There seems to be some sort of rule that the minute you step onto an island, you immediately adjust your thinking. You breathe deeper. You take off your jacket, maybe even your shoes. You begin to crave fruity drinks with rum. The rhythms of life slow down to something a little more…tidal.

The ultimate fantasy is to run away to a deserted island. The island in question may be just across a bridge or have 50 flights from the mainland each day, but the fantasy of escape remains. The main advantage of holding meetings off shore is that there’s this sense of being farther away from home than you really are. The three island destinations to follow are perfect for all the “re” words. Not just for relaxing – that’s a given – but also for regrouping, refreshing and refocusing.

Puerto Rico

When the new $200 million convention center opens in the heart of San Juan in 2005, it will be the largest in the Caribbean. With 600,000 square feet of space, the convention center will be part of a 115-acre urban development project that will ultimately include hotels, casinos, restaurants, shops and entertainment.

Besides this new facility, why should a meeting planner choose Puerto Rico? “It’s so easy,” says Teresa Martinez, director of communications for Puerto Rico Convention Bureau (www.meetPuertoRico.com). “We’re a U.S. Commonwealth, so Americans don’t need passports. Puerto Rico accepts dollars, speaks English, and even has U.S. mail delivery.” The result is all the excitement of an exotic location, with the convenience of having your meeting in the U.S.

Group-friendly hotels include the Wyndham El Conquistador Resort, which is perched atop a cliff, with great ocean views and every water sport you’d expect from wave running to wind surfing. There’s also an Arthur Hill champion golf course and Golden Door Spa. The resort has 70,000 square feet of meeting space with a variety of rooms that can seat groups from 30 to 2,300 people. Wyndham offers an online meeting planner and has a Meetings Reward Program with sizable rebates for companies that schedule their events during the autumn low season. www.wyndham.com or 787/863-1000

The 646-room Caribe Hilton has all the pleasures of a resort hotel – swim-up bars, tennis, spa and even a bird sanctuary. There’s a wide choice of restaurants including the outstanding Morton’s of Chicago. But the Caribe Hilton is also well suited for business, with 60,000 square feet of space and one of Puerto Rico’s largest private exhibition halls. www.hilton.com or 787/721-0303

The Westin Rio Mar Beach Resort and Golf Club sits on 500 beachfront acres. This huge hotel offers any number of recreational options including two golf courses – one on the river and the other on the ocean – a tennis center, 12 restaurants and a full casino. Meeting planners will find 14 meeting rooms that can seat between 10 and 1,750 people and a conference center with one of the largest ballrooms in the Caribbean. www.westin.com or 787/888-6000.

Maui

Everybody loves Maui. It’s been named “Best Island” for a record-breaking 10 years in a row among readers of Conde Nast Traveler. With miles of white sand beaches, world-class resorts, championship golf, whale watching and surfing, it’s no surprise that Maui is a top choice for incentive travel. But with 17,000 hotel rooms and the helpful Maui Visitors Bureau (www.mauimeetings.net) it’s also a great place for meetings.

The Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea just finished a multimillion-dollar rehab, which included expanding their spa. The Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed Wailea Emerald Course is one of the best on the island, and you can count on great dining at Spago and Ferraros. The Four Seasons has 24,000 square feet of meeting space, with rooms that can handle between 10 and 700 people. But who comes to Maui to stay in a room? Outdoor celebrations are popular, especially shows on the resort’s permanent stage of lava stone. www.fourseasons.com or 808/874-8000

The 806-room Hyatt Regency Maui has one of the premier locations on the island, overlooking Kaanapali Beach, which regularly tops lists of the best beaches in the world. The resort has recently undergone a $19 million renovation and offers high-speed Internet access so wide-ranging that guests can log on from their rooms, the beach and cafés three miles away. The Hyatt has a full service spa, four restaurants and 65,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 16,000-square-foot ballroom. www.hyatt.com or 808/661-1234

The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua is known as a major golf resort, since it’s surrounded by 54 holes, but it also offers access to three different beaches, a three-tiered swimming pool, and snorkeling in protected bays. The Ritz, with 150,000 square feet of meeting space, offers three ballrooms, value dates for groups and mobile broadband technology so extensive that you can access the Internet throughout the entire 50-acre property. The resort really shines in the area of themed parties. There are luaus and clam-bakes, naturally, but you can also choose the setting of a Zen garden. Or consider a drive-in movie theme with parking lot décor, seating in classic 1950s cars, a 12-foot screen for presentations, and surroundsound through individual car speakers. The food, needless to say, is served by carhops. www.ritzcarlton or 808/669-6100

Galveston

Although it’s just 50 miles from Houston, Galveston Island seems a world away. Situated in the lovely waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Galveston Island has a new convention center slated to open this spring. The 140,000 square-foot glass-front complex will be one of the few convention centers is the U.S. that overlooks a beach. For more information, contact the Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.galveston.com or 1-866-505-4456.

Adjacent to the Galveston Island Convention Center is the San Luis Resort, which is actually three different hotels: The San Luis, a Hilton and a Holiday Inn. A shuttle runs back and forth between the convention center and the 30-acre resort. “Meeting planners appreciate the fact that we have a total of 700 rooms on site, all at different price points,” says Ron Gwen, resort director of sales. “It’s one-stop shopping, because they can deal with one person regarding both the convention center and all three hotels.”

Restaurants at the San Luis Resort range from an IHOP and a Rainforest Café all the way up to The Steakhouse, one of the most highly ranked restaurants in the state of Texas. There’s also a full-service spa and a pool that Gwen describes as “magnificent, with a swim-up bar, dramatic lighting, lush tropical surroundings and a grotto waterfall with a hot tub beneath.” For more information on the San Luis Resort, visit www.sanluisresort.com or call 409/744-1500.

Besides the Convention Center, Galveston Island has unique meeting venues including the 1859 Ashton Villa, a mansion with an elegant ballroom that can hold up to 300 guests or the beautiful 242-acre Moody Gardens. Looking for something more casual? Try a party at the Railroad Museum or the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, or a paddleboat cruise through Offatts Bayou.