Turf Valley

The Kid Takeover at Turf Valley

Last Thursday, April 25, 2013 was Take Your Child to Work Day and each department planned an educational and enjoyable activity for the 10 children who participated. 

The day began bright and early at 8 a.m., when the children were able to see Mom and Dad at work.  After a warm welcome to Turf Valley, the kids embarked on a day-long adventure throughout the resort. 

First stop – Grounds.  Adam Hunsicker and Jeff Roeder gave the kids a demonstration of changing cups on the golf course.  The children were so excited that they even began changing the cups themselves! Emily, daughter of Chef Dan Shoemaker, had a take-charge attitude and was our first volunteer. Director of Grounds Charlie Ulevich and Asst. Golf Pro Chuck Doan also made a special visit.  After changing cups, they put their putting skills to the test and some had friendly competitions amongst themselves.  

Next, Human Resources Coordinator Stacey Stauffer then guided the children to our Banquets Department.  Chef Dan Shoemaker talked to them about food safety and how Banquets successfully prepares food for hundreds of people at a time.  The children were amazed at how large the cooking trays were and the price of an oven.  Their excitement grew once they found out they’d be making chocolate chip and sugar cookies! 

Banquets Manager Latisha Davidson then gave a quick lesson on proper etiquette and how tables are set for formal dinners.  The children were also taught the “Nurses Hat” napkin fold, which lead to a napkin folding contest.  They children raced to fold as many napkins as they could in two minutes.  Seth, son of Stacey Stauffer, won and took away a huge bag of candy as his prize.

Making beds with the Housekeeping Department was surprisingly fun for the kids. We’ve never seen children so excited to make a bed! The children also inspected a hotel room, making sure it was ready for guest arrival.

After lunch in Alexandra’s Restaurant, our Marketing Department surprised the kids with their own special posters to take home.  The children had their photos taken earlier in the day, but they weren’t expecting to see their faces on posters!  Nicole Hock showed them how she edited their images and printed them with a “magical” printer, and Doug Heinle presented their posters.

In the Alexandra’s Restaurant kitchen, Executive Chef Russell Svoboda demonstrated how to make granola for the kids.  While he put lots of healthy ingredients in the mix, including apricots and orange juice, the homemade marshmallows were everybody’s favorite ingredient. 

The next stop was the Turf Valley Spa.  The kids were given a tour, and made a homemade scrub.  The boys were very thoughtful and made their body scrubs for mom or big sister.  One of the last stops was our Pro Shop.  The driving range was almost everybody’s favorite part of the day.  

Other activities for the day included visits to the Human Resources, Accounting, Front Desk and Reservations, Sales, and I.T. departments. As a surprise, they also received a special welcome from General Manager Pete Mangione during their lunch break in Alexandra’s Restaurant!

Originally “Take Our Daughters to Work Day,” the national day occurs the fourth Thursday of every April and was founded 20 years ago by Ms. Foundation for Women.  In 2003 it was expanded to include boys, although many employers were already including boys in their programs.  Although our team members have brought their children to work on this day for many years, this is the first year that we have offered the full Turf Valley experience to the kids -- and we had a great time!

Turf Valley is a spa, golf, resort and conference center located in Ellicott City, conveniently near Baltimore and Washington, D.C.  For more information, visit www.turfvalley.com or call 410.465.1500.

Reasons Why You Should Consider a Corporate Retreat!

Are you considering planning a corporate retreat? If your business is in the D.C. or Baltimore area, venture to beautiful central Maryland. With both luxurious hotel amenities and state-of-the-art conference rooms and meeting facilities, Turf Valley is the premier destination for corporate retreats. Read on to learn why you should consider visiting our venue with your employees.

Eliminates Distractions
Work days can be hectic for any employee, but as your team navigates individual projects, personal interaction usually suffers. A corporate retreat eliminates incessant phone calls and emails and client emergencies so your co-workers can focus on strategic planning. When people spend time together in a more relaxed and closed-off setting, they will naturally begin to move in the same direction and realize shared goals and objectives.

Builds Mutual Respect
Corporate retreats build mutual respect organically. By spending time together as a group, employees will have real opportunities to work together as a team and feel like they are part of a larger organization. By interspersing lectures and work-related exercises with outdoor activities and nighttime get-togethers, your employees will begin to relate to each other as friends. In fact, corporate retreats often form lasting bonds between co-workers by removing the hierarchy and pressures of the office.

Creates Incentives
On a corporate retreat, a company’s management can show their appreciation for employees by scheduling recreational activities and announcing bonuses and incentives. While retreats are often already considered to be perks of the job, a beautiful hotel with such amenities as a spa, golf courses, and fine dining establishments certainly can’t hurt. When you plan your retreat, be sure to pick a spot that offers more than just meeting facilities.

