Soak up the last of that glorious summer sun in these bright coastal havens
These new and renovated hotels offer a variety of options for meetings of all sizes. Bring your team to a small intimate meeting at a historic garden hotel in Santa Barbara, nail the incentive retreat at a family-friendly resort in bustling Cancun, or cater to the inner artists and nature lovers at the only hotel in South Florida to be directly connected to a convention center.
Gardens for Gatherings
The Steward, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel by Marriott, opens in Santa Barbara, California, with history and sustainability at its forefront. The property stands on land originally purchased in the 1860s by horticulturalist Joseph Sexton. He began one of the area’s first botanical nurseries on the property. The property is a local historical landmark and preserves much of Sexton’s original garden.
The Steward uses zero single-use plastics, and offers guests refillable water bottles with water stations throughout the property. Local eco-friendly groups will regularly deliver informational talks on stewardship and sustainability.
87 suites stand on the nearly 5-acre property, centrally located between beaches and mountain vineyards. The Sexton House and Garden House reception spaces are perfect for intimate gatherings and team-building retreats. Numerous “gathering moments,” like artistic benches and lawn games, are distributed across the grounds.
Destination programming and outings include interactive experiences at local FRINJ Coffee farm or Gleason Family Vineyards and more local partners. Guests can also enjoy onsite weekly horticultural seminars, where they can learn anything from how to grow their own avocados or what it means to be a steward. Guests can relax at their peaceful outdoor pool or enjoy their nature-inspired gym, housed in the property’s historic barn. Don’t forget to dine at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Terra, headed by local Executive Chef Augusto Caudillo, whose seasonally-driven menus are inspired by Californian and Mediterranean cuisine.
Read More: Modeling Green Venues
Waterside and Waterslides
Hilton Cancun Mar Caribe All-Inclusive Resort stands along 600 feet of beachfront between the Caribbean Sea and the Nichupte Lagoon. It is an alluring escape in one of the most dynamic areas of Cancun. Owned by Tortuga Resorts and managed by Hilton, the resort marks Hilton’s sixth all-inclusive property in Mexico. The resort is in an accessible and coveted location, only 10 miles from Cancun International Airport and central to Cancun’s hotel zone.
The resort offers an array of all-day dining options, including an Asian show kitchen, Italian and Mexican cuisine, a coffee shop and pool grill; guests can also enjoy rooftop, sports, lobby, pool and beach bars. Family-friendly amenities include an exclusive kids’ and teens club featuring a pool and waterslides. The refreshed spa features tropical vegetation, and includes a rejuvenating sun deck, a beauty salon and a comprehensive fitness center. The resort offers 459 ocean-view guest rooms and 81 suites. Incentive activities range from cooking classes to sailing on the lagoon.
Host your guests on the outdoor terrace, which has capacity for 80 guests in reception and 60 in ceremony, or the hotel’s garden space, which can accommodate 60 guests in reception and 40 in ceremony. The hotel’s outstanding restaurants also offer private dining rooms and terraces or can be privatized for exclusive events.
Read More: Are Family-friendly Conferences in Your Future?
Palm Fronds and Community Art
The only hotel in South Florida directly connected to a convention center, Hilton West Palm Beach debuts a $25 million renovation. Lead your group to the Palm Beach County Convention Center directly connected to the hotel via an enclosed walkway.
The hotel itself offers over 29,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. Indoor spaces include the 13,350 sq. ft. Oceana Ballroom and the 5,000 sq. ft. Coral Ballroom. For outdoor meetings, look to the newly expanded 5,000 sq. ft. lawn. Smaller groups can enjoy intimate private cabanas that feature personal televisions, a stocked mini refrigerator and a dedicated server for groups engaged in brainstorming sessions.
The redesign features an interior influenced by its coastal natural surroundings and decorated with local art from artists in the West Palm Beach area. Vibrant flora and lush greenery fill the common spaces. The art includes a collection of black-and-white photographs of native wildlife by Florida-based photographer Liesl Marelli, mixed-media collages of the tropical plant life of West Palm Beach by Kaylee Dalton, paintings by Cuban American visual artist Juan Alonso-Rodríguez and many more.
During their stay, guests can dine at their choice of three restaurants, a lobby bar and a café with menus designed by Executive Chef Rodrigo Mezadri. The hotel offers curated experiences like meditative sound healing, scavenger hunts, book clubs, cocktail classes and more.
Read More: New and Renovated: Monuments of Yesterday and Today
