May he rest in peace.