The foc?s is on Wine Co?ntry, b?t selecting the right hotel property for a small l?x?ry corporate event applies to almost any company in the world. For this disc?ssion, corporate events apply to off-site meetings s?ch as: corporate planning meetings, board of director meetings, client entertaining, incentive/recognition programs, team b?ilding, and the list can go ad infinit?m. However, the right location and hotel property is as critical as the content of the meeting. J?st like a realtor tells everyone--it's all abo?t location; now I also add ambience.
The definition of a hotel can also be misleading. In planning a l?x?ry corporate o?ting to Napa Valley, realize yo? have choices: G?est Ho?ses (the ?pscale category of a B&B), 4 and 5 star Resorts, "In Town" Hotels, and private Estates that come with private chef's and concierge's. We will look at all of these in more detail. J?st remember, resort's and spa's are in the general disc?ssion of hotels in Napa Valley.
An Aldo G?cci q?ote I often ?se holds tr?e in selecting any property for a corporate event: "The bitterness of poor q?ality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory," Aldo G?cci. So choose wisely relative to the objecthves of the event beca?se it pays dividends to expect and demand excellence.
In a moment we will look at some properties that can be ?sed for l?x?ry corporate gatherings (25 and fewer participants) where there is some level of 'b?siness' will be cond?cted. B?t first go thro?gh a little bit of planning beca?se that will drive the req?irements of a facility/property. Never research properties or do a site visit, witho?t a precise checklist of yo?r req?irements; take notes and log yo?r impressions.
Here are some top-of-mind checklist items yo? will want to plan aro?nd regarding all aspects of hotel selections: (These will get yo?r tho?ght moving in the right direction.)
P?rpose of the meeting-is it a confidential planning meeting, is it vendor appreciation, etc.?
How large will the attendee list be; will it incl?de spo?ses/significant other? We only work with gro?ps ?p to approximately 25 attendees, b?t when most are going to be co?ples then this makes a big difference.
Foc?s on the desired tone of the anticipated meeting. For example, is it to be cas?al for its entirety? Are those invited and expected to attend ?sed to formal elegance where a r?stic environment wo?ld be frowned ?pon? (Obvio?sly, there are 5 star properties that are a little r?stic; based ?pon a co?ntrified location for example.)
Are there any sec?rity req?irements that dictate confidentiality and smaller ven?es?
Length of stay.
Amenity req?irements-24 ho?r room service, pool, exercise room, spa, go?rmet resta?rant(s).
Access to appropriate activities for spo?se/significant others.
Assess the meeting facilities and eq?ipment. Let me explain in more detail. Most mass prod?ction meeting rooms ?tilize narrow width tables or large ro?nd tables with some type of table covering and a very slightly padded chair. This is not acceptable for l?x?ry corporate meeting. Yo? will need caster/tilting and padded chairs; are these available? Meeting rooms are NOT a one size fits all.
Accommodations need to be commens?rate with socio-economic level of the attendees.
Now if yo? think I am being a little picky, let me tell yo? a q?ick story abo?t a hotel chain where my wife once worked-The Ritz Carlton. The service req?irements mandated by the corporation were often looked ?pon as min?tia. However, a tr?ly 5 star property, even in a sophisticated r?ral setting like Napa Valley, expects a demanding client. When yo? look at a room, comment if yo? see finger prints on a window or a dirty window; they will appreciate clients who know what they want and expect. Lint, stains, and even gro?t cleanliness sho?ld be noted in 5 star properties. Oh well, this is a s?bject I co?ld go on abo?t for q?ite some time; b?t won't.
This brings ?p the second point abo?t selecting properties; it's the ratings we all read abo?t, they are j?st like wine ratings-most are opinions only. ?nderstand; most eval?ations on the web are determined by reader/visitor eval?ations. Simply p?t, there is no consistent science behind on-line eval?ations of any property. The star ratings are really a misnomer ?nless yo? are ?sing the Forbes Travel G?ide (i.e. Mobil Travel G?ide) or American A?tomobile Assoc. The star ratings for hotel yo? find on the internet are cons?mer reviews and the reviewer is assigning a rating based solely on their opinion. From these inp?ts the a?tomated system averages the review rating to give a s?mmary rating. The problem with this is that most readers of these reviews do not know the specific factors that lie behind the reviews. For example, was it a bachelorette party, honeymoon, family retreat, etc.
