A corporate retreat on the Tuscan coast

A company retreat does not need a ballroom. It needs a table where people can think, a house where they can be together, and enough silence to hear each other. Roc Villa Bay is that kind of house, on the Tuscan coast in Castiglioncello. It is not a conference centre, and we say so at the start, because the wrong expectation helps nobody.

What works here

Small leadership groups. Eight guests in the Bay, or up to fourteen when the Beach House opens in May 2027 and the two houses are connected through the gate. A long table for meals and working sessions. A garden of more than 4,000 m² for conversations that need to be outside. Two private accesses to the sea for the hour between sessions. A village within walking distance, and a station on the Tyrrhenian line.

It is a house, not a venue. There is no stage, no conference AV, no breakout rooms with name cards and no lobby. If the retreat is about strategy, trust and a small number of people, that is an advantage. If it is about a launch for two hundred guests, it is the wrong house.

What does not work here

• Large conferences, launches or exhibitions.
• Weddings, ceremonies and receptions. The house does not host them.
• A hotel-style programme with room service, a bar and staff on call all night.
• Anything that needs a pool, a spa or a gym on site.
• A schedule that assumes a different venue for every session.

We would rather say this now than have a company discover it after a deposit.

The shape of a three-night retreat

Day one: arrive in the afternoon, settle into the rooms, swim, and have dinner at the house. No session on the first evening; the first dinner is for arriving.

Day two: a morning session at the table, a long lunch, an afternoon outside — the garden, the coast, a walk — and a second session before dinner. The evening is free or hosted by the group.

Day three: a morning session, then an offsite: Bolgheri with a driver, a boat along the coast, Pisa or Lucca. Dinner in the village or at the house.

Day four: a short closing session, then departure. Do not schedule a workshop for the morning of a flight.

The exact shape depends on the group. We do not publish a fixed programme, because a retreat is not a package.

Practical logistics

Getting there. Pisa Airport is the usual arrival point, with the PisaMover to Pisa Centrale and trains along the coast; Castiglioncello has its own station on the Tyrrhenian line. For a group with luggage, the private driver service publishes Pisa Airport at €145 and Livorno Station at €70 per vehicle, with a van for up to seven guests. A group of eight needs more than one vehicle; ask for the right combination.

Working. The house has a table and rooms that can be used for conversations. We do not publish internet speeds or AV specifications, because they depend on the provider and the setup; tell us what you need and we will confirm what is available for your dates. If a session depends on a specific technology, test it before you commit.

Eating. A private chef can cook at the house, or the group can eat in the village. The private chef and in-villa dining services are arranged on request and confirmed in writing. Dietary needs should be collected before arrival.

Offsites. Bolgheri and the wine estates, a boat day, Pisa, Lucca or Florence. The itinerary guide sets out the options; the Bolgheri guide explains how visits work. We do not invent team-building providers or prices.

For the executive assistant

Send the dates, the number of guests, the purpose of the retreat, the arrival airport and any dietary or accessibility requirements. We will reply with the layout, what is included, what can be arranged and the terms in writing. If you need a fact sheet for an internal approval, the machine-readable fact sheet has the verified numbers; the travel advisors page explains how we work with intermediaries.

We answer personally, usually within a day. We do not have an online booking engine, and nothing is reserved until both sides confirm in writing.

Privacy and discretion

The house is private, with independent entrances and a garden that is not overlooked by a resort. Security can be arranged on request through the security service. We do not publish client names, and we do not describe a stay as confidential unless the arrangement has been agreed in writing. If confidentiality matters, say so at the first enquiry.

Who this suits

Founders and leadership teams. Family businesses. Small partner groups. Creative teams that need to think without a lobby. Companies that want a house by the sea and are content with a table, a garden and a village. If that is the retreat you are planning, the enquiry form is the beginning. If you need a conference venue, we will tell you so and point you elsewhere.