The upsides of academic life are apparent at George Mason’s 
hotel and conference center.

A mile and half from the Mason Inn is the small city of Fairfax, ranked third in Forbes’ 2009 list of the “Top 25 Places to Live Well.”

Courtesy George Mason University The Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel 4352 Mason Pond Drive Fairfax, VA 22030 877-296-6695 www.themasoninnva.com What’s new: The hotel and conference center opened in July 2010. Crestline Hotels and Resorts assumed management in...

Fishing and music are among Florence's lures, including the annual W.C. Handy Festival.

Mother Nature smiles on Wildwood, N.J., with a quarter-mile of clean white sand.

Seven miles inland from the Wildwood's wide, sandy beaches is shady Historic Cold Spring Village, a living-history museum.

Courtesy Wildwoods Tourism Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority 4501 Boardwalk Wildwood, NJ 08260 800-992-9732 www.wildwoodsnj.com What’s new: The Wildwoods Convention Center now offers free Wi-Fi  throughout the building. Rooftop solar...

The PGA National Resort in Florida is best known for five championship golf courses.

Courtesy PGA National Resort and Spa PGA National Resort and Spa 400 Avenue of Champions Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 800-863-2819 www.pgaresort.com What’s new: A multiyear $65 million renovation wraps up this fall with redos of guest rooms, two restaurants and...

PGA National’s recipe for balance is pretty simple: Build a spa that equals the size of your meeting space.