NORTHEAST
Credit: Hotel LilienJust two hours from New York City, Hotel Lilien offers an intimate boutique retreat in the Catskill Mountains, near Hunter Mountain. Set on a seven-acre property dating back to the 1890s, this independently owned property blends vintage charm with modern design and serves as a cozy local gathering space. All 22 guest rooms are furnished with curated vintage and antique pieces, and guests have access to a variety of amenities including an outdoor fire pit, a pool, lawn games, board games, billiards, snowshoes, sleds and a well-stocked library. The hotel is surrounded by some of the Hudson Valley and Catskills' most popular outdoor attractions, including hiking trails, ski destinations, farms, breweries and distilleries.
Meeting and event spaces include a private boardroom for up to 16 guests, a library suited for breakout sessions and informal gatherings, and a lounge that opens onto a spacious deck overlooking the surrounding mountains. The on-site cocktail bar and restaurant provide additional opportunities for networking receptions, private dining experiences and group meals. In 2025, the hotel expanded its group offerings with The Lodge, a reimagined event venue accommodating up to 140 people.
An award-winning boutique sanctuary, the Wyndham Garden Brooklyn Sunset Park has 70 guest rooms and one meeting room ideal for board meetings or other small gatherings. Guests enjoy a comfortably cozy stay just three minutes from the New York City Subway, offering easy access to the Barclays Center, Coney Island and all of Manhattan. Also nearby are famous attractions such as the Brooklyn Museum, spanning 560,000 square feet and with some 1.5 million works of art; the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, bursting with lush flora and fauna; and Prospect Park, with its famous zoo, walking trails, expansive lawns and scenic bridges.
On the storied Southern New Jersey shore, The Reeds at Shelter Haven in Stone Harbor has 58 charming guest rooms and suites within walking distance to the beach, downtown shopping, dining and entertainment. Onsite amenities include a two-story spa and fitness center, plus four restaurants and lounges. Groups with an agenda will find 9,000 square feet of waterfront event space, including a grand ballroom and indoor and outdoor breakout areas, and the hotel can help planners with curated team-building offerings, customizable daily meeting packages and catering menus.
SOUTHEAST
Credit: The TennesseanIn Eastern Tennessee, Knoxville is a lively, arts-centric city with much to offer visitors, and where The Tennessean Hotel is a AAA Four Diamond luxury boutique hotel more than happy to house them. Overlooking World’s Fair Park and the Sunsphere, the property has 82 upscale rooms and suites with custom Tennessee River map headboards, and onsite dining featuring a European breakfast, craft cocktails, farm-to-table Southern fare and a signature nightly tea service.
The 500,000-square-foot Knoxville Convention Center is nearby, while the hotel’s own 1,600 square feet of meeting and event space includes a luxury suite ideal for intimate dinners and a private 637-square-foot executive boardroom. Knoxville itself is home to a wide array of museums, arts and entertainment outlets, in addition to a lively restaurant and bar scene. On the first Friday of every month, the city hosts the First Friday Artwork, when downtown and historic areas come alive from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. with free art gallery openings, live music, local food and street vendors.
Housed in a historic 1900 Romanesque Revival railway terminal, the Union Station Nashville Yards, Autograph Collection, blends 19th-century grand architecture with modern boutique luxury. Known for its attentive staff and service, the hotel has more than 11,000 square feet of interior and exterior functional event space, including six conference and breakout rooms. The crown jewel of meeting space here is the Grand Lobby, with a dramatic a 65-foot barrel-vaulted ceiling and original stained glass, able to accommodate banquet seating for up to 180 people and up to 500 for receptions. Once outside, guests find walkable access to some of Nashville’s top dining, entertainment, sports and business destinations.
Opened in December 2025, The Compton is a 142-room independent lifestyle hotel in Bentonville, in Northwest Arkansas, on a historic downtown square near Compton Gardens and local forest trails. The hotel’s 14,735 square feet of meeting and event space spans private and public areas, including the second-floor 4,000-square-foot Dogwood Ballroom with soaring ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking downtown. Sestina, the hotel's Tuscan-inspired steakhouse, offers a private dining room for intimate gatherings and executive dinners, while The Eddy, an elevated cocktail bar overlooking Bentonville Square, provides a sophisticated setting for small receptions.
Set across 3,000 acres in the foothills of North Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains, the Barnsley Resort offers guests a sense of place steeped in history, design, hospitality, and outdoor adventure. With its roots in the 1840s, the resort includes historic gardens and ruins, along with 85 recently renovated guest rooms and suites, plus 38 free-standing cottages. Over 16,000 square feet of flexible indoor meeting and event space, plus additional outdoor settings, cater to groups who, in their spare time, can enjoy a pool complex with a lazy river and waterslide, six pickleball courts, an 18-hole putting course and a new signature restaurant.
