Arizona Scottsdale Marriott's Camelback Inn
The Phoenician
Tucson Sheraton El Conquistador
California La Quinta La Quinta Resort and Club
Palm Desert Marriott's Desert Springs Resort & Spa
San Diego Hyatt Regency San Diego
Colorado Colorado Springs The Broadmoor
Denver Adam's Mark Denver
Keystone Keystone Resort & Conference Center
District of Columbia Sheraton Washington
Florida Fort Lauderdale Marriott's Harbor Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale
Lake Buena Vista Disney's Yacht & Beach Club
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin 1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd. Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830-2653 Phone: (407) 934-4290 Toll-Free Reservations:(800) 227-1500 Fax:(407) 934-4880
General Managers Bill Mc Creary--Dolphin wing Ron Olstad--Swan wing
Director of Marketing Tom Bewley
Director of Sales Mike Uhl
Convention Services Directors Bob Nicoli--Dolphin wing Michael O'Connor--Swan wing
In the heart of the Walt Disney World Resort, between Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios, are the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, a culmination of imaginative design and magical service. The hotels feature a whimsical yet sophisticated style. Impeccable service from a staff trained by Westin Hotels and Resorts and Sheraton, plus a full range of recreation, restaurants, and leisure amenities provide everything necessary for a successful meeting.
Location/Access: The hotels are 30 minutes from Orlando International Airport. Bus fare is $12.50; cab fare is about $33. It's 20 minutes to downtown, ten minutes to the convention center.
Accommodations: The two hotels have a total of 2,267 guest rooms and 195 suites. Guest room amenities include minibar, coffeemaker, hair dryer, remote-control color television with cable, movies, iron, ironing board, voice mail, individual climate control, safe, and modem hookup.
Recreation: On-site recreation includes outdoor pools and a grotto swimming pool with white-sand beach, two full health studios, tennis courts, Camp Dolphin youth activities, and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf. Preferential tee times are available at five nearby Walt Disney World Resort championship golf courses. The resort is adjacent to Disney's Boardwalk entertainment district.
Dining and Entertainment: There are seventeen restaurants and lounges, among them Juan and Only's, specializing in Mexican cuisine; Palio, an Italian bistro; and Kimonos. The Copa Banana features karaoke.
Meeting Facilities and Services: The hotels offer state-of-the-art technology, a premium Walt Disney World Resort location, and an award-winning staff. A three-level facility adjoining the Dolphin features more than 250,000 square feet of meeting space, the largest room seating up to 6,800 persons theater-style. There is also a 51,000-square-foot dedicated exhibit hall. Audiovisual equipment includes all the basics plus installed and portable PA systems, VCRs, cameras, computer monitor projectors, closed-cable television equipment, and much more.
Naples Ritz-Carlton, Naples
Orlando Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
Palm Beach The Breakers
Hawaii Island of Lanai Manele Bay Hotel
Idaho Coeur d'Alene Coeur d'Alene Resort
Illinois Chicago Chicago Hilton and Towers 720 South Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60605
Phone: (312) 922-4400
Reservations:(800) HILTONS
Fax: (312) 922-5240
General Manager Gerhard Seibert
Director of Sales Jamie Walters
Conference Services Manager Jim Owczarzak
The Chicago Hilton and Towers is located downtown, one mile from McCormick Place and within walking distance to the city's centers of culture, shopping, and business. The hotel is 30 minutes from O'Hare International Airport. A taxi costs $30; a shuttle is $14; the subway is $1.50. The city center is two minutes away; the convention center is five minutes distant.
All 1,543 guest rooms and 146 suites feature on-demand video, climate control, two telephones with voice mail, minibars, color cable television, and radio. Rates range from $240 to $4,000. More than 234,000 square feet of function space includes 55 meeting rooms, three ballrooms that hold 2,528 persons for a reception, and more than 120,000 square feet of dedicated exhibit space. Basic audiovisual equipment, complex computer presentation setups, and a full-service business center are available.
There are five restaurants and lounges, and the Athletic Club features an indoor pool and sun deck.
The Palmer House Hilton 17 East Monroe Street Chicago, Illinois 60603
Phone: (312) 726-7500
Reservations:(800) HILTONS
Fax: (312) 917-1735
General Manager Ted Ratcliff
Director of Sales and Marketing Joe Messina
Director of Meetings and Conventions Mike Mueller
The 125-year-old Palmer House Hilton is a classic grand palace hotel located in downtown Chicago two miles from McCormick Place and 25 minutes from O'Hare International Airport.
There are 1,639 guest rooms and 72 suites. In-room amenities include telephones with message alert and cable televisions with feature movies.
Trader Vic's is one of the hotel's five restaurants and lounges, which also include the new Big Downtown, considered by many to be one of Chicago's most exciting bar/restaurants. Guests frequenting the hotel's Fitness Club can "play golf" at one of four of the world's greatest courses via the new golf simulator at Palmer House Golf. The Fitness Club also has a pool, sauna, and whirlpool.
The hotel offers 36,800 square feet of exhibit space and the hotel's conference center has 37 meeting rooms. The largest ballroom holds 1,800 persons for a reception.
Galena Eagle Ridge Inn and Resort BOX 777 Galena, Illinois 61036
Phone:(815) 777-2444
Toll-Free Phone: (800) 892-2269
Fax: (815) 777-0445
Vice President and General Manager Tracy Millard
Director of Sales and Marketing George Caldwell
Director of Convention Services Sue Berning
Eagle Ridge Inn and Resort offers 63 holes of championship golf, the pleasures of Lake Galena, and a serene setting. It makes the perfect backdrop for meetings, whether conducted in the Conference Center, on the golf course, or over dinner. The resort's newest golf course, The General, was recently named one of the "Best New Upscale Public Golf Courses" by Golf Digest.
