Retreat & Be vs TripAdvisor Wellness: Which is better for your retreat?

TripAdvisor is one of the world's largest travel review platforms, with reviews across hotels, restaurants, and experiences in 160+ countries. While TripAdvisor has a wellness experiences category, it is fundamentally a review and discovery tool built for general tourism — not a booking platform built for the specific needs of retreat organizers and wellness seekers. Retreat & Be combines discovery, booking, community, and host management tools in a single wellness-first ecosystem.

Feature comparison

Feature comparison between Retreat & Be and TripAdvisor Wellness
Feature	Retreat & Be	TripAdvisor Wellness
Commission rate	12%	up to 20% via Viator
Integrated social platform	Yes	No
Live streaming	Yes	No
Product marketplace	Yes	No
Advertising platform	Yes	generic display ads
Multi-language support (7 languages)	Yes	EN + others (generic)
Referral program	Yes	No
Affiliate program	Yes	TripAdvisor affiliate
Mobile app	Yes	Yes
GDPR compliant	Yes	Partial
Free listing	Yes	basic only
Review system	Yes	Yes

Commission rate

Retreat & Be12%

TripAdvisor Wellnessup to 20% via Viator

Integrated social platform

Retreat & Be

TripAdvisor Wellness

Live streaming

Retreat & Be

TripAdvisor Wellness

Product marketplace

Retreat & Be

TripAdvisor Wellness

Advertising platform

Retreat & Be

TripAdvisor Wellnessgeneric display ads

Multi-language support (7 languages)

Retreat & Be

TripAdvisor WellnessEN + others (generic)

Referral program

Retreat & Be

TripAdvisor Wellness

Affiliate program

Retreat & Be

TripAdvisor WellnessTripAdvisor affiliate

Mobile app

Retreat & Be

TripAdvisor Wellness

GDPR compliant

Retreat & Be

TripAdvisor Wellness

Free listing

Retreat & Be

TripAdvisor Wellnessbasic only

Review system

Retreat & Be

TripAdvisor Wellness

Why choose Retreat & Be over TripAdvisor Wellness

Wellness-only platform — retreats are never competing with restaurants and hotel reviews for visibility
Booking directly integrated — TripAdvisor sends retreat seekers off-platform to book
Community and social features build long-term host-guest relationships impossible on TripAdvisor
Live streaming and virtual retreat capacity — not available on TripAdvisor
Lower commission rate than TripAdvisor/Viator's combined booking infrastructure
Host management tools (curriculum, scheduling, client communication) — absent from TripAdvisor

What our hosts say

“Switching to Retreat & Be was the best decision we made. The lower commission and built-in social tools helped us grow our bookings by 40% in the first quarter.”
— Retreat host, Bali

“The live streaming feature lets us offer hybrid retreats that reach people who can't travel. No other platform gave us that out of the box.”
— Yoga studio owner, Provence

Frequently asked questions

Does TripAdvisor allow direct retreat bookings?: TripAdvisor primarily drives discovery and reviews. Booking typically happens off-platform, through Viator (which TripAdvisor owns) or direct links. This creates friction for guests and reduces conversion rates. Retreat & Be handles discovery and booking in one integrated flow.
Are TripAdvisor reviews more trusted than Retreat & Be reviews?: TripAdvisor has strong brand recognition for reviews, but its review verification system has faced criticism for fake review susceptibility. Retreat & Be verifies that all reviewers have completed a booking, ensuring authentic, credible feedback from genuine retreat participants.
Can retreat organizers manage their business on TripAdvisor?: TripAdvisor offers basic business management tools for responding to reviews. It does not provide curriculum management, live streaming, community building, client communication, or any of the operational tools retreat businesses need.

Ready to try Retreat & Be?

List your retreat for free and start reaching wellness seekers worldwide. No upfront costs, lower commissions, and more tools to grow your business.