Our Standard
Every retreat listed on The Best Retreat meets our criteria for quality, design, and guest experience.
What We're Solving
Finding a great retreat shouldn't require hours of searching across platforms, comparing noisy reviews, or guessing whether photos match reality.
Guests don't think in platforms. They think in experiences.
The Best Retreat exists to reduce that friction by applying a clear standard and maintaining a focused catalog of retreats worth considering—wherever they're booked.
What We Stand For
Clarity over hype.
Standards over noise.
Thoughtful curation over endless choice.
The Best Retreat exists to make great retreats easier to find—and easier to trust.
What We Evaluate
We evaluate retreats based on the overall integrity of the stay, including:
Design and cohesion
Intentional aesthetics that create a sense of place and atmosphere
Setting and sense of place
Locations that make the retreat itself a destination worth traveling to
Accuracy of representation
What you see is what you get—photos and descriptions that reflect reality
Quality of the guest experience
Consistently excellent stays backed by strong reviews and host responsiveness
How Retreats Are Included
Retreats may be discovered by our team or submitted for consideration. Regardless of how a retreat is reviewed, the same criteria apply.
Inclusion is not automatic. Submission does not guarantee listing.
Listings are reviewed and maintained over time. Retreats that no longer meet our standard may be removed.
How We're Funded
Hosts pay a flat monthly fee ($10/month) to be listed once their retreat meets our criteria.
The fee supports:
- Ongoing review and maintenance of listings
- Organization and discovery across platforms
- Keeping the catalog current and useful
Payment does not influence:
- Whether a retreat is listed
- How retreats are ordered
- How retreats are described
Guests never pay to use The Best Retreat.