In short: for a team of up to 20 going away to bond rather than for a formal conference, two houses by a lake often work better than a hotel. You have the whole place to yourselves, your own kitchens, a fire pit and the lake shore, nobody else at the next table, and the cost per person is often lower. A hotel wins when you need a conference room for everyone, catering and staff. Our houses in Krzywe sleep 20 together, the Krutynia kayaks are about 20 minutes away, Mikołajki about 30 minutes, and we issue invoices on request.
A team-building trip has one aim: for colleagues to spend time together differently than at their desks. It works best when the team has space just for itself, a shared table, an evening by the fire and a few adventures during the day. Masuria, Poland's lake district, offers all of that: lakes, kayaks, boat trips and quiet, and a rented lake house becomes the whole company's base for two or three days. Below we explain how to plan such a trip, what it costs and when a hotel is the better choice.
A team trip in numbers
- 20
- people in two houses side by side
- 8
- bedrooms and 6 bathrooms in both houses
- 10m
- from the terrace to the lake shore
- 20min
- to the kayaks in Krutyń
- 30min
- to the harbour in Mikołajki
01House or hotel for a company trip?
Privacy
In a hotel you share the restaurant, bar and corridors with other guests. With two houses rented together, the whole property is yours.
Time together
In a hotel the evening often ends in separate rooms. In a house the team stays together: at the table, on the terrace and by the fire.
Food
A hotel has a kitchen and staff. In the houses you cook yourselves in two fully equipped kitchens, or drive to Mrągowo for dinner.
Rooms and equipment
A hotel has a conference room for everyone. The houses have two living rooms, one in each house, plus Wi-Fi and a Smart TV.
Costs
In a hotel you pay for each room separately. In the houses you pay for the whole house, so when they are full the cost per person usually works out well.
To be honest: if the programme includes a conference with presentations for 20 people in one room, catering and technical support, choose a conference hotel. If it is about bonding, rest and shared adventures, a lake house will give you more. For a detailed comparison of one large property and two houses for 20, see A house in Masuria for 20 people.
02Which companies and teams it suits
- 01teams and departments of 8 to 20 people who want to get to know each other outside the office
- 02small companies and start-ups taking the whole crew away
- 03a board or leadership team for two days of planning somewhere quiet, even in one house
- 04a reward trip for a team after a finished project
- 05remote teams who meet in person a few times a year
03A sample programme: 3 days, 2 nights
Day 1, afternoon
Arrival from 16:00, settling into the two houses and a short meeting on the terrace. In the evening a shared dinner by the campfire at the lake.
Day 2, morning
Breakfast in the houses, then a workshop or meeting in two groups of 10, in the two living rooms or on the terraces on warm days.
Day 2, afternoon
A kayak trip down the Krutynia from Krutyń to Ukta, about 13 km and 3-4 hours of paddling in double kayaks. A good task for pairs who do not usually work together.
Day 2, evening
Dinner at a restaurant in Mrągowo, or a barbecue and campfire by the houses, then conversations until quiet hours.
Day 3, morning
A relaxed breakfast, a short wrap-up, a swim or a walk along the shore and check-out by 11:00. On the way home you can still stop in Mikołajki.
A ready-made three-day plan with kayaks, a boat trip and a stroll, written with families and friends in mind, is also in 3 days in Masuria. For a company, just add time for a meeting and shared dinners.
04Team activities nearby
The best activities for a team trip are those where people have to work together, or simply spend a long time in each other's company. There are plenty around Krzywe.
- 01kayaking the Krutynia: 20 people need ten double kayaks, so at PLN 120 per kayak, the price in one rental company's list for the 2026 season, PLN 1,200 in total, about PLN 60 per person
- 02a boat trip from Mikołajki, May to September: in the 2026 season the Wodne Trio cruise cost PLN 55 for a standard ticket and the three-hour Król Jezior cruise PLN 110; for a large group, ask the operator about reserving seats
- 03sailing: yachts can be chartered at the marinas in Mikołajki, including with a skipper, which makes a good team task
- 04the Alpine Coaster in Mikołajki, open all year, and a rope park
- 05cycling around Mrągowo: bring bikes or rent them
- 06in winter, the ski slope on Góra Czterech Wiatrów in Mrągowo, 9 km from the houses
- 07a campfire by the houses every evening, with firewood ordered from us for PLN 200
05Where to hold a meeting or workshop
To be honest: we do not have a conference room. Each house has a living room with an open kitchen and a panoramic window onto the lake, furnished for that house's guests, so up to 10 people. That is why meetings are best planned in two groups, in the two living rooms, and on warm days on the terraces or in the garden by the water. Both houses have Wi-Fi and a Smart TV. Bring a projector, flipchart and markers with you.
