Toopua atoll + Mt. Otemanu

You’re going to be hard pressed to come up with a more spectacular tropical incentive split-program than Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa and Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa. First, a quick geography lesson: Tahiti is both the name of the country in French Polynesia and the major hub island with the gateway airport. Moorea lies just off of the island of Tahiti, about a 10-minute flight away. Mythical Bora Bora, meanwhile, is another 45 minutes heading west. Both resorts are completely secluded without eyesite of another hotel, and both will make your clients smile uncontrollably the minute they’re alone in their overwater villas. They are truly spectacular.

Flights from LAX aboard Air Tahiti Nui are eight hours. You might be surprised to learn Tahiti is actually farther east than Hawaii. We were.

This is Part 2 of our Hilton Resorts Tahiti review. For Part 1, visit: Moorean Eden: Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa.

HERE’S YOUR ‘WOW’ REVEAL
Bora Bora is the one of the most dramatic destinations in the world that will bend your knees and stop your breath the moment you get off the plane from Tahiti. A ring of atolls surrounds the majestic remains of the ancient volcano, Mt. Otemanu, and the shimmering waters of the lagoon in between is a jewelbox of sapphires, emeralds and diamonds.

While all of the big brand hotels are located on the east side of Otemanu, the Hilton Bora Bora Nui is located in the far southwestern reaches alone on Toopua atoll. Arriving by boat, you feel like you’ve reached the end of the earth as the water turns deep cobalt blue on the other side of the reef. The 86 overwater villas stretch along the longest beach in French Polynesia while the 36 land villas slope up the palm-swathed hillside. Perched on the crest of the hill on a leafy promontory, the Hina Spa overlooks the atoll, beach, water and Mt. Otemanu.

Hina Spa

SUPER SUSTY SPA
Anthony Nayeli is the spa director at Hina Spa with a passionate concern for protecting this Polynesian paradise. He says sustainability has only come to the fore in the last couple of years as more and more hotels are being built in the islands.

“I want us to be doing so much in terms of sustainability that the rest of the hotels are shamed by our example,” says Nayeli. “So a visit here is not just an incredibly luxurious escape, but it’s also not exploitive in any way.”

The spa consists of three large spa cabins overlooking the 360-degree jaw-dropping panorama. At the very top of the bluff, there’s a sign marked “The Million Dollar View” pointing down a trail. At the end of trail, there’s an open-air covered deck with two spa beds, and if anything, the sign is underestimating the view.

Signature treatments include the deep tissue “Bambu Renu” massage utilizing bamboo stalks of various lengths to address deep pressure requests. A portion of proceeds from the massage go to the Green Island Project, a renewable energy company in Tahiti.

The “Te Moana” is a hot stone and cold seashell massage. The heat is designed to increase circulation while the shells release toxins through the skin. Proceeds from that are donated to the BIOROCK company, which uses electrostimulation to promote coral generation.

And the “Be the Difference” signature package treatment includes a sea salt and ylang ylang body scrub, marine algae body wrap, and 50-minute massage. Funds from that are given to the Algalita Marine Research Foundation and its anti-pollution initiatives throughout the islands.

“There’s a real sense of place in the spa menu with all of the local ingredients like the fresh fruits and plants,” says Nayeli. “And we have the best price point, there’s a better value here. It’s $140 for a 50-minute massage, and $130 per person for the couple’s massage, which you’re not going to find anywhere else in Bora Bora.”

Iriatai Restaurant

FOOD + NIGHTLIFE
In the heart of the resort right on the beach, Hilton’s tiered pool is the largest in Bora Bora. Adjacent, the Tamure Grill and Ta’ie’ie Bar is an ultra casual thatch roof venue with a big sandy floor. Rent this for as big a group as you want because it spills out onto the long beach. This is a fantastic way to start every morning for breakfast in your shorts and flip flops with a nice breeze coming in off the water.

On the other side of the pool, the Iriatai Restaurant and Upa Upa Bar are housed on the second story of a Polynesian vernacular building with undivided open vantages of the beach and water. The polished wood floors, beam ceilings, and authentic art and furnishings throughout make this an absolutely gorgeous experience. You can easily host a buyout up here with live music and dancing. Iriatai is available for group bookings before 2pm or all night on Tuesdays when everyone gathers at Tamure Grill for the weekly Polynesian dance and buffet gala.

