Business with Pleasure: Lake Geneva

By Tina Chovanec

Geneva Lake’s waves are calm most days, but occasionally a strong wind creates exciting waves that reach five feet or higher. An interesting parallel, the same can be said of the branding challenge the Lake Geneva Convention and Visitor Bureau faces: Is Lake Geneva a quiet, relaxing little retreat — or is it a big, adventure-filled getaway? The answer, of course, is that it can be both. Accommodating meetings tailored to your company’s culture and desired pace is the very successful business of the properties located in and around Lake Geneva, just 45 minutes from Milwaukee, 75 minutes from Madison, and 90 minutes from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.

Accommodations and amenities abound
The Abbey Resort & AVANI Spa in nearby Fontana has been known as a luxurious retreat for 45 years. “The Abbey is a completely renovated lakefront property, with beautiful rooms and all the amenities of a full-service resort, including a wonderful spa,” boasts George Hennerley, executive director of the Lake Geneva Convention and Visitors Bureau. He goes on to say that it’s just as easy for guests to enjoy the resort all day — or venture offsite, since Fontana is a lovely village with over 400 holes of golf just minutes away.

Meeting accommodations include more than 40,000 square feet of function space: the Harbor Ballroom and the Geneva Lake Conference Center, with nine different rooms to accommodate meetings and conferences of all sizes. The resort also sports a selection of outdoor venues, like the 6,000-square-foot tented West Shore Pavilion, with a private patio for cocktail receptions and banquets. There is also an on-site 35,000-square-foot spa, called AVANI Spa, offering a full menu of pampering, an atrium pool and saunas, and a very special Sanctuary Suite. The suite, which can accommodate multiple guests and services, offers a private whirlpool, plasma TV and private outdoor patio.

Planners interested in team building can consult an on-site specialist to design an Abbey Group Pursuits program, a customized corporate and interpersonal event with group activities based on the season. Be sure to ask about the popular Abbey Night Life events for relaxing together in a much less structured setting.

For a different atmosphere, Hennerley says, “The Geneva Inn is a very unique boutique-style European inn with guestroom views of the lake from your own private balcony. The Grandview Restaurantis a great one, and meeting space is just five to 10 minutes from downtown Lake Geneva.” Groups can take advantage of a private marina and gather by the fireplace in the three-story atrium. The inn also hosts wine dinners featuring five-course meals and the historic 21-mile path around the lake, which is literally a few steps from the front door.

Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, the city’s only AAA 4-Diamond resort, rests on 1,300 acres of magnificent grounds. “Every year they plant in excess of 50,000 annuals,” says Hennerley. “Grand Geneva is a fabulous property that has made an art form out of service. It’s entirely possible that they have more recreational amenities and group meeting amenities than any other facility in the state.” The resort boasts two gorgeous, tournament-quality 18-hole golf courses, the Well Spa, a water park, and a 5,400-square-foot outdoor pavilion. Team building exercises and programs include rock climbing, scavenger hunts and leadership offerings. Other activities include horseback riding, kayaking, tennis, basketball, hiking — and skiing, skating and snowboarding in the winter.

At Grand Geneva, planners are encouraged to think outside the (meeting room) box. Why not plan a poolside meeting, greet attendees with a tropical luau cocktail reception, try your hand in the kitchen with a culinary team-building exercise, or enjoy a half-hour relaxation stretch during a meeting break? For traditional meeting space, the resort can comfortably cater to groups from 10 to 1,500 with 62,000 square feet of space, 35 breakout rooms, a spacious Grand Ballroom, a 13,500-square-foot Convention Center and much, much more.

With its recent renovation and restoration efforts, and ample meeting and conference space, Lake Lawn Resort on nearby Delavan Lake is also an ideal spot to host your meeting. The lake is a 2,070-acre swimming hole, perfect for high-speed wave running, a pontoon boat ride or a low-key swim to catch a fabulous sunset. Groups of up to 500 are welcome with 32,000 square feet in 22 rooms of meeting space. Lake Lawn’s Web site suggests hosting a smaller board meeting or planning a corporate group retreat to enjoy the championship golf course, Timber Spa, or boat rentals on its picturesque lake.
Like neighboring Lake Geneva, Lake Lawn touts, “so many ways to play,” which serves to reinforce your decision to have your group meeting there.

