Organizing a company retreat
Wifi, spaces to work, meals sorted and an invoice. A practical guide for whoever is organizing the team retreat from the HR or office side.
Organizing a team retreat is not the same as organizing a weekend with friends: you need to think about invoicing, work schedules, and making sure the leisure part doesn't eat into the agenda. This guide is aimed at whoever has to sort out the logistics, not just enjoy the result.
Before booking
- Confirm the exact number of people and whether you need single or shared rooms for each.
- Decide whether you want full board with catering, or whether the team will sort out one of the meals on their own.
- Ask for the invoice to be made out to the company when confirming the booking, providing the necessary tax details.
- Check weekday availability: this is usually when the estate has room free between group weekends.
The retreat's day-to-day
- The living room with the big windows and the main dining room work as a meeting room for full-team work sessions.
- Wifi covers the whole house, enough for video calls and normal office work.
- A team activity (in the garden, or with Bernuy Aventuras in Toledo) breaks up the routine between work sessions.
- Meals with catering free up planning time that would otherwise fall on someone from the team.
A sample two-day agenda
Day 1: midday arrival, lunch, an afternoon work session, a team activity or a short trip to Talavera, dinner. Day 2: a second work session in the morning with breakfast sorted, a final lunch and checkout at 5 pm. This structure fits a 2-day / 1-night trip or can extend to 3 days / 2 nights without changing shape.
Budget and internal approval
For anyone who needs to justify the cost internally, it helps to ask for the per-person breakdown with full board included, rather than comparing just the house price against a conference hotel: a fair comparison includes accommodation, all three meals and use of the common areas as a workspace. With that breakdown it is easier to make the case against a hotel with a separate meeting room, which usually works out more expensive per person once every line item is added up. Keep the invoice and the breakdown for the event's internal record too, since many companies ask for it afterwards to justify the spend to management, especially the first time a team retreat is booked outside a conventional hotel.
FAQ
Can we get an invoice made out to the company?
Yes, provide the tax details when confirming the booking.
Are there dedicated meeting rooms?
There is no dedicated meeting room, but the living room with the big windows and the main dining room work well for full-team work sessions.
What is the best time for a company retreat?
Monday to Thursday, February to June and September to November, when the estate usually has more availability.
Can we combine work with a team activity?
Yes, the estate garden or activities with Bernuy Aventuras in Toledo work well as a team dynamic.
Coming as a group
If you are planning the visit to Organizing a company retreat with a large group, the estate is right there: the whole house for 12 to 16 people, six en-suite bedrooms and a saltwater pool shared with no one.
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Do you all fit? Check dates
Send us the dates and how many you are. Nacho will call you, answer any questions and confirm. Nothing is charged until then.