Planning an Empowering Private Group Retreat in Florida
How the Right Venue Creates Meaningful Experiences for Every Organization
Whether you’re planning a church youth retreat, school leadership program, nonprofit gathering, corporate team-building event, or private yoga retreat, choosing the right venue is one of the most important decisions you’ll make.
A successful retreat is about more than the schedule. The best experiences happen when participants can disconnect from daily distractions, build stronger relationships, and focus on the purpose of the gathering in a comfortable, private setting.
At Orange Springs Retreat Center, groups of 60-200 attendees can enjoy exclusive use of our private 100+ acre Central Florida campus. Your group has the entire property reserved exclusively for your event—including comfortable climate-controlled cabins, meeting spaces, recreational facilities, and chef-prepared dining—allowing you to create a retreat experience tailored to your organization’s goals.
Whether you’re planning a weekend of leadership development, worship, wellness, team building, or personal growth, our private campus provides the flexibility and privacy needed to make your retreat both memorable and meaningful.
Why Exclusive Use Makes a Difference
One of the biggest advantages of renting Orange Springs Retreat Center is that your group never shares the property with outside guests.
Your organization enjoys exclusive access to lodging, meeting spaces, dining facilities, waterfront recreation, sports fields, campfire areas, and outdoor gathering spaces. Without interruptions or competing schedules, retreat leaders have the freedom to create an experience that reflects their own vision and objectives.
Comfortable Accommodations and Exceptional Dining
Participants stay in comfortable climate-controlled cabins designed for groups, allowing everyone to relax after a full day of activities, workshops, or fellowship.
Meals are prepared fresh by Chef Kevin and our kitchen team, with customizable menus to accommodate vegetarian, vegan, kosher-style, gluten-free, allergy-conscious, and other dietary needs. Sharing great meals together often becomes one of the highlights of every retreat, encouraging conversation, fellowship, and lasting connections.
Plan a Retreat That Reflects Your Goals
Every group is different, which is why Orange Springs Retreat Center offers the flexibility to create a schedule that fits your organization.
Whether you’re hosting leadership workshops, worship services, outdoor education, team-building activities, wellness sessions, or yoga classes, your exclusive-use retreat allows every aspect of the experience to be customized for your participants.
If you have experience in running yoga classes then feel free to run them yourself, otherwise find a good teacher for your group yoga retreat (FL Yoga Teachers Association is a good place to start).
Incorporate Relevant Activities
If you’re running a yoga retreat, you probably shouldn’t host a paintball tournament in the middle of that week as it will interfere with the yoga. The same applies for all activities you decide for your event, and you should also consider how the activities interact with each other. Some appropriate activities may include:
- Meditation classes – this can be as professional or as casual as you desire. Check out Youtube or Spotify for some great guided meditations.
- Walks or hikes – these can be daily and may be suitable after breakfast and yoga in the mornings. Be sure to only choose appropriate walks for your group’s demographic, and to advise appropriate footwear.
- Canoeing, kayaking, or paddle boarding – these can all be nice relaxing ways to spend a warm afternoon, and can incorporate meditation too.
Share Responsibilities
A common problem with many retreats around the world is the person who’s organizing it taking on more responsibility than they can manage. Instead, identify some senior or responsible members of your group as managers or supervisors and share tasks.
Plan to a T, but Allow for Choice
Another key in successful retreats is to plan all the events with precision, but to allow your group members to pick and choose which events they attend. You may wish to make the speaker events compulsory, but such things as canoeing may not appeal to everyone. Feel free to encourage people to try new things, but don’t force them to do something they truly don’t want to do.
Orange Springs Retreat has a rich legacy that stretches back decades. Read the full storyof how Camp Shalom summer camp, founded in 1971, evolved into the exclusive-use group retreat venue it is today.
You can also visit our About Us page to meet the team and discover what makes this 100+ acre property special for meaningful group experiences.
Orange Springs Retreat Center | Florida’s Exclusive-Use Retreat Venue for Private Groups, Schools & Churches (60–200 Guests)
What separates us from other retreat venues is true exclusivity: “One Group At a Time Always- No Shared Spaces, No Outside Guests”
See how Orange Springs Retreat was featured in The New York Times in the article “For Sleep-Away Camps, More Endless Summers.”
Ready to plan your retreat? Contact us today to check availability or request a customized proposal. We look forward to welcoming your group to Orange Springs Retreat Center.