Famous findings and faces
You may have gotten wind of the fun fact that there are a few unusual things on the bottom of Geneva Lake. “Many years ago, when things landed in the lake, they just left them there; now you have to get them out,” explains Hennerley. A 50s-era cabin cruiser, a Volkswagen, and the hull of the Lady of the Lake boat are just a sampling of the lake-bottom’s inhabitants.

Since Lake Geneva is fondly called “the Newport of the West,” as well as “the Hamptons of the Midwest (see page 20),” it’s no surprise that celebrities are among the mansion dwellers. Cartoonists Joe and Jay Martin, and 1972 Olympic yachting gold medalist and helmsman of the winning America’s Cup team in 1992 Buddy Melges, call Lake Geneva home. Now deceased, one of the masterminds behind Dungeons & Dragons, creator Gary Gygax also lived in the city. While living in Lake Geneva, producers and creators of the popular soap opera The Young and the Restless set the drama in nearby Genoa City, and Guns N’ Roses lead singer Axl Rose owned a home on the lake from 1988 to 1998 — and is rumored to have penned the hit song “Paradise City” about the famed Playboy Club, which was closed and transformed into
the Americana Resort in the early 90s,
and later to Grand Geneva Resort and Spa.

“The original Playboy Club was built in 1968 and was eventually sold to the Marcus Corporation, which took the property to the next level, that of a prairie style, very sophisticated resort,” Hennerley says. “Playboy Enterprises had clubs in a lot of major cities, but only two, including Lake Geneva’s, were resorts, and both were closed when it was deemed that managing the properties was not a core part of its business.”
Mansions and more: your must-do list
On the allure of the famous mansions that surround the lake, Hennerley suggests, “Everybody likes to see what the ‘haves’ have — similar to traveling in Europe and visiting the major castles and cathedrals. You cannot help but appreciate the interesting architecture, and the very beautiful landscaping.” He goes on to say that he believes, in part, the draw is fantasizing what it would be like if you had unlimited wealth, and points out that many people are surprised to learn about the size of the mansions and the sheer cost of living the luxurious life on the lake.

“Lake frontage like this is very rare; they’re not making any more of it. Consider that a $300,000 ranch-style home with four bedrooms and three baths put on a lake inflates the worth to a minimum $1.5 million.” He concludes his theories with how folks are further mystified when they discover that “these are second homes, palatial estates not lived in for the full 365 days in the year.”

Some of the more famous mansions include The Golden Oaks Mansion, named in honor of the centuries-old trees around its perimeter; Black Point, which is now preserved as a museum where people can observe late-19th century style; Stone Manor; Villa Hortensia; and House in the Woods. The latter property, which remains a private estate today, was described as “one of the most beautiful country homes in the land” in a 1909 edition of Ladies Home Journal and included later in another national magazine as one of the “Best 12 Country Homes in America.”

Hot air balloon rides, museums, art galleries, antique shops and shopping are just a few more items on a long list of area attractions. And, of course, no story about the charms of this little city would be complete without mentioning Lake Geneva Cruise Line. “It’s perfect for a corporate event boat tour — big enough to plan events and activities and meetings right on board,” says Hennerley. “A lot of groups will have a cocktail reception or dinner or small meeting.” The cruise line accommodates groups of six to 225, depending on maximum standing capacity or table seating for your event. The cruise line’s preferred caterers can prepare casual hors d’ oeuvres, a lavish buffet or an elegant sit-down dinner — or for an additional cost per guest, groups may provide their own caterer. Wet bars and live music add to the exciting tours, and alternate docking is available. “For example, many groups walk from Lake Geneva to William’s Bay and arrange for the cruise line to pick them up there and bring them back to Lake Geneva again,” Hennerley explains. It’s an opportunity to get up close and personal with the lakefront properties.”

.