| Destinations - February 2008 |
Colorado’s Vail Mountain offers a variety of activities for meeting attendees and their families, including a breathtaking 14-minute gondola ride to Adventure Ridge at Eagle’s Nest with views of the colorful, magnificent surrounding peaks.
Photo by Jack Affleck, Vail Resort
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By Diana Rowe
Nearly two-thirds of Colorado is made up of mountains, and not just any range, but the legendary Rocky Mountains, the tallest in the continental United States. Wherever there are mountains, planners can anticipate a plane full of attendees eager to witness purple mountain majesties, guaranteeing the popularity of a meeting in Colorado.
Planners can choose from familiar brands such as Hyatt and Westin, historical properties such as The Brown Palace or The Broadmoor, or mountain getaways such as Devil’s Thumb Ranch or Keystone Resort 
& Conference Center. Colorado has risen to meet industry demand by offering state-of-the-art meeting space and properties without sacrificing outdoor beauty and adventure.
The seven-county metro Denver area covers 4,500 square miles, nearly the size of Connecticut, with a population of more than 2.6 million. Denver offers more than 37,000 hotel rooms, with 20 percent of those in the downtown area. A marker on the west steps of the State Capitol indicates a spot that is exactly 5,280 feet above sea level, one mile high — the source of Denver’s nickname, Mile High City.
Downtown Denver
The sprawling metropolis began as a gamble during the gold mining era. However, planners selecting Denver as their meeting site won’t be taking a chance because Denver has created an infrastructure made for meetings.
The Colorado Convention Center, which doubled in size in 2004, boasts 584,000 square feet of exhibit space creating a plethora of meeting and exhibit space. Nowadays, large groups can take advantage of the increased space without sacrificing the intimacy of smaller breakouts because downtown hotels are so easily accessible.
Jay Smith, president of Floor Expo, a Marietta, GA-based cooperative for flooring contractors, recently hosted 220 attendees in Denver. Part of a larger convention with activities at the Colorado Convention Center, Smith took advantage of the historic Brown Palace’s reputation to wow his group.
“Once Denver was selected as the site,” said Smith, “it was clear to me that the Brown Palace was my only option for our discerning attendees. Our contractors travel frequently and can go anywhere they desire. Years ago, we made the decision that we want to create a memory at our meetings. We do business in an outstanding setting, so we don’t want to do business in a nondescript property.”
One hundred years of legendary hospitality, enjoyed by kings and presidents, executives and rock stars looking to indulge, means there are hundreds of ways for planners to impress their attendees at The Brown
Colorado offers non-stop adventure after your business meetings, including exhilarating, high-altitude snow sports and heart-stopping white-water rafting adventures on the state’s famous rivers.
Photo courtesy of Colorado Tourism Office |
Palace Hotel & Spa. Meeting space is divided among 12 distinct rooms, and the hotel’s 13,000 square feet of meeting space dazzles groups up to 500.
The Brown Palace has gone through many changes over the years including the addition of The Spa at The Brown Palace and the $8 million renovation of its guest rooms, which included updating the soft goods in all 241 rooms and outfitting 199 rooms with new bathrooms. However, the hotel’s original qualities remain inherent: its unusual triangular shape, stunning eight-story atrium lobby, elegant atmosphere and reputation of treating attendees like royalty.
Smith noted, “Although we had our general sessions in the ballroom and breakouts in the meeting rooms, we convinced the hotel that the best place for our opening event was the eight-story atrium lobby. It was an impressive and elegant affair beneath a stained-glass canopy, perfect for welcoming our guests into the historic Brown Palace and setting the tone for a memorable meeting in one of the oldest hotels in Denver.”
Smith said that the Victorian and Art Deco furnishings throughout the property echo the historical significance of the property, upping the wow factor for his attendees. His group also sampled the award-winning cuisine at The Brown’s onsite dining venues: Palace Arms, Ship Tavern, Ellyngton’s and Churchill Bar.
“Churchill Bar is like stepping back into the past, and the ‘barkeep’ is a long-time employee and fascinating storyteller. Besides its premium spirits, this bar offers a wide selection of cigars, many rare, with an elaborate ventilation system. It was just a great little retreat off the lobby for an after-dinner drink and networking,” Smith related.
