From Caviar to Cadillacs: 10 Luxury Teambuilding Activities for Groups

Based in Fort Myers, Florida, Offshore Sailing School offers a variety of teambuilding options for corporate groups, including the “Sail-Race Challenge,” which combines sailing basics with real-time competition. Teams of four or five participants are assigned to each boat along with an expert coach, and each team member rotates as captain and crew. Pricing starts at $299 per person for a half-day session and $399 per person for a full-day session; events can take place on Captiva Island at South Seas Island Resort and on Fort Myers Beach at the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina. The school also offers multi-day teambuilding and leadership development programs, which include sailing aboard 40- to 50-foot yachts and catamarans from Marriott’s Autograph Collection Hotel Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina, located on a private island off Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.

The Ultimate Boat Racing Experience by Reindl Powerboats allows groups to fly through the water in their own speedboats. Accompanied by a throttleman in each boat, participants are able to complete two practice laps and three race laps. Safety gear, special custom trophies, and photos and videos are included in the package. Plus, custom-wrapped boats and buoys and race shirts are available as add-on options. The standard group package is designed for as many as 100 participants, with a discounted fee for each additional person. The experience is available in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Northern and Southern California, the Midwest, Florida, and Texas; pricing is available upon request.

Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, boasts eight meeting suites located across seven floors that are equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity, state-of-the-art projector screens, and specially designed conference tables that offer unobstructed city views during presentations. As for teambuilding activities, groups can book either a morning or evening desert safari. Evening safaris can include dinner, a belly dancing performance, and a traditional shisha pipe experience. Groups can also book a hot-air balloon tour.

In Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, the Resort at Pedregal’s “Beyond the Beach: Baja Luxploration” program includes a curated collection of six itineraries filled with deluxe outdoor activities such as swimming with whale sharks, snorkeling with sea lions, and surfing coveted breaks. Groups can also book custom fitness activities on site through the property’s partnership with Elite Fit Agency, including a variety of private outdoor and indoor activities.

At Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland in Oregon, groups have the option to add on a custom wine blending experience. The hotel’s resident wine expert will guide teams through the process, as well as teach them about varietals; participants are split into smaller groups to blend their own wine, including a Pacific Northwest Red Blend, Super Tuscan, or Rosé Blend. Guests receive a custom labeled bottle of the blended wine to take home at the end of the event. Pricing starts at $125 per person.

At the Vol. 39 restaurant in the Kimpton Gray Hotel in Chicago, groups can enjoy a decadent tasting with “Caviar 101.” During this class, guests learn about the differences between the four varieties of caviar the restaurant offers. The tasting lesson is served with the traditional accoutrements such as sour cream, fresh herbs, chopped onions, and hard-boiled eggs.

In addition to outdoor activities like archery, falconry, fishing, horseback riding, and biking, the Adare Manor in County Limerick, Ireland, which reopened in November 2017 after a two-year transformation, lets groups experience the traditional Irish sport of shooting with the property's professionally trained Irish Labradors. The dogs assist guests with hunting a variety of game on the property’s estate. Plus, guests will learn about the pups’ obedience, agility, marking, water work, and their ability to work as part of a team.

Montage Hotels & Resorts recently partnered with Cadillac, offering guests complimentary chauffeured transportation in the luxury vehicles. In addition, groups at the Montage Laguna Beach can take part in a Ride and Drive experience and explore the beach town and other neighboring cities in Orange County behind the wheel of a Cadillac free of charge.

Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in San Diego recently partnered with Italian bicycle manufacturer Cicli Pinarello, the first partnership of its kind in the U.S. Now, Rancho Valencia guests, both cyclists and beginners, can ride the hand-crafted bikes during their stay at the resort, with access to trails and roads throughout the surrounding landscape. The bicycles are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Adrenaline-seeking groups in Las Vegas can head to the SpeedVegas racetrack for the “Thrill and Chill” package. Groups of as many as 14 people can rent 14 exotic cars such as Porsches and take over the track for 114 minutes. SpeedVegas can also set up a post-drive cocktail reception inside the racing complex. The package costs $14,000 for a group of 14.