Have you ever heard of a corporate retreat? Those places are magnificent resorts, available in many countries, where business teams spend a few days together. While their stunning decoration, comprehensive structure, and delicious amenities are enough to seduce anyone, they also provide a welcoming environment for team building activities.
Europe has become a reference in this travel niche. Since each country has distinctive culture and history, each resort comes with a unique set of characteristics that will surely inspire your team. Everything wrapped in luxury and style, of course – after all, everyone needs to pamper themselves once in a while, don’t you think?
Here, we are going to explore seven of the very best places in Europe where your corporate crew can engage in retreats that have everything to be simply unforgettable.
Why choose Europe for Corporate Retreats?
The main reason we can pinpoint is variety. As we said before, there are many options of unique corporate retreat locations in Europe and they are very different from one another. In fact, we dare to say that there are enough options to suit all kinds of corporate trips, from team-building ones to those granted as a prize to top performers.
Besides that, Europe has quite a well-developed infrastructure when it comes to transportation. Airports, bus terminals, train stations… everything works generally well. In case you want to drive your team with something fancier and/or simply more comfortable, there are agencies that can provide impeccable group transportation as well.
Last, but not least, each location offers unique attractions beyond the main purpose of the trip. Museums, theaters, churches, stadiums, parks, you name it – there are so many options that your team can have a whole other travel experience outside of the trip’s planned activities. Balancing work and leisure will be a breeze.
As you can see, European venues offer a complete set of characteristics to make your team’s corporate retreat pleasant and relaxing, while engaging and productive. Now that we’ve learned all that, it’s time to go to our shortlist: the very best places for group trips that blend work and enjoyment!
7 Unique Corporate Retreat Locations in Europe
In this topic, we are going to present a list of options which our team chose after careful consideration. It’s not that the others are bad; most of them are pretty much amazing. However, some venues have proven themselves perfect for corporate retreats for a number of reasons. Without further ado, here is our selection for you to plan your group trip!
Heckfield Place
Main Features
- Restored Georgian manor built on a 400-acre biodynamic estate
- Farm-to-table dining menu carefully curated by Skye Gyngell
- Facilities for meetings and workshops of up to 60 attendees
A Georgian manor was transformed into a modern-day luxury retreat based in history and sustainability. Heckfield Place is just an hour away from London and offers a beautiful environment where your business team can stay away from the stress and anxiety of major cities and focus on the team goals of their trip while enjoying all the amenities offered by a modern facility.
Why is Heckfield Place great for Corporate Retreats?
Despite being relatively close to London, the 400 acres of this luxury resort are surrounded by nature. The manor offers elegant rooms with full flexibility to host workshops, lecture sessions, or simply creative brainstorming with your coworkers. Besides, everything in Heckfield Place is done in a regenerative ecosystem.
What experiences does Heckfield Place offer?
The menu is prepared with produce that comes straight from the estate’s biodynamic farm. You can engage in yoga, spa treatments, and many other activities focused on wellness and peace of mind. And the manor itself is a testament to Georgian heritage, with rich details that will surely inspire you and your corporate team.
Why choose Heckfield Place?
This estate’s focus on sustainability will surely attract major companies whose goals are in line with that principle. Parallel to that, the open environment and the connection with nature will foster all kinds of creative ventures among your coworkers. This resort offers a balance of modern structure with natural and scenic landscapes.
Chenot Palace Weggis
Main Features
- Stunning and modern spa on Lake Lucerne with advanced diagnostics
- Customized detox and vitality procedures based on science and wellness
- Available meeting rooms planned for groups of up to 40 participants
What could be more beautiful than a resort located between the Swiss Alps and the Lake Lucerne? Chenot Palace Weggis is a reference when it comes to wellness retreats, offering treatments that blend medical science with holistic knowledge. Your team will be able to recharge, rest, and come back with complete energy to put their ideas into practice and produce more than ever.
What makes Chenot Palace Weggis ideal for Corporate Retreats?
While most resorts focus on work facilities, this one aims at offering places for the team to relax and unwind. The goal is to provide them with all the structure they need to optimize physical and mental performance, which is essential for them to come back prepared to tackle new challenges at their regular workplace.
What can you experience at Chenot Palace Weggis?
You can focus on wellness through stress management, detox, and other treatments that enhance your vitality. You can also engage in hydrotherapy, cryotherapy, and other science-based treatments. Once you finish those, you can rest while enjoying lakefront views and the serene surroundings that will surely boost your focus.
Why should you choose Chenot Palace Weggis?
Rather than offering a workplace, this resort optimizes your team’s performance by taking care of their physical and mental health. By investing in a corporate retreat here, you can show them that you want them to be at their very best. Staying here is a wonderful way to bond with your coworkers and build a lasting corporate relationship.