The cuisine at Hilton Bora Bora is delicious because everything tastes so fresh. The French, Asian and Pacific fusion menu serves items such as baked spiny lobster in tarragon lobster bisque. The hotel can also organize private group dinners right on the sand away from the crowd due to the size of the beach.

During my site inspection with Karine Peyras, assistant manager, she says, “Here we are, I have 200 people at the resort and there’s no one on the beach.” People spend a lot of time in their villas here, or they’re at the pool or sailing offshore. That sense of openness without a lot of hustle and bustle is seriously to die for.

The eastern bungalows have the best views

THE BUNGALOWS
All of the overwater bungalows have amazing views of the water so you can’t really go wrong with any of them. However, the units toward the east have both views of the water facing away from the island and views through a narrow lagoon looking toward the volcano. All of the accommodations include cathedral ceilings, wood floors, intricate woodwork, Italian marble bathrooms with large floor tubs, and big 4-poster beds with delicate linen drapery.

The overall ambiance is much more South Pacific/Balinese in feel than some of the other hotels, but it’s tasteful and subdued. The water is almost clear below the villas where you can see the colorful butterfly, parrot and trigger fish. The decks are extra large, and the villas themselves start at almost 1,000 sf.

The marquee accommodations are the two 3,200-sf Presidential Overwater Villas, which Kim Kardashian booked for her high-profile honeymoon in 2011. The 2-story structures opened in October 2009 with two bedrooms/baths, a jacuzzi and an extra large living room for entertaining. The ultra-cool villas can be booked for 30-pax cocktail receptions.

The Presidential Villas

MOTU TAPU
A short 20-minute boat ride from Hilton’s overwater lobby, the island of Motu Tapu offers permanent facilities for private group events. Completely encircled with blinding white beaches, the island is simply awesome for a day of beachcoming or an awards dinner at sunset. Bartenders and waiters are waiting with Mai Tais, mahi mahi carpaccio and crab and pineapple salad as your group pulls up in the private launch.

This tends to be a highlight of  any program at Hilton Bora Bora Nui.

“Ah, Motu Tapu—that is the most beautiful place in the world,” says Peyras.

Motu Tapu

Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa in Tahiti, French Polynesia

You’re going to be hard pressed to come up with a more spectacular tropical incentive split-program than Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa and Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa. First, a quick geography lesson: Tahiti is both the name of the country in French Polynesia and the major hub island with the gateway airport. Moorea lies just off of the island of Tahiti, about a 15-minute flight away. Mythical Bora Bora, meanwhile, is another 45 minutes heading west. Both resorts are completely secluded without eyesite of another hotel, and both will make your clients laugh uncontrollably the minute they’re alone in their overwater villas. They are that spectacular.

Flights from LAX aboard Air Tahiti Nui are eight hours. You might be surprised to learn Tahiti is actually farther east than Hawaii. We were.

This is Part 1 of our 2-part Hilton Resorts Tahiti review. Stayed tuned for our Hilton Bora Bora Nui update.

MOOREAN EDEN
As you walk out onto the tarmac at Tahiti Faa’a International Airport, the craggy volcanic outline of Moorea lies on the horizon portending Polynesian pleasures stirring deep in your heart and soul. Yes, that sounds ridiculously syrupy but that’s what Tahiti does to you. Upon landing, you drive along the one island road circumnavigating the island for 15 minutes to the deeply lush landscape at the 104-bungalow Hilton Moorea.

Couples are mingling in the lobby at the tour desks planning their daily adventure. Someone wraps a thin handmade necklace around your neck. From there, you walk over a wooden bridge above a koi pond surrounded by thick ferns, tall palm and the fragrant local tiara flowers—Tahitian gardenia.

Paddling the lagoon, Polynesian-style

It is then when you come face to face with the overwater bungalows suspended above the transparent sea. It is quiet. People speak in hushed tones close to each other, hypnotized by the scenery. Everyone is touching, and the water is freakishly beautiful.

“It seems like time has stopped,” says GM, Olivier Larcher.”In Moorea, you wake up with the sun and go to bed very early. You’re very in tune with the natural rhythms and connected to the environment.”

Welcome to Eden.

Larcher says about 60% of the clientele is U.S., and corporate incentive groups typically range from 40-50 pax. In 2010, the resort completed a $15 million renovation, and it was ranked the #1 romantic hotel in the world by Tripadvisor readers.