Smith’s attendees also took advantage of the “great little networking corners” along the nearby 16th Street Mall, which some consider the heart of Denver. A mile-long promenade with more than 200 trees and 56,000 flowers planted seasonally, this pedestrian promenade within walking distance of the convention center and dozens of hotels offers attendees the opportunity to sample outdoor cafes, shops and entertainments.
Denver has built five sports stadiums in the past decade for eight professional sports teams, more than any other city west of the Mississippi. With so many teams, planners have plenty of chances to offer their
The Colorado Convention Center, a user-friendly facility designed by meeting planners, has 63 meeting rooms totaling 100,000 square feet and 85,000 square feet of ballroom space. Its 35,000-square-foot ballroom is divisible in half or thirds, and a 50,000-square-foot ballroom is divisible into 18 individual meeting rooms.
Photo by Scott Dressel-Martin for Denver Metro CVB |
attendees a seat at a sporting event. So it’s only natural that a pro hockey team would find Denver perfect for their meetings.
Alex Gilchrist, director of communications for the 2007 Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks, the CA-based professional hockey team, frequents the Westin Tabor Center because “The ability to cater to NHL (National Hockey League) teams places the Westin Tabor Center at the top-tier of choices to host our team and meetings,” said Gilchrist. “It takes a certain amount of finesse and security to respond to the requirements we place on hotels that host our events, including service above and beyond the usual meeting requirements. The Westin has a stellar reputation for doing exactly that. Plus, its prime location close to the sports complex eases transportation headaches to and from the game.”
Adjacent to the 16th Street Mall and just blocks from the Colorado Convention Center, all the sports fields, and the Denver Performing Arts Complex, the Westin Tabor Center is a four-diamond property in a prime downtown location. The property boasts 24,000 square feet of flexible function space that can accommodate groups to 1,000.
With approximately 40 players and a management team, Gilchrist said that meeting space located on one floor with breakout rooms within a few steps from each other, like at the Westin, makes the transition from room-to-room less stressful.
Downtown Denver continues to experience an impressive hotel boom. Currently, planners can select from 7,400 hotel rooms within easy walking distance of the Colorado Convention Center, including familiar properties such as the Grand Hyatt Denver Downtown.
With 511 newly renovated accommodations, the brand was upgraded to “Grand” status in early 2005. Located in the heart of the Mile High City, The Grand Hyatt Denver boasts 57,000 square feet of flexible meeting and banquet space, including the renowned Pinnacle Club on the 38th floor of the adjacent office tower.
Eight new hotels, representing 1,400 additional rooms, are planned for downtown in the next three years.
The recently opened Ritz-Carlton, Denver, is the city’s first five-star luxury hotel. Just steps from Lower Downtown (Lodo), the financial district and the 16th Street Mall, the hotel offers 13,000 square feet of meeting space and 202 of the largest guest rooms in the city, including 47 suites. The Ritz-Carlton, Denver meeting space includes a 6,200-square-foot ballroom, a junior ballroom and six elegant meeting rooms.
Two blocks from the Colorado Convention Center, plans for a new 230-room Four Seasons Hotel Denver are under consideration. The $350 million property will feature a restaurant, lobby lounge and bar, a fully equipped health and fitness center, full-service spa, rooftop pool area with dining and bar and approximately 16,000 square feet of meeting space.
Ann Smith, president of Performance Marketing, a third-party planner based in Burlingame, CA, planned a recent event for 1,000 attendees and guests of her client, a major global retailer of books, movies and music.
Smith said that Colorado was chosen because of its overall value, including the accessibility and affordability of the airlift into Denver and transportation in the metro area. “The value, quality, and
The Keystone Resort & Conference Center, Keystone, CO, is one of the largest conference sites in the Rocky Mountains, with more than 1,500 guest rooms in two hotels and 100,000 square feet of flexible event space, including 50 meeting rooms.
Photo courtesy of Keystone Resort & Conference Center |
convenience of the convention center and downtown hotel, the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center, also played a key role in the decision-making process,” she added.
The 1,100-room Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center hotel was eagerly anticipated by planners with large groups. The only hotel adjacent to the Colorado Convention Center, this centrally located downtown property offers a wide array of pampering amenities from elegantly styled guest rooms, innovative cuisine, an extensive health club and panoramic views at every turn. The Hyatt Regency Denver provides planners with more than 60,000 square feet of flexible function space.
