Thanks for asking!
I've located several conference locations possibilities for you. US
weather in September should be optimal all along the Pacific Coast,
the western slope of the Rockies, at 4,500' elevation in Arizona,
along the coast of the Carolinas, and temperate in the Allegheny
Mountains of West Virginia.
... Spectacular September Weather (average 70-85F daytime)
X Resort Locations
**
** ******** * * *
* X. ****************** ****** * *
* .... **** * **** **
* ... * * * * **
* .... ** * **'
* ... *** ***
* ... ... * **
* x.. ... X.. **
** ... ..X ... *
*X.... ... ....*
* ..... .. ..**X
* .... x. ..**
* .. ..*X
**** *
***** *
**** ** ******** *
**** ********** ** *
* * * *
* ** ***
* *
**
As you forecast, finding a resort setting with villa accommodations
proved challenging, but I think any these recommendations will be able
to invoke those "Wow!"s from your executives and guests.
The Greenbrier -- White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Greenbrier is one of the nation's top corporate resorts.
Accommodations include Estate and Guest Houses, plus group dining
facilities that match the requirements you've specified. The
three-story Greenbrier Conference Center offers more than 85,000 sq.
ft. of meeting space to suit the needs of any group.
Numerous activities are available, including golf, a Golf Academy,
tennis and lawn games, the Greenbrier Spa, Land Rover Offroad Driving
School, kayaking, hiking and mountain biking, a Parcourse fitness
trail, whitewater rafting, a Falconry Academy, Gun Club, Wingshooting
Preserve, fishing, an exercise facility, swimming, as well as
activities such as shopping, historical tours, movies and concerts.
The Greenbrier (Lewisburg, WV - LWB) airport, 15 minutes from the
resort, is served directly from Washington D.C., Atlanta, Pittsburgh,
and Charlotte, NC. In addition, there is daily service into Roanoke,
VA via Continental, Delta, United and US Airways. Limousine and
shuttle service is available between both airports and The Greenbrier.
Beyond conventional conferences, Greenbrier offers a unique
Eaglevision Team Leadership Golf program.
Greenbrier Meetings/Conferences and Contact Information
http://www.greenbrier.com/docs/group.asp
Greenbrier Guest Houses
http://www.greenbrier.com/docs/guest_houses.html
Greenbrier Estate Houses
http://www.greenbrier.com/docs/estate_houses.html
Greenbrier Activities
http://www.greenbrier.com/docs/activities.html
Silverado Resort -- Napa Valley, California
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Located admid the General John Miller estate in California's Napa Wine
Country, the Silverado Resort may be an excellent choice for a unique
conference experience.
Silverado's luxurious accommodations are found in private cottage
suites clustered around hidden courtyards and secluded swimming pools
surrounding the main mansion as well as lining the fairways of
Silverado Resorts two golf courses. Silverado offers a number of two
and three bedroom condominiums for the type of group experience you've
requested.
Besides meeting rooms in the Silverado Mansion a two-level,
multi-million dollar Conference Center is designed to handle groups
from five to 500. It offers 12,000 square feet of space, including 13
individual meeting rooms, each named after a Napa winery. With a
separate Conference Center kitchen, Silverado offers an array of
special menus for groups and meetings. Outdoor facilities are also
available.
Silverado has two Robert Trent designed 18 hole golf courses, and a 17
plexi-pave court Tennis Center. The Spa at Silverado offers an
extensive range of luxury spa, fitness and salon services.
Silverado's Destination Services can work with your event planner to
coordinate Wine Country activities like winery tours and tastings,
evening winery events, dine arounds, teambuilding programs and more.
Hot air ballooning is also a popular Napa activity. The nearby
Culinary Institute of America at Greystone affords a magnificent venue
for a one-of-a-kind gourmet dining and wine tasting experience.
Silverado is located 70 miles north of San Francisco International
Airport, 50 miles north of Oakland International. Airport transfers
are available as part of the Silverado Resort packages. I can
personally vouch for Silverado's luxury and unique Wine Country
experience.
