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The Conservatory at the Recess Hotel Savannah.

Hotels Are Rethinking Meeting and Event Spaces

August 25, 2026

The Conservatory at the Recess Hotel Savannah.

Think of it as “the Anti-Boardroom”—meeting space that is more than just a backdrop for the agenda.

Increasingly, planners are looking to hotels where design, architecture and unexpected gathering spaces can shape the experience itself, giving attendees the room and inspiration to connec and collaborate.

These design-forward hotels are putting a fresh spin on meetings and events, with spaces that bring more energy and personality to the program.

W Nashville

At W Nashville, meeting planners can move beyond the traditional conference-room setup with a collection of spaces designed to bring more personality, energy and flexibility to group events. The hotel’s lineup of new José Andrés Group concepts gives planners additional options for everything from intimate executive gatherings to lively receptions and buyouts.

At Zaytinya’s Private Dining Room, up to 18 guests can gather around a communal wooden table for Mediterranean-inspired dining in an intimate setting suited to executive dinners, celebrations and smaller group experiences. Butterfly Rooftop takes the experience outdoors, pairing Nashville skyline views with a high-energy atmosphere and options that range from cocktail receptions to semi-buyouts and full buyouts. For a more intimate setting, Bar Mar’s Private Dining Room offers a secluded backdrop for executive meetings and celebratory dinners.

Then there’s the hotel’s Sound Room, tucked behind a secret door in the Living Room. Inspired by Nashville’s music culture, the customizable indoor/outdoor lounge features its own bar and gives planners a distinctive setting for receptions and social events. Together, the spaces give planners the flexibility to design a program around the experience—not simply fit an agenda into a traditional meeting room.

Royal Palms Resort & Spa

For an executive meeting with a residential feel, Royal Palms Resort & Spa’s Vernadero Boardroom offers a distinctive alternative to the traditional conference room. Antique mahogany, hand-carved chairs, original estate chandeliers and a dramatic pietra stone fireplace create the atmosphere of a storied private residence, while French doors open to views of the Mansion courtyard, Vernadero Lawn and Reflecting Pool. A high redwood beam-and-board ceiling adds warmth and character, creating an intimate setting where an executive meeting feels more like a private gathering than a corporate sit-down.

Kona Kai San Diego, A Noble House Hotel

At Kona Kai San Diego, the waterfront setting brings a distinctly coastal feel to business gatherings. Perched on Shelter Island, the resort’s 520-slip marina creates a scenic backdrop for events, while the Vessel Private Dining Room accommodates up to 40 guests above the marina, with fine dining and sweeping water views. For planners, it’s an inviting alternative to a traditional meeting room, particularly for executive dinners, client entertaining and smaller group gatherings where the setting is part of the experience.

Recess Hotel & Club Savannah

Opening in September 2026 in Savannah’s Historic District, Recess Hotel & Club Savannah is bringing a playful, design-forward approach to group gatherings. The property’s event spaces are designed to feel more like creative social environments than traditional meeting rooms, including the 6,500-square-foot Annex Ballroom, a two-story space with soaring ceilings, adaptable design elements and outdoor space overlooking Johnson Square.

Recess offers a blend of open work lounges and bookable meeting rooms.

Upstairs, the Conservatory takes inspiration from Savannah’s gardens, with moveable greenery and abundant natural light, while the adjacent Kilter Rooftop Lawn adds 830 square feet of open-air event space with panoramic city views. For smaller gatherings and more collaborative programs, Club Recess spans 5,500 square feet with libraries, studios, lounges, meeting rooms, communal workspaces and a conversation pit. Together, the spaces give planners plenty of flexibility to create events that feel social, creative and distinctly Savannah.

The Alexander, Autograph Collection

Following a multimillion-dollar renovation, The Alexander has reimagined its meeting and event spaces with the hotel’s signature art-forward aesthetic still at the center. The downtown Indianapolis property—the city’s first Autograph Collection hotel—features 16,500 square feet of flexible indoor meeting and event space across 17 venues, complemented by a reimagined outdoor plaza designed for gatherings and public use.

Art and natural sunlight at The Alexander.

Art is woven throughout the experience, with more than 60 works displayed across the property, including site-specific commissions by local, national and international artists. Meeting spaces feature abundant natural light, ergonomic furnishings and updated audiovisual technology, while signature Nourishment Hubs are designed to encourage breaks, conversation and collaboration. The outdoor plaza adds another option for planners looking to take events outside, creating a setting where contemporary art, design and open-air gathering come together.