THE BUNGALOWS
Upon entering my bungalow, I walk around the room and remove every brochure and anything else unattached and put it in a drawer. The sliding doors open up to a large unpainted wood terrace with a second smaller perch just above the water. I can’t take my eyes off the water. The big bathrooms are fun with stone tile floors/walls and open showers with a window looking out  into the lagoon. I’m not sure I’ve been anywhere where I’ve felt so connected to the sea.

There’s another window in the wood floor where you can see the fish flitting about, and a small desk with WiFi. Surprisingly, I was able to get a lot of work accomplished here. You feel centered here, focused, because there isn’t any other population, traffic or noise pollution of any kind around the resort.

The 781-room Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld has announced the completion of its 5-year $35 million renovation project. The hotel’s 23 meeting rooms and 65 guest suites received a massive makeover and new features were added to the hotel including an 8,000-sf lawn area and an interactive kitchen available for intimate group events and cooking classes/demos.

The 4-diamond hotel has 185,000 sf of flexible function space and has transformed its second floor space into 23 individual breakout rooms including two 12-pax executive boardrooms and a 2,000-sf meeting room. In order to follow the aquatic theme displayed throughout the resort, each space is named after a tropical sea creature like the ones you can find next door at SeaWorld, Orlando’s premiere aquatic theme park. Some room names include the Anemone, Mako and Tarpon rooms.

Sixty five suites were also redone to exude more of a modern residential feel. The hotel offers six suite categories that lead up to the luxurious Presidential Suite—complete with wet bar, garden tub and large balconies.

“Our resort has reached a significant milestone,” said Bob Walsh, GM. “The Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld appeals to a wide audience. Business and family travelers alike frequent and return here, which is why when planning and executing improvements to the property, we made sure they would appeal to the needs of each and every individual, while dramatically enhancing the overall guest experience.”

There were also a few new features added to the hotel. The new Atlantis Kitchen is an interactive, open kitchen where groups can whip up some tasty treats or host exclusive dinners. Perfect for group functions, the space features the latest cooking equipment and techniques including liquid nitrogen and immersion circulators for sous vide-style presentations. Groups up to 50 can host classes or demonstrations inside the kitchen, and the space can be expanded to accommodate 200-pax receptions.

Large groups can host some pretty snazzy starlit soirees on the hotel’s new 8,000-sf lawn. Located next to the pool, the lawn serves groups up to 2,000 pax when combined with the existing lawn and terrace space.

The early stages of the five-year renovation plan also updated up the hotel’s spa, atrium and restaurants.

Renaissance Orlando recently became an official hotel partner of SeaWorld, offering registered groups early entry to the park during peak season, complimentary unlimited front-of-the-line access on most attractions, and discounts on many of the food and shopping venues. They even offer exclusive access to the SeaWorld Rescue Tour, taking groups behind-the-scenes where they can learn about all the rescue efforts SeaWorld takes part in to save wildlife. If you’re lucky you can even feed a friendly penguin!

Washington, DC will always be home to many of the country’s most beloved national treasures, but now meeting planners and convention goers have several other reasons to plan their visit to the nation’s capital. New developments such as major downtown projects – including the Washington Marriott Marquis and City Center DC – as well as Destination DC’s continued focus on service to convention clients has revitalized the District as a top destination for meetings and conventions.

The Washington Marriott Marquis, scheduled to open in 2014, will provided meeting goers with an ease of location never before experienced in DC. The property will be directly adjacent to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and will include a pedestrian concourse that will connect the two buildings. The Washington Marriott Marquis will feature 1,175 guest rooms and 100,000 square feet of meeting and event space, as well as retail and restaurant outlets on the ground floor.

City Center DC is a three-square block development located downtown within close walking distance of many hotel properties. This project is scheduled to open in 2013 and is expected to include more than 330,000 square feet of retail, a 350- to 400-room hotel, and 2,400 parking spots. This complex is also in close walking distance to the Walter E. Washington Convention center making it an ideal hub for meeting attendees.

Destination DC is looking forward to welcoming your group to the nation’s capital. With newly minted plans such as the Customer VIP Program and on-going customer orientation to education clients and familiarize them with Destination DC products, The Washington, DC team will ensure that all needs of the meeting planner, exhibitor, and attendee are met with the highest level of customer service.

Just coming off a 2-year, $52 million transformation that included new Elite guestrooms and suites, a new main area with a kitchen featuring top of the line equipment meeting the strictest international standards in food quality, hygiene and safety in the market today.  Now, with a newly renovated conference center in addition to the recently unveiled features and great rates – the entire group / incentive industry is a buzz!