“We typically research a property and try to be the only group,” related Smith. “The high staff to guest ratio at the Hyatt Regency resulted in a higher quality of service than we expected. We felt like we received a five-star product at a four-star price. For every situation, staff was available who were empowered to make decisions on the spot.”
The convenient downtown location allowed Smith to offer her attendees one free dine-around night. Attendees could walk instead of being shuttled and chose from a multitude of restaurants in the area.
Smith arranged a day trip for a group of 25 award winners to Estes Park, a 90-minute drive from Denver. “Our winners traveled through Boulder on their way to Rocky Mountain National Park, one of Colorado’s most popular attractions. Different elevations throughout the park support a variety of ecosystems. Near the mountaintops, trees disappear and the landscape turns to an alpine tundra of plants. Many attendees had their first glimpses of elk, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and various songbirds and eagles. Following the driving tour of the park, attendees were welcomed to Estes Park for a luncheon at the historic Stanley Hotel where the legendary movie “The Shining” was inspired.”
Metro Denver
Planners considering Denver for their meetings have plenty of options outside the downtown Denver area, such as the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center. Situated in suburban south Denver, the 302-room Inverness Hotel and Conference Center is an IACC-certified conference facility with a dedicated hotel wing for meetings offering 42 meeting rooms and 60,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. A new 4,500-square-foot spa is the centerpiece of a 15-month, $9 million renovation. The Spa at Inverness Hotel features six individual treatment rooms. The Inverness also boasts a PGA championship golf course, four-diamond dining, a dedicated hotel wing for meetings and private functions and the utmost care and attentive service to make each experience unforgettable.
The Renaissance Hotel Denver is conveniently located midway between Denver International Airport and Downtown Denver. The 400-room Renaissance Hotel has nearly 30,000 square feet of conference space, an enhanced state-of-the-art business center, unparalleled food and beverage options along with completely renovated guest rooms and public space.
Golden
John Wright is the Lenexa, KS-based regional service manager for Signode, a division of Illinois Tool Works, a multinational manufacturer of steel and plastic strapping. “We love the mountains,” said Wright, “and Denver is a great hub, both cost-wise and logistically. Golden is the same distance from the airport, located at the base of the mountains.”
Wright selected The Golden Hotel to host his recent regional meeting and training session. Just 12 minutes from downtown, The Golden Hotel is conveniently located in the heart of historic Golden on Clear Creek
The Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center and Park in Colorado Springs, the most visited attraction in the Pikes Peak region, is famous for offering excellent group activities, such as riding horses through towering rock formations.
Photo courtesy of Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak |
within walking distance to just about everything including Coors Brewery, Creek Walk Pathway, shops, museums, galleries and restaurants. The Golden Hotel offers a range of newly renovated meeting room options, from a private executive boardroom for 12 up to the Clear Creek Ballroom for 150.
Wright and his more than 30 attendees enjoyed the walkable historic town of Golden and the “Old West” ambience of the town and the hotel. “Those of us who stayed on the creek-side rooms left our windows wide open and fell asleep to the cascading water. Since the town was so accessible, on our arrival night, we all converged unplanned at the same restaurant, the Capital Grille, a block from the hotel, for networking and drinks. In fact, the following day Golden hosted an old car show beside the creek, and after our meeting, we enjoyed the show and watched the old cars drive by,” said Wright.
At first, Wright had reservations about hosting a meeting at The Golden Hotel. “We hadn’t stayed at such a small boutique hotel, where our small group basically took over the property. However, from the impressive service to the size of meeting rooms to technical support, we couldn’t have had a more organized and successful meeting.”
With close proximity to downtown Denver, Wright arranged offsite dining in a private banquet room at Maggiano’s Little Italy, conveniently located in the Denver Pavilions on downtown’s 16th Street Mall. “Within about 30 minutes, we arrived downtown in five separate cars for an amazing family-style Italian feast. It was fun to exchange the quiet city of Golden for the bustling downtown.”
Boulder
Some Colorado natives describe Boulder as “25 square miles surrounded by reality.” Quite an apt description of this quaint college town that has retained its outdoorsy lifestyle and funky culture. Less hustle and bustle than downtown Denver, Boulder still offers plenty of downtown dining and unique shopping on Pearl Street.