An elevated waterfront experience awaits guests at the Waterstone Resort & Marina in Boca Raton, Fla. Here, each of 139 guest rooms and suites offers private balconies overlooking either Lake Boca Raton, the Intracoastal Waterway or the Atlantic Ocean. The property offers marina-front dining, sunset receptions and poolside cocktails, while planners can utilize 8,500 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor event space for executive retreats, incentive programs, waterfront social celebrations and more. Recent enhancements include a property refresh, upgraded meeting environments and the addition of Kasumi, the resort’s signature restaurant.
MIDWEST
Credit: The Lytle Park HotelIn downtown Cincinnati, the Lytle Park Hotel combines historic character with modern luxury with 106 oversized guest rooms (including 18 suites, all with lavish marble bathrooms with rainfall showers), two restaurants (including excellent Northern Italian dining at Subito) and a park-inspired tree-lined atrium, all within a historic and restored 1909 building. In addition, a 24/7 fitness center comes equipped with modern cardio gear and Peloton bikes.
The hotel has 11,852 square feet of versatile meeting space spanning seven rooms, while a magnificent 5,000-square-foot rooftop terrace comes equipped with a fully retractable glass cover for indoor/outdoor events. Whatever the gathering, a highly attentive staff helps the hotel to consistently deliver seamless and memorable experiences for planners and attendees alike. Top nearby attractions include the adjacent Little Park Historic district, the Taft Museum of Art and the National Underground Railroad FreedomCenter.
A 198-room independent lifestyle boutique hotel in downtown Columbus, Ohio, the Junto offers thoughtfully designed communal spaces that encourage interaction, including the Trade Room, a lively, contemporary take on the traditional hotel lobby, and an in-house library curated to inspire curiosity and conversation. Other features include wood-hearth dining, a rooftop bar, a gear garage with free bike rentals, and more than 13,000 square feet of event space. For offsite fun, the Scioto Mile riverfront park awaits, along with COSI – Center of Science and Industry, and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum.
In the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast, just steps from the Magnificent Mile, the 180-room Viceroy Chicago is a sophisticated, design-forward choice for meetings, incentives and executive gatherings. The hotel has nearly 11,000 square feet of total meeting and event space in 12 distinct rooms and unique venues hosting up to 250 people. Incoming guests immediately are impressed by the soaring lobby, anchored by oversized Marcel Proust quotations, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. Among in-house dining options, Somerset, the Mediterranean-inspired ground-floor restaurant, serves as a natural gathering point for breakfast briefings, working lunches and celebratory dinners.
A luxury boutique hotel located in the heart of Carmel, Ind., the 122-room Hotel Charmichael is a part of Marriott's Autograph Collection. Guests enjoy upscale French-inspired dining at Vivante, live music at Feinstein's at Hotel Carmichael and a daily champagne toast. The hotel’s central location means walkable access to restaurants, shopping, galleries, the Monon Trail and the Palladium concert hall. Events take place in more than 10,000 square feet of flexible space, ideal for executive meetings, corporate retreats, incentive programs and social events. Gatherings. Groups benefit from customized catering, advanced technology, and a dedicated planning team committed to flawless execution.
SOUTHWEST
Credit: JW Marriott Houston DowntonWith 328 guest rooms, the JW Marriott Houston Downtown offers a relatively intimate scale that allows for thoughtful, individualized attention while maintaining the elevated standards of a world-class luxury brand. Set within two historic buildings, the property seamlessly blends preservation with modern design — including corridors bedecked with an extensive collection of original artworks exclusively created by Texas artists, allowing guests to experience the region’s creativity firsthand.
Onsite meeting space totals 18,000 square feet across nine flexible spaces, with a capacity of up to 600 guests for a reception. Dining takes place in the Main Kitchen, serving refined American cuisine all day, and the 806 Lounge with craft cocktails and a chic social atmosphere. In addition, guests can utilize a state-of-the-art 24-hour fitness center and yoga studio, while the Spa by JW provides massages, facials and therapeutic foot soaks. The hotel is within close proximity to Houston’s Theater District and light rail transit.
Perched high above the Sonoran Desert in Fountain Hills, Ariz., the ADERO Scottsdale Resort features 177 spacious guest rooms (including 16 oversized suites), signature indoor/outdoor farm-to-table dining at CIELO, grab-and-go choices at Revive Marketplace and over 20,000 square feet of combined indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. The resort has onsite trails connecting directly to the ADERO Canyon Trail, allowing planners to arrange memorable group hikes, wellness breakouts and team-building activities.
A luxury 4-star boutique hideaway in Paradise Valley, Ariz., the Hermosa Inn is set on six landscaped acres near Camelback Mountain. It features 43 hacienda-style casitas, an outdoor pool and the onsite restaurant Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn. Built in the 1930s by famed cowboy artist Lon Megargee as his home and art studio, the property retains authentic adobe architecture, hand-carved furnishings and historic Southwestern charm. The inn’s 3,100 square feet of meeting space can host up to 60 people for a banquet and 120 for a reception.