The Dubuque Regional Airport is 35 miles or 40 minutes away. A complimentary airport shuttle is available, and limousine service costs $45 one way.
There are 350 are one-to-five bedroom villas and 80 inn rooms, which include two suites. All rooms feature VCRs, cable televisions, and minibars. Depending on the season, rooms at the inn range from $120 to $255, while resort homes run from $220 to $515. The end of October through mid-May (excluding December 31) is value season.
On-site recreational activities include a fitness center, an indoor pool, horseback riding, boating, tennis, and fishing. Downhill skiing, riverboat gambling, and historic Galena are nearby.
Overlooking the lake, the Conference Center (with on-site meeting coordinators) features 9,656 square feet of exhibit space, a full audiovisual department, and 11 meeting rooms, the largest of which seats 600 persons theater-style.
Oak Brook Oak Brook Hills Hotel and Resort
New York New York Hilton and Towers at Rockefeller Center 1335 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10019
Phone:(212) 586-7000
Reservations: (800) HILTONS
Fax: (212) 315-1374
Senior Vice President/ManagingDirector Arthur A. Surin
Director of Sales and Marketing David A. Keys
Director of Meetings and Conventions David A. Dvorak
Located midtown at Rockefeller Center in the middle of Manhattan's many famous attractions, the New York Hilton and Towers is 15 miles from LaGuardia airport, 25 miles from Kennedy, and 15 miles from Newark. Both Grand Central Station and Penn Station are 15 minutes away.
The hotel has 2,041 spacious guest rooms, including 95 suites. All rooms have voice mail, computer data ports, and two telephones with two lines and a speaker.
Restaurants include Cafe New York. The on-site fitness center offers extensive exercise equipment, saunas, and massages.
The hotel has 47 meeting and banquet rooms. There are four ballrooms, one of which is the largest in New York and seats 3,300 persons theater-style or 2,800 banquet-style. The new Americas hall and second floor complex comprise more than 81,000 square feet of exhibit space.
New York Marriott Marquis
South Carolina Hilton Head Crowne Plaza Resort, Hilton Head
Tennessee Nashville Opryland Hotel Convention Center 2800 Opryland Drive Nashville, Tennessee 37214
Phone: (615) 871-5824
Fax: (615) 871-5843
General Manager Joe Henry
Vice President of Marketing Jerry Wayne
Director of Sales Dianne Lee
Convention Services Director Brian Findley
The Opryland Hotel Convention Center is steeped in Southern hospitality, and has breathtaking scenery, soothing surroundings, and top-notch service. The hotel offers more than nine acres of indoor tropical gardens and 600,000 square feet of meeting space. The property is enhanced by Opryland USA's entertainment venues, which include the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium. A $200 million entertainment/retail complex, Opry Mills, will soon be under construction and is slated for completion in 2000.
Location/Access: The Opryland Hotel is a seven-mile, 15-minute drive from Nashville International Airport. Motorcoach service is $11 one way or $15 round-trip. Downtown Nashville is ten minutes from the hotel.
Accommodations: There are 2,883 guest rooms, including more than 200 suites, located in several wings, none higher than six stories. Garden Terrace rooms with balconies overlook indoor tropical gardens and waterways in the Conservatory, the Cascades, and the Delta.
Recreation: The hotel has a fitness center, three swimming pools, and two wading pools. Also part of the property is the 18-hole championship Springhouse Golf Club, a links-style course that is the home of the BellSouth Senior Classic at Opryland on the Senior PGA Tour.
Dining: The resort offers 30 specialty shops, ten lounges, and 15 restaurants. Dining choices range from the festive atmosphere of Beau-regard's in the Delta to casual dining in Rachel's Kitchen. The hotel features live entertainment in many locations and the Dancing Waters laser-light show can be seen nightly in the Cascades Garden.
Meeting Facilities and Services: Among the hotel's expansive meeting facilities are the Ryman Exhibit Hall, which has 289,000 square feet of divisible space, and more than 85 meeting rooms.
Vermont Manchester The Equinox
West Virginia White Sulphur Springs The Greenbrier
Wisconsin Kohler American Club
Milwaukee The Pfister Hotel 424 East Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
Phone: (414) 273-8222
Toll-Free Phone: (800) 558-8222
Fax:(414) 273-0747
General Manager Peter J. Iwanowski
Director of Sales Terry L. Houdek
Located in the heart of Milwaukee's exclusive east side, The Pfister Hotel is three blocks from the shores of Lake Michigan. The Pfister features some of the best meeting space in Wisconsin. There are 15 meeting rooms, which can accommodate from 15 to 1,500 persons. Mitchell International airport is 10 miles or 20 minutes away, and the Limousine Airport Shuttle costs $8.95 one way.
A total of 307 guest rooms, including 82 suites, feature color televisions, data ports, voice mail, minibars, and make-up mirrors. Rooms range from $149 to $900. Value season runs from November through May.
The meeting facilities feature 24,000 square feet of meeting space, extensive audiovisual equipment and services, the Imperial and Grand Ballrooms, and three conference boardrooms.
On-site recreation and amenities include an enclosed rooftop pool, a full-service beauty salon, a men's apparel shop, an art gallery, and a stockbroker. A YMCA fitness center is across the street and museums, a shopping mall, and the Bradley Center are within a 10-block radius. Two of the hotel's three restaurants and lounges feature light fare; the English Room offers fine dining.
Alberta, Canada Banff, Alberta Rimrock Resort Hotel
All 31 of you! Congratulations on receiving honors in the sixth annual Inner Circle Awards program. This tribute is paid by our readers, who voted these top hotels and resorts as the best properties to have serviced their meetings and conventions in the past 12 months.