From art-filled meeting spaces in Nashville to a new theme park resort in Missouri, and safari-style retreats in New Mexico, hotels and resorts are giving planners fresh reasons to rethink their next group gathering.
New openings and property transformations are introducing distinctive venues, flexible event spaces and on-site experiences that range from wellness and outdoor adventure to local arts, culture and culinary programming.
For planners organizing conferences, corporate retreats and incentive trips, these properties offer new settings for bringing teams together.
Rimrock Banff Unveils Enhanced Meeting and Event Spaces
Following a full property refresh, Rimrock Banff, Emblems Collection offers more than 18,000 sf of meeting and event space across 11 venues. Options range from intimate boardrooms for executive meetings to the Solstice Ballroom, which spans more than 6,000 sf and accommodates up to 600 guests, making the resort suitable for conferences, corporate retreats, incentive programs and celebrations.
Groups can complement their events with wellness programming at the resort’s 9,600-sf Bathhouse, featuring thermal pools, saunas, steam rooms and cold plunges, as well as fitness classes and recovery offerings at the Movement Center. The resort’s Expeditions Centre can also help coordinate customized outdoor and cultural experiences, including guided hikes, forest bathing, alpine yoga and Indigenous cultural encounters.
Four dining venues offer options for group dining and informal gatherings, from seasonal Canadian cuisine at Parker’s Table to cocktails and socializing at Rimrock Social. Located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies, the resort combines meeting facilities with opportunities for outdoor adventure, wellness and destination-focused experiences.
Recess Hotel & Club Savannah Brings a Social Twist to Meetings
Recess Hotel & Club Savannah offers more than 11,500 sf of meeting and event space in Savannah’s Historic District. The property’s event venues include the 6,500-sf Annex Ballroom, which features soaring ceilings and outdoor space overlooking Johnson Square. The two-story event hall also includes the Conservatory, a light-filled space inspired by Savannah’s gardens, while the Rooftop Lawn adds 830 sf of open-air event space with panoramic city views.
Groups can also gather at Club Recess, a 5,500-sf creative clubhouse featuring meeting rooms, libraries, studios, lounges, communal workspaces and a conversation pit designed to encourage collaboration and networking.
Beyond meetings, attendees can connect over French-inspired dining at Le Flaneur, cocktails and poolside gatherings at Kilter, or communal lounge spaces throughout the hotel. The property also offers Saltgrass, a wellness and fitness facility with group classes, functional training, saunas, steam rooms and cold plunges.
The Untitled Nashville Hotel Offers Meetings Through Art and Music
The Untitled Nashville Hotel has unveiled more than 9,000 sf refreshed meeting and event space following a multimillion-dollar transformation of its historic building in Nashville’s Second Avenue Historic District.
Rather than traditional conference rooms, the venues double as immersive art galleries, with rotating exhibitions and works by artists from across the Southeast providing a creative backdrop for meetings, presentations, receptions and corporate retreats.
The hotel’s event offerings include private dining venues, artist and musician studios, and a penthouse with a wraparound terrace overlooking the city skyline. Attendees can also explore the hotel’s Listening Lounge, created in partnership with Nashville-based Third Man Records. The space features custom vinyl records, live performance footage, music videos and artist interviews, offering groups another way to connect with the city’s music culture beyond the meeting room.
Silver Dollar City Resort to Debut in Missouri
Opening in Spring 2027, Silver Dollar City Resort will bring a new meetings and events destination to Branson, Missouri, combining full-service conference facilities with the natural beauty of the Ozark Mountains.
The 262-room resort will accommodate groups of up to 350 attendees with 20,000 sf of flexible indoor and outdoor event space, including a grand ballroom, breakout rooms, scenic terraces, an event lawn and distinctive grotto-style gathering spaces.
Planners will also have access to full-service catering, event planning and on-site AV support. Designed for conferences, incentive programs and corporate retreats, the resort will offer group experiences ranging from exclusive perks at Silver Dollar City theme park to Pink Jeep Adventure Tours and sunset cruises on Table Rock Lake.
Under Canvas Santa Fe for Desert Meetings
Opening in April 2027, Under Canvas Santa Fe will introduce a high-desert setting for corporate retreats, incentive gatherings and group events on 640 acres outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. The property will feature a dedicated 1,885-sf event tent and an adjoining 1,605-sf open-air deck, accommodating up to 80 guests for seated events and approximately 130 for receptions.
On-site catering and full-camp buyouts of its 45 safari-inspired canvas tents will provide additional options for private group gatherings. Beyond the meeting space, groups can explore nearby hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding trails in the Galisteo Basin Preserve, participate in yoga and live music programming, collaborate with local artists or unwind around communal firepits beneath the high-desert night sky.
Located approximately 30 minutes from the Santa Fe Plaza, the seasonal retreat will also offer access to the destination’s galleries, historic sites and New Mexican dining scene.
Spotlight on Hawaii
As corporate retreats and group travel increasingly prioritize connection, wellness and destination-led experiences, resorts are finding new ways to bring teams together beyond the traditional meeting room.
In Hawaii, two properties are pairing substantial meeting facilities with immersive cultural, culinary and outdoor activities designed to make group gatherings more memorable.
Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort blends more than 57,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting space with experiences rooted in the spirit of ʻohana (family). Groups can connect through hands-on poke-making and mixology classes, private oceanfront yoga, soundbaths beneath the Hawaiian night sky, spa treatments and outrigger canoe excursions that encourage teamwork on the water.
Newly reimagined residential-style villas offer an alternative setting for groups seeking a more relaxed environment for conversation and connection beyond scheduled sessions.
The Royal Sonesta Kauaʻi Resort pairs more than 27,000 sf of upgraded meeting space, including Kauai’s largest ballroom, with experiences that bring groups closer to the island’s natural and cultural heritage.
Located along Kalapaki Beach, the resort offers opportunities for team building through surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, snorkeling and outrigger canoeing, alongside wellness activities such as group yoga and aqua-fit. Four on-site restaurants provide options for group dining, while the neighboring Ocean Course at Hōkūala offers a golf outing.
Groups can also gather for the resort’s weekly Drums & Dances of Polynesia luau, featuring Pacific music, storytelling, hula, fire dancing and locally inspired cuisine.
