For buyers and new owners of retreat venues

Know what you're buying. Run it well from day one.

An independent operations review before you buy a retreat venue, and a hands-on 90-day plan after you get the keys. So the property you fell in love with becomes a business that works.

For retreat centers, eco-lodges and wellness properties that host retreats.

Book a free call Real estate agents ↓
Thinking of buying

See the full picture before you sign.

Bookings, team, systems and the real cost to run it.

The pre-purchase review →
Just bought

Take over without losing a season.

Accounts, guests, team and systems, set up in 90 days.

The 90-day plan →

The gap

Your lawyer checks the title. Your inspector checks the roof. Nobody checks the operation.

When you buy a retreat venue, you're buying a business as much as a property. How well it runs depends on bookings, people and systems that never show up in a listing, and that's where buyers lose money.

Lawyer or notaryTitle, liens and transfer
InspectorThe buildings
AccountantThe books and taxes
Retreat Blueprint Co.How the business runs

Two ways I help

Before you buy, and after you get the keys

01 For buyers and investors

Pre-Purchase Operations Review

An independent, neutral picture of how the venue runs, so you can decide with confidence and plan from day one.

  • Operations Health Score across 8 areas
  • Key numbers verified against records
  • Risks to address, each with a suggested next step
  • The true monthly cost to operate
  • The upside: what the venue could earn with stronger operations
  • A week-by-week 90-day roadmap
See what the 5-page report looks like
02 For new owners

The First 90 Days

Hands-on support to protect what you bought, build the foundation and grow with confidence.

  • Days 1–30, Protect: capture the seller's know-how before they leave, keep every booked guest and retreat leader, steady the team and get cash flow under control
  • Days 31–60, Build: a streamlined operating system, one place to see administration, finances and client relationships, plus guest communication, SOPs and team roles
  • Days 61–90, Grow: fill the calendar, reconnect past guests and leaders, relaunch your marketing and set a 12-month plan

What I review

Eight areas, each scored and explained

An outside view that gives buyer and seller the same clear picture of how the business runs, explained in plain language.

01

Revenue & bookings

24 months by revenue line, repeat business and future bookings.

02

Demand & channels

Where guests come from, and how much rests on one source.

03

Pricing & margins

Rates against nearby venues and the true cost of a retreat week.

04

Guest experience

Review trends, response times, leader contracts and deposits.

05

Team & owner dependence

Who does what, and what lives only in the owner's head.

06

Systems & tools

Booking, payments and accounts, and whether they transfer.

07

Operations & suppliers

Kitchen, housekeeping, transport and maintenance routines.

08

Compliance & risk

Licenses and insurance, flagged for your lawyer.

What buyers often don't see until after closing

!Bookings that depend on the owner's personal relationships
!Know-how that lives only in the owner's head
!Booking and payment accounts that don't transfer easily
!Deposits already collected for retreats after closing

What you receive

A detailed 5-page report, so you know exactly what you're buying

Every review ends with a detailed 5-page report. You'll know what the business really earns and costs, what could go wrong after closing and what to ask for before you sign, plus a week-by-week plan for your first 90 days. Written in plain language and ready to share with your lawyer, accountant and agent.

View the sample report
Page 1

Score & summary

Your Operations Health Score across 8 areas, the verified revenue and the true cost at a glance.

Page 2

Findings

Key business metrics, the listing checked against real records, and each risk with a suggested next step.

Page 3

Costs & upside

The true monthly cost to operate, what the venue could earn with stronger operations, and the bottom line.

Page 4

Roadmap: before closing to day 30

What to secure before you sign, and how to protect bookings, accounts and the team in month one.

Page 5

Roadmap: days 31 to 90

Systems, procedures and training, then the plan to fill the calendar, with targets to track.

Sample report for a fictional venue, prepared as an On-Site Review. Every report is prepared under NDA and released only with your permission.

How it works

7 to 10 business days, inside your due diligence window

The best time to start

Once your offer is accepted and before you sign the final purchase agreement. Ask your lawyer to make the review a condition of your offer, so you have time to act on what it finds.

  1. Day 1

    Kickoff call

    Your goals, budget, timeline and concerns.

  2. Days 1–3

    Data request

    The seller shares records through your agent.

  3. Days 3–6

    Analysis

    Financials, bookings, reviews and a mystery-shop inquiry.

  4. Days 6–8

    Walk-through

    On-Site: 2–3 days on the property with the owner and team.
    Desk: a video walk-through and owner call.

  5. Days 9–10

    Report & debrief

    Your 5-page report and a call on findings and negotiation points.

Independent and confidential

A clear picture you can trust, on both sides of the deal

Independent

You hire me, and my findings are the same whether or not the sale goes ahead. Agent referral fees never shape a report.

