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Small Resorts Becoming 2014’s Largest Trend

By Anne Nagro

FROM RUSTIC AND QUIRKY to regal and Wright-like, small resorts offer groups a break from everyday routines and encourage collaboration and creative thought in a unique setting. Don’t know where to go? There are more than a handful of great options in Illinois (and just across the northern border), starting with these four hidden gems that let your group get away and get perspective.

Harpole’s Heartland Lodge // Nebo, Ill.
One look at the rolling, wooded hills and log lodges on this estate, and it’s easy to understand why this 1,300-acre resort is a go-to spot for companies like the Illinois Policy Institute, Pepsi and AutoTrader.com.

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine hosts a yearly fall retreat here for 20 pediatric residents. “The welcoming atmosphere helps young doctors step out of the pressured environment of medicine,” says program coordinator Ellen Marr.

Marr reserves an entire lodge so the group can have fun during downtime without bothering other guests. Comfort food (like homemade cinnamon rolls!) is a big hit, and sunset hayrides along Mississippi River bluffs or bonfires with s’mores bring everyone together, she says.

Team-building activities like scavenger hunts, sporting clays, ATV and horseback riding, cookouts and paintball are customized for groups, says owner Gary Harpole. Inside, the resort has Wi-Fi, spacious meeting facilities and 26 individual guest rooms.

Camp Wandawega // Elkhorn, Wis.
Curious wildlife, partial open-air showers, artful flea market décor … this is the camp of childhood dreams-yet still grown up enough for business groups, too. Cabins and bunkhouses provide individual accommodations for up to 50 guests, if sleeping in doubles. Creative types love the vibe: Land of Nod, Anthropologie and Studio Gang Architects have held retreats here.

Employees of Solemn Oath Brewery in Naperville designed a clothing line at the camp. John Barley, brewery president, says the unique spaces create a “natural element of community.” Besides building camaraderie, “we happened to also get a ton of work done,” he recalls.

The Solemn Oath crew cooked its own food, but groups can also head into town or have meals catered by outside parties. Activities include bonfires, horseshoes, shuffleboard, swimming, fishing and canoeing, as well as a two-hour art camp upon request.

The camp is open May to September for weekday and weekend retreats and books a year in advance.

The Herrington Inn & Spa // Geneva, Ill.
“A breath of fresh air” is how Gaylene Domer describes this European, boutique-style, 61-room property on the Fox River. The facilities management vice president for National Equity Fund in Chicago has held senior staff retreats and board meetings here. Well-traveled attendees choose The Herrington over venues in Arizona, Palm Springs and Philadelphia, she says.

Why? For the waterfront rooms with fireplaces, luxurious bathrooms, exquisite food and service and a relaxing day spa. Plus, it is in walking distance to downtown Geneva’s shops, restaurants and art galleries- and easily accessible by train from Chicago. An upscale but relaxed atmosphere makes for productive meetings, says Domer. Her groups enjoyed fall colors, sipping wine along the river cooking competitions, learned to fly fish and experienced chocolate with a world-famous chef, says Jennifer Piazza, the inn’s sales and marketing director. Specialized attention makes you feel like you’re the only group in town, she says.

Hyatt Lodge at McDonald’s Campus // Oak Brook, Ill.
Nestled in 88 acres of forest, this Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired resort feels intimate and secluded despite its 218 guest rooms. It was designed around majestic trees, including a 150-year-old buckeye in the circular drive.

The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Oak Brook uses the lodge for retreats and meetings. The location is convenient, and every meeting space has windows overlooking nature, says Christina Weres, the association’s senior manager of housing and travel services. “Attendees feel they’re somewhere other than the suburbs,” she says.

A high-tech training center, team adventure course and 70-foot lap pool offer team-building activities, which the on-site Midtown Spa & Fitness customizes for groups. RSNA delegates were even able to ride mountain bikes on the resort’s 4 miles of wooded trails.

Owned by McDonald’s and managed by Hyatt, the lodge can be used by any company except McDonald’s competitors.

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