10.01.15

Collaborate Magazine

3 Spots to Make and Eat Pizza—and Call It Business

By: Kelsey Ogletree

F&B can take a big slice out of your budget, but it can also be a tasty piece of your event pie. Popping up at hotels and venues around the country, hands-on pizza-making activities can serve dual purposes, satisfying teambuilding components of your conference as well as appetites. Take a look at these three options, and get ’em while they’re hot!

Flour & Barley
This Las Vegas pizzeria isn’t afraid to get eccentric with toppings, from calamari to broccolini. Teams compete to create the most delicious (or outrageous) pizza, and a panel of judges (that can include your company’s CEO or the restaurant’s owner) chooses a winner. Bonus: The package comes with a two-hour open bar.

Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel
Hired as executive chef earlier this year, Chaz Frankenfield has tossed things up, breaking groups out of the ballroom and into the kitchen. Teams are given dough and toppings to shape how they please. They can get down to business while their pizzas are baking, then enjoy the spoils.

Timber Ridge Lodge
The competition at this Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, property involves much more than crust, sauce and cheese. Things can get downright saucy when you throw in creative elements such as groups designing their own pizza box, logo and even making a 30-second commercial for their pie.

10.01.15

Collaborate Magazine

3 Spots to Make and Eat Pizza—and Call It Business

By: Kelsey Ogletree

F&B can take a big slice out of your budget, but it can also be a tasty piece of your event pie. Popping up at hotels and venues around the country, hands-on pizza-making activities can serve dual purposes, satisfying teambuilding components of your conference as well as appetites. Take a look at these three options, and get ’em while they’re hot!

Flour & Barley
This Las Vegas pizzeria isn’t afraid to get eccentric with toppings, from calamari to broccolini. Teams compete to create the most delicious (or outrageous) pizza, and a panel of judges (that can include your company’s CEO or the restaurant’s owner) chooses a winner. Bonus: The package comes with a two-hour open bar.

Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel
Hired as executive chef earlier this year, Chaz Frankenfield has tossed things up, breaking groups out of the ballroom and into the kitchen. Teams are given dough and toppings to shape how they please. They can get down to business while their pizzas are baking, then enjoy the spoils.

Timber Ridge Lodge
The competition at this Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, property involves much more than crust, sauce and cheese. Things can get downright saucy when you throw in creative elements such as groups designing their own pizza box, logo and even making a 30-second commercial for their pie.

09.30.15

MSN.com

5 Classic Family Resorts for Relaxing & Reconnecting

By: Jeanenne Tornatore

3. Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, Lake Geneva, WI

For a classic Midwest family vacation, the town of Lake Geneva and its iconic resort, the Grand Geneva, is a fantastic choice. You can fill your summer days with horseback riding, golf lessons, indoor climbing, and basketball on its full size court.

Rent bikes and take to the beautiful country trails or enjoy a leisurely horse drawn carriage ride around the expansive grounds. Kids will enjoy the “Kids are Grand” day programming while parents can slip away for a round of golf or treatment in the award-winning spa.

Families can travel within the resort via its old fashioned trolley, stop by the main lodge for ice cream and even take in story time by the fire at its Timber Ridge family lodge. In addition to the outdoor pools, there’s a 50,000 square foot indoor water park and arcade.

Be sure to save some time to head off the resort and into the town of Lake Geneva. It’s a family destination in itself with water activities, a kid-friendly beach and a downtown perfect for strolling its many quaint shops and eateries. You can even walk full circle around the lake via a trail to take in the amazing historic mansions that surround this stunning destination.

See more here.

09.29.15

HotelNewsNow: Independents grow as part of mixed portfolios

Joseph Khairallah, COO of Marcus Hotels & Resorts contributes to story on managing successful independent properties.

To read the entire article, click here

09.29.15

IngredientsInc.com

Six Hotels that are Thinking Pink

It is almost October, and a new travel trend is that hotels are “thinking pink” this year by offering special programs and packages to honor National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. From spa discounts to lavish breast cancer and pink events, here are six hotels that are thinking pink:

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa is an award-winning all-seasons resort set on 1,300 acres in the legendary southeastern Wisconsin community of Lake Geneva, just 90 minutes from Chicago and 50 minutes from Milwaukee. The property features 355 guest rooms; WELL Spa + Salon; two championship 18-hole golf courses; The Mountain Top, a three-chair/18-run ski and snowboard facility; 62,000 square feet of meeting and convention space and three restaurants.

This October, Grand Geneva Resort & Spa is partnering with ABCD — After Breast Cancer Diagnosis — to raise funds to help survivors. ABCD is a Milwaukee based organization led by survivors and dedicated to breast cancer support and information.

Grab Your Drive. Help a Survivor – Visit the Golf Shop to purchase a sleeve of pink golf balls for $10 and receive a complimentary bag of 50 pink tees. $5 of your purchase benefits ABCD
Support a Survivor with a Sweet Treat – Dine in Geneva ChopHouse or Ristorante Brissago and ask for the Pink Lemonade Cheesecake with house-made strawberry gelato for $8. $4 of your purchase benefits ABCD
A Reason to Relax — Visit the WELL Spa + Salon any Monday in October and choose the pedicure right for you. Need a reason to relax? 10% of the price of the service will benefit ABCD

See more here.

09.22.15

NYTimes.com

Hotel and Tour News: Musical Resort Packages in Florida and Cape Town
By: Shivani Vora

HOTELS WILL RAISE FUNDS DURING BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and several properties around the United States and the Caribbean will conduct fund-raising programs.

