Retreats and Venues Alternatives for Team Offsites

The short list

Retreats and Venues alternatives fall into a few groups: a local planner in one US region, venue marketplaces and directories, space rentals, and planners that quote per person. Here are the eight options we would consider first, with the reason each might suit you. Vantly publishes this page and lists itself first; the other options follow in alphabetical order.

1. Vantly, if your retreat is in one US city or region and you want a local planner who works there.
2. NextRetreat, if you want a specialist-planned retreat with per-person pricing, often abroad.
3. Offsite.com, if you want a curated venue marketplace with optional done-for-you planning.
4. Offsiteio, if you want an end-to-end offsite quoted per person.
5. Peerspace, if you only need a space for a day, booked by the hour.
6. Tagvenue, if you want to search a large venue list by city.
7. TeamOut, if you want venue sourcing first and a published per-guest rate for planning.
8. Unique Venues, if you want a US and Canada directory of retreat centers with advisor help.

Why teams look beyond Retreats and Venues

Teams searching for Retreats and Venues alternatives are usually deciding between browsing a very large venue list and hiring someone to plan the whole retreat. RetreatsAndVenues says you can "Find a perfect match from 52,000+ corporate retreat venues", and that it is "Always free for clients" because "we're paid by our venue and vendor partners".

Its site describes a Venue Shortlist & Comparison Tool for sending RFPs in bulk and comparing pricing and availability. It also offers a retreat success advisor to help with "destination selection, budgeting, venue sourcing, contract negotiations, and vendor coordination", and says it can save up to 30% on venue bookings with pre-negotiated rates. Those are the company's own claims.

Teams usually look at alternatives when the retreat is in one US region and they want a planner who runs it, when they want a per-person plan, or when they only need a space for a day. For a wider view, see our best corporate retreat planning companies and our guide to company retreat ideas.

1. Vantly: a local planner for one US region

Vantly is a procurement partner that connects companies with local event planners across the US. Instead of starting with a list of venues, you start with a planner who works in the region where your retreat happens. Its network has more than 1,000 local planners, and you can read how it works with local partners on its DMC network page.

How it works

1. You share one brief with dates, headcount, region and needs.
2. Vantly matches that brief with a local planner, who produces a turnkey event proposal with prices. We send it within 48 hours, at no cost. Any price still waiting on a vendor's confirmation is marked as an estimate.
3. From there, your local planner handles the venues and vendors, and you deal only with Vantly instead of many small vendors, with clear, structured invoices that are easy to reconcile. You sign one contract with Vantly.

You can browse local planners by city in the Vantly planner directory.

Vantly publishes this page and lists itself as the #1 pick, so read this entry with that in mind.

Best for: teams planning a retreat in a specific US city or region who want a planner with local knowledge of its venues and suppliers.

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2. NextRetreat: specialist-planned retreats for larger teams

NextRetreat's homepage says "A specialist handles your planning and logistics", with tailored proposals for destinations and venues and "Transparent per-person pricing that scales with your team". It says it has been "Trusted by companies worldwide since 2017".

Its menu lists services for large teams of 50+, team offsites, team building retreats and team workations, plus a budget estimator and a button to book an intro call. Its trending locations include Portugal, Spain, Mexico, Vietnam and France.

Best for: teams of 50 or more that want a specialist to handle planning and logistics, often abroad.

3. Offsite.com: a venue marketplace with optional planning

Offsite.com says you can choose between its done-for-you planning service and its "Airbnb-style marketplace". It describes a curated marketplace of "over 1,000 premier venues worldwide", and says you can send booking requests and receive detailed proposals within 48 hours.

For further help it offers end-to-end planning at "a flat, per-person rate". The site says savings reach up to 50% on venues, which is the company's own claim. For more, see our Offsite.com alternatives.

Best for: teams that want to browse curated venues themselves and add a planning service if they need it.

4. Offsiteio: end-to-end offsites quoted per person

Offsiteio describes offsites and corporate retreats "planned end to end: venues, lodging, activities and 24/7 remote support", with "One upfront price per person".

Its site cites "1,100+ destinations" across the Americas, Europe and beyond, and says trips start from about $999 per person. Check the quote for what is included, such as flights.

Best for: first-time offsite owners who want a per-person quote and remote support.

