Many business owners agree that a corporate retreat is a great way to pull staff away from the office for a few days to work on team building, innovation and increase productivity. But where should you go? Since scenic locations are definitely a mood booster, a visit to the Outer Banks is a great option. If you're planning the retreat, you may automatically assume you'll need to start pricing hotels but looking at a vacation rental is in your better interest. Hotels just don't provide the same benefits that a vacation home will, even for a work event.
Here are the top 10 reasons to rent vacation homes for corporate retreats:
Enjoy Affordable and Comfortable Accommodations
Access to a kitchen — Unless each hotel room you book is a suite with a kitchenette, you will be going out (or paying for your employees to go out) to every single meal, aside from maybe a complimentary muffin at breakfast. In a vacation rental, you’ll have access to a real kitchen that comes fully stocked with all the cookware and appliances you need to cook any meal. Enjoy full-sized refrigerators (some homes have multiple refrigerators), coffee pots (some homes have Keurig machines) and plenty of prep space!
Communal gathering areas — From grand living rooms with floor to ceiling windows, long dining tables, large sun decks and cozy game room dens, there will be plenty of communal gathering areas where your team can meet to talk shop or just relax and spend time together. In a hotel, you have to book a conference room, restaurant or some other meeting area every time you want to get together.
Everyone has their own space — Despite the communal gathering areas, everyone will feel comfortable thanks to having their own space. You can book a vacation rental with as many as 10 bedrooms meaning your whole group will have a comfortable room to retire in when it’s time to go to bed or they need some quiet time to work. Some of these rooms even have direct deck/balcony access and are master suites with private bathrooms.
Luxurious amenities — Like a hotel, Seaside Vacations offers free linens and a team of professional cleaners to prep your home! That means that you will walk into a fresh, clean vacation rental with beds made and a towel/wash cloth provided for each guest (linens provided based on home occupancy but extra sets can be added to your rental if needed). You will also have access to free WiFi making it easy to get any work done even though you are away from the office.
Plus, we have vacation homes with a host of amenities available that your team will love. Although each home is different, some of the amenities include direct beach access and glorious water views; private pools; recreation rooms with pool tables, arcade games, video game consoles, ping pong tables, or foosball tables; hot tubs; outdoor games like volleyball, tennis, putting greens, cornhole, horseshoes, or basketball nets; outdoor showers; home theaters; gas and/or charcoal grills with picnic areas; screened porches; covered patios; large sun decks; tiki bars; private docks with boat lifts; bikes, kayaks, and other beach gear provided; and community amenities like private beach accesses, state-of-the-art gyms, trolley services, and golf memberships.
Affordable accommodations — When you factor in the cost of each individual hotel room, meeting rental space, activities, and the required food cost, your total is going to soar far beyond the cost of a rental home. Also, when you break down the cost per room or per employee, compare it to the cost you would spend on just the hotel room alone—you’ll be shocked at your savings—and when you factor in all of the amenities you get with a rental home, you get an incredible value!
Activities That Encourage Relaxation and Team Building
Engage in teambuilding activities — On the Outer Banks, there are plenty of opportunities for working together as a team or trying out something new together as a group. Try one of our escape rooms, sign up for a group paddleboarding class or take an outback style safari to see the Corolla Wild Mustangs. You can explore museums and local historic sites, see who catches the largest fish, or simply compete over a game of beach volleyball. For a really unique activity, set up a beach-inspired scavenger hunt: break up everyone into small teams and send them out to see different landmarks, search for local wildlife, and try local restaurants.
Great location for downtime — Part of planning a great corporate retreat is allowing for a little downtime. Luckily, the Outer Banks is the perfect place for this. You’re at the beach after all—take advantage of it! From lounging out by the sea to taking long evening walks at sunset, there is always something to do! Your staff will love all of the activities, restaurants, and relaxation options available to them outside of the rental or if they prefer, they’ll also love taking advantage of your home’s amenities, especially a private pool or game room.
