With world-class venues, diverse dining, amazing attractions, convenient transportation, and so much more, there's a lot to love about New York City. For some groups, however, the city's many assets can also be liabilities, creating extra distractions, space constraints, and sky-high costs that are incompatible with their meeting's objectives or agenda. Fortunately, the tri-state area is full of conference center hotels that offer many of the benefits of a New York meeting -- like a convenient and strategic location -- without big-city constraints. Located within a short drive or train from New York City, here are five of the best options.
The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center (New Brunswick, NJ)
Located in downtown New Brunswick, just a 15-minute walk from Rutgers University, The Heldrich has 235 guest rooms and 25,000 square feet of IACC-certified meeting space, including 30 individual meeting rooms, a 2,500-square-foot amphitheater with classroom seating, three executive board rooms, a videoconference room, a focus group room, and a 7,370-square-foot grand ballroom. Ideal for groups seeking creative inspiration, The Heldrich's highlight is its permanent art collection, which is housed in three onsite galleries featuring rotating exhibits of New Jersey artists' work.
Mohonk Mountain House (New Paltz, NY)
A National Historic Landmark located beside Lake Mohonk, near the Catskills, Mohonk Mountain House looks more like a palace than a resort. Surrounded by gorgeous gardens and unspoiled wilderness, the Victorian castle was built in 1869 as a 10-room inn and tavern. Today it's a grand house with accommodations for a whopping 600 guests. Its 14 meeting rooms include an expansive Victorian Parlor and several intimate wood-paneled studies, all of which feel much farther away from New York City than they actually are. Because it's enveloped in nature, the resort is especially ideal for groups seeking unique team-building activities; options here include nature walks, ropes courses, guided meditations, rock climbing, geocaching, stargazing, lawn bowling, horseback riding, and survival classes, just to name a few.
Tarrytown House Estate & Conference Center (Tarrytown, NY)
Another historic gem in New York State is Tarrytown House Estate & Conference Center in Westchester County. Located just 25 miles from Midtown Manhattan, the 19th-century mansion sits on 26 acres overlooking the Hudson River Valley. Along with 212 guest rooms and suites, the estate features 30 IACC-certified meeting rooms totaling over 30,000 square feet of meeting space. A highlight is the white-columned King Mansion; built circa 1840, the estate's oldest building has meeting, dining, and guest rooms under one roof for private meetings of up to 20, making it perfect for board meetings and executive retreats.
Hilton Meadowlands (East Rutherford, NJ)
Its location near MetLife Stadium, Newark International Airport, and Manhattan -- not to mention the Meadowlands Sports Complex, America Dream, and Meadowlands Racetrack -- makes Hilton Meadowlands an ideal meeting venue for groups that want a New York meeting minus the "New York." Along with 427 guest rooms, the hotel features a 30,000-square-foot conference center with 15 meeting rooms and two ballrooms, one of which is New Jersey's second-largest. Plus, it's less than 5 minutes from Meadowlands Exposition Center. A complimentary shuttle goes to and from Secaucus Junction train station, where trains depart regularly for the 15-minute ride into Manhattan's Penn Station.
Glen Cove Mansion Hotel & Conference Center (Glen Cove, NY)
Less than 30 miles from Manhattan is Glen Cove Mansion Hotel & Conference Center on Long Island. Set on 55 secluded and landscaped acres, the property's centerpiece is its Georgian-style mansion overlooking Long Island Sound. Inside are 187 guest rooms and 29,500 square feet of IACC-certified meeting and event space, including 27 dedicated conference rooms accommodating from 10 to 280 attendees. Evocative of F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous novel "The Great Gatsby," which was set on an estate just like it, the Glen Cove is an ideal place for groups to take a working holiday away from the city. The nearby Glen Cove Golf Club makes it especially attractive for golf meetings.