It’s not hard to see why multi-generational families are drawn to Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa, with its impossibly blue sky backdrop of wide-open Colorado vistas and variety of Western activities that feed so many interests, from jeep tours to dinosaur track hikes to the kind of stargazing typically reserved for a planetarium. Yet, it’s that same spectrum of activities – plus a variety of indoor and outdoor meeting spaces and other on-resort services and dining – that makes this the kind of place that can turn a corporate retreat into a legitimate game changer for all those who attend. Here, whether you’re a meeting planner or an executive interested in renting out all of the resort’s 72 rooms or just 10 rooms, we breakdown the experience to get your team talking about the great adventure awaiting in the Colorado West.
Corporate Retreat Spaces, Inside and Out
Gateway Canyons provides a dynamic set of meeting spots – 8,778 square feet in total – including the roomy Palisade Event Center, which features a large ballroom and an HD theater. But where Gateway Canyons really shines for corporate events is when audiovisuals are traded for the stunning visuals of the Colorado west in every direction. The temperature tends to hover in the 40s in the winter, 60s in the spring, 80s in the summer, and 50s in the fall, which means outdoor corporate events are an option almost every month of the year. Red Cliff Camp, about a mile away from the resort, is the perfect place for opening or closing receptions, with the natural beauty of the Bookcliffs all around you. The Palisade Ranch, 15 miles from the resort, gives your group the opportunity to horseback ride to a meeting point (with the new experience and the beautiful, unfamiliar setting sparking conversation and unlocking creativity) before riding back to the ranch, and getting shuttled back to the resort in a Mercedes van.
Activities that Meet Them at Their Adventure Level
Some Western corporate retreat venues struggle to find activities for those not interested getting in a saddle or on a river. It may be Gateway Canyons best attribute. There are all the dude ranch vacation activities you could image, plus plenty others to get your heart rate up, whether it’s hiking among the towering spires you see out your window each morning or ripping around the mountain west in a dune buggy. Yet when the more sedentary members of your executive team turn their nose up at the idea of getting so far from their Fendi and Gucci, show them the opportunity to get behind the wheel of some amazing luxury cars with the Driven Experience, or getting deep into history in this corner of the country known for its dinosaur tracks and outlaw days, or maybe it’s simply sitting back to take in an afternoon of Discovery shows at the private, on-site movie theatre. (The resort was built by Discovery Channel founder John Hendricks.)
Amenities and Dining You Won’t Get at a Dude Ranch
Resort amenities for corporate groups start with The Spa, since no corporate retreat should be without the ultimate in relaxation time. From there, meeting planners used to remote corporate retreats may skeptically think, “but what are our dining options?” How about five restaurants, from the signature Entrada (al fresco dining, local dishes like black cod and roasted duck breast), to Paradox Grille (laid-back, open for lunch, sandwiches, burgers, tacos, etc.) to the resort’s own vintage food trailer (bison burgers, kobe dogs). Finally, private dinners can’t get more amazing (and varied) than options that include a handful of spots set up to take advantage of the quiet and wonder of the surrounding country, a stargazing dinner (complete with your own astronomer to point out the constellations), and evening among vintage and classic cars in the resort’s own auto museum.
Gateway Canyons Resort
