BC Business
Your next company retreat doesn't have to be a descent into hotel-meeting-room hell.
Haida House is somewhat remote, but it’s worth it
Your next company retreat doesn’t have to be a descent into hotel-meeting-room hell.
Here are 10 B.C. options with character to suit every budget, from wilderness escapes to a hilltop winery.
Perfect for: Those who want to find their true nature
Setting: Former bear-hunting lodge, now 100-percent Haida-owned. Next to the Tlell River on the east coast of Graham Island with 50 acres of waterfront, an orchard and forest trails
Amenities: Culturally inspired local cuisine, 35-seat conference room, den with books, board games and DVDs, beach, gardens, carving shed, gift shop
Activities: Kayaking, wildlife viewing, guided and helicopter tours, marine excursions to ancient village sites, meeting local artists, custom options
Group size: Up to 20
Price range: From $2,052 for three nights to $10,822 for 10 nights. Per person based on double occupancy; discount for booking entire lodge
Season: June to September but can accommodate private functions year-round
Getting there: From Vancouver (YVR), a 1.5-hour flight to Sandspit, then about an hour by shuttle and ferry; or a two-hour flight to Masset, then an hour by car driven by Haida House guide
Perfect for: An industrial business with offices in a few cities. Bring the bigwigs together and force them to do battle with the rapids
Setting: 15 acres with a variety of accommodation options, including Anishinabe-style teepees, canvas cabins, RV and tent sites, overlooking the Thompson River
Amenities: Restaurant, pool and spa, poolside bar
Activities: Rafting, kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking
Group size: Up to 200
Price range: Starting at $160 per person/night
Season: May through September
Getting there: From Vancouver, a three-hour drive northeast on Highway 1
Perfect for: A tech outfit that just expanded from 35 to 100 and wants to see its leaders form tight bonds that only horseback riding and fly-fishing can provide
Setting: A sprawling 160 acres of rolling hills 3,650 feet up in the Cariboo Mountains, surrounded by forest and featuring four microclimates on the same property
Amenities: 3,000-square-foot meeting venue with smaller breakout areas; restaurant, two spas, pool, sauna
Activities: Barrel-racing or -roping, horseback riding, fly-fishing, hiking, yoga, biking, gold panning, whitewater rafting
Group size: Up to 20 with a bedroom each, up to 35 with shared rooms
Price range: $269-$412 per person/night depending on the season
Season: April through October
Getting there: Fly-in to the ranch available via charter; 2.5-hour drive from Kamloops, five hours from Vancouver
Perfect for: Tight-knit groups that need to get back to their roots
Setting: Oceanfront 80-acre family farm with fruit and nut orchards, cider-making and cattle operations
Amenities: Seven furnished oceanfront glamping tents; cider house with showers, washrooms and, of course, farm-made cider; outdoor kitchen planned for next year; local eateries include Forage Farm and Kitchen, Hornby Island Bakery & Pizzeria, the Breeze restaurant at Sea Breeze Lodge (which also does retreats), Thatch Pub and Restaurant, and Vorizo Cafe
Activities: Swimming; watching eagles, seals and blue herons; beachcombing for fossils; sampling cider made from more than 30 apple varieties grown on the farm
Group size: Up to 16
Price range: $149-$199 per tent, meals not included
Getting there: Take the ferry from Buckley Bay on central Vancouver Island to Denman Island, drive across Denman, take another ferry to Hornby Island, and drive to the farm on the northwest side of the island—about a 1.25-hour trip if the ferries are on schedule
Perfect for: Lake-minded people looking to bond
Setting: Beside a quiet (no motorboats) lake in UBC‘s Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, a private, by-reservation-only, gated property near Golden Ears Provincial Park
Amenities: Boardrooms, breakout rooms, classrooms, private dining rooms, Bentley Family dining hall; sleeping facilities ranging from Whistler-style cabins to well-maintained dormitories
Activities: Team-building programs through Vancouver-based Pinnacle Pursuits, nature trails, canoeing, paddleboarding, ropes course, gymnasium, climbing wall, rock climbing and rappelling
Group size: Up to 167
Price range: With meals, $99-$227 per person/night based on shared accommodation
Season: Year-round
Getting there: About a 1.5-hour drive from Vancouver east to 14500 Silver Valley Road north of Maple Ridge, the final seven kilometres on unpaved road
Perfect for: An adventure-loving team seeking a place to unplug
Setting: Secluded, luxury oceanfront getaway with access to some of B.C.’s most spectacular unspoiled wilderness, from sea level to 13,000 feet
