Because of my vocation, years of retreat experience, and hearing the stories of many in non-profit work, I have come to realize the importance of finding the best camp for retreat rentals you can find available.  Trust me, and the experiences of my friends and colleagues, when we borrow from the world of real estate and emphatically state, “location, location, location!”

Many well intentioned people have had really disappointing experiences by having a great week of activities planned but absolutely the wrong place to have them.  There are several things to consider when planning a retreat and finding a great location, but I believe the following first three steps are essential:

1. Always visit the camp in person.  Meet the staff, tour the facilities, and get as much first hand information as possible. 

You can learn a lot from simply being with the people who will be serving you.  Are they warm and friendly?  Can you tell they are genuinely excited about what they do?  Ask them what they love about their work.  Ask them to tell you some stories from the past year.  Do they dedicate most of their year to children’s camps, or adult retreats, or public school excursions?  What are their specialties?  Any camp can hire someone to make up beautiful brochures, but actually being there says a whole lot more.  I simply call this step, “getting the vibe of the place.”  You’ll be glad you did.

2. While you are there ask honest questions about the food they serve.  Everybody knows the stories of “camp food.”  They can be really funny unless you’re actually living one!  Retreat rentals that serve beans and weenies can be okay for children, but even kids deserve fresh fruits and vegetables, and no one likes to eat canned or processed food for a week. 

Thankfully, many camps now offer high quality, hand prepared dishes, fresh baked goods and salad bars, and fresh cuts of meats for their meals.  Many also have professionally trained staff members that take pride in the menus they prepare for their guests.  So, ask staff members to be very specific in what they serve for meals.  General comments like, “oh, our food is great” or “you won’t be disappointed” aren’t helpful.  And if you end up paying a premium for high quality meals, your guests will be really grateful you did.

3. If you will be using multi-media equipment, be very specific in what you need and what the retreat facility has available to you.
It is amazing what “technology” can mean to different people.  I have literally heard stories of retreat rentals facilities assuring their prospective guests of “state of the art” equipment, only to give them a 10 year old projector and pull up movie screen.  And many times, staff members are not being dishonest, they are simply speaking from what they know. 

So, commit to real due diligence when selecting the facility with the retreat rentals you will need.  Be detailed, ask specific questions, and don’t be afraid to ask for specific answers.  And remember, getting an in-person feel for the camp, requesting high quality, nutritious meals and assuring you will have the equipment and technology you will need for group presentations are critical to a successful event.