How To Host A Successful Luxury Retreat

You have been dreaming of hosting a retreat for your business and you're finally feeling that now is the time! Retreats are an incredible way to create community and build an incredible experience for you and your clients. Plus who doesn't want to get paid to travel! The truth is that to create a luxury retreat there are a few huge considerations that you will want to think through prior to marketing to your audience. Here I will guide you from experience How to host a successful luxury retreat.

Determine the Type of Retreat you Want to Host

What kind of retreat do you want to plan? Establish clear retreat objectives and the vibe you want to convey. Will it be a luxury wellness retreat, detox retreat, family retreat, business retreat, or an escape retreat? Having the niche ready will provide you with the proper lens through which to strategize the rest of the planning. 

For instance, a family retreat might require a retreat with a few adventurous activities included in it, whereas an ideal escape retreat preference would be in a secluded environment. 

Target Customer

Clarify your desired target market because the needs, wants, and vibe of one market will be different from those of another.

Is it an all-female or all-male retreat, does it matter? Is there an age range you are trying to attract? What is the objective of the retreat? Sometimes by creating a result of what you want people to have once they have left, you define your target audience desires, goals and the transformation they will get.

Clarifying your target customer also allows you to concentrate on one specific group when designing and selling the retreat. The more specific you get, the more you increase your marketability and clarify the resources needed to make it an unforgettable experience. 

Strategy, Structure & Timetable of the Retreat

Identify the objective of the retreat. What feeling will they walk away with? What is the direct result they will receive from attending the retreat?

1. Number of days? What is the duration of the retreat? Make sure that you are able to fully accomplish your desired result in this timeframe.
2. Lodging:  Since we are talking about creating a luxury retreat, selecting a luxurious venue is key. Think about the feeling you want to evoke for the retreat and you will get a sense of direction on the type of lodging you will consider. Is it intimate or grand and large scale? Is it off the beaten path or in a metropolis? 
3. Food & Beverage: Your retreat location will potentially determine if food and beverage is included or if you need to hire a private chef.
4. Activities: Determine the activities necessary to create a fully aligned retreat. If it is a yoga retreat, will you be facilitating or will you be hiring out. I have found that $100-200 per day for an instructor is a good rule of thumb. Are you speaking? If so determine the topics and objectives. Are you hiring speakers? If so, ensure you consider their travel costs. If you are traveling to participate in activities, ensure that you have proper transportation costs accounted for as well.
5. Weather: Be sure to consider any delays as well as activities and have a second option if you are doing anything outside.  
6. Itineraries: Ensure that you create space between activities as to give your clients some breathing room. Create a schedule of the tasks for the day. How will the morning, afternoon, and evening be spent? Who will be your direct point of contact?

At this stage of planning, it's a great idea to consider what makes your retreat unique from those already on the market. In a sense, what is your unique selling proposition (USP)?

Keep in mind that all of these details will be used as content when you plan to market it in the future, so in a sense, you are also creating marketing content for the days to come.

Pricing & Budgeting for the retreat  

Pricing is most likely the part that has you worried the most. Budgeting for the perfect retreat can vary based on the type of lodging you choose: All inclusive, Rental Property or Retreat Center. 

Transportation can be a major cost if you plan to pick up and drop off at the airport, especially if the retreat is in a remote location. 

Costs that most forget to incorporate are the gifts, your airline tickets, costs while on retreat (dinner, additional supplies etc.) and activities that can add up quick of you do not plan for it in advance. 

You can also check out my retreat pricing secret here for guidance on how to budget for the retreat.

When it comes to pricing your retreat, think about the 3 to 1 model. You want to get a return on your retreat, the more people you add, the less you need to charge, however this is variable depending on how you are selling the retreat. 

Also consider that the more people you add, the more people you need to manage and it may require you to have another set of hands, especially if you want to ensure a smooth and seamless retreat without hiccups.

Marketing & Selling the Retreat 

Now that we have a plan ready the next step is to create hype for your retreat. 

1. Landing Page: Create a landing page where clients can see all your retreat has to offer and buy a ticket. Make sure that your page contains a lot of imagery, and goes deep on the transformation. People buy emotion, not logic for a high-ticket offering.
2. Content generation: Create a tagline for your retreat. Based on the transformation you create and the result they can expect, create hype using a simple, easy to understand tagline. This hook could be your USP. Generate content in the form of social media posts, emails, videos and live videos etc.
3. Waitlist: Create a waitlist to build hype for your retreat. Run this waitlist promo for 5-7 days then promote to your waitlist. If you have a build in audience, be sure to give them a special nudge and incentive to come with you. 

Pro tip: Begin marketing at least 90 days in advance for effective reach and turn around time for the customers as well. 

How to Plan Your First Coaching Retreat & the Three Types of Business Models

This workbook will give you the estimates and examples you need to be able to estimate the costs of your retreat!!

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Final Thoughts

When it comes to retreat, marketing is a whole new animal, its not like selling products or coaching services. You truly need to appeal to the heart. Zoning in on the transformation you create for your client is very important and almost in the same, testimonials sell for you.

Ensure that you remember the surprise and delight moments and plan for a post retreat feedback as well as a way to garner reviews. 

There is so much that goes into creating, selling and hosting retreats that you will want to ensure you have a checklist and a seamless way to keep track of all the details. If you want a turn-key way to build, plan, sell and market your retreats, check out my "Retreat mini course" - It is an all-in-one, detailed, step-by-step mini-guide to retreat design. 

If you found this blog helpful, leave us a comment below! Happy Planning!