They include:

The Palms Turks and Caicos on the Turks and Caicos Islands is hosting its seventh annual “In the Pink” shopping party on Oct. 7 during which several suites will be transformed into small boutiques selling new and gently used clothing, shoes and accessories. Proceeds go to the Turks and Caicos Cancer Society. A party following the shopping takes place in the hotel’s front courtyard, which will be decorated with in pink and will feature live music and cocktails.

In Maui, the Awili Spa and Salon at the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort will sell handmade pink soaps for $12 in scents such as vanilla yuzu and pineapple espresso and also offer a pink pedicure package for $95 that includes a glass of sparkling rose. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Hawaii-based Pacific Cancer Foundation. And throughout October, the property’s arrival bridge will be lit in bright pink.

The Grand Geneva Resort and Spa in Lake Geneva, Wis., about 90 minutes from Chicago, will sell a sleeve of pink golf balls for $10 in its golf shop, and its restaurants will have slices of house-made pink lemonade cheesecake accompanied by strawberry gelato for $8; 50 percent of the proceeds from sales benefits the Milwaukee-based nonprofit After Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

See more here.

09.10.15

The Hunt: Hotels With Afternoon Tea Fit For Royalty

We’re highlighting the best of the best in The Hunt. We’ve gathered our picks of local gems, foodie must-tastes or tourist attractions you simply cannot miss when you’re hunting down the best things to do while on vacation.
It’s one of life’s most decadent luxuries to stop what you’re doing circa 3 o’clock, and simply pour yourself a cup of tea, tuck into a cucumber sandwich and indulge in a slice of cake (or two).

Afternoon tea is a tradition started by the 7th Duchess of Bedford who objected to having just two meals a day and rebelled by having tea and a light snack taken in her boudoir midafternoon. The trend caught on. Afternoon tea is now available in certain fine establishments in the Americas and thankfully we’ve whittled the list of the best hotels with afternoon tea down to just a few exquisite offerings.

Midwest and luxury aren’t normally in the same sentence, but the Pfister Hotel, a Grand dame of Victorian architecture built in 1893 in downtown Milwaukee, holds true to its iconic roots. Served on the 23rd floor by a Tea Butler surrounded by panoramic views of the city, it’s quite simply the epitome of luxury elegance.

Brit Pick: Opt for a traditional English Breakfast tea for an authentic Victorian experience. English Breakfast tea is a Black tea and the most popular tea consumed in the British Isles where 165 million cups of tea are consumed every single day.

Original Article

09.10.15

The Resorter

What’s new at Grand Geneva Resort and Spa

Grand Geneva Resort and Spa appreciates the hard work of all members of the Armed Forces, and to celebrate Support Your Troops month, the resort is offering all active members and veterans a special deal. During the first two weeks of September, active members and veterans are invited to play a free round of golf with any paid round. All members must show ID when checking in; promotion is valid Monday through Thursday anytime and Friday, Saturday and Sundays after 2 p.m.

Also, Grand Geneva is offering its annual season pass discount for The Mountain Top. The best savings are available through Sept. 18. Not only does a season pass allow full access to the snow sports, but it also allows pass holders discounts at The Mountain Top Ski Shop, Well Spa and Salon, room discounts at Grand Geneva Resort and Spa and Timber Ridge Lodge and Waterpark, food purchases and more. Individual season passes are available for $265 and family season passes are available for $624. Visit secure.marcustec.com/ggski to purchase your season pass.

09.01.15

Rejuvenate Magazine

Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark

By: Hayley Panagakis

Make sure conference attendees bring their swimsuits to family-friendly Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark. Less than a mile from its sister property, Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, the lodge is a hidden treasure nestled in the backwoods of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, making guests of all ages feel like kids again at Moose Mountain Falls, the property’s 50,000-sq.-ft. indoor/outdoor waterpark.

Planners can buy out the 225-room lodge for exclusive use of the waterpark and the newly renovated 3,500-sq.-ft. Cascades Ballroom, which overflows into the lobby for prefunction space. One faith-based meeting accommodates its age-diverse group at the lodge each January by setting separate times for adults and children to use the waterpark, says Kevin Karau, general manager, noting that the hotel also converts the lobby and meeting rooms into game areas for children to play in when they aren’t swimming.

Two on-site restaurants, Smokey’s Bar-B-Que House and Hungry Moose Food Court, serve everything from barbecue ribs to fish tacos, which is “something that really surprises guests when they arrive,” says Karau. While some guests may opt to spend downtime at the waterpark, braving two 30-ft. slides or floating along the lazy river, others can head to the nearby stables for horseback rides; play tennis or a round of golf on two nearby courses; explore the nature trail at Grand Geneva Resort; make new friends at the petting zoo; or venture into the city for a tour on one of the last functioning mail boats in the country. In the winter, groups can also go skiing or hop aboard festive sleigh rides.

08.27.15

The Resorter

Grand Geneva announces golf tournament, new food trailer for Highlands Course

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa is excited to debut the new Grand Grille food trailer. Ideally located for The Highlands award-winning golf courses, golf guests can stop by the food trailer to grab food on the go and keep playing, without needing to return to the golf shop. Menu highlights include mac & cheese bites, Old Bay shrimp roll, smoked chicken caesar wrap, brats, and “The Big Bertha” burger with all the fixings. Also available are cocktails and beer.

Fall Grand Geneva Golf Classic

The 18-hole tournament on the award-winning Brute golf course at Grand Geneva Resort & Spa offers two divisions – both Scramble and Best Ball. Each participant in a registered foursome is eligible for many coveted prizes, and additionally will receive a certificate for a complimentary round of golf for future use! Don’t miss our on a great chance to grab some friends and join the competition.