Why Do Retreats Cost So Much?

I've been trying to learn SEO and I stumbled across a website where you can plug in one of your keywords to see what blog topics ranked the highest for search results.⁣⁠ ⁣⁠ I naturally searched "retreat" and the most common search is "why do retreats cost so much".⁣⁠ ⁣⁠ Fair question.⁣⁠ ⁣⁠ And I've got answers ;)⁣⁠

I know that it’s normally considered taboo to talk about money but I’ve never been uncomfortable talking about it. I always work with a team as well as many other vendors when I host retreats, and I think discussing payment amounts and schedules is the only way to have clear conversations and expectations.

I also haven’t had a scarcity mindset with money for many years and my whole life changed when I stopped thinking “I can’t afford it” and instead thought “what do I have to do to attain this.” Sometimes I need time to plan and save in order to acquire the items or services that I want which is why I try to launch all of my retreats at least 6 months before we host it. I know that our retreats are investments but I do believe that they are worth it and that you are worth investing in yourself.

I’ve hosted 6 retreats over the last year and a half and have several more scheduled for 2020. We’ve hosted locally in the mitten state and internationally because I love taking people all over the world and watching them grow when they’re pushed outside of their comfort zones. I’m not claiming to be an expert but here is a breakdown on retreat costs from my personal experience.

The main items that are factored into my retreat budgets are:

1. length of retreat

2. location/lodging

3. meals

4. excursions

5. rental cars/transportation

6. gift bags

7. co-hosts

8. advertising and marketing

9. overhead expenses

10. me

Let’s look at all of these a little bit closer.

Length of Retreat

This one should be obvious. A large portion of my costs for hosting retreats normally goes toward renting the house(s) that we stay in. I also normally need to rent the house for an additional night because my team and I can’t get in at 4 pm, and still pick all of the guests up at the airport, feed them dinner and do some welcome activities. We need a lot more time to set up and get ready.

Location/Lodging

I spend a lot of time emailing owners of properties to try to get a better deal and an early check in so that I can get the cost down as low as possible. This doesn’t always work and I either have to suck it up and pay more than I’d like to or move on. If we host in a high tourist area during peak season (read: northern Michigan in the summer) I’ll pay top dollar like everyone else. I also am normally searching for houses that can sleep 15 people which makes the search and the bargaining much harder. I don’t want to rent a house with one bathroom and lots of bunk beds. There’s nothing wrong with that set up, it’s just not my preference or brand. I always want my houses to have a wow factor, feel secluded, and have plenty of space for people to spread out and find privacy if they crave it. I want you to feel relaxed and excited to stay with us from the moment you arrive.

Meals

I always want my retreats to be all-inclusive; to include all meals (food and chef costs), transportation, daily excursions, workshops and yoga, of course lodging, and sometimes bodywork. I also want my guests to feel safe and I field a lot of questions about food allergies. Retreats are supposed to be relaxing, not creating more anxiety for you, that’s why it’s so important to me to always have chef Abbey on board. She can handle any and all food allergies while still making food so good that I promise you’ll have dreams about it later. I also want everyone to feel good, nourished and taken care of and Abbey embodies showing love through her cooking.

My very first retreat I hosted with a resort and they charged me ridiculously high prices for very low quality food. They also dictated the schedule. We had to work all activities around meal times and I hated it, it was very inflexible and not conducive to excursions. After that, I swore I’d find a private chef and rent my own house and I hit the jackpot with Abbey, so grateful!

Excursions

What’s a retreat without adventure? Boring in my opinion ;) I try to create retreat itineraries with daily excursions so that guests are entertained, pushed outside of their comfort zone, get to reconnect with nature and all of the beauty that surrounds us, and more likely to interact with one another. I want everyone to feel taken care of and that they don’t have to worry about anything, so I build excursions into retreat prices so that we don’t have to worry about telling everyone how much money to bring and standing in a long line while everyone awkwardly exchanges money. Not fun, all reservations are always booked and paid for well in advance.