Enjoy discounts from our Club Seaside Partners — Engaging in team activities doesn’t have to cost your company a lot of money thanks to our Club Seaside Program! We partner with several local businesses around the Outer Banks to provide our guests with discounted goods and services. Our largest partner, Kitty Hawk Kites, offers hang gliding lessons, kayak tours, watersport equipment rentals and bike rentals (with delivery!) all at a discounted rate exclusive to Seaside guests making it easy for your whole team to try a new adventure. A few other activities you could try include renting a dune buggy, taking a biplane tour, renting a boat, taking a dolphin tour, getting frozen yogurt, going wine tasting, painting your own pottery, and taking group fitness classes, among others.
Endless food options — For those days that no one wants to cook, your whole team will love the endless food options available here on the Outer Banks. Whether you want to grab a quick sandwich, a slice of pizza, or you prefer to sit down for a fancy dining experience complete with chef prepared specialties, visitors to the Outer Banks can enjoy every type of cuisine imaginable—all with the added bonus of utilizing fresh, locally-sourced seafood. We also have dozens of supermarkets, produce stands and seafood markets to ensure you are getting the best quality ingredients when preparing your meals at home. Seaside even partners with several companies through our Club Seaside Program that will come right to your rental and host a delicious clambake or prepare a gourmet feast!
Underdeveloped beach with a unique geography and impressive history — The Outer Banks is unlike any other beach on the East Coast (or the country for that matter!) Despite all of the wonderful activities here, the Outer Banks is still one of the most underdeveloped beaches with miles and miles of pristine coastline. There is no busy boardwalk and there are no skyrise hotels blocking your view. You can always see the stars at night and you are never far away from water. Being a string of barrier islands, we also are lucky to have the Atlantic Ocean to our East and a series of sounds to our West. That means that visitors can watch the sun rise and set over water every day—you don’t have to choose one or the other when you visit the Outer Banks.
Additionally, the area has a vast and impressive history being the location of early English settlements (and home to the first English child born on American soil), along with being the location the Wright Brothers were able to successfully achieve the first powered flight in a heavier-than-air machine. The islands saw every major US war and were even home to the infamous pirate, Blackbeard. While you’re in town, be sure to check out our national landmarks, museums and historic centers to learn more.
Vacation Homes Ideal for Corporate Retreats
With so many great reasons to book a vacation rental here on the Outer Banks for your corporate retreat, the next question is... which home do you book? Keeping in mind to allow for plenty of space and fun amenities, we've selected a few we think will work best:
#7030 Explorers Beacon — 10 bedroom, 7.5 bathroom Oceanfront home in Nags Head with a Private Pool, Hot Tub, Pool Table, Wet Bar, Outdoor Showers, and Direct Beach Access
#7005 OBX Attitude — 10 bedroom, 6 (& 2 half) bathroom Oceanfront home in Nags Head with a Private Pool, Elevator, Hot Tub, Gas Grill, Fish Cleaning Station, Pool & Foosball Table, Tiki Bar, and Direct Beach Access
#7080 Cool Breeze — 9 bedroom, 9.5 bathroom Oceanfront home in Nags Head that is Pet-Friendly with a Private Pool, Elevator, Hot Tub, Gas Grill, Keurig, Fish Cleaning Station, Air Hockey Table, Basketball Goal, Pool Table, and Direct Beach Access
#1617 Point Break — 9 bedroom, 9.5 bathroom Oceanfront home in Corolla with a Private Pool, Elevator, Hot Tub, Pool Table, Theater Room, Tiki Bar, Gas Grill, and Direct Beach Access
To browse more of our vacation rentals, start searching our inventory online or give us a call and one of our guest service representatives will help you find the perfect rental for your wonderful staff. See you soon!
About the Author: Jessie has been coming to the Outer Banks since she was just 5 years old. She loved it here so much that she finally relocated in 2018. Now her mission is to show the world that the Outer Banks is an incredible place that everyone should experience. When she isn't working, you can find Jessie hanging out with her friends, chilling at home with a good book, or discovering a new Outer Banks adventure.