Just 30 miles from Denver International Airport, planners will find a gem in the heart of downtown Boulder at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa. The 200-room member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts offers fresh Colorado fare at their signature restaurant and bar, Jill’s Restaurant; the 10,000-square-foot St. Julien Spa and more than 11,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as an outdoor terrace with views of the majestic mountains.
Stephanie Powell is the chief financial officer and partner of the Southern Pines, NC-based LandDesign, an award-winning architectural firm with seven offices in the United States and Beijing, China. When tasked with finding the perfect Boulder property for an intimate quarterly partners and board of directors meeting, Powell searched online and discovered the St. Julien Hotel & Spa. Later she checked with her local Boulder connections and received a positive response.
“I was told that the St. Julien was definitely the place to be,” said Powell. “That’s when I made the call to the hotel and began negotiations. Even though our group was small at 15, we all had been working long hours and really needed a stress-free, break from the office. Long-distance meeting management, site unseen, is difficult enough, but the hotel assured me that all my requests would be taken care of. It turned out better than I could have hoped.”
Powell added that the service was exceptional from the first moment. “Each aspect of this meeting went smoothly from the airport shuttle to ease in check-in, including fulfillment of requested king-size beds and a blazing fireplace warming us in the lobby, to automatically refilling waters and coffee without a reminder to the audiovisual guy available the moment something went awry. The St. Julien made every aspect of the planning process effortless.”
LaLana Lynn Island, a meeting planner and office manager for the St. Louis, MO-based Centerre Healthcare Corporation, had a similar St. Julien experience at each of her three meetings there. Centerre Healthcare is dedicated to developing and operating rehabilitation hospitals in partnership with leading acute care hospitals.
“The chairman of the board recommended the St. Julien,” noted Island, “and the moment we entered the lobby, I knew we’d made the right decision. The large fireplace in the lobby was warm and welcoming. The town of Boulder is quaint and the residents amazingly friendly.”
As far as meeting space, Island added that the board rooms were easy to locate, roomy and illuminated with natural light. “Our meetings are pretty intensive, and the attendees appreciated the openness of the meeting space, and did not feel like they were stuck inside.”
Both Powell and Island took advantage of the easy access to Pearl Street by dining at two of the dozens of restaurants. Island said that the prime location of the St. Julien “made the hotel the best choice for our group because the restaurants are within walking distance and the views of the mountain range are incredible.”
The 390-room Omni Interlocken Resort, located in Broomfield, is between Denver and Boulder. It has an outdoor pavilion, which offers attendees an opportunity to enjoy the brisk Colorado evenings amid the warmth of open firepits and gas heaters along the pool area.
As part of the resort’s expansion, there is a new 4,750-square-foot Pavilion that can accommodate from 10 to 800 attendees for outdoor dining, entertaining and private functions, which is situated in a beautifully landscaped garden and pool area adorned with cascading waterfalls. Besides the mountain setting, the view from the pool includes a 27-hole championship golf course winding along the property’s 300 acres. The Omni Interlocken Resort offers more than 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space, a 5,500-square-foot spa and fitness center, another pool, plus two restaurants and nearby shopping.
Colorado Springs
If you ask any planner to name a legendary Colorado resort, most will certainly identify The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs offers its own airport, more than 13,000 guest rooms and nearly 500,000 square feet of meeting space.
The historic and elegant Broadmoor, popular with corporate meeting groups, prides itself on its ambience and character. Set on 3,000 acres, the 700-room Broadmoor opened in 1918 and continues to wow attendees. The Broadmoor boasts more than 185,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, including the 60,000-square-foot Broadmoor Hall. Planners who select The Broadmoor will discover a destination hotel that attendees will continue to remember long after the meeting is over.
The Front Range
Like their metropolitan sisters, the towns and villages in the “hills” west of Denver are experiencing a hotel boom, plus renovations and expansions. Whether your event includes skiing in the winter or hiking in the summer, planners hosting events with the Rocky Mountains in their backyard will not be disappointed.
Dramatic mountain views and impressive meeting facilities begin at the 1,500-room Keystone Resort & Conference Center, which is located in the heart of Summit County roughly 90 minutes from Denver. Surrounded by the White River National Forest, the resort spans seven miles along the Snake River encompassing three spectacular mountains. More than 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space including 50 meeting rooms easily accommodate programs of 10 or large-scale groups of 1,200. Outdoor amenities include two championship golf courses, fly fishing, horseback riding, hiking, climbing and more than 40 miles of paved bike paths that wind through the valleys.
