Well-chosen company Retreat locations are a great way to simultaneously reward staff and revitalize their passion for their work. By combining out-of-office meetings and conferences with de-stressing activities, you can encourage creativity at the same time as decreasing the likelihood of burnout. Plus, corporate getaways are a great way to incentivize staff to stay with your business!
In this post, we’ve highlighted some of the best company Retreat Locations in Australia and the USA, from wellness escapes to luxurious beach resorts that are worth considering for your next company event.
1. How Company Retreats Can Rejuvenate Employees
- Boosts employee morale
A corporate retreat can act as a motivational tool to boost employee morale. Companies can use a getaway as a reward mechanism to recognize the team’s hard work or to boost employee engagement following a difficult business period.
- Encourages creativity
Corporate getaways are great places for staging brainstorming sessions and open forums for ideation. Studies have shown that a new setting can inspire fresh connections between familiar ideas, leading to more creative problem solving.
- Improves communication
In company retreat locations, employees can more easily build social relationships with fellow staff, leading to improved communication back in the office setting. You can also directly address communication skills by incorporating training courses and games into your corporate retreat.
- Strengthens company culture
Company retreats are a good time to refocus your staff on the business’ overarching values. Motivational speeches from senior staff and breakout discussion sessions provide an opportunity to remind everybody about the core goals, which can get lost in the day-to-day grind.
- Lowers stress
Stress has been proven not only to harm individual well-being but company productivity as well. There are numerous company retreat locations situated in soothing natural surroundings that teach relaxation techniques to help your employees avoid burnout.
2. Top 6 Retreat Locations in Australia in 2013
2.1 Turon Gates
Located 2.5 hours from Sydney, in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, Turon Gates offers log cabins, glamping tents and camping sites within a scenic landscape. Visitors have plenty of nature-related activities to explore, from horse riding and mountain biking to fishing, kayaking and swimming.
Turon Gates doesn’t have facilities designed specifically for corporate retreats, but it is an excellent place to go if your goal is to get the team relaxed and recharged. Sign up for the A$14,000 campground package and you’ll have private access for two nights to your own campsite, which comes with showers and other bathroom facilities. The package also includes a white marquee that can hold up to 120 people.
2.2 Krishna Village Eco Yoga Community
Not many of the corporate retreats NSW has to offer are better for health and wellness than Krishna Village Eco Yoga Community. The site is only able to accommodate a relatively small number of visitors at any one time, so it’s best for smaller companies or teams.
There are a few lodging options, ranging from the campsite (A$66 per person) to private guest cabins ($150 per night). These include two yoga lessons a day, three solid vegetarian and/or vegan meals, and complimentary workshops. Alternatively, you can sign up for one of the courses that take place throughout the year, from art retreats to meditation training.
2.3 Iluka Retreat & Glamping Village
One of a handful of corporate retreats Australia has on the picturesque Mornington Peninsula, Iluka Retreat can host up to 100 people. The owners are amenable to renting out the entire site for corporate events, including the two group lodges and glamping tents (pricing available on request).
Iluka Retreat has meeting spaces with flat-screen TVs where you can give company presentations, as well as on-site activities like paddleboarding and raft building. Additional wellness and creative workshops can be arranged through Iluka with local providers.
2.4 Bangalay Luxury Villas
Located right on the coast, Bangalay boasts luxury corporate retreats Sydney dwellers can reach in just a couple of hours. Best for small groups, the site houses 14 1-bedroom villas (from A$490 per night) and a pair of 2-bedroom villas (from A$600 per night), as well as a restaurant space that can be adapted for conferences and meetings of between 30 and 120 (depending on the setup style).
The resort is able to organize yoga and meditation sessions (from A$15 per person), golf (from A$35 per person) and group wine tours to the local vineyards (price on application), among other activities for corporate guests.
2.5 Elements of Byron
As the name suggests, Elements of Byron is situated on Australia’s famous Byron Bay. One of the most stylish company retreat locations you could possibly hope for, the site boasts two swimming pools, an in-house spa, several restaurants and bars, and, of course, the nearby sandy beach.
Luxury villas (from A$515 per night) are complemented by a couple of different conference spaces, including the 100-person capacity Banksia Pavilion, which features a breakout courtyard, two high-resolution video walls and state-of-the-art audiovisual functions.