Confidential

Everything shared by buyers and sellers is protected and kept confidential. An NDA is signed before any records are shared, and reports are released only with your permission.

Fair to both sides

The review isn't about catching anyone out. It gives buyer and seller the same clear picture, which helps good deals close.

Packages

A small cost against a six- or seven-figure decision

Remote · Anywhere in the world

Desk Review

$1,200

  • Remote review of all 8 areas
  • Mystery-shop inquiry test
  • 5-page written report and scorecard
  • 60-minute debrief
  • 7 business days
Before you make an offer

On-Site Review

$2,500 + travel

  • Everything in the Desk Review
  • 2–3 days on the property
  • In-person guest experience audit
  • Changeover or live retreat observed
  • Team interviews and assessment
  • Calls with past retreat leaders
  • Upside plan: the venue's earning potential
  • 10 business days
After closing

The First 90 Days

Priced on scope · Half your review fee credited

  • Seller handover and know-how captured
  • A streamlined operating system: one place to see administration, finances and client relationships
  • Every booked guest and leader kept
  • Team steadied, roles and SOPs set
  • Cash flow, pricing and a numbers dashboard
  • Calendar filled and a 12-month growth plan
Buying a retreat property anywhere in the world?

The Desk Review is fully remote, so it works for retreat venues in any country, and for buyers who can't be on site yet.

This review covers operations only. Legal, structural and tax checks stay with your lawyer, inspector and accountant.

Proof

I build the operations behind retreats like the one you're buying

Revive · Ometepe, Nicaragua

An inactive venue rebuilt and taking bookings again

  • Every booking in one streamlined system
  • Guest communication automated
  • Relaunched with a new brand and paid ads
"Shila took on the nearly impossible task of building our entire digital backend from the ground up."Cris Ketch, Founder, Infinity Retreat
Systemize · Dominical, Costa Rica

A system that replaced a full-time admin role

  • A full salary saved
  • Full financial clarity
  • Every past guest contact in one place
"Someone who takes big challenges, and turns them into simple systems that just work."Jonathon Conant, Founder, Airborne Arts
Shila Kandiah

Shila Kandiah, Retreat Operations Director. 10 years in operations management, now focused entirely on retreat venue operations. On-site across Central America, remote worldwide.

Read my story →

For real estate agents

Help retreat deals close, on both sides

Whether you're listing a retreat property or representing a buyer, I add an independent view of how the business runs, without slowing the deal down.

For your sellers · Listing Snapshot

Help your listing sell

A 2-page independent summary of how the business runs, checked against records. Share it with serious buyers before they make an offer.

  • Key numbers checked against records
  • Handover readiness across 8 areas
  • Gaps fixed before listing

Priced per property

Page 1 of the sample Pre-Purchase reportPage 4 of the sample Pre-Purchase report For your buyers · Pre-Purchase Review

Help your buyers close with confidence

I don't tell buyers whether to buy. I give them a clear picture and a plan, inside their due diligence window.

  • A detailed 5-page report
  • Delivered within 10 business days
  • Support through their first 90 days

From $1,200

See the sample report
Referral fee

Paid on every review, Listing Snapshot and 90-day plan you refer. Details on a partner call.

Happy owners

Buyers who succeed send you their friends.

How it works for you

  1. You introduce the buyer or seller

    A quick email or WhatsApp intro is all it takes.

  2. I deliver within 10 business days

    I work through you to request records, so the deal stays on track.

  3. You receive your referral fee

    Paid as soon as your client pays for their service.

Book a partner call

Questions

Before you book

Does this replace a lawyer or building inspection?

No. I review how the business operates and flag anything your lawyer, inspector or accountant should look at.

How is this different from my accountant?

Your accountant checks the books, taxes and how the deal is structured. I look at whether the revenue keeps coming under a new owner: bookings, guests, team and systems. I work alongside your accountant and flag anything they should look at.

What if some records aren't available?

That's common with small venues. I work from what's available, such as booking platforms, reviews and a mystery-shop inquiry, and note anything to follow up before closing.

Selling a retreat property? Can you help?

Yes. A Listing Snapshot gives buyers an independent picture of how your business runs before they offer, so serious buyers move faster. It's priced per property.

I already bought. Is it too late?

Not at all. The 90-day plan is built for new owners, and it works best in your first season.

Where do you work?

On-site reviews across Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua and Guatemala. Remote Desk Reviews are available for retreat properties anywhere in the world.

Can I compare two or three properties?

Yes. Many buyers start with Desk Reviews on a shortlist, then book an On-Site Review for the one they want to offer on.

Start with a conversation

Tell me about the property you're looking at

A free 30-minute call. No obligation, just a clear next step.

Book a free call
Sample reportCasa Ceiba Retreat (fictional venue)
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