Schloss Elmau
Main Features
- Elegant and prestigious alpine resort that has hosted the G7 Summit
- Six different spas plus a vast cultural schedule of concerts and talks
- Offers meeting rooms and facilities for up to 300 participants
After traveling 100 km south from Munich, you will find this cultural hideaway in the Bavarian Alps. The fact that it hosted the G7 summit proves its excellence when it comes to welcoming large corporate groups and offering them a pleasant, yet inspiring environment and complete infrastructure that will surely help them achieve all the business goals they want from such a trip.
Why is Schloss Elmau perfect for Corporate Retreats?
While you can reach this resort in only one hour, driving from Munich, it is even closer to the Innsbruck airport. Besides, it offers eight meeting rooms, a plenary hall with 390 m², and many world-class amenities. Keep in mind that this venue has hosted business conferences as huge and complex as the G7 summit.
What experiences await at Schloss Elmau?
Relaxation time will rely on Europe’s largest hamam, nothing but six spas, and several meditation-related activities. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try hiking, biking or skiing in the alpine landscape. In the end of the day, you can also enjoy multiple concerts and festivals as well as dine in Michelin-starred restaurants.
Why Schloss Elmau?
The secluded location is great to bring peace and focus to your team. Besides that, the resort offers multiple rooms that suit business meetings of all kinds, always with complete structure. Last, but not least, there are so many options for leisure activities nearby, whether active or relaxing, that your team will never want to leave.
Borgo Egnazia
Main Features
- Built entirely from local limestone with traditional Puglian architecture
- Award-winning spa experiences rooted in the local traditions
- Offers flexible meeting spaces which can host up to 500 attendees
You can find this luxury resort in Savelletri di Fasano, a stunning region between the hills of the Itria Valley and the Adriatic Sea. Borgo Egnazia was built with inspiration from typical Puglian villages, including the use of local limestone. The result is a huge resort that offers an experience you won’t find anywhere else in the world.
What makes Borgo Egnazia perfect for Corporate Retreats?
Modern facilities with rustic architecture are just the start: this resort also has a team of local advisors, who work tirelessly to make everything run smoothly for your group. Besides, Borgo Egnazia is just an hour away from Bari and Brindisi airports, which means arranging transportation will definitely not be a problem.
What can Borgo Egnazia offer?
Are two private beaches, a cycling path through olive groves, and the San Domenico golf course not enough? Then you can also enjoy homemade Mediterranean dishes delivered straight to your room, and the award-winning Vair Spa that offers a series of unique wellness treatments inspired in local traditions.
Why Borgo Egnazia?
The serenity of this resort is wonderful to foster inspiration in your team. Besides, it has several rooms which can be used for meetings while staying in the calm and peaceful atmosphere of the place. If you want your team to boost creativity, the immersion offered by Borgo Egnazia will offer an experience you won’t find anywhere else.
Six Senses Douro Valley
Main Features
- 19th century manor that overlooks the Douro’s terraced vineyards
- Famous for offering wine tastings, river cruises, and spa programs
- Event spaces ready to accommodate groups of up to 100 attendees
This beautifully restored manor from the 19th century overlooks the vineyards of the Douro Valley. Nowadays, it is a stunning retreat that offers luxury and serenity wrapped in breathtaking scenery. Located 90 minutes away from the city of Porto, the Six Senses offers a peaceful, yet energetic environment that will certainly help your corporate group reach new levels of teamwork.
Why is Six Senses Douro Valley ideal for Corporate Retreats?
First of all, you can reach it after driving through Portugal’s wine country, which is a major attraction itself. Once you arrive there, you will be welcomed by an eco-conscious resort that offers flexible indoor and outdoor spaces where you can host workshops, leadership sessions, and/or relaxation moments with your team.
What experiences does Six Senses Douro Valley offer?
Besides a complete infrastructure for corporate meetings, the Six Senses offers a holistic spa with many activities and treatments to enjoy, river cruises on the Douro, hiking through the nearby vineyards, and even private tastings. You can bring the day to an end with farm-to-table dining with organic produce from the very resort.
Why choose Six Senses Douro Valley?
Work-life balance is key here. Your team will have modern facilities and flexible rooms to host their work activities, then countless options of activities to unwind, decompress, and socialize while enjoying some of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe. Excellent option for everyone to inspire creativity while staying relaxed and serene.
Forestis Dolomites
Main Features
- Beautiful and minimalist suites with panoramic views of the UNESCO-listed Dolomites
- Gorgeous spa built and decorated with the concept of the four natural elements
- Intimate meeting rooms available for groups of 30 participants at most
Located 1,800 meters above sea level, at the UNESCO heritage site Dolomites, this resort combines wellness and peace of mind through a natural environment surrounded by forests and snowy peaks paired with modern-day facilities. Here, your team will surely be able to unwind and clear their mind, which will be just great for them to maximize their focus and productivity for work.
What makes Forestis Dolomites great for Corporate Retreats?
By offering suites and private villas, this resort offers the necessary seclusion for your group to reconnect with themselves. Besides, there are several rooms where they can gather and host work meetings while keeping peace and intimacy. And you can easily reach it by driving from either the Bolzano or the Innsbruck airports.
