One of the most asked questions in my inbox: what does a team retreat actually cost? The retreat planning industry has a real incentive not to answer this clearly. I’m going to do the opposite.

The four budget tiers, per person per day, all-in

Budget: $250 to $450, co-living venues, shared rooms, simple meals.
Mid-tier: $500 to $800, boutique hotel takeovers, private rooms, full-board food.
Premium: $900 to $1,400, 4-star resorts, partner-programme perks.
Luxury: $1,500 to $2,800, 5-star or destination luxury, full board including bar.

The actual line items

For a 25-person, 4-day mid-tier retreat in Europe: venue 40 to 45% of total, food and beverage 25 to 30%, activities 10 to 12%, ground transport 5 to 7%, audiovisual and materials 3 to 5%, contingency 5 to 8%.

The hidden costs nobody publishes

Gratuities (18 to 22% on F&B in the US), late-stage room re-bookings, mid-trip discretionary spend, dietary and accessibility accommodations, time zone overlap penalties, welcome amenities, and pre and post-trip nights.

If the platform quoting you can’t break down their per-person rate into venue, F&B, activities, and contingency, walk away. The good operators show their work.

A real budget example

A 4-day, 25-person, mid-tier retreat in Portugal totals around $65,200, or $2,608 per person all-in excluding flights. Add flights and you’re at $3,400 to $4,000 per person for a real, well-designed mid-tier retreat.

Where partner programmes save money

Room upgrades at no cost, hotel credit of $100 to $200 per room, daily breakfast included, early check-in and late check-out, better welcome amenities. On a $65,000 retreat, partner-programme perks routinely add $8,000 to $15,000 of value at the same headline rate.