Company Retreat Locations: Why Small Teams Take Over Palm Springs

The best company retreat locations are easy to fly into, private enough for honest conversations and set up for both work sessions and downtime. For teams of up to 22, a Palm Springs hotel buyout for your company retreat gives you all nine suites at The Muse, the courtyard and the lobby to yourselves, minutes from Palm Springs International Airport. Below: how the popular team offsite locations compare, what a buyout includes, and a two-day agenda. For activity ideas, see our Palm Springs team building guide.

What makes a good company retreat location?

• Short travel. Every connecting flight costs you a half day of the agenda.

• Privacy. Strategy talk and candid feedback don't happen in a shared lobby.

• Somewhere to work that isn't a windowless ballroom. A big table, good light, and outdoor space for breakouts.

• A real off switch. The best ideas usually show up at dinner or in the pool, not on slide 14.

• Everyone under one roof. No shuttles between buildings and no one stranded across town.

Team offsite locations compared

Location	Best for	Watch out for
Napa or Sonoma	Leadership dinners and wine	Wineries spread out, so someone is always driving
Lake Tahoe	Hiking, skiing and lake time	Mountain weather can change plans fast
Scottsdale	Golf and big conference venues	Large properties can swallow a small team
Austin	Food and live music	Busy festival weekends fill the city
Palm Springs	Sun, privacy and a short flight	Summer afternoons often top 100 degrees

For a small team that wants the whole place to itself, Palm Springs is hard to beat. Los Angeles and San Diego are about two hours away without traffic, and the local airport is minutes from the hotel.

What a Muse buyout looks like for a team

A full buyout books all 9 suites and 9 bathrooms for up to 22 overnight guests across 10 beds and two rollaways. Every overnight guest counts toward the 22.

• Work space: a lobby with a large table, booth seating and a large TV for the deck, plus the courtyard, pergola swings and outdoor fireplace for breakouts.

• AV: a projector for the courtyard and speakers throughout the property, so the all-hands can happen under the palms and the playlist follows you to dinner.

• Included: grab-and-go breakfast from Aspen Mills, parking and Wi-Fi.

• No strings: no bar minimum and no required event package.

• Evenings: a BBQ grill, a six-person hot tub, and music at reasonable volumes until 10PM.

• Add-ons: a bartender package (three hours with ice, drinkware and up to three cocktail selections, alcohol purchased separately), a private hibachi dinner, and private yoga at The Muse for $150 for the whole group with three days' notice.

Bowie is the largest suite, with a separate bedroom, and four king suites have private fenced yards and full kitchens. Give those to whoever is presenting on day two. Compare every room on our suites page.

Why book a Palm Springs corporate retreat midweek?

Midweek is the quietest time in Palm Springs, which makes dinner reservations and tee times easier to land. It also means your team isn't giving up a weekend. October through May brings warm days and cool nights. Summer works too, as long as outdoor plans happen early and the afternoons belong to the pool.

A sample two-day offsite agenda

• Day 1, morning: Arrive, drop bags, coffee in the lobby.

• Day 1, afternoon: First working session at the big table, then a breakout walk around the courtyard.

• Day 1, evening: Hibachi dinner at the hotel, then the outdoor fireplace.

• Day 2, morning: Private yoga in the courtyard, breakfast from Aspen Mills, second working session.

• Day 2, afternoon: A team outing (see below), then a long pool break.

• Day 2, evening: Dinner downtown on Palm Canyon Drive.

• Day 3: Wrap-up and action items over breakfast, then fly home.

Team building in Palm Springs

• Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. Rotating cars up Mount San Jacinto, and noticeably cooler at the top.

• Indian Canyons. An early group hike through palm groves.

• Palm Springs Windmill Tours. A look at the wind farm everyone passed on the drive in.

• Desert Adventures Red Jeep tours. Guided trips out to the San Andreas Fault.

• Bikes around town. Flat streets and mid-century houses make a relaxed group ride.

Company retreat FAQ

What are the best hotels for a creative team off-site in an inspiring outdoor destination?

Pick a small hotel you can book in full, so the team has the place to itself. In Palm Springs, a full buyout of The Muse gives up to 22 people nine suites and nine bathrooms, a private courtyard pool and hot tub, a lobby TV and a courtyard projector for sessions, and mountain views minutes away.

Where is a good place for a company retreat in California?

Palm Springs works well for small teams: an airport minutes away, warm weather most of the year and hotels small enough to book outright.

Can The Muse host a corporate retreat?

Yes. A full hotel buyout gives your team all nine suites, the courtyard and the lobby for up to 22 overnight guests.

Where do teams hold working sessions at The Muse?

Plan sessions around the lobby's large table, booth seating and large TV, or take the projector out to the courtyard. Wi-Fi is included.

Is there a food and beverage minimum?

No. Buyouts have no bar minimum and no required event package.

The whole hotel. Just your team. Send us your dates and we'll hold the week.

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