Missouri has become a favorite Midwestern getaway destination where visitors, as well as meeting planners and attendees, can enjoy boating, golfing, shopping and fishing.
Although the Lake of the Ozarks region is perhaps Missouri’s best-known vacation spot, groups will find many other meeting resorts, guest ranches and woodland retreats throughout the state.
Tan-Tar-A Resort
Osage Beach
Tan-Tar-A Resort sits on the shores of Lake of the Ozarks, and when it wraps up resortwide renovations next spring, the property will be rebranded as a Margaritaville Resort.
Though the project is changing Tan-Tar-A’s look and amenities to match Margaritaville’s upscale beach vibe, the resort will retain its family- and group-friendly feel, said director of sales Ann Walters.
Most of Tan-Tar-A’s 700 guest rooms have been fully renovated or are being refreshed, and the main building was fully renovated in 2013. All of the 90,000 square feet of meeting space was completely refreshed in 2016 and 2017.
The largest single space is a 30,000-square-foot exhibit hall, and the 23,160-square-foot Grand Ballroom can be split into three smaller rooms. The 5,700-square-foot Crystal Ballroom is another popular option with lake views.
On the Lakeside Deck, “you have the lake over one shoulder, then the gorgeous pool over the other shoulder,” Walters said. Groups will often hold an event on the deck and then board the 150-passenger Tropic Island yacht, which docks beside the deck, for scenic cruises.
After a four-month renovation, the resort’s full-service restaurant reopened in May as JB’s Boathouse. The Landshark Bar and Grille is being built on the lakeshore next to Sand Beach and will have indoor-outdoor seating and its own pool with a swim-up bar, and “the view is going to be amazing,” Walters said.
Groups can play on Tan-Tar-A’s 18-hole, nine-hole or miniature golf course; go bowling; and rent pontoon boats, jet skis and paddleboards at the marina.
