Marywood Retreat and Conference Center

What Marywood Retreat and Conference Center does

Marywood Retreat and Conference Center is a non-profit hospitality venue owned and operated by the Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine, situated on a 100-acre property along the St. Johns River in St. Johns, Florida (Northeast Florida / Jacksonville area). The center serves a diversified mix of customer segments — businesses, churches and parishes, schools, families, military personnel, and non-profit organizations — hosting corporate meetings, spiritual retreats, weddings, conferences, and community events.

The venue's core offerings include wedding receptions, group retreats, private retreats, and facility rentals, delivered across multiple purpose-built event spaces (Kelly Center, River Room, Back Patio, Wisdom Center, screened pavilion, and chapel). Supporting infrastructure comprises Camp St John (a separate camp facility with bunkhouses accommodating up to 72 guests), renovated Villa Room overnight accommodations offered in single, double, and triple occupancy configurations, an on-site commercial kitchen, and a dining room. The property was substantially renovated in 2018, updating banquet spaces and villa lodging.

Revenue is generated across five streams: facility rental, overnight accommodations, food and beverage services, public event tickets, and retreat program fees. Pricing operates on a unit or per-event basis, with disclosed examples ranging from $15 per adult for Easter Breakfast to $725 per couple for a weekend grief-support retreat, and $87 per night for villa lodging. Distribution is entirely direct-to-customer via the center's website, phone, and email inquiry channels, supplemented by referral through the Diocese of St. Augustine's parish network. There are no third-party resellers, no app presence, and no disclosed digital infrastructure beyond a public website and event calendar.

Name

Marywood Retreat and Conference Center

Legal name

Marywood Retreat and Conference Center

Website

https://marywoodcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Marywood Retreat and Conference Center is a non-profit Catholic Diocese-owned venue on a 100-acre St. Johns River site in Florida, hosting weddings, corporate meetings, spiritual retreats, and conferences for churches, businesses, families, and community organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Venue and Hospitality Services

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Accommodation (721)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHAAAB

Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Conference & Convention Venues (Convention Centers, Civic Centers)

SECONDARYTHAGALAG

Conference Retreat Hotels

Travel & Hospitality/Lodging & Accommodation/Convention & Conference Hotels

SECONDARYTHAHAKAB

Conference & Convention Center Catering

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Catering & Banqueting Services for Events

SECONDARYTHAFAIAC

Venue & Banquet Hall Catering

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Catering & Banquet Foodservice

Keywords

• Retreat and conference center
• Wedding reception venue
• Event facility rental
• Spiritual retreat programs
• Overnight accommodations

Headquarters

HQ city

St. John's

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Facility Rental: Rental of conference spaces including the Kelly Center, River Room, Back Patio, and Wisdom Center for corporate events, weddings, retreats, and social gatherings. Revenue generated through hourly or event-based rental fees.
2. Overnight Accommodations: Villa room rentals with single, double, and triple occupancy options. Bunkhouse accommodations at Camp St John can accommodate up to 72 guests. Overnight stays are offered in conjunction with retreats and events.
3. Food and Beverage Services: Catering and banquet services included with wedding receptions and events. The center operates an on-site commercial kitchen and dining room.
4. Event Tickets and Programs: Revenue from public events such as Mother's Day Brunch, Cards & Coffee, holiday events, and concerts. Tickets sold at per-guest pricing for dining events.
5. Retreat Program Fees: Registration fees for specialized retreats including grief support, contemplative retreats, Spanish-language retreats, and grief counseling programs. Pricing varies by retreat type and duration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Marywood Retreat and Conference Center operates a 100-acre riverfront hospitality venue on the St. Johns River in Northeast Florida, renting event spaces (Kelly Center, River Room, Back Patio, Wisdom Center) and overnight accommodations (Villa rooms and Camp St John bunkhouses for up to 72 guests) for weddings, corporate meetings, conferences, and spiritual retreats. The center provides integrated food and beverage service through an on-site commercial kitchen, and hosts diocesan and community programming including grief support retreats, parish events, and seasonal public dining events.

