A Benchmark Resort
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, July 2015 … Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, announces that The Gilchrist Club has opened the Deer Run Meeting Center. A Benchmark Resort located in Northern Central Florida near Trenton, the Club is the largest private hunt club in the state and its lush unspoiled woodlands are home to native quail, deer, turkeys, hogs and other wildlife. Four natural lakes team with bluegills and largemouth bass.
The Gilchrist Club’s new Deer Run Meeting Center is a purpose-built facility, which can accommodate up to 40 guests for conferences and 75 guests for receptions. Three breakout areas are available for private meetings. The Center’s meeting and special event support services are available to ensure excellence for every corporate and social occasion. An expansive, screened in and covered Deer Run Porch is ideal for receptions and relaxation in one of several rocking chairs.
“The Gilchrist Club has long been an exclusive retreat for leading executives,” notes General Manager Bob Edwards. “We created the Deer Run Meeting Center to expand that concept into a meeting space that offers the best in technology in an inspiring and secluded setting. Add to that Gilchrist’s extraordinary recreational opportunities, teambuilding, fine dining and luxurious accommodations, and you have all the elements of a highly successful meeting.”
Set in the middle of the 27,000-acre private club close to the main lodge, which overlooks scenic Lake Suwannee, the Deer Run Meeting Center offers a new dimension in executive meetings and corporate retreats and provides exceptional meeting space, combined with The Gilchrist Club’s luxurious amenities and renowned hunting, fishing, recreational and dining facilities. Ideal for corporate board meetings and inspiring sales conferences, the new conference center stands within the club’s expansive wooded grounds. Its rustic architecture features log exteriors with wide covered porches ideal for relaxing, informal meetings and special events. Inside are walls of gleaming wood, Native American accents, and state-of-the-art audiovisual and Internet technology.
The Gilchrist Club is celebrated for its exceptional hunting, fishing and recreational opportunities. They play a key role in creating unique and productive meeting and corporate teambuilding exercises. Activities include hunting and fishing expeditions led by highly professional guides. Fish and game on the site include trophy bass, turkey, quail, deer, wild hog, and alligator. All game is harvested in accordance with the rules of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and other appropriate governmental agencies.
The Club’s shooting range sets the scene for spirited competitions and company teambuilding programs with support professionals able to design a customized program for every group. For those who prefer more tranquil pursuits, a boat tour of Suwannee Lake and its wildlife is a serene option. The Gilchrist Club caters year-round to the needs of corporations and individuals seeking a distinctive venue for personal recreation and corporate entertainment, and its scenic, peaceful setting and luxurious amenities encourage relaxation and socializing.
Guest accommodations at The Gilchrist Club are in five luxuriously-appointed lodges, providing accommodations for 24 guests in private rooms, or for 31 guests sharing. Lodges offer tastefully-appointed private bedrooms, with amenities including a king or two full-size beds, a spacious writing desk, a T1 line and wireless internet service, armoire, and private bath. Each lodge is designed around a central great room area featuring a leather sofa and cushioned chairs, large screen TV with satellite service, wood-burning fireplace, game table and a wet bar. Outside, each lodge’s surrounding is tastefully landscaped to blend with the Club’s natural setting and features private fire pits, as well as covered decks in front and back with raised walkways leading to the main waterfront Suwannee Lake Lodge.
The Suwannee Lake Dining Room is a striking, log-sided, two-story building surrounded by an expansive ground-level deck. Located on the shoreline of the 126-acre Suwannee Lake, it serves as the Club’s central entertainment venue. Large windows and glass-paneled doors provide spectacular views of the lake. Dining at The Gilchrist Club compares with that of the finest hotel or resort, and accommodates up to 50 guests. The room features an excellent wine cellar and a fully-equipped, chef-supervised kitchen, noted for its superb game dishes, fresh fish and seafood. A spacious, elevated deck offers additional seating for outdoor dining and lounge service. Other amenities include a fully equipped business center, administrative offices and the club service areas. The pro shop, Gilchrist Outfitters, is located here, where guests can purchase outdoor gear, guns, sundries or gifts.
The Gilchrist Club is located approximately 30 minutes west of Gainesville, Florida, and I-75. Several national and regional carriers serve Gainesville Regional Airport just 36 miles away.
