Kick Start — Inspiring Minnesota Lake, Mountain & Countryside Resorts

A corporate retreat or company conference is a great way to kick off the year and get everyone pointed in the right direction for the months ahead. Your event can be especially effective when you book at one of these inspiring Minnesota resorts. Find out why these are some of our favs!

Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center, Alexandria, MN

Accommodations:  Offering a variety of lodging options, including guest rooms, townhomes, and cottages, the resort is the ideal location for small groups or large gatherings. Features 28,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and offering group incentives like full breakfast, bonfires, and spa discounts.

Attractions & Amenities:  The natural beauty that surrounds the resort in northern Minnesota provides visitors with views of sparking Lake Darling, fishing and boating expeditions, public beaches, and nearby Lake Carlos State Park. Have fun at Erickson’s Petting Zoo and Casey’s Amusement Park, shop the unique boutiques and stores in downtown Alexandria, or attend a wine tasting at nearby Carlos Creek Winery.

Why we love it:  Year-round, this stunning resort immerses guests in a true midwestern get-away experience with onsite 18-hole championship golf course, indoor water park, marina, spa, and four dining options. What’s not to love?

Grand View Lodge, Nisswa MN

Accommodations:  The historic lodge nestled along the shores of Gull Lake welcomes guests with a variety of lodging choices. Check in to the main lodge or lakeside Grand View cabins, Homes on Nokomis with up to five bedrooms, Garden Cottages with breathtaking views, and coming this summer, North, the resort’s 60-room boutique hotel.

Attractions & Amenities:  Grand View Lodge boasts nine dining options from casual to fine, the Glacial Waters Spa, two golf courses, and resort activities from fishing and pontoon cruises in the summer to sleigh rides and ice skating in the winter. If guests really feel the need to leave the resort (but why would they?) nearby Nisswa offers quaint shops, parks, and culinary treats galore.

Why we love it:  There is literally a space to meet for every size and type of group imaginable. Unique meeting spaces include the state-of-the-art Gull Lake Center, the classic and rustic Norway Center, the Beach Lawn on the lake, the gorgeous Vineyard, and the historic Main Lodge, plus more.

Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge, Brainerd Lakes, MN

Accommodations:  Family-owned and operated, this lakeside resort invites guests to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings along the peaceful shores of Bay Lake. A variety of accommodations are available, including lovely lakeside cabins, roomy lodge rooms, inviting villas, and cozy cottages.

Attractions & Amenities:  The Brainerd Lakes area is one of the most vibrant vacation spots in the state. Nearby Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Trails winds through gorgeous pines for more than 22 miles. Mille Lacs Kathio State Park offers a beautiful trail system as well. But for those who want to stay close to the resort, there’s golf, four dining options, luxury spa, guided fishing trips, marina with boat rental and much more!

Why we love it:  The resort offers an entertaining variety of team building activities, including pontoon cruises, guided nature excursions, horseback riding, golf events, and a high ropes zip line course to name just a few.  

Chase on the Lake, Walker, MN

Accommodations:  The award-winning resort is nestled on the shores of Leech Lake in the heart of downtown Walker. Classic and lakeview guest rooms, 2- and 3-bedroom condos and luxury lake front beach home offer guests a cozy place to stay and relax.

Attractions & Amenities:  Named Best Lakeside Resort by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Chase on the Lake offers upscale lodging, lakeside dining, Aveda spa, 2-lane bowling alley, water and peddle rentals, beach with waterfront rentals and marina, and snowmobile and fish house rentals. 

Why we love it:  Team building activities galore, including guided fishing, pheasant hunting excursions, golf, cooking classes, bonfire and s’mores, lakeview yoga, wine tasting, pontoon cruises, biking on the Paul Bunyan Trail, sleigh and hay rides.

Grand Superior Lodge, Two Harbors, MN

Accommodations:  The Lake Superior resort on the North Shore is famous for its stunning views, beautiful pines, birch, and aspen trees, and its rustic chic ambience. A variety of comfortable accommodations are available, from cozy lodge rooms to log cabins and lake homes.

Attractions & Amenities:  One of the most scenic areas in the country, the North Shore invites visitors to enjoy nearby Gooseberry Falls State Park, Superior National Hiking Trail, and the Lakeview National Golf Course in Two Harbors. The resort’s Splashing Rock Restaurant serves up spectacular dining with Superior views. Guests will enjoy kayaking on the great lake, relaxing massage treatments in the spa, along with the indoor pool, hot tub, and sauna.

Why we love it:  Great for groups, the resort boasts flexible meeting and banquet space for up to 175 guests. Full-service catering, on-site restaurant and lodge, professional staff, year-round activities, and stunning views make this a can’t-miss destination.

Breezy Point Resort & Conference Center, Breezy Point, MN

Accommodations:  Just a 20-minute drive from downtown Brainerd, this rustic resort overlooks Pelican Lakes. Guests can choose from a unique variety of lodging options including lodge apartments, individual homes, and cabins. With 25,000 square feet of functional meeting space the conference center can accommodate up to 450 people.

Attractions & Amenities:  No matter the season, there is always something to do at Breezy Point. Play a round at one of the three golf courses, cruise the lake from the resort marina, swim, tan, play volleyball or enjoy a bonfire on the sandy beach. The Paul Bunyan Trail and the Breezy Point Four Seasons Trail offer many opportunities for walking, biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Why we love it:  With five dining options, live entertainment and events, the relaxing Serenity Spa, outdoor skating rink, snowshoe and ski rental, fitness center, 9-hole snow golf course, pool and ping pong tables there is no winter hibernating going on here.