How to Choose the Perfect Hotel for Your Company Offsite
How to Choose the Perfect Hotel for Your Company Offsite
BoomPop Team · 3/26/2025
An amazing retreat hotel can elevate any offsite.
Planning a company retreat or offsite? The right retreat hotel can make all the difference! At BoomPop, we know that the right hotel can elevate your company retreat from ordinary to extraordinary, fostering connection, productivity, and a sense of shared purpose. Let's dive into the key considerations to ensure your next offsite hits all the right notes.
Retreat Hotels & Hyperlocal Considerations
Location isn't just about the view; it's about setting your team up for an impactful offsite. So, it’s important to consider the hyperlocal aspects of a retreat hotel when selecting a location for your company offsite. Within a city itself, every neighborhood offers different niche or hyperlocal elements to research in the hotel selection phase. From proximity to entertainment and dining, to walkability, safety, and more, these elements will impact your team's overall offsite experience, so let’s explore some of these elements a bit more.
Airport Proximity: Striking the Right Balance
Factoring in drive time from the airport to your retreat hotel location is key. You’ll want to balance the distance from airports, train stations and other transport hubs with the right mix of amenities, ambiance, and vibe. Shorter ground travel times mean more time for offsite and retreat activities. Properties in city centers can offer shorter drive times to restaurants and activities, with lots of access to amenities, while destinations on the outskirts of metro areas can also be closer to airports, and some may provide easier access to outdoor activities.
There are also unique advantages of more remote properties! While they may require longer ground travel times from an airport or city center, these types of properties can help create a unique, immersive, and focused experience. The journey to a remote location can even serve as a transition, allowing attendees to disconnect and prepare for the offsite. Plus, you’ll most likely be spending the majority of your time on-site at the property itself, helping minimize travel between locations during your event, creating more time for informal gathering and relationship building.
Walkability: Exploration vs On-Site Immersion
Walkability is a key asset for city-based retreat hotels, offering easy access to local amenities and fostering informal interactions. A hotel within walking distance of restaurants, cafes, and attractions encourages exploration and team bonding.
On the flip side, remote properties often emphasize on-site immersion. Rather than exploring external locations, teams can fully engage in planned activities and enjoy dedicated time for collaboration and team-building. The hotel itself becomes the central hub, offering a contained and focused environment. The lack of external distractions allows for a more profound connection among attendees.
Transportation Options: Offering Flexibility & Convenience
Depending on the type of retreat location you select, it’s important to factor in transportation options, cost, and accessibility up front.
For city locations, easy access to public transportation, ride-sharing services, or hotel shuttles from your retreat hotel is essential.
For offsites that involve longer journeys to reach your retreat hotel, also consider the availability and costs of various ground transportation options.
For remote locations, consider the ease of access to the property itself and the availability of transportation to and from the airport, and for any planned off-site excursions.
These considerations can help to make your offsite more enjoyable and productive, regardless of whether you choose a city or remote location.
Research Safety & Security
While considering locations for your retreat or offsite, do some research on the specific neighborhoods of the top properties you’re interested in from a safety and security perspective. For trips abroad, resources like the U.S. Department of State's travel advisories can give you more insights into different countries to give you a heads up on potential safety concerns for certain areas. If you’re hosting high-profile attendees, be aware of any unique security needs and ask your preferred hotels about their security protocols and ability to support any specific guest needs. A bit of due diligence in this area is key!
Food That Fuels Your Team
Food isn't just sustenance; it's a key ingredient in a successful offsite. Our post-event surveys often reveal that food quality is a top consideration for event attendees. Your dining experience can be a great opportunity to wow your guests and elevate the quality of your event. Food can also be a great way to introduce attendees to the local culture.
Catering & Dining Options:
Venue Options: Take a look at the hotel's dining capabilities. Does it offer full catering services, on-site restaurants, or a combination of both? Consider the variety and quality of the menus, as well as online reviews and support of various dietary restrictions.
Dining Independence: Do you want attendees to have the flexibility to dine independently at nearby restaurants and cafes? Or do you prefer structured, group meals? Choosing a hotel within walking distance to cafes and restaurants can impact your dining options.