Amenities: Meeting facilities; nine intertidal and forest cabins; fitness room, cedar hot tubs, floating sauna, massage services; on-site restaurant offers locally sourced cuisine and picnic lunches
Activities: Kayaking, paddleboarding, tubing, hiking, yoga; full-day boating excursions with bear viewing and whale watching; helicopter adventures, including waterfall tours, heli-fishing and glacier visits. Guests can hire a facilitator through Victoria-based leadership development and executive coaching firm Roy Group
Group size: Up to 18
Price range: $1,225-$1,995 per person/night, including all meals
Season: May through October
Getting there: By air from Vancouver, the trip takes 90 minutes. Nimmo Bay operates charter flights to Port Hardy, where guests take a float plane to the resort
Perfect for: Businesses large and small that take their food and wine seriously
Setting: The jewel of Anthony von Mandl’s wine empire, the property features dramatic entry gates, a 12-storey bell tower—and sweeping views of Okanagan Lake
Amenities: Exterior: Outdoor Courtyard and two covered venues, the Loggia and the Garden Long Table. Interior: Visitor’s Centre and the smaller Chagall Room and Culinary Theatre. Although the winery has no accommodations, nearby hotels include Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort, Hotel Eldorado and Manteo Resort Waterfront Hotel & Villas
Activities: Options include wine-and-food-pairing events, private Chef’s Table dining, private and team-building culinary workshops, and wine-paired receptions
Group size: Up to 400
Price range: Varies by event
Getting there: A 30-minute drive west of Kelowna International Airport (YLW) and four hours east of Vancouver via Highway 1
Perfect for: Weekend warriors who like their breakout sessions in a canoe, atop a paddleboard or on skis
Setting: Boutique hotel on the edge of glacier-fed Nita Lake, 500 metres from Whistler Mountain’s Creekside gondola
Amenities: Almost 6,000 square feet of function space, including a 2,500-square-foot ballroom, with option to use outdoor areas for meetings; 77 oversize suites, some with lake views; gym; spa offering massage therapy and body treatments; year-round lakeside plunge pool and hot tub; rooftop hot tubs; Aura restaurant (chef also oversees banquet service), Cure Lounge & Patio and Fix Café; courtesy shuttle to nearby Whistler Village
Activities: Depending on the season, guests can use complimentary bikes, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and other recreational equipment, as well as snowshoes and slope-side ski lockers. On-site partner Basecamp Fitness provides classes and personal training; also on the premises, partner Strategic Play delivers team-building programs
Group size: Up to 165
Price range: Varies by season, offering good value for Whistler
Getting there: The lodge is in Creekside Village, a 90-minute drive north of Vancouver. In summer, you can also make the journey by float plane or helicopter
Perfect for: An organization with a diverse team. The West Coast Wilderness Lodge has something for everyone, but doing nothing in this setting? Also great
Setting: At this picturesque Sunshine Coast resort on the edge of the Sechelt Inlet, you’ll feel years away from the city you left a few hours ago
Amenities: More than 2,000 square feet of indoor space with several meeting areas; 26 ocean- and forest-view rooms and suites; spa; Inlets Restaurant, which has a waterfront patio, can prepare picnic lunches
Activities: Boat and helicopter tours, kayaking, jet-skiing, hiking, biking
Group size: Up to 52
Price range: $225 per person/night
Season: May 1 through October 15
Getting there: From Vancouver, a 40-minute ferry ride to Gibsons via Horseshoe Bay, then a 90-minute drive
Float-plane service available from Nanaimo, Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler
Perfect for: Companies aiming to add some lustre to their corporate culture
Setting: On a bluff overlooking Okanagan Lake, the resort was opened in 2010 by a member of the Austria-based Swarovski family, makers of the eponymous crystals, 3.5 million of which adorn its interior
Amenities: More than 10,000 square feet of meeting facilities; 40,000-square-foot KurSpa with Kneipp hydrotherapy, fitness room, saunas, steam rooms, swimming pools; massage and cryo cold chamber treatments; PeakFine restaurant
Activities: Team-building wellness exercises like yoga, meditation and stretching; SHaRP workplace communication program; Predator Ridge golf course next door
Price range: Starts at $239-$359 per person/night, depending on time of year. Corporate retreat costs based on each organization’s budget and goals
Getting there: A half-hour drive or shuttle ride from Kelowna International Airport (YLW); private jets can land at the nearby Kelowna Shell Aerocentre, and the resort has two pads for private helicopter