Plano
Watch for:
- The 176-room NYLO Plano opened in late 2007.
- A 276-room Renaissance property with 16,000 square feet of meeting space and an 11,000-square-foot spa is under construction in Legacy Town Center.
Want Western-themed venues?
The Southfork Ranch has a full-service conference center with 10 ballrooms and more than 300 acres of ranchland for team-building, group tours, picnics, parties and other special functions. Accommodations are available at sister property Southfork Hotel, which has 280 rooms and more than 17,000 square feet of meeting space. Love & War in Texas serves up Texas food, culture, music and beer in a themed setting. North of town in McKinney is the Bill Bates Cowboy Ranch, run by a former Dallas Cowboys player; amenities include meeting space, a game room, a dance hall, a lakeside pavilion and patios, and team-building programs.
Want to break out of the boardroom?
The Angelika Film Center & Café is a five-screen boutique cinema with lounge/café space available for receptions and catered events. Two auditoriums have all-leather seating, and all screening rooms are available for seminars, corporate meetings or private screenings. Martini Park is a 7,500-sq. ft. nightclub/martini bar with patio space, a full kitchen, high-tech audio/visual equipment, a round bar and a dancefloor.
Want theatrical settings?
The Courtyard Theater in the Haggard Park Historic District is a 1938 Works Progress Administration project that was converted to a state-of-the-art performance facility in 1999. The ArtsCentre of Plano is a renovated late-1800s landmark with art galleries, a catering kitchen, meeting and conference rooms, and courtyard event space.
Want group dining?
Shops at Legacy has several restaurants with event space, including Mi Cocina, Bob’s Steak & Chop House, Nicola’s Ristorante Italiano, Fox Sports Grill and Jasper’s, an acclaimed restaurant from Chef Kent Rathbun (Abacus) with a fully wired and WiFi-enabled boardroom and private dining room. Big Easy has a Chisholm Plaza location and caters New Orleans cuisine for off-site functions. The Pecan Hollow Grille overlooks the Pecan Hollow Golf Course, and has indoor/outdoor banquet space. Bavarian Grill has costumed waitresses and traditional German musicians in addition to Web- and teleconferencing facilities, banquet rooms and a beer garden.
Want group activities?
The Heritage Farmstead is a four-acre living history museum open for public and guided tours. The Plano Historic District has more than 50 specialty shops and art galleries; walking tours are available. Fairview Farms Marketplace has a petting zoo (that travels for private events), a Farmers Market and a 8,200-sq. ft. event barn. Groups can make custom wines at Vintner’s Cellar, which also caters wine-tasting parties. The Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney has science exhibits, a 289-acre wildlife sanctuary and a science resource center in addition to banquet space and meeting/presentation rooms.
