hosted/trips and BookRetreats
Facts checked 4 Oct 2026 · wording is a draft for the copy team.
BookRetreats is a large retreat marketplace where travellers find, compare and book retreats and trainings on its own site. hosted/trips is a listing site for hosted trips of many kinds, where travellers find a trip and then book directly with the host. hosted/trips is launching soon, no date set.
At a glance
| hosted/trips | BookRetreats | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Travellers looking for a trip run by a named host · hosts who sell from their own site | Travellers looking for a retreat or training to book on one site · retreat hosts and centres who want bookings from that audience |
| Kinds of trip | Retreats · workshops · group trips · cruises · event trips · camps and gatherings · road trips. Every trip has a named host. | Mainly yoga, meditation and wellness retreats and teacher trainings, plus a wide "other" range (creative, relationship, activity and group retreats). Categories |
| How travellers book | On the host's own site. hosted/trips takes no bookings or payments from travellers. | On BookRetreats: the guest pays a deposit through the site, and if only the deposit was paid there, the host collects the balance. No booking or card fees for guests. Balance · Home |
| How hosts pay | Free while we launch. Afterwards a flat monthly fee paid up front (price not set). No commission. Founding members of The Hosting Guild list free (conditions apply). | Free to list. A commission on each booking, charged on the total booking amount including extras added later (for example coaching), plus a payment processing fee on money they process. Rates are set out in their host terms. Fees · Terms §20 |
| Paid placement | Sponsored spots, when offered, are always labeled. The regular list is never for sale. | Hosts can choose a higher commission rate, which their help centre says "moves your retreat higher in search results." They describe it as one signal blended with quality signals such as engagement, availability and reviews. Ranking |
| Price rules for hosts | None. Hosts set their own prices anywhere. | Hosts agree not to list the retreat for a lower price elsewhere, and not to add the commission on top of their price. Terms §21 · Price parity |
| Reviews | No reviews yet. | Guest reviews on listings. Requests go out only after the retreat ends, and they post positive and negative reviews. Reviews policy |
| What the host gets | Page views and clicks every month. Every listing is reviewed before it goes live. Trip-idea testing for 90 days ("gauging interest"). | Bookings and payouts through the platform, a choice of cancellation policies, and 24/7 support for hosts and guests. Work with us |
| Status and size | Launching soon, no date set. A small number of listings at launch. | Founded 2016. They state 4,500+ active retreats and "millions of visitors every year." About · Work with us |
What BookRetreats does well
- A large, established audience. Running since 2016, with 4,500+ active retreats listed and, in their words, "millions of visitors every year, looking specifically for retreats." (About · Work with us)
- Booking and payment on one site. Guests pay no booking or card fees, every booking gets a 72-hour free cancellation window, and hosts choose from set cancellation policies. (Guarantee)
- Guest reviews with a published policy. Review requests are automated and sent after the retreat, and negative reviews are posted unless they break policy. (Reviews policy)
- Support around the clock. A 24/7 support team for hosts and guests. (Work with us)
- Curation. They describe their retreats as handpicked and reviewed. (About)
Where hosted/trips is different
"We never make you charge more on your own site."
"We take no cut of your bookings, or of anything you sell your guests afterwards."
"Sponsored spots are always labeled. The regular list is never for sale."
- Travellers book with the host directly. hosted/trips sends them to the host's own site and takes no bookings or payments.
- A flat fee, not a commission. Free while we launch, then a flat monthly fee paid up front. Founding members of The Hosting Guild list free (conditions apply).
- The order is set by date, not money or clicks. Trips are listed by soonest booking-closing date. Travellers can re-sort by earliest · latest · price. Clicks never change the order.
- Hosts see their numbers, and can test an idea first. Monthly page views and clicks. "Gauging interest" lets a host test a trip idea for 90 days; interested travellers' names reach the host only if the trip goes ahead.
- Trip alerts and a wider range. Travellers can get an email when a new trip of a kind, theme or place is listed, across retreats · workshops · group trips · cruises · event trips · camps and gatherings · road trips.
What hosted/trips does not have: no reviews yet · no on-site booking or payment protection · a small number of listings at launch · no mobile booking app.
Which might suit you
Travellers. If you want to compare many retreats, read guest reviews, and pay a deposit on one site with a set cancellation window, BookRetreats is built for that. If you want to find a trip run by a named host, of any kind, and book directly with them on their own site, hosted/trips is built for that.
Hosts. If you want access to a large retreat audience and are happy to pay a commission per booking, with bookings and enquiries handled on their platform and prices in line with their terms, BookRetreats offers that. If you want to keep selling from your own site at your own prices, pay a flat fee instead of a commission, and see your own views and clicks, hosted/trips is designed for that.
Sources
All BookRetreats pages below were checked 4 Oct 2026. hosted/trips facts come from the hosted/trips plan and settled decisions.
- https://bookretreats.com/ (checked 4 Oct 2026)
- https://bookretreats.com/about (checked 4 Oct 2026)
- https://bookretreats.com/work-with-us (checked 4 Oct 2026)
- https://bookretreats.com/terms §20 · §21 · §22 (checked 4 Oct 2026)
- https://bookretreats.com/help/en/articles/2501284-how-do-fees-work-on-bookretreats-com (checked 4 Oct 2026)
- https://bookretreats.com/help/how-we-rank-retreats (checked 4 Oct 2026)
- https://bookretreats.com/help/en/articles/11164796-boosting-your-retreat-ranking-with-commission (checked 4 Oct 2026)
- https://bookretreats.com/help/can-i-add-your-commission-above-the-price-on-our-website-so-we-can-absorb-the-commission-you-are-charging (checked 4 Oct 2026)
- https://bookretreats.com/help/off-platform-communication-booking-policy (checked 4 Oct 2026)
- https://bookretreats.com/help/how-does-the-deposit-work (checked 4 Oct 2026)
- https://bookretreats.com/help/who-collects-the-remaining-balance (checked 4 Oct 2026)
- https://bookretreats.com/help/bookretreats-guarantee (checked 4 Oct 2026)
- https://bookretreats.com/help/our-commitment-to-genuine-reviews (checked 4 Oct 2026)
- https://bookretreats.com/hubs/categories (checked 4 Oct 2026)