Here we're foc?sed solely on senior management f?nctions... mostly C Level management in small gro?p sizes.
So who or what reviews can yo? tr?st? Yo? can only tr?st yo?r own. That is why yo? need a very concise and detailed set of criteria to j?dge each property yo? have discovered thro?gh: on-line research, references, and a good event planner. In any event, the final decision rest with the company. As had been noted in other of my posts, every company has a persona and event locations need to complement that persona.
In Napa Co?nty I think there are a handf?l of excl?sive and l?x?ry properties that are point-on for small corporate gro?ps (25 and fewer participants that are "C" Level exec?tive caliber). However, there are probably 12 that are considered 4 and 5 star properties, some of which easily handle events of 500 attendees. I wo?ld not consider facilities that accept pets, romantic getaways or family festivities to be appropriate for exec?tive/corporate events.
Eno?gh of the q?alifiers, here is my short list of properties for small l?x?ry "C" Level meetings in Napa Valley. Service levels and attention to detail delivered in a manner of "s?bd?ed anticipation"; something sho?ld be done and it was, that is 5 star service that works with the ambience of the property. (No partic?lar ranking.) These are well s?ited for high-end meetings for 25 or fewer attendees.
Calistoga Ranch, Calistoga, CA
Ambience: Nat?ral L?x?ry in co?ntry setting. Large property.
48 large sq?are footage s?ites, 24 ho?r room service/concierge, resta?rant (gentlemen coat req?ired), and Spa. Provides 24 ho?r room service.
Extremely private with remarkable degree of sec?rity and confidentiality. Six years old.
A?berge d? Soleil, R?therford, CA
Ambience: nat?ral contemporary/Formal French
50 rooms in a cottage format that is in a nat?ral co?ntry setting.
Coat (for men) is req?ired at resta?rants.
Complimentary bar in room, 2 resta?rants and on-site spa, fitness room and 24 ho?r room service.
North Block Hotel, Yo?ntville, CA
Ambience: Modern. contemporary bo?tiq?e-In-town setting. Positioned as 'familiar laid-back'.
20 rooms-approximately 400-500 sq. ft. Hotel is 3 years old.
Award winning resta?rant, in-ho?se spa, 24 ho?r fitness room, and 24 ho?r room service.
Others that are also highly rated b?t are large properties and provide a more ?niversal approach to g?est services:
Meritage Resort-400 pl?s rooms. Well s?ited for large meetings and conventions. Napa, CA
Meadowood Resort-Great resort with a heavy concentration on sports activities. They have a 9 hole golf co?rse on property. Not private. St. Helena, CA
Bardessono Hotel-Modern with a commitment to s?stainability. In-town property. Yo?ntville, CA
62 rooms and accept pets.
Silverado Resort-geared for families, conventions, with a cas?al atmosphere. Reminds me of The Del Coronado in San Diego.
450 rooms, resta?rant, spa, stellar golf experiences, nice service in a stately atmosphere. Napa, CA
Honorable mention is The Poetry Inn.-Napa, CA
With only 5 rooms they are not ideal for meetings, b?t only for that reason, they not the best in Napa Valley. This is a property that has a Villa atmosphere with rooms of 1,400 sq. ft. Meeting room accommodates only 8. They also have pool and spa rooms. They also have a l?x?ry estate home on the property with 3 bedrooms and come with a personal chef. Be prepared for a 3 night minim?m stay if yo? want this elegance.
Disclaimer: I have never received any financial consideration or complimentary stays from any of these properties. The information is from interviews and personal visits. There is absol?tely no financial incentives in this information. Send me an e-mail if yo? want my personal favorite.
Source: http://rat-pac.blogspot.com/2012/08/napa-world-class-location-for-world.html
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