I’ve had one or two clients pitch me the idea of having their retreats in a hotel. Anyone who’s spent a week in a hotel, knows the feeling of the walls caving in on them and experiencing something almost like cabin fever. I would nix this option immediately.
I’ve also had clients ask about hosting at AirBnbs. This isn’t “wrong” but things can start to feel cramped and you don’t have a the luxuries such as house cleaning, an onsite restaurant, a concierge service, separate bedrooms and the host will most likely be overwhelmed and inundated with duties. ALSO, hosts can CANCEL! I’ve seen it happen before!
If you want to have the smoothest experience possible for yourself and your participants, find an actual retreat venue that has a nice layout, has lots of room, enough space for people to have their own rooms, shuttle services, a restaurant, A YOGA ROOM, everythinggggg is already there for you.
Look for a venue that has superb customer service and maintains regular communication. The less people have to worry about when arriving, the better. This is why it is important to host at destinations that provide airport transfers, meals and easy access to excursions.
If you are eyeing a location that you’ve never been to before, do in-depth research to make sure that it will provide you with everything that you want and need. Look at the ratings and take note of the things that most people appreciate. If there are negative reviews, consider whether or not you want to deal with those issues. You can even reach out to retreat venues and voice your concerns when getting information.
A great way to get information on a venue is to reach out to other teachers who have been there or have current retreats set up. Pick their brains about everything from communication with the venue to the food, lodging, and transportation services, etc. This is an excellent way to vet a place, get a feel for how they handle retreats, and get the information you’re looking for.
Finding the perfect location is the first step and can often be time consuming. It’s in this first step where people often get overwhelmed and put it off until “later” and then later never happens.
I’m excited to take the stress of planning off your shoulders and set up the perfect yoga retreat for you and your students. I’ve been leading retreats for 8 years and have learned so much about the ins and outs of how to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. I’ve come to LOVE the process of making retreats happen and especially for other people. Let’s set up a call and make your next retreat a reality now! Reach out at erin@panacearetreats.co