What Makes a Retreat Transformative? Lessons from a Decade of Curating Luxury Wellness Experiences
We’ve all seen the images: the beautiful villas, the turquoise water, the perfectly plated meals. Retreats have become synonymous with escape — a chance to step away from your day-to-day and indulge in something beautiful.
And while all of that matters — the beauty, the care, the luxury — a truly transformative retreat goes much deeper.
Over the past decade, through Holistree, I’ve had the privilege of curating wellness and cultural experiences for Black women and communities of color around the world. Along the way, I’ve learned what actually makes a retreat unforgettable, and more importantly, transformational — the kind of experience that stays with you long after you return home.
Here’s what I’ve discovered:
It’s Not Just Where You Go — It’s How You Feel
Location matters — of course it does. Being somewhere breathtaking and culturally rich sets the stage. But the most transformative retreats are designed to make you feel seen.
From the moment you arrive, every detail — from the welcome to the programming — should affirm that you belong there. When participants feel safe, centered, and cared for, they can let their guard down. That’s when the real healing begins.
It Honors the Whole Person
A transformative retreat doesn’t just give you a schedule of activities; it creates space for all of you — your rest, your joy, your questions, your grief, your laughter.
At Holistree, we think about what people need on a soul level: space to rest and be quiet - opportunities for reflection and growth - meaningful connection with others - moments of beauty and delight
It’s not just about “doing” but about allowing — allowing yourself to feel, to breathe, to dream again.
It’s Rooted in Intention and Culture
What sets a retreat apart from a vacation is intention. Every choice — from the location and the menu to the facilitators and the flow — should align with a deeper purpose.
For us, that purpose includes honoring Black culture and creating spaces where our history, beauty, and resilience are celebrated. Cultural grounding makes the experience not just luxurious but meaningful.
It Leaves You Changed
At its best, a retreat doesn’t just offer a temporary escape — it shifts something inside you.
Our guests often tell us they leave with: a clearer sense of who they are and what they want new practices to support their well-being - connections with like-minded, like-hearted people - a renewed belief in their right to rest, joy, and abundance
That’s what we aim for — not just a beautiful weekend, but a memory and a message you carry forward into your everyday life.
If you’ve been thinking about attending — or even creating — a retreat, I invite you to reflect: Does it feel intentional?
Does it honor who you are?
Will it leave you better than it found you?
These are the questions that guide us at Holistree, and they can guide you, too.
Because a retreat should be more than a trip — it should be a turning point.
