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2009 Best Meeting/Conference Site: Vintners Inn

Exceptional levels of service in comfortable, stylish, high-quality surroundings set a royal standard for the North Bay’s premier meeting and conference sites. Nowhere is this more evident than in the heart of Wine Country’s spectacular Vintners Inn.

“We’ve spent the last three years developing the North Bay’s premier conference and event facility,” says Percy Brandon, general manager of the European country village-style, “all inclusive” Vintners Inn. “We have a comprehensive training program for all of our service employees, and we feel proud to be part of such a great organization.”

Brandon believes it’s this exemplary service standard that consistently exceeds business guests’ expectations. “We’re thrilled to have been chosen as the best meeting and conference venue,” he says.

Groups frequently travel to Santa Rosa for meetings and conferences at the beautiful Vintners Inn from as far afield as New York, Florida, Chicago and other prominent areas of the Midwest. Vintners Inn also sees a significant volume of business traffic from Los Angeles and Southern California, and, “Since Horizon started flights into Sonoma County, our group business from the Northwest has increased,” says Brandon.

The four-diamond Vintners Inn includes the onsite John Ash & Co. restaurant and is part of owners Don and Rhonda Carano’s Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery family. Private meeting and conference spaces at the Inn have been designed to blend into the serene vineyard setting of this rural paradise, and executives can enjoy a luxurious escape from the outside world both during conference hours and at leisure time.

A multi-million dollar renovation has, over the past seven years, transformed the Inn and Conference Center by expanding the energy-efficient executive retreat area to accommodate small and large workshops and trade shows for up to 400 people.

“Vintners Inn features a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant on the property and recycles all water waste for irrigation purposes,” says Brandon, who believes the Inn’s conscientious efforts to regulate heat and light and conserve energy set it apart as an industry role model for discerning clientele. “Most of our lighting is on timers, and we use GFI bulbs,” says Brandon. An onsite laundry facility uses a specialized ozone system to save hot water, and an aggressive recycling program encourages guest participation by providing recycling containers in guests’ rooms and meeting areas.

To combat the current economic effects on the conference industry, Vintners Inn has begun offering “great, inclusive specials to accommodate restricted group budgets. This lets our guests take advantage of affordable luxuries,” says Brandon.

After a day’s conferencing, visiting business guests often unwind with a stroll or run on the 1.2-mile scenic jogging trail through the property’s vineyard before unwinding in the spectacular restaurant or informal elegance of the popular Front Room bar and lounge.

http://vintnersinn.com