FAR WEST
Credit: The Ameswell HotelIn Mountain View, Calif., in the heart of Silicon Valley, the 255-room independent boutique Ameswell Hotel prides itself on being a responsible steward of the environment and sports Silver LEED as well as Carbon Neutral and Ocean Positive designations. Wellness is another property-wide commitment, via features such as specially designated Wellness King rooms (equipped with fitness gear), a year-round heated saltwater pool, a 24-hour fitness center, complimentary custom bikes and in-room spa services.
The hotel has more than 15,000 square feet of combined indoor and outdoor meeting space, including the 4,400-square-foot Infinity Ballroom and a private outdoor patio, beer garden and game lawn. Dining takes place at three primary outlets: Roger, the flagship indoor/outdoor bar and restaurant; The Flyby, an all-day casual cafe and pantry; and a seasonal vintage Airstream wine bar on the patio.
Opened in 2025 across Main Beach, on the northern edge of Monterey Bay on the central coast of California, the luxurious 155-room La Bahia Hotel & Spa blends Spanish Mediterranean architecture, relaxed California surf culture and immersive wellness experiences into a highly personalized guest journey for meetings, executive retreats and incentive groups alike. The hotel’s boutique scale allows its team to create tailored experiences for attendees in some 14,400 square feet of flexible meeting space, including the 5,200-square-foot Seaside Roof Deck with panoramic views of Monterey Bay.
Celebrating its centennial in 2026, the iconic 129-room Hotel Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica, Calif., offers an exceptionally scenic oceanfront setting for impactful gatherings. Features include the 5th-floor Palm Terrace outdoor pool deck with panoramic Pacific Ocean views and the eco-friendly Sea Wellness Spa. Dining occurs at the Terrazza restaurant and the seasonal al fresco Patio Del Mar, and for meetings and events some 7,620 square feet of space is spread across five distinct function venues.
With 138 recently renovated guest rooms and suites, a full-service wellness spa and the onsite Park Bistro & Bar, which serves farm-to-table American bistro cuisine with European flair, the Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa in Lafayette, Calif., is an exemplar of boutique hospitality. The property has 1,000 square feet of function space, including scenic outdoor courtyards for open-air functions. Wine lovers will appreciate the convenient location to both the Napa and Sonoma valleys, shoppers will enjoy the upscale goods and fine dining at Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek, and music lovers will head for the Lesher Center for the Arts.
INTERNATIONAL AND U.S. TERRITORIES
Credit: Casa GangotenaIn the historic heart of Quito, Ecuador, the Casa Gangotena is a luxury Five Star hotel representing the best of boutique hospitality. The property features 31 guest rooms and suites with high ceilings, towering vertical windows, Art Deco furnishings, plush carpets and marble-floored bathrooms. An onsite restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, Cafe Quiteno (an Ecuadorean version of high tea) and dinner, all alongside a sultry wood-paneled bar and lounge.
Also onsite is an intimate spa offering bespoke massages and holistic wellness treatments, while exclusive guest experiences include historic walking tours and traditional cochlea or infusion tastings. For meetings, there’s one multi-use space with a capacity of up to 50 people, ideal for special gatherings, private diners and corporate presentations. Steps away are the Casa del Alabama Pre-Columbian Art Museum and other special cultural institutions.
Known as the world's first "super boutique" hotel, the Londoner rises 16 stories (plus deep subterranean levels) and features 350 guest rooms (including a tower penthouse suite with panoramic skyline views), six concept eateries (including 8 at the Londoner, a Japanese rooftop lounge with a retractable roof and terrace) and an underground wellness retreat. In London’s exciting West End, the hotel includes two private screening rooms and a pillarless ballroom capable of hosting up to 850 people.
A chic, adults-only hotel in the lively Condado district of San Juan, Puerto Rico., the Condado Ocean Club has 96 light-filled rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, a sea-facing infinity pool and direct access to local coastal attractions. The in-house Social restaurant serves all three meals and a weekend brunch with local and American influences. Planners will find more than 6,400 square feet of combined indoor/outdoor space including the Oceano Ballroom which can hold up to 100 people for a reception, and various outdoor spaces including the Oceano Terrace and the Pool Deck, which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.
Inside the exclusive Palmas del Mar resort community in Humacao, Southeastern Puerto Rico, the 107-room Wyndham Palmas Beach & Golf Boutique Resort is a newly renovated, boho-chic oasis roughly one hour from San Juan. Dining choices include the Trova Coastal Kitchen, the Bautica Tapas Bar and a swim-up pool bar. Guests keep limber via two championship golf courses plus nearby tennis, pickleball and fitness facilities. The resort has 14,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor flexible meeting and event space, ideal for executive retreats, incentive programs and smaller meetings seeking meaningful engagement and connection.