At Atlantis Paradise Island, the Ocean Club Golf Course offers attendees the perfect opportunity for networking on the greens. Courtesy Photo

Upscale resorts got a bad rap a couple of decades ago when they were portrayed as indulgent and unnecessary as meeting destinations, particularly for insurance and financial organizations. In spite of the emphasis at the time on over-the-top amenities, these resorts actually provide exactly what many companies want today — absolute luxury and top-of-the-line security.

They not only want exceptional, secure meeting venues at entrances, but throughout the property, where executives, VIPs and attendees can come and go and meet away from other groups. Many venues align with those needs, providing IT staff that can also support whatever cyber security measures a group might require — especially global companies with attendees from countries where personal data is required to be handled in specific ways.

Those negative views also didn’t take into consideration the value of the ROI provided by meetings and incentive programs at upscale resorts. Factors such as increased attendance at the meeting itself and enhanced efficiency and productivity among teams after it, for instance. Throw in increased employee satisfaction and less employee turnover, all of which positively impact a company’s bottom line.

The U.S. has ample options in terms of great places to meet.

Attendees at the 2023 CLA Leader Summit at JW Marriott Grande Lakes. The resort’s flexible meeting space and exceptional event staff has kept the group returning for years. Courtesy of Lisa Jeans

Options Galore in Orlando

Orlando is one of the top meeting destinations in the country with good reason. Few cities can match its extraordinary depth of entertainment and dining choices combined with such a diverse portfolio of meeting hotels and resorts. Companies considering upscale resorts for incentive programs and other high-touch meetings have plenty of choices in and around Orlando.

The JW Marriott Grande Lakes is certainly one of them. That’s where wealth advisory group CLA has held multiple meetings over the years. Lisa Jeans, managing director of leadership administration and events, says CLA began meeting at the resort in 2016 and has already booked a meeting for 2025.

“Orlando is the ideal city in January for a larger event with attendees coming in from all over the country,” says Jeans. “Airlift options and weather are key reasons why.”

The Grande Lakes resort area and its multiple hotels are equally inviting. “I’ve hosted numerous events at Grande Lakes since 2016,” Jeans continues. “In my opinion, it’s one of the premier resorts in the U.S. to host events. There are many advantages to hosting an event at Grande Lakes, and having a golf course and spa onsite are definitely among them. For some events, I hold a golf tournament. At other times, attendees will come in early or stay late to take advantage of the golf course. Attendees love the Ritz Carlton Golf Club and often state that it’s one of the most beautiful courses they’ve ever had the opportunity to play.  The team onsite makes it very easy to host a tournament.  They take all the stress away from the planner and just make it happen.”

As for the spa, Jeans says she sometimes books it for an afternoon for attendees, or, at some meetings, attendees take advantage of it before and after the event. “The spa is second to none. They have a suite of treatment rooms, a salon, a restaurant within the spa and a gorgeous spa pool with cabanas where attendees can enjoy the warm Orlando weather. My attendees love their spa.”

CLA also routinely uses meeting space at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes. “The resort has fantastic meeting space, both indoor and outdoor, and the team will work with you to make the space perfect for your event,” Jeans says. “They’re very creative when it comes to ensuring that your vision is executed.”

With all that Grande Lakes offers, there’s little reason for attendees to go offsite. Once the attendees arrive, there truly is no reason for them to leave, Jeans says. “Both the JW and the Ritz Carlton offer a plethora of things to do, with multiple food and beverage outlets, pools, spa and golf.”

While service and the quality of food and beverage are two hot buttons for many planners, Jeans notes that neither is an issue at Grande Lakes. “I’ve hosted close to 10 large events at Grande Lakes over the last few years and every single meeting has been a huge success in every way. I could speak to the absolute beauty of the resort and all it has to offer, but you can see that online or with a site inspection,” she says. “What makes Grande Lakes my ‘home resort’ is the team.  The team — at all levels in all positions — is second to none.”

Her one suggestion for planners is to book very early, especially larger events. “The resort runs at fairly high occupancy with a multitude of repeat events,” she says. “And I’m proud to be one of them!”

Another of Orlando’s premier resort areas is Bonnet Creek. An insurance company based in the midwest had a conference last year with 65 in attendance at Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek.

One of the planners says, “Orlando is a great location to host an incentive-based conference, especially in February. People want to qualify to attend. The airport is centrally located so transfers are typically less than 30 minutes, and the hospitality culture in Orlando is outstanding.”

The group has set meetings at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek multiple times since 2014. “Our attendees love it,” she says. “The hotel is located in a great resort area with lots of activities available within walking distance. The floor plan of the hotel is easy for guests to navigate. The room for our general business sessions was off one end of the lobby while our breakfast and lunch space was off the other end, with the elevators to the guest rooms right in the middle.”

The staff and service are highlights for planners and attendees. “The staff here are amazing and extremely customer focused,” the planner says. “Any staff member will take a question or concern to the right person, and not simply say, ‘that’s not my area.’ Staff members made our group feel welcome by learning and greeting our guests by name. Several guests mentioned this to me throughout the event. We weren’t the only group in-house at the time, nor were we the biggest, but this was absolutely not evident in the service we received. All staff made us feel like they were there just to service all of our needs.”

The group made ample use of the hotel’s many spaces. “We used one ballroom for a general business session, the pool deck for two of our dinners and a restaurant for our breakfasts and lunches. The restaurant was closed to other guests, which gave it a nice intimate feel for our group,” she says. “Our dinners on the pool deck were punctuated with the nightly Disney fireworks, and the food was absolutely delicious.”

During non-structured times, Back Bay Pool Bar & Grill was a popular gathering spot for attendees. She says, “The open-air and patio seating offered a great view of the fountains and wildlife.”