What awaits you at Forestis Dolomites?
Indoor activities range from a natural spa to hiking, skiing, and forest bathing in the alpine landscape. You can also enjoy a full menu based on the Mediterranean diet, kissed with South Tyrolean traditions. There’s also a rich decoration based on minimalism, which plays a secondary role next to the natural beauty of the surroundings.
Why choose Forestis Dolomites?
If you are planning a trip with a small group, it will be easy for them to focus and connect with their inner self. Forestis Dolomites creates the perfect environment for them to be creative and productive in a healthy way, paired with nutritious dining and an aura of sustainability that makes everyone leave with their energy recharged.
Foxhill Manor
Main Features
- Exclusive Arts & Crafts mansion with 8 bedrooms and private hire
- Complete service customization available for dining and activity scheduling
- Available meeting areas ready to welcome groups of up to 20 attendees
Placed in Farncombe Estate, in the Cotswolds area, this is an eight-bedroom mansion which you can enjoy as a private hire. In other words, you can have the entire place for your team, which is simply wonderful for companies that want their team to meet with privacy. You may also like to know that the facilities and amenities available during your stay are completely customizable.
Why is Foxhill Manor perfect for Corporate Retreats?
Besides the private hire, you can specify the exact support you want from the staff. Meals, activities, schedules, everything can be customized according to your request. This makes Foxhill Manor a perfect place for all kinds of meetings as long as the group isn’t too big. And the place is only two hours from London.
What can you experience at Foxhill Manor?
The Farncombe Estate offers archery, clay pigeon shooting, guided hikes, and yoga. It’s also possible to enjoy bespoke menus, lounge rooms, private cinema, and spa treatments at the nearby Dormy House. The countryside location allows your team to relax and enjoy the quietness and the serenity that comes from nature.
Why Foxhill Manor?
Small and medium corporate groups can have pretty much the exact experience they want, at least from the manor itself. Foxhill Manor offers an intimate environment where leaders can truly bond with their team and get inspired to guide and motivate them to do their best. This is a comfortable and peaceful, yet elegant, luxury resort.
Comparative table of corporate retreat venues in Europe
Here’s a quick recap to help you make your decision. In the comparative table below, we compile essential information of all those corporate retreats so you can easily find the one that will suit your intentions the best.
| Venue | Wow factor | Team bonding boost | Inspiration factor | Meeting capacity |
| Borgo Egnazia (Italy) | This resort is built from local limestone and designed like a traditional Puglian village | Cooking classes, cycling through olive groves, and golf by the Adriatic | Serene Mediterranean setting plus authentic Italian hospitality | 11 meeting rooms available with a total capacity of up to 500 people |
| Schloss Elmau (Germany) | It hosted the G7 summit while combining Bavarian Alps scenery with luxury spas and cultural events | Hiking, skiing, yoga, and concerts can build shared experiences that will surely strengthen connections in the team | The picturesque mountain backdrop and the series of creative activities available spark energy and strategic thinking | 8 meeting rooms plus a 390 m² plenary hall that accommodate up to 300 attendees |
| Heckfield Place (England) | Amazingly restored Georgian manor set on a 400-acre estate. It pairs historic charm with modern amenities | Woodland walks, farm-to-table dishes, and seasonal activities at the estate are great to make your team bond | The local regenerative image and serene surroundings will encourage your team to get fresh ideas and innovative strategies | Flexible event spaces that can host a number of different events. Groups must have up to 60 participants. |
| Six Senses Douro Valley (Portugal) | A restored manor of the 19th century that overlooks the terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley | River cruises, vineyard tours, and cooking classes will surely set a great atmosphere in your team | The peace of the wine country is the best environment for your team to be creative and see new perspectives | Flexible event rooms for events of all kinds. The venue can seat groups of up to 100 participants |
| Chenot Palace Weggis (Switzerland) | Modern medical spa on the shores of Lake Lucerne, with the backdrop of the Swiss Alps | Wellness programs to enjoy as a group, alpine hikes, and many lakefront activities | The serene lakeside setting paired with a science-based approach to wellness can encourage clarity and focus | Small leadership meetings can happen in one of the local intimate rooms, seating up to 40 participants |
| Forestis Dolomites (Italy) | The suites are built at 1,800 meters of altitude and have full-height windows that will show the Dolomites | You can bathe in the forest, take a guided hike, ski, and do many other kinds of activities. | Here, the new luxury is peace of mind. It encourages you to think more clearly and promote mindfulness | The intimate rooms are designed for small meetings, but they can seat up to 30 attendees. |
| Foxhill Manor (England) | The Arts & Crafts mansion and its 8 bedrooms, where there is a five-star service and many exciting activities to do | Estate games and activities such as archery, clay pigeon shooting, yoga, and countryside hikes. | The intimate manor ambiance inside and the rolling Cotswolds hills will surely relax your team and prepare it for the upcoming challenges. | There are private spaces, which are perfect for workshops and debates and seat up to 20 people. |
