New England Group Retreat Centre with 48 Private-Bath Rooms and 17 Wooded Acres

Guest House Retreat Center is a group venue in Connecticut, set on 17 wooded acres that back onto the 16,000-acre Cockaponset State Forest. The whole operation is built around hosting meetings and retreats for organisations, from an afternoon meeting to a week-long stay. Groups from a wide range of fields and disciplines use it.

The accommodation is 48 bedrooms, every one with a private bathroom, accommodating up to 100 guests in total. That means a group of 30 can spread out, and a group of 100 can still all be on site. Meeting rooms come in varying sizes, and there are many small breakout spaces for smaller discussions or one-to-ones.

Food is three healthy, expertly prepared meals a day, with fresh local ingredients used whenever possible. The building has high-speed WiFi throughout, an elevator, full air conditioning, a fitness room and a grand piano in the lobby. The 17 acres of grounds are wooded, and the Cockaponset State Forest next door gives groups somewhere to walk or run between sessions.

The centre runs overnight retreat packages and day rentals. You can book a single meeting room for the afternoon or take the whole property for a week. The team's stated approach is to let guests concentrate on the work they came to do, and to handle the logistics around them.

What's included

- 48 bedrooms with private baths - Accommodation for up to 100 guests - Meeting rooms of varying sizes - Small breakout spaces - Three meals a day - Fresh local ingredients used whenever possible - High-speed WiFi throughout the building - Elevator service - Full air conditioning - Fitness room - Grand piano in the lobby - 17 wooded acres of grounds - Access to adjacent Cockaponset State Forest

What's not included

- Travel to and from the venue - Personal expenses - Any activities or excursions not arranged with the centre