Convenient to Ellicott City, Frederick, D.C., and Columbia, Turf Valley is nestled in the beautiful, rolling hills of Central Maryland. Whether you are planning a conference, arranging a corporate retreat, or simply planning a family vacation, call us at (443) 364-9022 to book your hotel rooms and event space today!

How to Decorate a Wedding Ceremony

Wherever you decide to get married, your wedding ceremony will most likely be the most photographed part of your event. Watch this video for some exclusive decorating tips. First, start with your wedding’s focal point: the altar. For a garden-themed day, consider wrapping the altar in vines and flowers, or opt for natural foliage for a fall wedding. You can also use two large flower arrangements to frame the area for a modern look that allows for easy transport between the ceremony and your reception facilities.

Are you planning a wedding? Visit the beautiful facilities at Maryland’s Turf Valley today to tour our hotel, ballrooms, and conference rooms. Our resort is convenient to Baltimore and D.C. and boasts an award-winning spa, golf courses, and restaurant. Call us today at (443) 364-9022 to start planning your special event!

Spring Bloom at the Spa

Everything is all about lavender this spring at the Spa at Turf Valley. Lavender is more than just a fragrant and beautiful flower; it offers wonderful benefits and can be used to treat anxiety, depression, exhaustion, and insomnia among many other things.  Our Spring Spa specials include a lavender-focused massage, facial, and Vichy shower.

Our Spring Bloom Massage features Vintage Lavender aromatherapy massage oil to induce calmness and reduce stress.  Your feet will be exfoliated with a lavender sugar scrub to slough away winter skin.  Massages assist to ease pain, improve your sleep, boost your immune system, raise alertness, and curb headaches.  Sugar scrubs get rid of excess oil and dead skin cells, and with the combination of lavender it will leave you with noticeably soft and smooth skin.

The Spring Bloom Facial features a fruit enzyme to exfoliate and a lavender masque to nourish your skin. A hand treatment using Vintage lavender Shea butter lotion, known for providing vitamins A and E, with a warm herbal wrap will also be included with your facial treatment.  Facials are not only cleansing, but they also increase your circulation and offer emotional and anti-aging benefits. 

Enjoy a Spring Bloom Vichy Shower, which will exfoliate your body with Vintage Lavender bath salts, followed by a warm Vichy shower and application of lavender-rich Shea cream.  A Vichy shower allows you to be showered and rinsed while lying down for a refreshing, relaxing, and rejuvenating experience.

Spring spa specials are available Monday through Friday, March 15, 2013 through June 15, 2013. 

The Spa at Turf Valley specializes in an assortment of massage techniques, including deep tissue and hot stone massages. Conveniently located near Baltimore and Washington, D.C., the Spa at Turf Valley is an oasis of tranquility designed for you to unwind in a serene setting away from 

Every Day is Earth Day!

As a family owned and operated business, it is especially important to the management and staff of Turf Valley to strive toward a better, greener Earth for ourselves, our children, grandchildren and generations to come.  Earth Day is less than one week away and on April 22 the world will go green as we recognize the importance of taking care of the beauty and health of our planet.

Earth Day Activities

Commute to work – Take the bus, ride the metro, bike or walk to work.  Leave your car at home for one day, reduce your carbon footprint, and get some exercise!  The Maryland Transit Administration offers commuter buses into Baltimore and Washington, D.C.  to ease your Earth Day commute.

Go on a nature hike – Appreciate Earth’s beauty by taking your friends or family on a relaxing nature walk.  This would be an excellent time to talk to your children about why it’s so important to take care of the Earth and how they can help!

Sign up for e-bills – Most banks, utility and credit card companies offer online bank statements and payments.  Eliminate paper waste, receive statements quicker and pay conveniently through online services.

Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

Replace light bulbs – Replace your current bulbs with fluorescent lighting.  Fluorescent light bulbs are energy-efficient bulbs that last much longer than traditional bulbs and also help to reduce your home energy bill. 

Implement a recycling program – Start recycling at home or the office! Recycling reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, saves energy, and prevents pollution.  Here’s a great article to walk you through the steps of how to start recycling.

Plant a garden – Help freshen Earth’s air by planting your own front or back yard garden.  Plants release fresh oxygen into the atmosphere so you can simultaneously give to the planet and beautify your yard!

Our Commitment to Earth

Through environmental commitment and green initiatives, Turf Valley instills an attitude of personal environmental responsibility throughout all possible aspects of our business.

• We installed hand dryers in our public restrooms that use 80 percent less energy than traditional hand dryers and reduce paper usage.
• Nearly 75 percent of our guest room shower heads were converted to water-saving models.
• Recycling receptacles were added to all guest rooms.
• An herb garden was planted on property outside of Alexandra’s Restaurant.

To read more about our commitment to the environment and strides to continuing as a green resort, visit our website. 

For fun Earth Day events in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Earth Day site.