Silverado Resort Conference Contact Info
http://www.silveradoresort.com/pan/sales_mgrs.shtml
Silverado Conference Center
http://www.silveradoresort.com/pan/conf-cen.shtml
Silverado Destination Services
http://www.silveradoresort.com/pan/destination.shtml
NapaValley Conference and Visitors Bureau
http://www.napavalley.com/regions/napa/index.html
Telluride Conference Center -- Telluride, Colorado
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Telluride offers elegant, state-of-the-art conference facilities in
one of the country's most exclusive recreation retreats. Telluride
Teamworks can provide a variety of indoor and outdoor programs to
inspire, challenge and motivate participants.
Mountain Village villa and guest house accommodations are available
from both Wyndham Peaks Resort/Golden Door Spa and the Mountain Lodge
at Telluride. The Golden Door Spa offers unique conference activities
and services. Golf, biking, fly fishing, and rafting are also
available on-the-spot. Accommodations include luxury estate lodges,
condos, guest suites, and multi-bedroom penthouses.
A free gondola transports visitors between Telluride and Mountain
Village. This 13 minute ride offers some of the most spectacular
vistas anywhere in the world.
Six regional airports serve Telluride Conference Center, offering
direct daily flights from Denver, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Dallas,
Houston, Cleveland, Newark, and Phoenix.
Telluride Conference Center Meeting Facilities
http://www.tellurideconference.com/meetings.htm
Meeting and Conference Activities - Peaks Resort/Golden Door Spa
http://www.thepeaksresort.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=groups
The Mountain Lodge at Telluride
http://www.mountainlodgetelluride.com/info/ldg.asp
Telluride Conference Center Contact Information
http://www.tellurideconference.com/contact.htm
Palmetto Dunes -- Hilton Head, South Carolina
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Palmetto Dunes Resort oversees 450 homes and villas in the Hilton Head
island resort area. Meeting and conference facilities are available at
either the Hilton Head Marriott Beach & Golf Resort or the Hilton
Oceanfront Resort.
Hilton Head Island's warm, semi-tropical climate is ideal for
year-round outdoor activities. In addition to five golf courses,
world-class tennis and 28 swimming pools, stroll three miles of
uncrowded beach, canoe or kayak on 11 miles of winding lagoons teeming
with wildlife. Bike rental and miles of paved bike paths are also
available. Charter a fishing excursion and battle the big ones in the
Gulf Stream.
Hilton Head Island is located at the southeasternmost tip of South
Carolina, a 30-minute drive from I-95, via Exit 8.
USAirways Express from Charlotte offers daily flights to Hilton Head
Island. The nearest international airport is Savannah, Georgia,
located 45 minutes from the Island. Air Tran Airways, American
Airlines/American Eagle, Continental Express, Delta/Delta Connection,
Northwest Airlines, United/United Express and USAirways offer daily
flights to Savannah. Limousine and taxi service is available, and all
major car rental agencies are represented.
More information and a Palmetto Dunes Group Planning Guide are
available by request. Call or e-mail Sally Kerr-Dineen at (843)
785-1111, skerr-dineen@greenwooddevelopment.com.
Palmetto Dunes Contact Info
http://www.palmettodunes.com/common/contact.aspx
Palmetto Dunes
http://www.palmettodunes.com/index.aspx
Palmetto Dunes Accommodations
http://www.palmettodunes.com/accommodations/index.aspx
Enchantment Resort at Sedona, Arizona
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Enchantment Resort Casitas, Haciendas and Casa Suites are set against
towering majestic red rocks, surrounded by Juniper and Pine trees.
Against a cliff dwelling backdrop in Sedona's Boydon Canyon,
Enchantment Resort is a unique conference destination.
At the south end of Enchantment?s 70 acres, The Village meeting
pavilion hosts groups of up to 500 in a secluded complex of meeting
spaces. The facility offers 12,000 square feet of indoor meeting
space, including a stunning 5,100-squarefoot ballroom equipped for
state-of-the-art presentations. More intimate meeting rooms cluster
around the 8,000-square-foot landscaped terrace surrounding the
ballroom.
Enchantment?s famous tennis facilities, private lessons, and workshops
activities are world class. The resort also features Mii amo, a spa
and fitness center with exercise and yoga classes, a wide range of
massage therapies, steam and sauna rooms, facial treatments, and
herbal body wraps. Mii amo?s outdoor treatment areas, backed by
towering red rock buttes against a turquoise sky, offer ideal settings
for a wide choice of Native American-inspired restorative therapies.