The completely transformed, all new Flamboyan Conference Center in the resorts’ main area features a chic contemporary design and flexible room configurations from 1,500-5,000 square feet.  The Flamboyan boasts three main rooms that expand into a ballroom for meetings, conferences or private banquet celebrations. Additionally, there are two conference rooms on the second floor level that are ideal for office space and board meetings.

The beautiful, covered porte-cochere gives a wonderful arrival experience, and also provides a great outdoor function space – ideal for a cocktail or welcome event.  Once inside, meeting planners will find all they need: specialized lighting with dimmer controls, high speed wireless internet with conveniently located outlets throughout, newly installed fire detection system, AV with qualified technicians on staff, wired Bose controlled system with accessible interconnections in all areas for high quality sound, and adapters for musical equipment.  Special rates and concessions are currently extended to go along with our new conference facilities.

Beyond the meetings you can count on everyone in your group having a most memorable time at this resort.  For the golfer … Casa de Campo is paradise!  Named the World’s Leading Golf Resort for the 5^th consecutive year, this resort has three phenomenal golf courses designed by Pete Dye: Teeth of the Dog; Dye Fore and opening in mid-March, the totally transformed inland Links course. There is also a shooting center, an equestrian center with polo, tennis center, private beaches, the Casa de Campo Spa, fine dining throughout the resort, a marina and the wondrous Altos de Chavon village with its boutiques, restaurants, museums, artisan workshops, amphitheatre and more.

With unique venues for creative themed events, a professional staff, and a business center, Casa de Campo is an ideal site for meetings, incentives and conferences, where connections are made, ideas flourish, professional dialogue and social exchanges come easily. Groups come together in purpose… and in enjoyment. For availability and rates contact 1-800-336-5520 or groups@ccampo.com.do  www.casadecampo.com.do

The new Bella Sky Comwell Hotel, Copenhagen

Prevue is an official partner of VisitDenmark’s new MINDchallenge contest, asking planners to create the ultimate meeting in Denmark. Meeting professional are asked to review VisitDenmark’s Meetovation page to learn more about “The Meeting Concept of the Future,” which promotes five signature elements: attendee engagement, creativity, sustainability, authenticity and ROI measurement.

Use those themes to create a 2- to 3-night dream program that celebrates Danish culture and submit it to VisitDenmark’s New York office. You can create it in any medium you can imagine: print, digital, cocktail napkin, cardboard diorama or LEGO. You could even hire a Danish troupe to act out your proposal themed around a modern day version of Hamlet. We can see it now: “To be sustainable, or not to be…. ”

The only requirement is that your presentation takes 20 minutes or less, including soliloquies. Please do not try to influence the judges, of which we are one, with smørrebrød shipped overnight from Noma.

Simply go to the Prevue MINDchallenge page for further direction. You’ll also find there a running blog showcasing cool ideas for distinctly Danish group experiences. Carbon-neutral beer brewing, for example! Check it out, we have everything from sexy, stylish and sustainable ecofashion to the world’s first designer hotel, world’s greenest biz hotel and world’s best restaurant.

The submission due date is March 14. A selection of North American planners with the top entries will meet in New York city in April for a gala evening of presentations. From those, a winner will be chosen to compete against colleagues from around the world in London during the 2012 Olympic Games. The overall global winner earns a comp’d meeting venue and other goodies in Copenhagen for up to 50 pax!

Good luck to all. Remember, have fun with MINDChallenge or you’ll incur “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”…

Peregrine Wines

Central Otago in New Zealand is the southernmost wine growing region on the globe producing some exceptional Pinot Noirs on par with the best in the world. The region is located near the country’s most popular tourism destination, Queenstown, the main hub city in the lower South Island surrounded by snow-capped mountains and long verdant valleys. Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were both filmed here. Due to the high elevation and a quirky deep southern climate, no wine growing region in the world undergoes the 24-hour changes in temperature here. So it took a very adventurous and plucky group of pioneering winemakers to plant grapes in these parts during the 1980s.

The fruits of their labors are reaching their zenith thanks to an astonishingly good array of 2009 vintages. Created by Peregrine Wines, the ’09 Peregrine Pinot Noir won the Bouchard Finlayson Trophy Pinot Noir at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London last year. The pinot also won the 2010 Air New Zealand Champion Wine of the Show award—the nation’s highest honor.

