The In-Demand Retreat Destinations for 2027: Spain, Italy and the Balearics

Every year the enquiries we receive tell us where business groups are heading before the wider market catches up. For 2027, the picture is unusually clear. Spain leads, Italy follows closely, and the Balearic Islands - Mallorca in particular - have moved from a summer holiday idea to a serious, year-round venue for leadership retreats and hosted client programmes.

Below is where demand is concentrating for 2027, why each destination is being chosen, and the practical points to weigh before you commit.

Spain: the strongest demand of 2027

Spain is the destination we are asked about most often for 2027, and the reasons are practical rather than fashionable. Flight access from the UK and continental Europe is excellent and competitively priced, the quality of four and five-star properties has risen sharply, and the shoulder seasons of April to early June and September to early November deliver warm, workable weather without peak-season crowds or peak-season pricing.

Andalusia is doing particularly well for larger groups: Marbella and the Sotogrande area combine golf, private estates and genuine conference capability, while Seville and Granada suit culture-led programmes where the destination itself is part of the content. Northern Spain is quietly growing too - San Sebastian and the Rioja region attract senior teams who want food, wine and small-group intimacy rather than resort scale.

Italy: content-rich and consistently requested

Italy holds its place as the second most requested destination for 2027. Lake Como and Lake Garda remain the default for board-level retreats, and demand for exclusive-use villas there is already tight for spring and early autumn 2027. The Bay of Naples and the Amalfi coastline appeal to groups who want a programme that feels genuinely memorable, and Puglia continues to gain ground as a value alternative with masserias that take a whole group comfortably.

Tuscany and Umbria remain reliable for mid-sized groups who want an estate, private dining and a rural setting within reach of Florence or Rome. The trade-off in Italy is almost always transfer time: the best properties are rarely the closest to an airport, and that needs designing around, not discovering on arrival.

The Balearic Islands: Mallorca leads the field

The Balearics have become one of the strongest business retreat propositions in Europe, and Mallorca is the clearest example. Short flight times, an airport that handles volume efficiently, and a genuine spread of exclusive-use finca, boutique hotel and full resort options mean a group of fourteen and a group of two hundred can both be served well. The east coast around Canyamel and the northern Tramuntana offer quiet, high-quality bases within an hour of Palma.

Menorca appeals to groups who want calm and privacy above all, while Ibiza works well for incentive and reward programmes outside the peak summer weeks. Across all three islands, April to June and September to October are the windows that book out first for 2027.

Other destinations gaining ground for 2027

• Portugal - Lisbon, the Algarve and the Douro Valley, strong value and excellent group logistics.

• Greece - Athens, the Peloponnese and Crete, increasingly capable for spring and autumn retreats.

• Croatia and Montenegro - Split, Hvar and the Bay of Kotor for programmes built around water and small-group hospitality.

• Madeira and the Canary Islands - reliable winter sun for January to March offsites.

• Morocco - Marrakech and the Agadir coast, distinctive and cost-effective for incentive travel.

• The United Kingdom - Kent, the Cotswolds and Scotland for shorter, lower-carbon leadership breaks.

What is driving the shift

Three things are shaping 2027 demand. The first is season: organisations are deliberately avoiding July and August, both for cost and for comfort, which is why spring and autumn availability is disappearing first. The second is exclusivity - groups increasingly want the whole property rather than a block of rooms, and exclusive-use inventory is finite. The third is purpose. A retreat now has to earn its place in the budget, so destinations that support real content, real conversation and a credible reason to travel are winning over destinations chosen purely for the view.

Practical advice if you are planning for 2027

If your programme falls in the shoulder seasons, treat 2027 as a live year now rather than a future one. Fix the window before the venue, keep two destinations in play until the site inspection stage, and budget for the transfer and ground logistics rather than the room rate alone. Where several participants are paying independently, a staged payment plan makes commitment far easier to secure early.

We inspect the properties we recommend in person, which is why our destination advice is specific rather than general. You can read more on how we assess a location in our guide to choosing the right retreat destination, and on lead times and instalments in why retreats are planned 18 to 24 months ahead.

If a 2027 retreat is on your agenda, share your brief and we will come back with two or three destinations that genuinely fit your group, dates and budget. You can also submit a detailed retreat request or look at the retreats already open to join.