If the programme includes one talk for the whole team indoors, plan it for example in a restaurant with a function room in Mrągowo, or ask us how best to arrange it.
06Food for the team
- 01two fully equipped kitchens with a hob, oven, fridge and dishwasher: you can cook in parallel in both houses
- 02do the big shop on the way, and top up in Mrągowo, 9 km from the houses
- 03one dinner by the campfire: sausages, baked potatoes and a pot for the whole group
- 04one dinner at a restaurant in Mrągowo or Mikołajki, booking a table for 20 well in advance
- 05if you are thinking of catering, ask us about the details early on
07What a team-building trip to Masuria costs
The price of each house depends on the dates. Two nights in both houses for 20 adults, including the tourist tax of PLN 3.50 per person per night, cost with us from:
- 01winter: from PLN 4,136, about PLN 207 per person
- 02autumn: from PLN 4,336, about PLN 217 per person
- 03spring: from PLN 4,536, about PLN 227 per person
- 04summer: from PLN 4,936, about PLN 247 per person
On top of the accommodation, add food, fuel and activities: kayaking the Krutynia is about PLN 60 per person, a short cruise from Mikołajki PLN 55, and firewood PLN 200 for the whole group. The booking calendar on our prices page shows the exact amount for your dates. We issue invoices on request, and you give us the details, company name, address and tax number, before the stay. We cover a full weekend budget in What does a weekend in Masuria cost.
08House rules to know before booking
- 01check-in from 16:00, check-out by 11:00
- 02quiet hours from 22:00 to 7:00, and outdoor sound systems are not allowed
- 03parties and larger events only by prior arrangement with us
- 04no smoking inside either house and no pets
- 05a 30% deposit, with free cancellation up to 30 days before arrival
- 06the beach by the houses is not lifeguarded: alcohol and swimming in the lake do not mix
09Logistics: getting there, parking, cars
From Warsaw to Krzywe it is about 282 km, roughly 3.5 hours' drive, and from Olsztyn 67 km. A team of 20 usually arrives in five cars or one minibus. Parking is on the property, right by the houses. Let us know how many cars are coming, and agree drivers for the kayaks and the restaurant in advance.
10What to agree before the trip
- 01the number of people and how to split them between two houses, for example by team or daily rhythm
- 02the dates, and for the summer holidays and long weekends, booking as early as possible
- 03the programme: how much time for meetings and how much for activities and rest
- 04bookings for kayaks, a cruise and a restaurant for 20
- 05shopping and kitchen duties, or a catering plan
- 06drivers and the number of cars
- 07workshop kit: projector, flipchart, markers
- 08invoice details
11Krzywe Lake Houses for a company trip
Our two Modern and Loft houses stand side by side on Lake Krzywe, a quiet zone with no combustion engines. Each has 130 m², four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room with an open kitchen and a lakeside terrace. Renting both houses gives your team the whole property: the garden, the fire pit, the lake shore about 10 metres from the terrace and a beach with a jetty about 20 metres from the houses.
Bed linen and towels are included, and the houses are heated all year, so you can plan a team trip in autumn or winter too, when prices are lower and the area is quieter. Mrągowo is 9 km away, Krutyń about 20 minutes and Mikołajki about 30 minutes. If you would rather stay closer to the towns, see our comparison of accommodation in Mikołajki and Mrągowo.
The best team-building is the kind that sends people home with stories from the kayak and the campfire, not printouts from a conference room.
12Frequently asked questions
Do you issue invoices?
Yes, we issue invoices on request. Give us the invoice details, company name, address and tax number, before the stay.
How many people can you take?
Up to 10 in one house and up to 20 in both. Each house has four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Will we have the place to ourselves?
There are only two houses on the property, Modern and Loft. If you rent both, the whole place is just for your group.
Is there a conference room?
No. There are two living rooms, one in each house, plus terraces and a garden. Meetings are best planned in two groups, or outdoors on warm days.
Can we have a party?
Parties must be arranged in advance. Quiet hours run from 22:00 to 7:00, and outdoor sound systems are not allowed.
