This Is the Perfect Hotel for Business Travelers, but You'll Never Stay There

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It’s 5:30 a.m. in DFit, the health club at a resort northwest of Dallas, and the spin class is filling up quickly. As the music starts and a rider grabs the last bike, muscular attendants begin wheeling in an additional row of $1,795 Keiser M3 cycles. The instructor sets off at a brisk pace. Midway through, she asks: “How many of ya’ll enjoyed an adult beverage last night?” As hands go up, she urges us to crank the resistance and burn off the excess.

There will be plenty of time to redo the damage. By the time class ends, the restaurant down the hall has begun serving made-to-order omelets, piles of smoked salmon, impossibly creamy scrambled eggs (with three kinds of house-made salsa), and a dozen further options, all free. Later this evening, guests will compete in an Iron Chef-style celebrity cooking challenge; afterward, they can party until 1 a.m. in the on-site sports bar. “I love it,” says one reviewer on Yelp, where this destination averages a five-star review. “I’d live there if I could.”

Not bad at all, considering that this is no ordinary, $300 million, 800-room resort. It is owned by Deloitte, the 70,000-employee professional services firm, and the guests—almost all accountants and consultants—have come to Deloitte University for mandatory leadership classes. At most companies, offsite training generates as much enthusiasm as a tax audit, but since these doors opened in late 2011 in Westlake, Tex., employees have grown to love it. Even Deloitte partners who initially opposed the project admit it has boosted recruiting efforts, impressed potential clients, and created opportunities for the firm’s increasingly virtual workforce to form real-life relationships. Much of the appeal lies in thoughtful design, upscale amenities, and fun after-hours activities, which have led to its nickname: Deloitte’s Disneyland.

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