The London judges said the Peregrine pinot exemplifies the wine term, “Peacock’s Tail,” where the flavors display themselves across the tongue. Their tasting notes read: “Sensuous, nervously controlled elegance are the hallmarks of this absolutely stunning wine. This rose effortlessly to its supreme gold mark with the panel.”

And Peregrine is just getting started.

“Although we’ve been quietly confident all along with the standards of wine we produce,” says co-owner Lindsay McLachlan, “never in our wildest dreams did we think we would receive two fantastic accolades like this early in our history.”

We popped in to scope out the event spaces at Peregrine. This is by far the most modern, edgy design of any vineyard we know about. The main building looks like a huge metal wing angling toward a large grassy meadow at the base of a mountain range. The elevated open-air main floor is a gorgeous space for about 100 pax for cocktails at sunset. The minimalist wine tasting and barrel rooms are underground, hosting about 50 pax, and there’s a lovingly restored 1860′s woolshed at the vineyard entrance well suited for 100-person dinners.

Peregrine's zingy wine tasting event space

Peregrine Wines pulls grapes from 11 vineyard sites in the three major sub-regions of Central Otago: Gibbston, Lowburn and Bendigo. Three of them are owned/managed by Peregrine, and all three are organically farmed. The company’s philosophy revolves around “the soil being the vine’s stomach.” The soil is nurtured with homemade composts created with pomace (winery waste), straw, baleage and cow manure, all of which are produced onsite.

The militant observation toward bio-diversity without using any herbicides is further realized through the rotation of cover crops, undervine weeders and sheep grazing.

Peregrine also sponsors a series of initiatives to protect peregrine falcons and the native mohua and saddleback birds. The saddleback was previously thought to be extinct, and through a partnership with the Fiorland Conservation Trust, the vineyard helped re-establish the mohua on Resolution Island last year. It was a momentous occasion because it was the first time that native wildlife has been returned to the island, and it will ensure the future of the species estimated to have reached as low a population as 14 birds.

Stray Boots Scavenger Hunts was founded in 2008 with a goal of making the exploration of New York City fun and interactive for groups. They have since branched out, with additional experiences available in well-known cities like Boston, Las Vegas, Chicago, Philadelphia and New Orleans, to name a few. Companies like American Express, Nordstrom, FedEx, ESPN and Colombia University have worked with the company to create exciting experiences for their group members, whether it’s used as a teambuilding activity or for orientation, or even simply for a day of sightseeing.

The game also serves as a tour of the area, as groups are asked to roam the city in search of the answer to various challenges, riddles and questions that are sent directly to your cell phone. The object is to spruce up everyday sightseeing by adding an interactive component. The challenges come in via text message and ask group members to find cool things, solve riddles and take photos, earning points each time you do.

Different options are available depending on the size of the group, and the company will create hunts for groups up to 100. Groups over 15 members are divided into three or more teams and the larger the group, the more competitive the hunt becomes. The scavenger hunts are completely flexible to each group’s schedule and time constraints.

Some examples of neighborhoods in New York where groups could organize the event include Chinatown & Little Italy, Midtown, Greenwich Village, Wall Street and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Whether your group loves Renaissance paintings, antiquities or modern art, the Met is the ideal place for an exhilarating group scavenger hunt. It’s probably best to divide and conquer—zoom through galleries searching for the perfect priceless painting while others strike a pose in front of some of the most recognized sculptures in the world. It’s the perfect way for your group to play your way to becoming cultured in just a few hours.

Bon Appétit Culinary Center Aboard Marina and Riviera ships

Group cruising is kicked up a notch with Oceania Cruises’ two new luxury vessels, offering exotic itineraries and an expansive list of dining and activity options. Onboard their 1,250-pax Marina, or sister ship Riviera (set to debut in May), groups can enjoy: 10 fine-dining venues on each and designer touches that include a Lalique Grand Staircase and staterooms furnished with Ralph Lauren Home. They can also treat themselves to and an endless list of experiences that are sure to educate and entertain. But posh doesn’t always mean pretentious.

“Our products are country club casual,” says Katina Athanasiou, VP, charter & incentive sales. “While people still like to travel well, they don’t want to put on a tuxedo or ball gown. Some groups still want to put on galas, but other than that there are no formal nights.”

The Marina was designed with foodies in mind. Six of the ship’s dining venues are open-seating and carry no additional surcharge. Care for some tea? Every day at four o’clock groups can stroll over to Horizons lounge, with its dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows, for afternoon tea and treats, as a string quartet plays softly in the background. How’s that for fancy?