I always travel to the excursions before I host the retreats so sometimes I also need to cover my scouting costs.

Rental Cars/Transportation

In keeping with the theme of not wanting guests to have to worry about any detail, we provide transportation from the nearest airport for our non-local retreats and we carpool when travelling to excursions on our local retreats. Most people have some anxiety when figuring out how to get from point A to point B in unfamiliar locations and I never want my guests to be anxious. For non-local retreats, we rent 2-3 cars and build it into the retreat cost along with fuel costs. Sometimes this can drive the price per guest up significantly when travelling in countries that require insurance through the rental company, but those are the details that I have no problem handling and compensating for.

Gift Bags

Always my favorite part but always the last in line for the budget unfortunately. I love surprising guests and try to offer extra touches that will make them feel special. I also really love supporting other small businesses that have products that I love and respect. My priority is making the retreats affordable so sometimes we have to get a little creative with the gift bags, but we’re getting better and these are still a justifiable expense in my opinion!

Co-hosts

After hosting my second retreat, I realized I needed a team if I was going to be able pull off a retreat the way I wanted to and also be able to show up as the best version of myself. I believe in paying people for goods and services, especially small business owners who are often taken advantage of. I’m humbled and grateful that my co-hosts were willing to learn and grow with me but now that we have it all figured out, everyone is getting a raise in 2020. These women work so hard to make sure that everyone has the best time and have absolutely everything they need, so this is where a large chunk of the budget goes and I firmly believe it’s the most important part.

Advertising and Marketing

I’m hoping that the more we grow as a brand, that we won’t have to spend as much here but so far we haven’t been able to avoid it. This is also the area of running a small business that I need the most help with because I feel the least educated in this field. We also offer early bird discounts as a marketing strategy, and we have to make sure we can compensate for those discounts so that we can cover all other costs.

Overhead Expenses

There are so many things that would fit in this category, but rather than bore you with the details, I’ll just say that flight costs for the hosts and credit card fees are the largest expenses for this category.

Me

Last but certainly not least, if I didn’t pay myself this would just be a very expensive hobby. It also wouldn’t be a sustainable way to live because I know how much work and how exhausting pulling off a retreat can be. I know that I would burn out quickly if it wasn’t a source of income for me. I do pay myself last because I would never not pay my bills or my team and if I didn’t have enough to pay myself then that is a mistake that is my fault and I would assume full responsibility for it.

I’ve been approached my multiple retreat centers, asking me to work with them. After reading all of their proposals, it’s obvious I’d be working for them for basically nothing. I know that there is some appeal to the retreat host to not have to front all of the money, it’s a huge risk and can be very expensive. I also know many hosts don’t want to worry about the logistics, but that’s the part that I’m the best at and also happens to be my favorite. Every retreat center that I’ve been approached by has offered me the terrible opportunity to pay for my own flight and also be responsible for bringing a minimum number of guests (10-20), but then I’d get to stay at their lovely center for “free”. Insert eye roll here. Once you do the math, you realize you get to work really hard for free because while they are making thousands, you’re doing the majority of the work for maybe $500 after you cover your travel expenses. And that’s for a week. If I made $500 per week, I’d make right around the poverty line.

I also am much more interested in working with smaller companies that are putting money back into their local communities. That is not always the case with these retreat centers. To be clear, I don’t think there is a wrong way to retreat. I know lots of yoga teachers and friends that go the retreat center route and host incredible experiences that I’d be thrilled to be a guest at. This is how I want my retreat brand to operate and I thought I’d share some insights into how I budget.

Hopefully that helps you justify the investment that a retreat can be. We have lots of different options available for you to join us!

My name is Anna VanAgtmael, and I am a certified yoga instructor with a passion for yoga, travel, and connecting with others.

I believe in trying everything once. My values lie in collecting memories over things. Though we desire adventure and authentic experiences, naturally our fear holds us back.

My ambition is to inspire and encourage you to unmask your fears and jump into the unknown.

Anna VanAgtmael | Yoga Enthusiast | Travel Designer