Budgeting a Retreat Without Killing the Vibe

Let’s talk money for a second.

When teachers come to us with their dream retreat, one of the first things we do is get a clear picture of the budget. But instead of overcomplicating things, we keep it clean and collaborative.

We start by reaching out to all our trusted suppliers - accommodation, transport, activities, food - and get estimated costs for everything. Once we’ve gathered those, we break down the full cost across the available rooms and spaces. That gives us a clear idea of what needs to be covered and how it could work across a range of price points.

From there, it’s a back-and-forth conversation. Some teachers want to keep it luxe, others are trying to make it affordable for their community. We play around with tiered pricing, optional add-ons, and even shoulder-season rates - thanks to our local network, we can often unlock pricing schemes that most retreat organisers don’t know exist.

Once we’ve landed on a structure that works for both sides, the teacher takes over managing bookings and deposits. Then, in batches, they send us lump sums so we can pay suppliers on time and keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes.

This is the process that we have found works best. It’s simple, clear and it means our teachers can focus on creating a great experience rather than fiddling with numbers. We keep it light, precise, and transparent, so nothing gets lost in translation (or in a spreadsheet).

We set pricing for single and double occupancy (where relevant), making sure each guest covers their share of the costs while leaving room for a healthy profit margin.

We gather estimated and actual costs from trusted suppliers to build a realistic budget. This becomes our starting point for pricing rooms in a way that covers costs and meets the retreat goals.