It’s not simply a resort’s stately architecture or its storied history that make it truly iconic. It’s the traditions it keeps, the character it embodies and the loyal following of guests who stay once and are enchanted for a lifetime.
Attendees will clamor for a chance to meet at an iconic hotel or resort to check off travel bucket-list items, but planners will love the properties because of their flawless service. From their storybook settings to their signature hospitality, these five resorts across the country have earned the designation “iconic.”
The Broadmoor
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Since it opened in 1918, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been impressing guests with beautiful décor and incredible vistas — and especially with its top-notch service.
“It really comes down to the people,” said Krista Heinicke, public relations manager for The Broadmoor. “We train our staff to be responsive to the needs of all guests and especially group guests. You can have 315,000 square feet of meeting space and be the longest-running recipient of the AAA Five Diamond Award, but it’s more than just the brick-and-mortar of it.”
The Broadmoor’s convention center houses 200,000 square feet of the resort’s event space. In 2020, a new 125,000-square-foot exhibit hall was constructed and joined the existing three venues in the center. More recently, the 14,850-square-foot Colorado Hall and the 14,560-square-foot International Center were also added to the resort’s meeting spaces. For a more historic setting, the Main Ballroom, dating back to the resort’s opening, can seat up to 240 for a banquet. The Lake Terrace Dining Room overlooking Cheyenne Lake can host 300 for receptions. The resort’s golf club offers several venues, with spaces ranging from 2,000-square-foot indoor rooms to a 4,500-square-foot patio. Catering is handled on site, and attendees can choose from the resort’s many restaurants for a meal on their own.
In addition to its abundance of meeting space, The Broadmoor’s long list of on-site amenities is a major draw. Attendees can spend their downtime recharging at the spa, playing pickleball and tennis, and enjoying two award-winning golf courses. The Broadmoor also offers more adventurous excursions suitable for an active team-building activity, including zip-lining, falconry, white-water rafting and even a Wild West experience.
The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa
Riverside, California
With its eclectic architecture and its status as a National Historic Landmark, The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa is an enchanting backdrop for a meeting in the heart of Riverside, California. The AAA Four Diamond hotel is easily recognizable, thanks to its stunning combination of Mission Revival, Spanish Gothic and Moorish styles, including the Amistad Dome, covered in colorful, glazed Mexican tiles on the outside that houses a luxury suite inside. The hotel has 238 guest rooms, with no two exactly alike, so staying there is a different experience every time.
The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa features 20,000 square feet of meeting space. The Grand Parisian Ballroom is a 3,648-square-foot European castle-inspired hall that can seat 280 guests for a banquet. The 2,800-square-foot Spanish Art Gallery is another elegant setting, featuring high ceilings lined with art, for up to 140 guests. Smaller rooms perfect for breakout spaces include the Monterey Room, the San Diego and the San Gabriel.
The resort features several dining options, including Italian and Mexican restaurants and a wine-tasting room. In addition to comprehensive catering, specially designed culinary services are available for meeting groups. During their downtime, attendees can visit the 7,000-square-foot spa, soak in the outdoor pool and jacuzzi or take one of the hotel’s renowned guided tours to learn about its history.
Grand Hotel
Mackinac Island, Michigan
With sweeping views of Lake Huron, the Grand Hotel is a gem on Michigan’s Mackinac Island. The hotel mirrors the island’s quaint, historic charm that’s especially prevalent during the warmer months of the year, earning it the moniker “America’s Summer Place.” It first opened in 1887 and is notable for its beloved architectural features, such as the three-story, 660-foot-long covered veranda, thought to be one of the longest in the world. The hotel became a National Historic Landmark in 1989, but a multimillion-dollar renovation was just completed to refresh some of its spaces on the main floor.
The hotel is open six months of the year. Transportation to the hotel from the mainland isn’t complicated; a quick ferry ride takes guests to the island, and, from there, the Grand Hotel brings guests in with horse-drawn carriage rides. That’s because part of preserving the island’s historic charm includes prohibiting motorized vehicles.
The hotel features more than 22,000 square feet of meeting space, 16,000 of which can be found spread across six rooms in the Woodfill Conference Center. The Victorian-era center’s spaces include a theater — the largest venue, which can seat up to 500 for a banquet — and several smaller rooms for everything from cocktail receptions to board meetings. Outside of the conference center, the hotel’s restaurants, porches, terraces and many other spaces can be rented for meetings, from the 1,300-square-foot Lilac Room above the pool house to the geranium-lined East Front Porch.
The Greenbrier
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
With a history stretching back to the 1700s, The Greenbrier first attracted visitors to the mineral springs — thought to be medicinal — on the sprawling property in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Later, during the Civil War, the resort was used as a hospital. The Greenbrier’s unique history doesn’t stop there. In the 1950s, to prepare for the possibility of an attack on Washington, D.C., the government constructed an underground bunker at The Greenbrier. It was kept secret for more than 30 years, but today the resort offers tours daily. That’s just one of many ways resort guests can entertain themselves.
“A lot of our groups tell us the reason they come back is because they love the variety of activities right here on our 11,000 acres,” said Greg Furlong, vice president of sales and event services at The Greenbrier. That list includes e-bike tours, carriage rides, golf, fishing, an aerial obstacle course and the 200,000-square-foot casino.
The resort’s meeting space totals 200,000 square feet and can accommodate groups of any size. The 3,040-square-foot Crystal Ballroom is a great setting for elegant banquets for up to 230. Meanwhile, Colonial Hall offers more than 16,000 square feet for up to 2,000 attendees. In addition to smaller breakout rooms, The Greenbrier has multiple terraces, lodges, a chapel and a 55,000-square-foot sports performance center. Planners can also book meeting space in the historic bunker. Catering is exclusively handled through the resort’s culinary team.
Omni Mount Washington Resort & Spa
Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
Named for the highest peak in the Northeastern U.S., the Omni Mount Washington Resort & Spa in Bretton Woods, Hew Hampshire, is notable for its red rooftops, visible against a sprawling background of mountains. Along with its beautiful vistas of the New England scenery, the property boasts opulent finishes, such as crystal chandeliers and Tiffany-style glass. With 269 guest rooms, a 25,000-square-foot spa and a long list of activities available for all seasons — indoor and outdoor heated pools, multiple championship golf courses, horseback riding and skiing, to name a few — it’s no surprise this resort keeps its guests coming back.
The property’s meeting space totals 30,000 square feet spread across nine meeting rooms. The largest, the 6,900-square-foot Grand Ballroom, can seat up to 400 for a banquet or be divided into two smaller rooms. The smaller Presidential Ballroom, in the resort’s Presidential Wing, measures just over 3,600 square feet and is divisible into three smaller sections. There are several smaller breakout rooms, including a boardroom with excellent views of the mountains. Jewell Terrace provides nearly 6,000 square feet of outdoor rooftop event space for elegant receptions and banquets serving up to 300. In addition to those at the resort’s main property, meeting spaces are available at the Rosebrook Lodge and Bretton Arms Inn.
The resort’s main dining room, several bars and Stickney’s Restaurant offer plenty of variety for any program’s culinary needs. The property also provides A/V equipment and technicians.
