SOUTHERN WALES: Cardiff and Beyond

Long overshadowed by its U.K. cousins, Wales is emerging as an exciting new incentive destination — propelled in large part by the astonishing revitalization of Cardiff. Just a two-hour drive from London's Heathrow Airport, the trendy waterfront capital has many wonderful venues for group events and receptions, including the new Millennium Centre on Cardiff Bay, a bold melding of slate, polished steel, and Welsh hardwoods; the National Museum and Gallery, a neoclassical masterpiece; Fonmon Castle, one of the few medieval castles still used as a private home; and must-see Cardiff Castle — complete with Roman walls, a Norman keep, and a 15th-century castle.

Cardiff has about 4,000 hotel rooms in the downtown area, including two new properties: the 165-room Holland House Hotel and the chic 129-room Park Plaza Hotel in the heart of downtown. The five-star St. David's Hotel and Spa boasts an outstanding spa and 132 guest rooms overlooking Cardiff Bay.

An excursion to Southwest Wales took us to Swansea, birthplace of the country's most famous poet. Here the Dylan Thomas Centre offers a private function room as well as memorabilia and exhibits. Nearby Morgan's is a lovely five-star hotel in a restored maritime building. Another gem is the newly renovated, 31-room Grand Hotel, a city landmark since the 1930s.

The coastline in this part of Wales is spectacular and one way to see it is aboard a yacht. Euphoria Sailing offers excursions out of Swansea that can include teambuilding exercises or catered receptions for up to 40 people.

Also in the southwest is Slebech Park, the ancestral home of Sir Geoffrey Philipps. He and his wife, Lady Georgina, are busy turning an 18th-century coach house on the 600-acre estate into a corporate retreat, with 15 two-bedroom apartments, and an indoor pool and fitness center overlooking an estuary in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Continental Airlines began service in May from Newark to Bristol, England, an hour's drive from Cardiff.
— Regina McGee

JAPAN, Roppongi Hills

The Roppongi Hills project began, in 1986, as an idea to put culture at the centerpiece of a planned community, a city within a city. After 14 years of planning and three years of construction, the project was completed two years ago.

I visited earlier this year, and found the massive multi-use Roppongi Hills, in the heart of Tokyo, to be forward-looking in every way. Take the rooftops, for example, where gardens and greenery create a “green mass damper.” (The 9-screen Virgin Cinema Complex has a rice paddy on its roof.) In the event of earthquake, these gardens reduce building sway.

This arts, culture, and business center is filled with the works of contemporary artists, from fanciful benches in the shopping areas, to American artist Louise Bourgeois' giant arachnid in the plaza, fast becoming Roppongi's signature icon.

Within Roppongi Hills' 29-acre footprint, the dominant building is the 54-story Mori Tower, housing the world-class Mori Art Museum, featuring contemporary art, on the 53rd floor; Tokyo City View (with floor — to-ceiling panoramas of the city) on floor 52; and the 50th-floor Urban Institute for the Future, with its giant scale models of New York and Tokyo. All are accessed with a single entry ticket and are open until 10 p.m.

Mori Tower's Roppongi Academy Hills comprises a school, quiet study space, and a library, as well as some pretty spectacular meeting space on floors 40 and 49, from small breakout rooms to a hall that seats 1,000. The 40th floor has more than 48,000 square feet of event space, and when interior walls are removed, the room has 360-degree views of Tokyo,

Roppongi Hills features a street-level, 17th-century Japanese garden; below-ground parking; 200 shops and restaurants; and the upscale Grand Hyatt Hotel, a sister property to the Park Hyatt (of the film Lost in Translation fame). Opened in April 2003, The Grand Hyatt has 389 rooms and suites with Frette linens, 30-inch flat-screen TVs, Sony DVD/CD player and Bose speakers, and touch controls for lighting, heating, and two-layer blackout blinds. The limestone bathrooms have separate tub and shower rooms, and toilet rooms. The 5th floor Nagomi Spa and Fitness center has a gym, a gorgeous pool, saunas, locker and shower rooms, and five treatment suites. The Grand Hyatt has 10 restaurants and bars, featuring Italian, French, Western, Japanese, and Chinese cuisines, with Chef Josef Budde presiding over all. (You might be able to arrange an unforgettable early-morning trip for your group with Chef Budde to the Tsukiji fish market, the largest and busiest in the world.) The hotel's banquet and meeting space comprises 13 rooms on the second through fourth floors, a total of 30,139 square feet.

Roppongi Hills also offers fully furnished and equipped extended-stay apartments, with full kitchens and 24-hour concierge service.
— Barbara L. Brewer

SOUTH CAROLINA, Charleston Place

The sense of arrival at Charleston Place Hotel is so perfectly in keeping with its location in the center of the city's historic district that you'd never know it was built in 1986. From the Greek Revival — style fountain flanked by four bronze horses in the entrance courtyard, to the sweeping Georgian-style grand staircase in the lobby, to the 441 guest rooms and suites decorated with chintz and damask, the hotel conveys traditional Southern flair.

When I stayed at Charleston Place this spring, I was thrilled with its convenient location. I loved getting out for strolls in the charming and romantic city of Charleston, whose historic district is said to be the second largest in the world (Rome is first). It's a short walk from the hotel to the harbor, lined with splendid waterfront mansions. Great shopping is everywhere, from 28 upscale shops in two galleries flanking the hotel, to a vast flea market around the corner.

There are many recreational opportunities for incentive groups, starting with the plush European-style Spa at Charleston Place. A full array of spa services are available in its six treatment rooms, and guests can choose from a wide selection of manicures and pedicures. The spa also includes a well-equipped gym and a 50-foot pool.

Off site, the hotel's in-house destination management team can set planners up with tee times at the area's championship courses, city walking tours, and visits to historic plantations. I opted for a kayak nature tour that included close-up views of dolphins frolicking in the harbor and a visit to a barrier island to see hundreds of breeding birds.

Ample meeting space at Charleston Place includes 23 meeting rooms. A 14,432-square-foot ballroom with a 16-foot-high ceiling accommodates up to 1,500 people, and banquets for up to 300 can also be set up in the hotel's art deco — style Riviera Theater across the street. The storied Charleston Grill serves regionally inspired cuisine that has garnered many awards and accolades.

One of four Orient-Express properties in North America, Charleston Place also has the attentive service that makes it appropriate for top-tier producers. For a special treat, put them up in one of the guest rooms in The Club, on the top two floors of the hotel, with a personal concierge staff and a separate lobby serving breakfast, high tea, and cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.
— Regina Baraban

COLORADO, Copper Mountain Resort

With the majestic Rocky Mountains as a backdrop, Copper Mountain Resort will inspire producers with spectacular scenery. But the resort is more than breathtaking views and grand vistas. Seventy-five miles west of Denver and 9,500 feet up in the mountains, Copper Mountain has blossomed as a year-round destination. Outdoor activities, in addition to fantastic skiing, include biking, fly-fishing, white-water rafting, and horseback riding. Golfers can take advantage of the awe-inspiring mountain courses at both the Copper Creek Golf Course and the nearby Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks in Silverthorne.

The Copper Conference Center offers 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting space that handles everything from small brainstorming sessions to receptions for more than 800 people. The new Copper Pavilion, with 18,000 square feet of space, sits at the foot of several ski runs and is available June through September for meetings, receptions, banquets, and other large events.

The Conference Center facilities, as well as lodging (one-, two-, and three-bedroom condos), sit in the middle of a traditional mountain ski village, among retail shops, pubs, and restaurants. A full-service spa is due to open next year.
— Michael Bassett