“A great thing about our ships is that you can offer your group a dinearound since there are no additional charges for most meals,” Athanasiou says. “It’s definitely a fun option.”

Chef Jacques Pepin

For the utmost in French cuisine, try the duck leg confit and sausage in tomato Provence bean stew at Jacques Pepin’s namesake specialty restaurant, Jacques. Pepin serves as the executive culinary director for the cruise line and works closely with a team of executive chefs to develop fresh and flavorful menus that blend new and exciting dishes with revered classics.

For a chance to meet Chef Pepin, book the May 12 Tuscan Artistry itinerary, sailing between Barcelona and Rome. Chef Pepin will be onboard offering an array of cooking classes and hands-on demonstrations.

Groups who aren’t able to make it onboard for that event, fear not. The ship also features La Reserve by Wine Spectator, which offers enlightening information on the perfect food and wine pairings. And the Bon Appetite Culinary Center is the only hands-on culinary studio at sea in the world. With 12 individual cooking stations, up to 24 pax can learn about various cuisines, create their own savory dishes and battle it out in Iron Chef-style competitions.

Produced in conjunction with Bon Appetite, a publication catering to fine food and wine, the center is manned by master chefs that guide groups through a large range of classes that cover regional cuisines, secrets to easy cooking and techniques that will have you cooking like a pro in no time.

Their Elegant Egg: Breakfast, Brunch and Desserts course teaches groups how to wake up your cooking with some innovative ideas on how to incorporate eggs into a variety of dishes. Learn to make frittata three ways and master a few egg techniques like poaching, scrambling and making the perfect omelet.

Or give their Trendsetting World Cuisines: Recipes from Peru, Modern Mexico and Miami class a shot, where Latin-inspired dishes heat up the kitchen. Learn to make roasted vegetable enchiladas with creamy tomatillo sauce or a Cuban paella, swimming with seafood and spices just like the ones you dig into at the authentic hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Miami. Yum.

The Fairmont Chateau Whistler golf course

The annual Trailblazers Conference is a mini-buyer/supplier tradeshow organized by Canada, Switzerland, Monaco, Ireland and Britain. They meet at revolving destinations within the participating countries, and last year, everyone gathered in Whistler for the conference and post program in Vancouver. The host hotel was The Fairmont Chateau Whistler, located within walking distance from the base of Blackcomb Mountain.

During a conference break, a few of us were sitting outside enjoying our coffee when a small black bear walked toward us about 50 feet away in the parking lot. Everyone stood up in shock but then the bear turned away from us to walk up a little trail. However, a couple of hikers were walking along another trail above that intersects the top of the trail the bear was navigating. Judging the speed of the bear and hikers, they would reach the exact same point at the exact same time.

Sensing the humans, the bear stood up on its hind legs to sniff the air. Suddenly, it turned around and started jogging toward us. Now, this was just a small black bear, maybe six feet standing. Still, you never saw a marketing director from Switzerland and a hotelier from Dublin run so fast. All of us bolted for the doorway into the conference center but we stopped short when the bear decided it was a little too populated in the area before heading behind the hotel.

Having grown up in the area, I’ve visited Whistler/Blackcomb dozens of times, and it’s rare not to see a family of bears in the spring alongside the road during the 90-minute drive up from Vancouver. The coastal section with views of Bowen Island is considered one of the most magnificent stretches of highway in North America, and you’ll no doubt stop the van or bus a few times to snap pictures of the bears, waterfalls and mountain landscapes.

UP AT THE CHATEAU
The 550-room Fairmont Chateau Whistler is exceptionally well situated for conferences and business meetings, located at the edge of the ski village on a mountainside surrounded by native forest. It’s secluded enough to keep control of the group, with unlimited amount of team building activities minutes away in the geographical splendor. During events on the roof of the 32,000-sf conference center, it feels remote, wild and untouched with unspoiled views of the tree canopy, and the thick scent of pine ripe is in the crisp air.

The rooms all share this view from their balconies so the entire time you’re here you feel completely attached to nature. Well, except during the late afternoon when everyone comes down the hill for happy hour in the big indoor/outdoor lobby bar facing the ski slopes.

The interior design is rich with darkwoods, leather couches and plentiful natural stone in the public areas, while a large wall of windows provides expansive sightlines showcasing the stunning scenery.