Quartzite cliffs, sea caves, forests and abundant parks all make Wisconsin an ideal setting for a resort. Throughout the state, beautiful hotel properties offer abundant space for meetings, as well as activities and surroundings that will make guests want to extend their stays.
These five resorts are not only family-friendly — with waterparks, zip lines and miniature golf — but they also offer more adult activities, like horseback riding, full-service spas, skiing and golf.
TimberRidge Lodge and Waterpark at Grand Geneva
Lake Geneva
On the campus of Grand Geneva Resort, TimberRidge Lodge and Waterpark offers several fun activities for families and groups. The 50,000-square-foot waterpark has 35-foot-tall water slides, a lazy river and Tiny Timbers for toddlers. There is also an arcade, a nine-hole mini golf course and mini bowling at Bruce’s Bowl-A-Rama.
Less than an hour from Milwaukee and 90 minutes from both Madison and Chicago, Lake Geneva is easy to reach.
The benefit of being on the 1,300-acre Grand Geneva campus is that guests can take advantage of everything, including skiing, championship golf and water adventures on Lake Geneva. The lodge is next to Dan Patch Stables, which offers pony rides, trail rides and hayrides, and has a petting farm.
The all-suite resort has 225 rooms with full kitchens, fireplaces and either balconies or private patios. The Cascades Ballroom can host up to 240 guests for a banquet or be subdivided into three spaces. Groups can also utilize Grand Geneva’s meeting and event spaces.
Groups hosting events at TimberRidge can add team-building activities to their events, including competitions with a donation component for local nonprofits, pickleball tournaments, rock climbing or corporate golf outings and game nights.
The lodge’s lobby was fully renovated in the past year, along with Moose and Maple, a Northwoods-themed restaurant that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner fare.
Chula Vista Resort
Wisconsin Dells
Chula Vista Resort is in the Wisconsin Dells, a beautiful area of the state that is known as the waterpark capital of the United States. The 620-room resort offers a mix of traditional hotel suites, condominiums and villas situated along the Wisconsin River.
The resort has indoor and outdoor waterparks that include 27 waterslides. Lost Rios Indoor Waterpark features Rio Rapids Action River, Matador Mat Racers waterslides, Mt. Montezuma’s Mayan Temple play structure and the Croc Walk Water Crossing. Rainbow Rapids, the resort’s newest waterslide attraction, takes guests through a kaleidoscope of colored lights. The outdoor waterpark includes extreme slides, an adventure lagoon, a waterpark splash pad, a sport pool and a wave pool.
The resort has an 18-hole golf course, 18 holes of miniature golf, Dells Zipline Adventures and the one-mile-long River Walk Trail, cross-country skiing trails and sledding routes. To relax, attendees can take advantage of the resort’s large outdoor hot tub or get a massage at the spa.
Chula Vista has six restaurants and over 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. The Grand Ballroom can host 400 for a banquet or 600 theater-style. The 11,300-square-foot Riverview Ballroom can be divided into two smaller rooms. The atrium offers stunning views of the river and access to the Riverview Solarium Deck, with direct access to boat docks and outdoor seating for up to 100.
Devil’s Head Resort
Merrimac
Devil’s Head Resort is a full-service ski resort in the heart of the glacier-formed Baraboo Bluffs in South Central Wisconsin. Only three hours from Chicago, an hour from Madison and two hours from Milwaukee, the resort is perfect for meeting planners who want to include downhill or cross-country skiing, golf and other fun outdoor activities as part of their events.
The resort has 253 hotel accommodations: 138 in the main lodge and 109 in the inn, and also six three-story Glacier Ridge condos located right on one of the property’s two 18-hole golf courses. The resort also has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sauna and two hot tubs.
Devil’s Lake State Park is less than two miles from the resort, situated along the Ice Age Trail. It features miles of hiking trails, swimming areas, and mountain bike and cross-country ski trails. Visitors can rent canoes or kayaks to get out on the lake. Parfrey’s Glen is half a mile from the resort. The ravine was cut by glaciers and is nearly 100 feet deep.
The resort has 20,000 square feet of banquet and meeting space that can host groups of 20 to 600 attendees. A 5,400-square-foot flexible meeting space can be divided into four rooms for breakout sessions. There is a beautiful deck off the conference facility that allows groups to incorporate the outdoors into their events. Groups can sit on the patio during breaks or make use of the outdoor event spaces. In-house catering services also are available.
The Four Seasons Island Resort
Pembine
The Four Seasons Island Resort is a 55-room, all-suite resort on Miscauno Island in the Menominee River, which divides Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan. The Miscauno Island Inn was first built by the Wisconsin and Michigan Railroad company to house railroad workers. That original building burned down in 1923 and was rebuilt in 1925.
Miscauno Island is unique in that it has two bridges, one on the Michigan side and one on the Wisconsin side. Because of its unique location in the middle of the river and about eight miles off the highway, it served as a hideout for gangsters such as Al Capone in the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s.
Said to be haunted, the resort leans into its history by offering ghost tours and 1920s-themed events.
There are 11 banquet and event spaces at the resort, which has two entrances. The lobby on the Wisconsin side has a big fireplace, making it a nice spot for gathering. This historic space features a 300-foot staircase and one of Al Capone’s vehicles. Most of the banquet space is on the third floor.
The Spring Salon and Summer Salon can both host up to 140 guests. The Autumn Salon can accommodate 60 people inside and 25 on the porch. The 1905 Steakhouse can fit about 60 with an additional 40 on the porch. The lounge porch has room for up to 100 guests.
For fun, groups can play tennis or pickleball, rent pontoon boats or kayaks or take a guided fishing or waterfall tour. There are also ATV rentals on property and a nine-hole golf course.
Metropolis Resort and Conference Center
Eau Clare
Metropolis Resort and Conference Center in Eau Clare is a family-owned property that is easily accessible to Minneapolis and Chicago via Interstate 94. The resort features 111 hotel rooms and suites and is known for its fun, family-friendly activities.
Chaos Water Park has two water slides, an activity pool, a lazy river, an indoor aquatic playground and a hot tub. Action City Fun Center has a trampoline park, indoor and outdoor go-kart tracks, an arcade with over 150 games, a 19-hole mini golf course, bumper cars, the Soaring Eagle Zipline, a laser tag course, mini bowling and a laser maze vault.
The resort has 10,000 square feet of event space. The Metropolis banquet room, which can be divided into four smaller spaces using airwalls, is connected to Action City on the ground floor and is next to an outdoor pavilion.
The Skybox Banquet Hall is on the second floor of the hotel, overlooking the water park. It has nearly 4,000 square feet of space that can accommodate 400 theater-style or 250 for a banquet. It also features a full-service bar, and catering is available.
Fun is a main priority of resort, and many meeting groups will incorporate go-kart races or laser tag games during conference breaks. Team building options include competing on a Ninja Warrior course, jousting, dodgeball or slam-dunk contests in the trampoline park.
City Eats is a family-friendly restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The resort also has City Pizza Co., City Coffee Co. and a Dairy Queen.