2.6 Nature Domes
Almost halfway between Brisbane and Sydney, surrounded by scenic beauty, the Toms Creek Nature Domes generally focus on attracting the wedding crowd, but the gorgeous location works equally well for corporate events. The owners can set up a rustic-style gathering space for small to medium-sized groups, including meals – just don’t expect any technological equipment.
Accommodation is limited to two geodesic domes, so this is one for those looking for a conference venue or team-building location rather than a multiple-day retreat.
3. Top 6 Retreat Locations in the U.S in 2023
3.1 Castle Hot Springs
One of the most luxurious company retreat locations, Castle Hot Springs is built on the site of natural thermal waters and offers 30 bungalows just outside Phoenix, Arizona. A nice way for your team to reconnect with nature, all stays include meals made using ingredients from the on-site farm, access to the hot springs and daily activities, from guided hikes to meditation classes.
Prices start from $1,250 per day, and you can arrange beforehand for a set itinerary, depending on whether you want your corporate retreat to have more of an adventure or wellness focus.
3.2 Carillon Miami Wellness Resort
Set on one of the longest beach fronts in Miami, the Carillon is one of the best company retreat locations if you’re looking for some sun, sand and sea. The resort requires a minimum stay of two days, with standard prices starting from $799, though you can get much cheaper deals (as little as $230 per night) if you book at the right time.
As its name suggests, Carillon specializes in wellness, with numerous top-tier experiences available on site, from anxiety therapies to anti-ageing treatments.
3.3 Golden Door
Golden Door is another luxury option to consider if you’re looking for a wellness-focused corporate getaway. Spread over 600 acres in the countryside outside of San Diego, this retreat takes its cue from Japanese culture, containing Zen gardens, a bamboo forest and a vegetable farm.
There are more than 40 different fitness classes available, complemented by mindfulness and meditation workshops. Golden Door only offers week-long stays, with average stays costing $1,571.43 per night. Different weeks are designated as male only, female only or coed.
3.4 Solage
A Napa Valley escape featuring geothermal pools, a luxury spa and fitness classes, Solage offers a range of studios and suites, starting at $1,027 per night. One of the more experienced company retreat locations, the resort has several sizes of event space, from the intimate Luna conference room, which can fit 6, to the 260-person-capacity Solstice Event Lawn.
When you’re not holding company brainstorming sessions, there are lots of fun activities for your staff to enjoy that the Solage Staff can arrange, including pickleball, golf and, of course, a trek through wine country.
3.5 Sensei Lanai
This Four Seasons Resort is situated on one of Hawaii’s most exclusive islands. As part of the Sensei Lanai’s services, your team can take advantage of complimentary fitness classes, an outdoor pool, a golf course and Hawaiian handcraft workshops.
Rooms start from £1,080 per night, with a minimum stay of two nights required.
3.6 Hilton Head Health
Billed as America’s number-one weight loss resort, Hilton Head Health is a solid corporate getaway option if you’re looking for an all-around wellness option. Ensconced on the island of Hilton Head, South Carolina, it combines healthy eating with healthy activities.
Choose from several retreat packages, such as LivingWell (a week-long program of fitness classes, wellness education and spa treatments for $4,224 per person) or Renew Retreat (a week-long blend of meditation, food and island excursions for $4,624 per person).
4. FAQs
- What is a company retreat?
A company retreat is an event organized by a business to motivate, reward and/or educate employees. They can take place over the course of a day, a weekend or even longer, depending on the situation.
- How do you organize a company retreat?
It’s possible to self-organize a company retreat, but often it is more time efficient and reliable to employ a corporate retreat planner who specializes in the logistics of arranging a company retreat.
- What is a retreat in team building?
Some corporate retreat packages include team-building activities, such as scavenger hunts, escape rooms or raft building. These are designed to foster communication and teamwork skills within a relaxed, fun environment.
- How do I host an office retreat?
The first thing to consider is the objectives of the retreat – is it purely a destressing mechanism or do you want to facilitate creative problem solving? Once you have an idea of what you hope to achieve, you can begin planning venues, accommodations, transportation, catering, activities and any guest speakers or presentations.
