PLANNERS LOOKING for new incentive destinations in the United States should take a close look at Farmington Valley, a cluster of seven charming small towns just west of Hartford, Conn.

For special events, groups can rent the Hill-Stead house and sunken garden, built in 1901, in Farmington. It is now a museum with many original furnishings plus a collection of artworks by the likes of Monet, Manet, Whistler, Degas, and Cassatt.

The luxurious, 160-room Avon Old Farms Hotel in Farmington has 6,000 square feet of meeting space, including a ballroom for 200 people. Avon Old Farms is part of the Classic Hotels of Connecticut group, which also includes the 100-room Simsbury Inn, 34-room Simsbury 1820 House, and 72-room Farmington Inn. www.farmingtonvalleyvisit.com.