Local Cuisine:
Location Advantage: Choosing a city or location known for its culinary scene can help increase your guests’ access to diverse and high-quality food.
Foodie Focus: If your team includes food enthusiasts, prioritize retreat hotels with vibrant and well-regarded food and beverage programs.
Authentic Experiences: Incorporate local cuisine into catering to provide an authentic and memorable dining experience.
Ultimately, the food and beverage options available on-site and near the retreat hotel you select should align with your team's preferences and the overall goals of your offsite.
Matching Your Theme to a Location
The location of your offsite isn't just a backdrop; it's a key player in achieving your objectives. Consider how the setting can reinforce your retreat's theme. A wellness retreat, for example, might thrive in a serene natural environment, while a brainstorming session or workshop could benefit from a creative, urban space. Aligning your theme to your event location can create a more immersive, memorable experience.
Think about the atmosphere you want to create. Do you envision a modern and energetic vibe, a relaxed and rustic feel, or a luxurious and serene experience? The location and hotel you choose should align with this vision. Boutique hotels often offer unique designs and activities, providing a distinctive and memorable experience. Larger chain hotels might have higher capacity for higher guest counts and more on-site services, like meeting spaces, restaurants, entertainment, and more.
Your group size also plays a significant role in location choice. A smaller group might feel lost in a sprawling resort, while a larger group could overwhelm a boutique property. Consider how you want your guests to feel—whether it's a sense of intimacy and connection or a feeling of expansive possibility.
Hotel Amenities That Enhance Your Offsite
The right hotel amenities can significantly elevate your offsite experience, catering to your team's needs, bolstering your event goals, and enhancing productivity. Before you book, consider which amenities are essential for your group.
Essential Amenities to Consider
Parking: If attendees are driving, ample and secure parking is a must.
Pool: Pools can be a major draw for some, but a deal-breaker for others. Gauge your team's interest beforehand.
Spa & Fitness Center: These amenities offer opportunities for relaxation and wellness, which can be particularly valuable for high-stress teams.
Complimentary Breakfast: This can help reduce overall event costs and is a convenient way to start the day.
Wi-Fi: Check if your ideal hotel offers complimentary Wi-Fi, or if a rate needs to be negotiated. Pro tip: Make sure the hotel's Wi-Fi can handle the demands of your group, especially if you plan to run virtual meetings or presentations.
Meeting Spaces: Dedicated meeting rooms, breakout spaces, and conference facilities are essential if you plan to host workshops, brainstorming sessions, or presentations. Also, check if they offer audiovisual equipment and understand what is complementary and what types of needs may be an additional fee.
Understanding the hotel's amenities can help you craft a robust event itinerary that keeps guests engaged.
On-Site Activities
The importance of on-site activities varies depending on your location. For remote properties, the hotel essentially becomes your hub, making on-site offerings vital. In city locations, the hotel serves more as a base for exploring the surrounding area. For remote locations where excursions are less feasible or more expensive, the availability of on-site activities is crucial. Think team-building exercises, workshops, wellness activities, recreational facilities, and green spaces. In urban settings, where off-property activities are easily accessible, the focus might shift to walkability to nearby attractions to lower transit costs.
Budgeting for Success
Your budget is another key element of selecting the right location and hotel for your retreat. Two key factors significantly impact costs: the city you choose and your event size. Major cities can mean more options but some may be at a higher cost, while smaller cities may get you more bang for your buck, with some limitations in certain areas. As with most things on this list, it can be a give and take.
By the time you’re selecting a hotel for your offsite, you've likely already defined your event goals, needs, and overall budget. Consider the pros and cons we talked through above to help narrow down your hotel shortlist. Working with a dedicated event planner can help you find ways to make the most of your budget while building a truly impactful event.
The Power of the Right Retreat Hotel
The right hotel choice can transform your company offsite into a catalyst for growth, innovation, and team cohesion. Hotel selection is about more than just picking a place to rest — it's about crafting an environment that inspires and empowers.
Looking for your next event location? Let us help you find the perfect setting to make your next offsite truly exceptional.
