Terms of Service

Last updated: February 1, 2026

Welcome to The Best Retreat. By using our website and services, you agree to these Terms of Service. Please read them carefully.

1. What We Do

The Best Retreat (“we,” “us,” “our”) operates a curated catalog of vacation rentals. We review and list retreats that meet our quality standards. We are a discovery platform—not a booking platform.

We do not:

  • Process bookings or reservations
  • Handle payments between guests and hosts
  • Manage, own, or operate any retreat properties
  • Guarantee the completeness or ongoing accuracy of retreat listings
  • Guarantee the quality of any guest experience

All bookings occur directly between guests and hosts through the host's own booking platform (such as Airbnb, VRBO, or direct booking). We simply help guests discover quality retreats.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use the Service. By using The Best Retreat, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.

3. For Guests

Our role is to help you discover retreats that meet our standards. Our standards reflect a review of design, presentation, and general guest experience indicators, but do not constitute a guarantee of any specific outcome.

Important: We do not manage bookings or guarantee experiences. Any issues with your stay—including cancellations, refunds, property conditions, or disputes—must be resolved directly with the host or their booking platform.

If you believe a listed retreat no longer meets quality standards, you may contact us at hello@thebestretreat.com. We review all feedback but are not obligated to take action.

4. For Hosts

Submission and Approval

Hosts may submit retreats for consideration at no cost. Submission does not guarantee listing. We review all submissions and approve only those that meet our standards. Approval decisions are made at our sole discretion.

Subscription and Payment

Upon approval, hosts pay a monthly subscription fee of $10/month to maintain their listing. Payment is required before the listing goes live. Subscriptions are billed monthly and renew automatically until cancelled.

Payment does not influence approval. We review retreats before any payment is collected. Your subscription pays for ongoing listing maintenance, not placement or ranking.

Cancellation

Hosts may cancel their subscription at any time through their dashboard. Upon cancellation:

  • Your listing remains active until the end of your current billing period
  • After the billing period ends, your listing will be removed from the public catalog
  • No partial refunds are provided for unused portions of a billing period

Refund Policy

Because we review retreats before charging, refunds are generally not provided. We believe hosts should have full information about their listing status before payment.

Exceptions may be made for:

  • Technical errors resulting in duplicate charges
  • Charges made after a cancellation was properly submitted

To request a refund, contact hello@thebestretreat.com within 7 days of the charge. All refund decisions are made at our sole discretion.

Host Responsibilities

By listing a retreat, you represent and warrant that:

  • You own or have authorization to list the property
  • All information provided is accurate and current
  • You own or have the necessary rights to all submitted content (photos, descriptions, etc.)
  • Your content does not infringe any third-party rights
  • You will maintain accurate booking availability on your own platform
  • You will respond to guest inquiries in a timely manner

5. Listing Removal

We reserve the right to remove any listing at any time, for any reason, including but not limited to:

  • The retreat no longer meets our quality standards
  • Consistent negative guest feedback
  • Inaccurate or misleading listing information
  • Failure to maintain property standards
  • Violation of these Terms
  • Non-payment of subscription fees

We may, but are not obligated to, provide notice before removal. Upon removal, your subscription will be cancelled immediately and your listing will no longer appear on the site. Removal does not entitle hosts to refunds, including for any unused portion of the current billing period.

6. Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without notice, for any reason, including violation of these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately.

7. Intellectual Property

The Best Retreat name, logo, website design, and original content are our property and protected by intellectual property laws.

Hosts retain ownership of their submitted content (photos, descriptions, etc.) but grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, and distribute this content in connection with the Service.

Listed hosts may use The Best Retreat badge on their own marketing materials while their listing is active.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, The Best Retreat and its owners, employees, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from:

  • Your use of or inability to use the Service
  • Any booking or stay at a listed retreat
  • Any interaction between guests and hosts
  • Any content posted by hosts or third parties
  • Unauthorized access to your data

Our total liability for any claim arising from these Terms shall not exceed the amount you paid to us in the 12 months preceding the claim.

9. Force Majeure

We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, acts of government, internet or infrastructure outages, pandemics, or other events of force majeure.

10. Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. Arbitration shall take place in the State of Georgia.

Class Action Waiver: You agree to resolve disputes individually and waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.

11. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.

12. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify users of material changes by posting the updated Terms on this page with a new “Last updated” date. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

13. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Contact us at hello@thebestretreat.com.