How To Find Your Dream Retreat Venue
I have been running Retreats for 7 years now, but I still spend HOURS (days, weeks!) searching online for amazing venues.
I have a few venues that I regularly use in rotation, but like to find some new places to keep things fresh & keep my regular clients interested.
In today’s blog, I’m going to go through some of the key points that will help you find your dream Retreat venue (and one that your clients will love too!)
LOCATION
Let’s start with location. Do you have a location in mind? Perhaps you have a favourite place that you visited as a child, or a location that you regularly visit and want to take your clients to.
Think about your location and what activities you want to include on your Retreat. There’s no point organising a Hiking Retreat, if your venue is located in a super flat part of the country. Or if you’re thinking about providing a relaxing and restorative weekend for your guests, but your venue is in the middle of a bustling town.
Do plenty of research on the area you are looking at, or even ask the venue owner/manager if they have any recommendations of activities or local people who may be able to come in for a workshop.
Something else to consider is how far your dream guests are willing to travel and if your venue is located in a position that has decent transport links.
When I first starting running Retreats, I booked a venue that was less than an hours drive away from where most of my following was located. This meant that clients were more likely to join as the commitment to travel didn’t seem to big and the Retreat still felt like a get-away, even though it was in the next county.
Now that my business has grown, and the trust people have in my Retreats has grown, I book venues further afield, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind if you are just starting out.
ACCOMMODATION
So you have a location in mind, now it’s time to find a suitable venue for your Retreat.
Keep in mind who your Retreat is for - would your guests be happy with a campsite or are they looking for something more luxurious? If you aren’t sure about this - ask them! Put the feelers out and see what response you get back.
Once you know this, you can start to look at venues in a bit more detail - what kind of vibe are you going for?
I’ve always gone for big house, quite luxurious (yet comfortable) places. I like old farmhouses that have been renovated, quirky spaces or something with a bit of character.
It is, of course, entirely possible to host a Retreat where guests are spread across various accommodations, like cottages for example, and you use one cottage as the main “hub” to eat, socialise etc. In my experience, I prefer to keep everyone together in one big house, with communal spaces and ideally, a separate space for Yoga, but separate spaces may work well for your guests!
In terms of bedrooms, get an idea of how many people you would like to host and work from there. Do the beds split so that you can have twins or doubles? This is a real big selling factor for me, because it means you can be a bit more flexible with your bookings! Do they rooms have shared bathrooms or ensuites? Will your guests be happy sharing a bathroom?
The layout of the venue is a real big one for me and is something that you definitely shouldn’t ignore when looking for a venue.
Keep in mind the activities that you would like to include in your itinerary and any noise from the rest of the house. For example, keep plenty of space between your Yoga space & the kitchen, so your chef can bang their pots & pans without disturbing you!
Make use of online floorplans and then go and have a look round the venue, to really get a feel for it. Don’t forget to take a list of questions to ask and a tape measure to measure up any spaces for Yoga etc!
BUDGET
Do you already have a budget in mind? Or maybe you have an idea of how much you would like to charge per person.
Divide all your costs (venue, catering, workshops etc) between the number of guests you would ideally like and see if it works. If you are completely stuck for pricing, take a look at other similar offerings to yours and price it accordingly.
Budget wise, it’s always best to over-plan and have some extra money left over, rather than under-plan and cut yourself short!
EXTRAS
It’s always good to be able to offer your guests a little something extra (not always necessary, but definitely nice!)
Think about things like:
A hot tub
Local knowledge - activities to do in the local area
Free car parking
Electric car charging points (becoming much more popular!)
Quiet space for mobile therapists to come along & give treatments (payable extra)
There’s so much to think about when you are planning a Retreat, but putting the time & effort into the planning stage will really pay off when it comes to marketing & running your event.
Guests will really appreciate the extra mile you have gone to, to make things super special for them and will want to keep coming back!
My main advice when it comes to finding a Retreat Venue is to think outside the box! Don’t be afraid to look at big holiday homes, hotels, party houses, campsites, wedding venues, holiday cottage complexes…the list goes on!
Are you ready to start planning a Retreat at a venue of your dreams?
If you are feeling overwhelmed at finding a venue, The 2024 Sold Out Retreat Academy Venue Guide (ebook) is available to download now! It contains details of 100 UK Retreat venues, so you can save time searching on the internet and spend more time curating a transformational Retreat for your guests!