The Hyatt Edge

When it comes to hosting an unforgettable resort meeting or incentive event, meeting professionals say the setting can make an important difference.

“As a rule, the nicer the hotel, the more successful a meeting or incentive trip will be,” says Scott Dillion, president of SDI Travel & Incentives in Chicago. “If you add to that the fact that the resort captures the destination and fits with the environment, it adds exponentially to the experience.”

When a resort delivers authentic local flavor in every detail—from world-class spas and golf courses and inspired cuisine to meeting venues that truly celebrate the setting—planners say the rest of the event can come together more easily.

What separates Hyatt Resorts is their ability to capture the essence of some of the most awe-inspiring places on Earth—from the allure of the tropics and the spirit of the desert to the grandeur of the mountains.

For executive meetings and incentives, few resorts deliver on this promise better than Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, following its recent $60 million renovation, Dillion says. Transformed to echo the rustic elegance of the grand mountain lodges of the 1920s, including a 20,000-sq.-ft. lakefront spa, Hyatt and Mother Nature worked in harmony to create an unsurpassed resort experience.

“They did a perfect job of capturing that destination,” Dillion says. “You feel like you’re experiencing the real Lake Tahoe with the gorgeous lake setting, the mountain terrain and high pine trees. It’s totally unforgettable.”

For larger resort meetings where a central location and more space might be desirable, Dillion says his search for a resort that marries stunning location with superb facilities led him to Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa in Bonita Springs, Fla.

“The moment you step into the lobby, there is a sense of arrival created, with woods and tiles in a design that’s the very essence of Florida,” Dillion says. “It makes you feel like, ‘Yeah, now I’m in Florida.’

“Plus, the hotel has awesome meeting space. The room product is killer. The service is outstanding, and it’s just two exits from the Ft. Myers airport,” he adds.

Another key to hosting a great resort meeting or incentive is to make each guest feel like the most important person in the room by rewarding each of them with world-class amenities, planners say.

“There is an expression in football that people leave the stadium with a torn ticket and a memory. The same is true in incentive travel,” says Chuck Lane, director of incentive travel and public relations at Humana, who books incentives for independent insurance agents.

The Green Bay, Wis.-based planner values the fact that Hyatt Resorts deliver every activity and adventure imaginable, with golf on courses where the pros play, inviting spas offering treatments derived from local tradition, sun-splashed beaches and snowcapped mountains offering spectacular entertainment or refreshing solitude.

Because pleasure really is good for business, Humana has made Grand Hyatt Kaua`i Resort & Spa a regular stop for meetings and incentives, Lane says.

“It’s the only property in the U.S. we use repeatedly. It’s so unique. It’s so Hawaii. Plus, you’ve got all the amenities in the world there, including a superb golf course. It’s an absolutely gorgeous place,” he says.

Although Humana’s incentive trips begin with a brief working session, the goal is to get attendees outside the meeting room quickly so they can begin interacting with Humana representatives in a more casual setting.

The personal connections made through shared experiences around the pool, in a golf cart, at the resort’s renowned ANARA Spa or in one of the resort’s restaurants or lounges can dramatically improve the success of an event, Lane says.

“We sell insurance, but by and large our business is building trust and relationships with these folks,” he says. “So we talk business, but in an environment where you leave the stress of the business world behind.”

One sure way to make an event unforgettable is to surround travelers with the sights, sounds and tastes of the local culture, traditions and cuisine. This includes meeting venues that celebrate the setting, coupled with creative ways of utilizing them.

“We did a luau for the first time at Grand Hyatt Kaua`i, and it was spectacular,” Lane says. His group also hosted a “Taste of Kaua`i” featuring cuisine by the resort’s innovative restaurants that was highlighted by large menu easels near each serving station. Humana is adapting the idea to another conference in the months ahead, Lane says.

The combination of spectacular outdoor venues and innovative planning can even turn the seemingly ordinary into extraordinary, he adds.

“For instance, if you’re at Hyatt (Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa) at Gainey Ranch having an outdoor breakfast and everything is so fresh and well manicured and the birds are chirping, it’s just sensational,” he says.

Because so many Humana events involve extensive F&B, Lane considers the Hyatt catering and convention services specialists to be “the keystone of the entire operation.”

“Hyatt stays on top of what is popular, fashionable or the latest trend in food and presentation. They make a planner shine,” he says.

But what would a meeting or incentive be without an entire team of creative event experts who come together to make sure everything goes as planned? Planners say the level of personal attention they receive in preparing for an event can make or break the entire effort.

Dillion of SDI Travel & Incentives says that when he knows he can rely on the quality, authenticity and unforgettable experiences Hyatt Resorts deliver, “it increases the chances for success.” Humana’s Lane agrees.

“We’ve really been blessed with some great people at Hyatt,” he says. “I can’t remember ever having a shadow of a problem, and I’ve done a bunch of business with them. Above all, this is a partnership. We work together for the mutual benefit of all, and it works well.”