Non religious 'Retreat' ideas please?

[OldLace]

I was talking to a friend who is interested in starting an non religious 'retreat' type experience.

She is unsure what people would like.

She would have use of a stonebuilt house with large private garden on a small island (open to rest of the public). It is very beautiful. It would give a person a chance to 'step off' the world for a while. The house is basic but has all mod cons including good internet.

She was thinking of making it particularly women friendly but isn't sure of the legalities of making it women only?

But had wondered about offering a basic BnB type experience with communal local Vegetarian food (with extra local eggs / seafood/ sausages cooked separately for those who wished to eat such stuff)

Local history walks, guided meditation, journaling / writing group, awakened bellydance, Yoga / Reiki could all be offered by local folk.
Whether that would be part of a basic 'package' like a Spa or all booked separately I am not sure?

The person is a qualified Counseller who has experience in a range of methods and could offer a 1:1 session which could then be continued online should the client wish.

Does this all sound wishey washy or something that people might want / benefit from / be prepared to pay modest amounts for please?

I appreciate that many folk want to get 'back out there' after Covid-19 but it seems clear that many people have found a quieter life can bring its own joys too. So she wondered if people might like to 'dip into' that every so often and if there was a market for modest UK breaks like this?

There's a good market for spa breaks, so why not?

If the price was right for me, I'd be interested.

Sounds great

She's no idea how to price it I think?

It would be quite basic - 'clean and decent' rather than fancy Spa for sure.

The selling point would be the peace and the space and the basic-ness?

Is there a market for that?

I run retreats with my yoga studio and have found that however you price it, guests always prefer an 'all in' cost rather than super cheap to begin with but can pay for a million different extras.
I would always say under promise and over deliver, ie for journalling workshops we provide a new funky journal in the welcome pack but this isn't mentioned at time of booking.
The place sounds lovely, but how accessible to people is it? We did a gorgeous retreat in an amazing villa, however the airlines changed and no longer flew from major UK airports which messed us up a bit. I wouldn't be interested in flying to an area then arranging my own ferry or transfer for example, especially as this can often mean another overnight in a hotel.
Just a few things to think about

Yes there would be a market. There already is - is kind of a cross over between glamping and a spa and one of those places people go to dry out. Or one of those breaks where you go to learn bread making or something.

To price it, I'd look at all those kinds of places, and my own costs, and work out from there how to pitch it.

oh, THANK YOU, these are all good points

@Notanothercherrybakewell

Yes, I think an all in price sounds better, and then people can dip in and out of activities?

but for example, the yoga / bellydance would be provided by local experts so I guess I'd need to pay them for, say a class of 10 but only 3 people might want to join in? not sure how that would work?

I do a lot of yoga retreats and this sounds good as well.

I agree with the PP saying always price all in and then over-deliver. I do a lot of retreats run by one woman and there are always a couple of little surprises that she has built into the cost but not mentioned in the details.

And be very clear about the facilities on offer - I went on one retreat that was very expensive (£450 for two nights in the U.K. in January compared to £ 860 for a week in Corfu in September) and was horrified to discover that the bathrooms were not en-suite but shared between a corridor of 6/7 bedrooms. That made it even more expensive because I left before the second night. I still love her retreats but I won’t be returning to that venue again.

She needs to brush up on her business acumen I think and probably do this type of research for herself rather than burdening you with it?! Unless you're in for a share...

@MaryRaddy

Aargh, it IS me (probably transparently)

It is a 'return to work' type thing for me.
I have two kids with SN and an 'outside the home' job doesnt work.

Clearly I'd not just park them in a corner whilst I did this, but there is a link in with suitable schooling for them so it would be amazing for them too. I would need help from others, I am just trying to find out if there is a market first, and no idea where to start on that.

I have no business experience but am a qualified counseller and am prepared to work hard. I know the Yoga person, and the bellydance person and an artist and a local food producer so I have some leads.

I believe in the concept, I just dont much believe in 'me' so I said it was a friend thinking of doing it which is a bit pathetic really, sorry.

@oldlace I love the sound of it . I would so love to go somewhere like that on my own and read and rest. You need to do a business plan and your costs will be big . Will you be renting or mortgage or debt free own it ? Insurance will be huge , will you be offering spa treatments ? Or just more a rest and relaxing experience. You really need to do some more research first. Have you tried to do online counselling. I think right now there Might be a good market .

Fairly private studios/therapy rooms for general uses, things that could be 1:1 or small group, as well as the yoga classes etc.
I have a dream of being able to have a small holiday cottage with the addition of an artist/writer studio for this kind of thing.
My dream also includes an orchard although you would probably have to have one already as that's quite a thing to develop from the ground up.

