While big-name hotels provide perks like widely accessible loyalty programs, hundreds of guest rooms, and large meeting-space footprints, boutique hotels offer a more intimate feel and often stronger connections to their surrounding area. From the serene atmosphere of Lake Placid, New York, to the beachside luxury of The Jersey Cape in New Jersey, many boutique properties in the Northeast also have extensive menus of group activities, from outdoor endeavors to art and culinary workshops.
The Reeds at Shelter Haven is nestled in the quaint shore town of Stone Harbor, New Jersey, and is just a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean along The Jersey Cape. Its 9,000 square feet of event space includes a grand ballroom, as well as indoor and outdoor breakout spaces. Its team-building menu contains an expansive array of over 20 options. Beyond rentable bikes and paddleboards, the resort allows attendees to enjoy the seaside setting with boat tours of the area’s barrier islands, sunset cruises, and scavenger hunts around charming downtown Stone Harbor. Get attendees in touch with their right brains during creative sessions like wreath- and candle-making workshops. Culinary options are perhaps the most extensive at The Reeds, with seaside clam and lobster bakes, whiskey tastings, and focaccia-baking classes all possible. For something especially memorable, sign groups up for a cannoli-making class led by the hotel’s executive pastry chef.
Evoking the ambience of historic Adirondack Great Camps—luxurious compounds of cabins, dining halls, and other amenities that grew popular in the area circa the early 19th century—Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid is a mountain retreat for groups with six event spaces ranging from 1,000 to 7,280 square feet. Gaming-focused group activities abound in its game room with billiards, shuffleboard, air hockey, and foosball. A two-lane bowling alley and 54-seat movie theater add to the fun. Whiteface Lodge also makes getting outdoors possible year-round with a three-season ice rink, as well as snowshoe and cross-country ski trails. In summertime, attendees might enjoy pontoon rides or canoeing and kayaking with the help of the Canoe Club facility on-site. The hotel also partners with experiential outfitter Grand Dynamics International of Jackson, Wyoming, to coordinate on-site team-building activities.
For a farmhouse-style retreat, planners might head to The Williams Inn in Williamstown, Massachusetts, set in The Berkshires region surrounded by natural beauty. It offers a dividable ballroom for up to 260 people and two meeting rooms. In mid-July, the inn launched a partnership with ArtsClub (which has offices in New York City and Washington, D.C.), an organization focused on bringing people together to learn about, discuss, and create artwork. The new partnership offers two distinct group experiences at the inn: “Canvas + Collaboration” and “Color Outside the Cubicle.” “Canvas + Collaboration” is a two-day retreat designed to spark fresh ideas and foster teamwork. It includes a welcome reception with wine and charcuterie, two full days of meetings in The Williams Inn ballroom, an afternoon mural-painting session led by ArtsClub, and a group dinner. For a shorter experience, planners can select the one-night “Color Outside the Cubicle,” where meetings pair with an open-air painting workshop on the inn’s lawn. Planners seeking a customized retreat can get in touch with hotel staff to arrange an experience that aligns with team goals.
reedsatshelterhaven.com
thewhitefacelodge.com/meetings
williamsinn.com/artsclub