Product overview

Marywood Retreat and Conference Center is a single-location hospitality venue offering a portfolio of spiritual and event services. The core offerings include wedding receptions, group retreats, private retreats, and facility rental for meetings and conferences. Supporting infrastructure includes Camp St John (a separate camp facility with bunkhouses), Villa Room overnight accommodations, and multiple venue spaces (Kelly Center, River Room, Back Patio, Wisdom Center). The center was renovated in 2018 and serves businesses, churches, schools, families, individuals, military personnel, and non-profit organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wedding Receptions Riverfront wedding reception venue on the St. Johns River offering the River Room banquet space, Back Patio for cocktail hour, and food and beverage inclusive service for couples and families planning weddings and rehearsal dinners.
• Group Retreats Multi-day structured retreat programs for groups including grief support retreats, couples retreats, Spanish-language retreats, and faith-based ministry training, combining meeting space, accommodations, and meals.
• Private Retreats Personalized spiritual retreat hosting for individuals and small groups seeking solitude, with Villa room overnight accommodations and customized programming.
• Facility Rental Event venue rental for corporate meetings, conferences, workshops, social events, and functions, providing access to Kelly Center, River Room, Back Patio, Wisdom Center, screened pavilion, and chapel.
• Camp St John Separate summer camp and group retreat facility featuring bunkhouses accommodating 72 guests, a screened pavilion, chapel, commercial kitchen, and dining room, hosting cursillos, confirmation groups, disabilities camps, and family reunions.
• Villa Room Overnight Accommodations Overnight lodging on the Marywood campus in renovated Villa rooms with single, double, and triple occupancy options, offered in conjunction with retreats and multi-day events.
• Food and Beverage / Catering Services On-site catering and banquet service delivered through the commercial kitchen and dining room, included with wedding receptions, retreats, conferences, and community dining events such as Mother's Day Brunch and Easter Breakfast.

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Catholic Diocese of St. AugustinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1958The Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine purchased the property in 1958 to establish Camp St John and the retreat center. The Diocese remains the owner and primary operator of the facility, utilizing it for diocesan events, Bishop-led retreats, ministry formation programs, and the Office of Christian Formation activities.
• McGrath Institute for Church Life at University of Notre DamemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Timothy O'Malley, Director of Education at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame, serves as the primary presenter for the 14th Annual Summer School of Theology held at Marywood. This academic partnership brings nationally recognized liturgical expertise to the diocesan retreat program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kanuga Conference Center: Episcopal retreat and conference center in Hendersonville, NC operating on a multi-hundred-acre campus with lodging, meeting space, and F&B for faith-based groups, schools, and corporate retreats — a near-direct comparable to Marywood's religious-affiliated retreat model.
• Epworth by the Sea: United Methodist retreat and conference center on St. Simons Island, GA with waterfront lodging, meeting space, and dining — comparable faith-affiliated coastal retreat center for church groups and family events.
• Montreat Conference Center: Presbyterian-founded retreat and conference center in Black Mountain, NC with extensive overnight housing, meeting space, and youth/adult programming — directly comparable in religious-organization ownership and retreat programming.
• Cedarkirk Camp and Conference Center: Florida-based Lutheran-affiliated camp and retreat center offering overnight accommodations, meeting space, and programming for faith groups and youth — direct regional (Florida) comparable to Camp St John and Marywood.
• Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center: United Methodist conference and retreat center in western NC offering lakeside lodging, meeting facilities, and group programming for faith communities and secular groups — comparable multi-purpose retreat operating model to Marywood.
• Ridgecrest Conference Center (LifeWay): Baptist-affiliated conference center in NC mountains offering lodging, meeting facilities, and food service for church groups, schools, and corporate retreats — peers with Marywood on religious-affiliated multi-day group retreats.

Broad incumbents

• Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa: Large Jacksonville-area resort with extensive meeting space, ballrooms, and on-site F&B targeting corporate events, weddings, and group retreats — competes with Marywood for Northeast Florida corporate and wedding demand.
• Amelia Island Hotels (The Ritz-Carlton, Omni): Resort cluster north of Jacksonville offering extensive meeting and wedding facilities with destination positioning — represents higher-end competitive set for group retreats and weddings in NE Florida.
• Ponte Vedra Inn & Club: Upscale resort in greater Jacksonville/Ponte Vedra area with meeting space, wedding venues, and full F&B — competes for premium corporate retreat and destination wedding bookings in Northeast Florida.
• Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront: Major-brand Jacksonville riverfront hotel with significant conference and wedding event facilities — broad competitor for corporate meetings and wedding receptions in the same regional market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marywood-retreat-and-conference-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marywood Retreat and Conference Center