5. Peerspace: space rentals by the hour

Peerspace calls itself a place for "Unique venues for events, meetings, photo & film shoots". Its activities list includes Meeting, Workshop and Corporate event, and it says you can "pay by the hour".

It lists cities such as New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Berlin. Peerspace rents spaces rather than planning a multi-night retreat, so it suits a day session. For more, see our Peerspace alternatives.

Best for: a one-day offsite, workshop or meeting where you only need a space.

6. Tagvenue: a large venue marketplace for events

Tagvenue says it has "Over 22K venues" and is "Trusted by 1M+ customers". Its US page lists cities with venue counts, such as New York City with 2,782 venues and Los Angeles with 1,588.

You search by event type, number of guests and location. It is a marketplace for finding and booking venues for many types of events, so a multi-night retreat would need separate planning.

Best for: teams that want to search a large venue list by city and guest count.

7. TeamOut: venue sourcing, then planning per guest

TeamOut's pricing page says its Venue Sourcing service means "We find the right venue and negotiate it for you", with "Free always" shown for any group size.

When you want an expert to plan the rest, its Standard option lists "$199 per guest" with a $3,000 minimum for small and medium groups and a $250 deposit. For more, see our TeamOut alternatives.

Best for: teams that want venue sourcing first and can add full planning later at a published per-guest rate.

8. Unique Venues: a US and Canada venue directory with advisors

Unique Venues says it has been "Trusted in the Industry by event planners, associations, and corporations for nearly 40 years". Its retreat page is titled "678 Retreat Centers & Properties For Rent".

You can search venues yourself or "leave the search to our venue advisors". Its search covers US and Canadian cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, Denver and Toronto.

Best for: teams that want a directory of retreat centers and conference venues in the US and Canada, with advisor help.

Comparison at a glance

This table puts six options side by side on the same questions. Figures are the companies' own statements.

Offsiteio, Tagvenue and Unique Venues are covered in the entries above. A published figure is not a promise for your retreat, so confirm current terms with each company.

Which option fits which job

A scenario: a people lead planning a 40-person retreat

Picture a people lead at a 40-person company who has two months to organize a three-night retreat in the US. She has a rough budget and a list of dates, but no venue and no one to coordinate.

RetreatsAndVenues could give her a long list and a shortlist tool, with an advisor if she wants one. TeamOut offers venue sourcing first and planning at a published per-guest rate, NextRetreat quotes per person, and Peerspace would only fit a day session. Vantly could match her brief with a local planner in the chosen region, so the venue, schedule and vendors come as one plan. Comparing two or three proposals side by side usually settles it.

How to choose

Start with how much of the retreat you want someone else to run. If you want to browse venues yourself, RetreatsAndVenues, Tagvenue and Unique Venues each offer a large list, and Offsite.com adds a curated marketplace. If you want the whole retreat planned, NextRetreat, Offsiteio, TeamOut and Vantly each describe a planning service. If you need a space for one day, Peerspace is built for that. If your retreat is in one US region and you want a planner who knows it, Vantly is built around that. Whichever you shortlist, confirm current terms with each company before you decide.

Frequently asked questions

How does RetreatsAndVenues make money?

Its site says the service is always free for clients and that it is paid by its venue and vendor partners. It also says its best price guarantee uses pre-negotiated rates and perks. Ask any provider you shortlist how it is paid.

How many venues does RetreatsAndVenues list?

It lists 52,000+ corporate retreat venues. For comparison, Tagvenue says it has over 22K venues, Offsite.com describes over 1,000 premier venues, and Unique Venues lists 678 retreat centers and properties in its retreat category. These are company figures and cover different kinds of venues.

Which Retreats and Venues alternatives plan the whole retreat?

NextRetreat says a specialist handles planning and logistics, Offsite.com offers a done-for-you planning service, and Offsiteio says it plans offsites end to end. TeamOut lists planning options after venue sourcing, and Vantly matches your brief with a local planner.

Which Retreats and Venues alternatives suit a one-day offsite?

Peerspace lets you pay by the hour for a space and lists Meeting, Workshop and Corporate event among its activities. Tagvenue and Unique Venues also help you search venues for events and meetings.

How is Vantly different from a venue directory?

You share one brief with dates, headcount, region and needs. Vantly matches it with a local planner for your destination, and you sign one contract with Vantly. Vantly publishes this page, so compare it with the others using the tables above.

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