@Lyreco

I would be offered a 10 year peppercorn rent option.

It would be low budget. No Spa type things no.

No 'frills' at all really, but space and peace and time and nature.

There are religious retreats and I know of a local (ish) Buddhist one, but not what I would offer (purely secular)

There are private holiday cottages, or fancy Spas / hotels, but I would offer more of a communal experience but without the frills.

I am struggling to sell it to myself but I need to put a business plan together for the owner of the property and I've never done one before. I have about 6 weeks to do this. I am viewing the house soon so at this stage just need to be able to sound confident about the concept.

I am sure it would be of appeal. But I need it to sound STRONG?

WRT paying for 10yoga places and only 3 turn up, you actually pay the yoga teacher a set fee for the full hour (or however many hours you want them for). This can vary massively but expect it to be between £25-£75 depending on experience; the higher end if you need them to bring mats with them.
What I find is we do a welcome dinner on the first night and get to know the other guests, so there is a group mentality from the off. This means most people do try out all classes etc on offer because they know at least 1 friendly face they recognise.

The 1:1 counselling sounds good, maybe a 'what do you want to get out of the retreat' at the beginning so you can tailor it slightly and recommend which elements to take part in.

The main thing I would say is where are you going to get your customers from? Do you already have a website and a following for your counselling? Or will you advertise on the online platforms? We have a strong following in the studio so tend to get 75% from there - the rest being friends of friends and online.

Just realised you said you're viewing a property soon. Is this so you can book the weeks you want to hold your retreats? Or are you intending to rent the entire thing for the full year?
I would find the latter incredibly difficult to do, especially without a strong following to begin with.

It would be to sign a 10 year lease!

I would be able to live there with my children and there is a big educational advantage for them so even if it was just that it would be a really good move for me.

BUT the landlord wants something done with it that is in keeping with the local community and this sort of thing would be.
I'd like to slowly grow a holistic business supporting people in a natural environment.

I dont have an online presence at the moment no.

A watercolour challenge afternoon should be dirt cheap .
A USP of a smoke-free retreat would be nice ( so only hire non-smokers )
Haircuts on site would be appealing at present !

Otherwise often wondered if it is feasible to offer a two week crash course at a retreat in basic math / english - the same courses a night school does but without the hassle of only being able to register in September.The downside is the costs - but if the goverment could pay you to house and try to educate a job seeker - then even if they do not pass the exam you still get paid ?

@OldLace right, well ok apologies my reply was probably a bit curt.
You could trial the idea with any groups of friends you have. Get them in exchange for taking part on marketing photos, feedback, reviews etc.
Also have a look at this venture not far from me: old-lands.co.uk/
They've got a gorgeous social media presence.

Sounds a wonderful opportunity for you. Would the rooms be in your main home? Or will you have a separate 'family house' but within the same property?

Sounds blissful - sign me up!

I went on a yoga and walking weekend last year. I'm going again this year. They have lots of repeat bookers (it's not your company is it @Notanothercherrybakewell?)

The people who run them hire the venues (they use a few) and this one provided breakfast and supper which was really useful. They also included a packed lunch but that was because we walked over lunchtimes.

As a minimum I'd want breakfast.

Walking was straightforward as they hired a guide.

I loved the peace and quiet.

Being able to dip in and out was useful.

Sounds nice.
En suite bathroom .
Make it nice for people who book on their own.
A library with books.

@MinnieMountain sadly not, we have a studio on the outskirts of Milton Keynes but hold our retreats in Spain, usually on the islands. We rent villas that have dedicated events management teams well versed in wellness and yoga setups so it takes a lot of the stress out of it thankfully!

OP Apologies if you have seen this already ( it mentions Old-Lands, already suggested by a previous poster) but this list with clickable links might help with your background research:
www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/mar/15/wild-britain-overnight-stays-at-nature-reserves?fbclid=IwAR2hWhVgZqAndYa7OpqfpOcA-SSTEevtNAtJA9r5pv1lRf1bKg9sYUXdd_c

One boring but important thing to consider is cleaning and tidying and changing beds etc for each new intake of guests. Who will do this? It's not always easy to find people able or willing to do the work in sparsely-populated areas. (I know holiday cottage owners in the Highlands who have difficulty finding cleaners - there simply aren't enough people living nearby.) And who will cook and serve meals?

Lots of writers offer writing retreats, maybe get in touch with a few of them (I think you can google, Chez Castillion is the one that springs to mind but that's in France so may be different) and find out what they charge?