The Secret Mountain Wilderness and Coconino National Forest offer
backcountry exploration. Hiking trails begin at the resort and lead to
mysterious Sinaguan Indian cliff dwellings, long abandoned but well
preserved. Additional resort sponsored activities include: Pitch and
Putt Golf, Croquet, Bocce, Stargazing, and Water Volleyball.
Enchantment is located two hours north of Phoenix Sky Harbor
International Airport. Shuttle flights to Flagstaff are also
available. Colleague Omnivorous-ga gives Enchantment a personal
recommendation.
Enchantment Resort Meetings
http://www.enchantmentresort.com/meetings.html
Enchantment Resort Accommodations
http://www.enchantmentresort.com/guest_rooms.html
Quail Lodge - Carmel, California
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Situated on the sunny side of Carmel, on the Monterey Peninsula, south
of San Francisco, Quail Lodge offers an entrée to Carmel at its
finest.
Cottage Suites, with four spacious rooms opening into a common
Cottage, and 4 bedroom Executive Villas meet your requirements for
grouped housing.
Meeting rooms have breathtaking window views, plus a patio or terrace
to bring the outdoors in. Indoors, groups of up to 220 can take
advantage of a state-of-the-art sound system, air conditioning and
high-speed internet access in every boardroom, ballroom and meeting
area. Wireless capabilities extend throughout much of the resort, even
to the lobby, pools and clubhouse
Activities include world-famous Carmel golf, the Quail Lodge Spa,
Wellness Center, Carmel shopping and dining.
Quail Lodge is 70 miles south of San Jose International Airport.
Monterey Peninsula Airport is served by United, American, and America
West, from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix.
I've attended day meetings at Quail Lodge and know it to be an
outstanding conference location.
Quail Lodge Meetings Information
http://www.quaillodge.com/plan-an-event-meetings.cfm
Quail Lodge Accommodations
http://www.quaillodge.com/accommodations.cfm
Additional Possibilities
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I've also located two additional resort and conference center
possibilities that are close, but don't exactly match the criteria
you've given. Each property is outstanding enough that it may be able
rise above limitations to provide the unique conference experience
you're seeking.
The Sanderling Resort, Spa and Conference Center - Outer Banks, NC
------------------------------------------------------------------
Sanderling Conference Center provides a naturally inspiring backdrop
for meeting groups of 10 to 100. It is recognized as one of the top 30
conference centers in the United States.
Guest accommodations are located at The Main Inn, The North Inn and
The South Inn and four Oceanside Villas. Limitations: number of villas
available, however, communal Inn accommodations might prove
acceptable.
Activities include nearby golf and tennis, Sanderling's own Spa and
Fitness Center, plus sportfishing in the Gulfstream.
The Sanderling is located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Nearby
Norfolk (Virginia) International Airport is served by most major
carriers, with direct connection to many major cities and scheduled
commuter connections to The Outer Banks. Sea Air also flies directly
to the Pine Island airstrip three miles north of The Sanderling
Resort, from Norfolk, VA.
Sanderling Resort, Spa, Conference Center
http://www.thesanderling.com/index.cfm
The Resort At Port Ludlow, Washington
-------------------------------------
90 minutes away from Sea-Tac, the Resort at Port Ludlow offers elegant
resort and conference facilities. Two or four bedroom condos provide
team atmosphere. Meeting facilities seem adequate, however, group
dining arrangements may not perfectly match your ideal. The main
dining room seats only 65, though alternative outdoor venues might fit
the bill.
Activities include golf, hiking, beach adventures, fishing, the Resort
Spa, and inroom Spa services. Colleague Omnivorous-ga recommends this
Resort from personal experience.
The Resort at Port Ludlow Contact Form
http://www.portludlowresort.com/contact/rfp.html
The Resort at Port Ludlow Meetings
http://www.portludlowresort.com/meetings/floorplan.html
Search Strategy
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Personal experience, bookmarks, and Google Search Terms:
conference center OR meetings
"conference resort" villas
plus various regional identifiers such as: napa, san juan islands,
hilton head, outer banks, midwest, colorado, california, oregon,
sedona, new york, michigan, ohio, texas, west virginia, and tennessee
I hope you're able to find the perfect venue for your conference. If
you have any questions about the materials or links provided, please,
feel free to ask.
---larre |
