Meeting getaways: three different options--relaxation, recreation and an extended lunch.

MEETING PLANNERS HAVE it tough. They have to find a place that fits the basic need--like accommodating a sales meeting, board meeting, annual retreat or strategic-planning session, while setting the proper stage. That stage could be anything from away-from-it-all relaxation to an energizing extended lunch to a combination meeting/ recreation event. And it's a given that the food and service better be top-notch. Here are three different options to consider.

New Harmony inn, New Harmony. Even before you arrive at the New Harmony Inn, known for its peace, quiet and tranquility, you'll find those qualities evident on its Web site, where calming music plays from cyberspace. "Our marketing slogan is 'Find your way back to quiet,'" says general manager Manfred Gerling. "We appeal to guests who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of their daily lives." That includes business guests.

The inn was remodeled last year, Gerling explains, the first time since it was built in 1972. "The distinction between our hotel and the majority of other hotels is that we are not a chain. We are an individual hotel with a lot of individual touches." The decor is simple, stylish and timeless, he says. Each room has original art, and there are no rugs in the guestrooms, just warm yellow poplar floors. "The floors creak a little, but people don't seem to mind." The inn did take a page from a major hotel chain though, when it recently selected the same fine mattresses and sheets used by Westin hotels.

The inn's 5,000-square-foot conference center holds up to 300 theater-style, and can be split in two. Two additional rooms hold up to 16. Like all of the facility it has wireless Internet service available. Several major Evansville corporations--30 minutes away--routinely hold their meetings at the conference center, says Gerling, as do other businesses in the tri-state area within a two-hour drive, from as far away as St. Louis and Louisville areas. In addition, it has been host to family gatherings to discuss financial affairs.

When the meeting is over, guests dine at the award-winning Red Geranium Restaurant, serving seasonal American cuisine. "We've changed to organic and locally grown products," says Gerling. "We have no trans fat." And for relaxation, an indoor pool, fitness center and day spa are available. The lure of historic New Harmony itself is also a draw of course, as the former home of a utopian community formed nearly 200 years ago.

Swan Lake Resort, Plymouth.

"The unique thing in Swan Lake is how much we have to offer," says general manager Doug Leedke. The United States Golf Academy opened in the 1970s as the main anchor, he says, but over time a full-scale resort was built around it and now it's one feature of Swan Lake. There's a new spa, indoor and outdoor pools, 92 hotel rooms, six country cottages and four log cabins--all recently renovated. Add to that the only Sam Snead's Tavern & Grill in the Midwest, featuring oak-grilled seafood and steaks, and of course 36 pristine holes of golf. "It's a cruise-ship environment we've created at the resort."

Swan Lake offers 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting space with all the audio-visual help you'll need. The Grand Ballroom can accommodate up to 2,000 theater-style, 400 classroom. The smallest of its several rooms is the elegantly appointed Boardroom, which seats eight. "We'll hold up against any Ritz-Carlton function space anywhere," says Leedke. Fortune 500 companies from Indiana, Illinois and Ohio tend to book in the summer, he says, smaller companies and associations in the off-season when rates are a little lower.

Nearly all of the corporate functions combine business with pleasure, says Leedke, typically one or two days for a meeting followed by a half-day or three-quarters of a day of fun. Frequently that means golf, either straight out to the course or with a trip to the Golf Academy to perfect your game. That can be with a pro the old fashioned way or through its whiz-bang technology to improve your putts and swings. The latest and greatest, says Leedke, is TrackMan radar technology, originally designed for missile defense. It shows the 3-D flight patterns of all your golf shots from short pitches to 400 yard drives, finding your flaws and helping select a better suited club. It's all pretty high-tech help for a basically low-tech game.

Harry & Izzy's, Indianapolis.

Get away in the midst of downtown at Harry & Izzy's, a spin-off from the venerable St. Elmo Steak House located just next door in Indianapolis. Opened in April, the restaurant is fast becoming a classic on its own, with its casual Speakeasy atmosphere offering a large gathering bar and a varied menu from fresh fish to pasta to brick-oven pizza, with a bit less of an economic wallop than its parent. It does have some family traits, however, like St. Elmo's famous shrimp cocktail, with the horseradish-laced sauce, and the top-quality steaks.

Lesser known are Harry & Izzy's meeting capabilities. Companies and associations located downtown will find it a natural for board meetings and sales meetings. But with its location in Circle Centre Mall, this spot is ideal for out-of-town business folks meeting at the Indiana Convention Center who seek a more intimate spot for luncheon or dinner presentations and discussions. Harry & Izzy's offers two private rooms for meetings accommodating from 10 to 16 in one and 30 to 40 in the other.

Majority ownership of Harry & Izzy's is held by Steve Huse and son Craig, owners of St. Elmo. Five additional partners hold minority shares including Super Bowl MVP and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.