If your group is considering a meeting in Orlando, she says, “I highly recommend scheduling a site visit to meet the Wyndham Grand staff and see the venue in person. They have so much to offer and really do work to personalize events to meet planners’ visions. Do the site visit, tell them what your vision is for your event, and they will magically make it happen!”

Walt Disney World Resort also has several options for planners looking for luxury accommodations for a meeting or incentive program. One of them is Disney’s Boardwalk Inn. A health and life insurance company held a broker event there in 2023 with 36 in attendance. A senior meeting planner with the company points to Orlando’s good airlift as one of the city’s assets as well as the positive brand recognition of Disney. This group wanted to meet in Orlando in September, specifically during the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.

There are so many options for groups in terms of Disney’s many hotels, parks, one-of-a-kind venues and extensive transportation system that planners who are not thoroughly familiar with the resort should consider a site visit.  In terms of meeting space at Boardwalk Inn, for example, she says, “Do a site visit to help you understand where the space is, how it flows to the rest of the hotel and its proximity to transportation and parks.”

In addition to using meeting and function space at Boardwalk Inn, the group booked a function at the France pavilion at EPCOT so attendees could watch fireworks while enjoying dessert.

She says golf was offered as an optional activity and transportation between the golf course and hotel was provided for those who wished to play.  Also optional were treatments at The Grand Floridian Spa. “The Spa was very easy to work with and staff did their best to accommodate our group,” she notes, adding, “They were very flexible.”

Retreat in the Rockies

Naturally, Orlando is not the only place planners should consider for upscale programs. One of the country’s resort gems sits at the base of Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, CO. The historic Broadmoor provides everything a group might need, including well-designed team-building activities, award-winning dining and excellent security, whether the groups choose lodging at the main resort or one of its exclusive wilderness lodging options. An event planner for a global investment group brought 300 attendees to The Broadmoor in 2023 for a meeting of the company’s Premier Club.

“It is a great property with so many amenities,” she says. “It’s easy to get to and there are lots of things to do in the area. We chose The Broadmoor because the resort is just amazing – the property is so well taken care of, and they have great staff. Our attendees love this property.”

She adds that the group will definitely meet at The Broadmoor again in the future. “Everyone has been amazing.  We’re using both lodging and conference space and everything has been great. You simply can’t beat the beauty of this property and what it has to offer.”

Charm and Elegance in the Palm Beaches

For those looking to potentially meet in The Palm Beaches, The Breakers is an opulent and optimal choice. Opened originally in 1896, its history is a big draw. It was founded by pioneer Henry Morrison Flagler, also known for founding Standard Oil and building the Florida East Coast Railway, which helped bring Florida to life. The elegance and charm of The Breakers makes people come from all around just to experience it. A “Who’s Who” have stayed here including the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and Astors back in the day.

Planners will relish the unique spaces available here. The Circle Ballroom wows with its Venetian crystal chandelier, a 30 ft. domed ceiling, 15 ft. windows and Renaissance murals. The Mediterranean Ballroom features fresco-painted ceilings, chandeliers and 15 ft. arched windows overlooking the courtyard, which is perfect for cocktail receptions. Another great outdoor space is the Surf Break Lawn, which sits steps away from the beach. From more intimate spaces to large scale ballrooms, The Breakers has more than 80,000 sf of meeting space to accommodate most meetings.

Can’t Go Wrong in the Caribbean

Just a short flight from South Florida, Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas has more than 500,000 sf of meeting space, as well as dedicated conference center hosts who offer concierge service. With outdoor reception capacity for as many as 5,000 attendees, there is ample room to gather under the Bahamian sunshine.

And for smaller groups, the Tom Weiskopf-designed Ocean Club Golf Course offers attendees the perfect opportunity for networking on the greens. The 18-hole championship course stretches over 7,100 yards.

Planners looking for a resort that doubles as a private island should definitely consider Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina, which sits on its own island just 1.5 miles off the coast of Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands. This retreat is a self-contained destination with a host of amenities, not the least of which is the inviting Caribbean waters surrounding it and warm sun above it — even in winter.

It is the ideal resort for the travel award program of a financial firm whose 500 award winners have arrived on the island in 10 consecutive waves of 50 adults each in 2024.

“Once our attendees qualify for a trip, they have the opportunity to choose from approximately 40 great destinations/resorts,” says Carrie Laparry, senior travel buyer with Maritz, the well-known global event management company. “We have operated this incentive at Scrub Island for years and this trip always fills so that we have had to add additional waves due to its popularity.”

In addition to what the program and the resort specifically provide, attendees can also choose from a variety of optional activities at their own expense. “We recommend spa treatments at the resort’s spa, snorkeling and scuba diving,” Laparry says.

What makes Scrub Island Resort ideal for this type of high-level incentive program? Laparry points to the level of service and the history of the partnership. And she knows exactly what attendees think about the resort and their experiences at it thanks to post-program surveys, which generate overwhelmingly positive responses. She says attendees frequently mention the incredible beach, how relaxing and serene the resort is, how great the staff is and how the resort provides much needed to time to unwind, as well as time to interact with colleagues.  One attendee summed it up on the survey with these words:

“The destination resort was incredible.  It’s great to have a trip option that is relaxing and low key. It’s a beautiful location without the hustle and bustle of more crowded locations.”

Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina “always receives very high ratings, almost perfect scores,” says Laparry. And that’s exactly what planners hope for when it comes to booking a resort for an upscale incentive program.

We’ve only scratched the surface. When a luxury resort is the go-to for a meeting or incentive, there are options in just about every state and in the Caribbean and beyond.   I&FMM