In 1938, the city of Denver established a ski area at Winter Park near the Moffatt Tunnel, servicing the area with trains that hauled skiers to the slopes. The Winter Park Ski Train is still running, a popular year-round day trip from Denver’s Union Station, available for groups from 12 to 612. The Ski Train excursions offer a postcard-perfect train experience through the dramatic peaks of the Rockies, traveling through scenery you’ll never see any other way.
According to John Niemann, assistant vice president, beef business manager for Wichita, KS-based Cargill Meat Solutions, the drive from Denver to Winter Park is filled with awe-inspiring postcard scenery. Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation is a leading processor of beef, pork and turkey, and Niemann first brought his team of 25 to Denver to visit clients. Then the group drove to Winter Park for their annual strategic meeting.
“We have clear objectives when we do site selection,” said Niemann. “We want a location that uses our product, Sterling Silver Premium Beef, and we want a unique mountain setting with good meeting facilities, a great culinary component, and a retreat from the ‘real world’ so we can get down to business.”
Niemann discovered his perfect setting 65 miles west of Denver and 15 minutes from Winter Park. Devil’s Thumb Ranch is a year-round ranch resort, spa and corporate retreat, with high standards for eco-friendly retreats and sustainable luxury. The addition of a new Ranch Creek Spa and 52-room lodge to its existing 16 luxury log cabin base will expand their capacity to 150.
Known for its world-class cross country terrain, with breathtaking vistas that provide the setting for many Nordic and snowshoe events, The Devil’s Thumb Ranch also offers exceptional meeting space at its 10,000-square-foot, two-story meeting and special events center. The Broad Axe Barn, the centerpiece of the space, is framed by a reclaimed circa 1850s historic barn from Indiana. Niemann reported that the barn really set the tone for many productive brainstorming sessions.
“What really made the meeting,” said Niemann, “was the culinary aspect of the newly restored and expanded Ranch House Restaurant & Saloon and the newly appointed executive chef Ken Ohlinger. Since our business is beef, I had several discussions with the chef, and he shared with us that he specialized in a variety of meats. He offered a quote that really speaks to our business, ‘Everyone can have one great chef prepare a good steak, but it takes an exceptional chef to use all parts of the animals and present it in an exciting and appetizing way.’ The chef created and prepared an amazing four-course menu for one big night that included unusual items using the beef tongue, cheek meat, tripe, oxtail, etc.”
Niemann continued, “Dining at the Ranch House Restaurant & Saloon takes place in a rustic, elegant setting, and Ohlinger is an exceptionally well-trained master chef tuned into our industry. He took the time to speak at one of our meetings, and shared his thoughts at our dinner table as well.”
Teambuilding played an important role in the make-up of Niemann’s meeting. “We spent time in Winter Park tubing and skiing. Our business strategy is to collaborate on best practices and learning, and we wanted to bring that home. We incorporated a unique role reversal by pairing experienced skiers with inexperienced. Sometimes a senior partner was the expert; other times, it was the new employee. This teambuilding experience was a great way to connect to our business.”
“From our Devil’s Thumb meeting,” said Niemann, “we accomplished two major objectives, largely due to the chef and the unique ranch setting. First of all, we have a highly engaged group focused on our business strategy. Secondly, we engaged in a new type of meeting experience and venue, and achieved a successful strategic session.”
Aspen
Once a scruffy mining town, Aspen is now a chic mountain resort and playground for celebrities. Perhaps the most well-known Aspen property is the historic Hotel Jerome, featuring 92 spacious guest rooms and the modern amenities of luxury accommodations. The Hotel Jerome boasts 7,500 square feet of private function space for 10 to 600 attendees, including the only above-ground ballroom in Aspen — the 3,450-square-foot Grand Ballroom with a capacity of up to 400.
Words cannot capture all the beauty of Colorado and its legendary peaks (54 of its mountains soar above 14,000 feet), nor can prose fully describe the land and landscape that make up the states’s heart and soul. Perhaps that’s why so many high-profile meetings and events, including the 2008 Democratic National Convention (August 25-28), blaze a trail to Colorado where attendees can explore vibrant cities, charming towns and mountain villages, art and culture, culinary delights, rafting, hiking, some of the world’s best skiing and abundant meeting space. C&IT