Top 10 Reasons to Meet in Virginia's Northern Neck

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The Tides Inn has more than 60 years of providing superior hospitality to couples, families and groups of all sizes, in keeping with the cherished traditions of the South and Virginia’s Northern Neck.

1. Easy Access
The 106-room resort is ideally located within 70 miles of four of Virginia’s major commercial airports in Richmond, Norfolk, Newport News and Williamsburg, as well as convenient driving distance of international airports in Washington, D.C. (2.5 hours) and Baltimore (3 hours), Richmond (1 hour) and Norfolk (1.5 hour). The property is also accessible by private aircraft and via waterways; the Tides Inn Marina is 9 statute miles from Windmill Point and the Inter Coastal Waterway.

2. Serene Retreat Location
The resort is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle, located in the charming waterfront town of Irvington, tucked away on a private, lush peninsula in Virginia’s Northern Neck, which is bound by the Chesapeake Bay to the east, the Potomac River to the north, and the Rappahannock River to the south. The Tides Inn sits on a bluff overlooking Carters Creek, surrounded by manicured grounds and spectacular scenery.

3. Rooms With A View
Meeting rooms feature large windows with expansive views of the water, marina, lush lawns and tree-shaded grounds. Distant views include leisure boats and yachts, stately shoreline homes, and abundant landscapes that showcase the vibrant colors of the season.

All 106 guest rooms, including 22 suites, boast British Colonial décor overlooking Carters Creek and the Rappahannock River in the distance, with many of the guestrooms featuring private balconies or patios to enjoy the beautiful surrounding scenery.

4. Exceptional Venues
Events can take place in various venues throughout the Tides Inn’s expansive 30 acres. The waterfront pool and beach is ideal for clambakes, oyster roasts and waterside barbecues. The Tides Inn’s onsite executive golf course and the sprawling, water view Croquet Lawn are perfect for outdoor and tented events. The Tides Inn can also arrange private events aboard appointed boats and vintage yachts, as well as nearby vineyards and offsite dining venues.

5. Custom Team Building Events
Tides Inn offers a wide variety of unique activities to build camaraderie, improve communications and create cohesion within your organization. Set sail with Premier Sailing, the Tides Inn’s onsite sailing school, with varied team building activities; sail boat racing will build confidence and cooperation among your attendees, or try “talk sailing” - a unique program that uses sailing tasks to enhance communications skills. Groups always enjoy the highly interactive GPS Geocache around the property; this live game of lost and found requires attention to detail and careful team interaction. Other highlights include Tides Olympics, Glow in the Dark Golf Challenge, Chili Cook-Off, Carters Creek Treasure Hunt, Build a Boat, Culinary Creations and more.

6. Secure Haven
As its own private peninsula, the Tides Inn can be easily secured to provide the utmost in safety, security and serenity for corporate, government or diplomatic groups. The entire property can also be exclusively reserved, offering the highest level of privacy to groups and associations. Additionally, private buildings within the resort can be reserved for small programs or individuals seeking seclusion during their stay.

7. Authentic Excursions
Virginia’s Northern Neck is filled with history, beauty and bountiful with culinary adventures. Guests can go bird watching with a naturalist along the shorelines of the Northern Neck; spend an evening with the ancestors of Robert E. Lee and dine in an 18th century tavern; or visit famous Virginia homes and gardens and board the “antiques express” and visit the Northern Neck’s antique mecca – Tappahannock. Groups often embark on a heritage bicycle tour of the area’s fishing villages, family farms, historic churches and vintage boutiques; they can also scare themselves silly by spending an evening with the ghosts and goblins of the Northern Neck. Culinary outings include exploring the region’s vineyards and tasting rooms along the Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail, setting off on fishing or crabbing excursions, or enjoying a locavore dinner aboard a vintage yacht.

8. Amenities Galore
The Tides Inn’s guestrooms provide every guest comfort with high-speed internet connectivity, coffee makers, DVD and CD players, newspaper delivery each morning of stay and nightly turndown service. The Tides Inn features three restaurants and room service, concierge service, fitness center, resort pool, tennis courts, golf, croquet, and two specialty boutiques. With eight treatment rooms, the Spa at the Tides Inn offers a range of classic spa treatments and soothing spa products, ranging from massage, to facials and body treatments, to salon services. Onsite bicycles, canoes, kayaks and paddle boats are offered complimentary to guests.

9. Superior Dining Experiences
The culinary team at the Tides Inn prides itself on using the freshest ingredients to create authentic cuisine inspired by its location in the Chesapeake Bay region. The East Dining Room is the Tides Inn’s fine dining restaurant, boasting a view of the Tides Marina and offering guests regional cuisine for breakfast and dinner, paired with a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence list. Adjacent to the East Dining Room is the Chesapeake Club, which offers a lighter menu for lunch and dinner, and live entertainment, a tapas style sharing menu and cocktails are offered throughout the evening. Seasonally, the Pool Grille provides a casual, family-friendly lunch menu with bar service for adults.

10. Golf Galore
Carved out of the beautiful Virginia wooded landscape around a 50-acre lake, the Golden Eagle golf course has many elevation changes and well placed bunkers for all skill levels. Located just 5 minutes from the resort, the championship golf course, complete with a driving range and clubhouse, hosts several group outings and tournaments throughout the year. Groups also enjoy the Tides Inn’s onsite 9-hole Par 3 executive golf course, with its open fairways, the “Little Eagle” is perfect for practice, leisure play, instruction sessions and contests or evening glow ball tournaments.