Finding Minnesota: Grand View Lodge's Fish House
NISSWA, Minn. (WCCO) -- Northern Minnesota getaways are always a treat. But even closer to the Twin Cities, in the Brainerd Lakes area, you'll find even more treasures.
Nisswa, Minnesota is home to the legendary Grand View Lodge. And this week in Finding Minnesota, we show you how that historic resort has just given birth to a new retreat.
The luxury resort on Gull Lake has hundreds of rooms to stay in, either in the main lodge or in cabins.
And now there's something new.
It's called Li'l Grand View on Gull.
General Manager Mark Ronnei described the new place.
"We are trying to embrace our Arcticness, if you will. People look at up North Minnesota as being cold and desolate. What is there to do up here?," he said.
Li'l Grand View is a short walk from the main lodge. It's a fish house, twice the size of a regular one. And you can get room service.
Store managers for Home Depot even had pizza delivered. They've just spent hours together, out on the frozen lake, talking and laughing.
Cody Wilkens, who runs the Home Depot in Eagan, talked about their trip.
"Getting to spend quality time with your peers who you really don't get to spend a lot time with, getting to know them on a personal level, really helps build that strength in relationships for when you need them down the road," he said.
You'll find most of the conveniences of a conference room there. It's a high-tech fish house.
Grand View Lodge Marketing Manager Frank Soukup showed off the special features.
"One of the key things is that we have a WiFi hot spot here. Once you get out of the office, that is one of the most difficult things to do. With WiFi access you can access with your smartphone or with your laptop," Soukup said.
There is also a 32-inch flat screen TV that you can connect to the laptop, as well as bunk beds for up to eight people and an indoor bathroom.
And, if you need it, there's a Plexiglas conference room table at your disposal.
"When you have your laptop or playing cards or having a lunch break or if someone catches something, crank that up, everything is on there, it's level and you can go back to fishing," he said.
Fishing, bonding and plotting business strategies.
Managers here at Grand View say they've had such great feedback that next winter, they are thinking of adding two or three more fish houses.
"Next year the plan is to have four of these connected, people will be able to do breakout sessions, rotating meetings, on the ice. We think that will be something pretty unique," Ronnei said.
The rate is $265 for 24 hours and it includes all the bait, tackle and poles you need to fish, plus a bonfire outside the fish house, as well as that WiFi service.
For more information about Grandview Lodge, just go to their website.
