Retreat & Be vs Airbnb Experiences: Which Is Better for Your Retreat?

Retreat & Be vs Airbnb Experiences: Which is better for your retreat?

Airbnb Experiences launched in 2016 as a way for locals to offer unique activities to Airbnb guests — from cooking classes to city tours to yoga sessions. While some wellness experiences list on Airbnb, the platform was not designed for multi-day immersive retreats. The Airbnb Experiences model favors short, discrete activities rather than the residential, curriculum-based programs that define the retreat industry. Retreat & Be offers everything Airbnb Experiences does not: multi-day residential programs, integrated community, live streaming, and specialist retreat host tools.

Feature comparison

batch2.comparison.tableCaption
batch2.comparison.feature	Retreat & Be	Airbnb Experiences
Commission rate	Plan actif / contrat	20%
Integrated social platform	batch2.comparison.yes	batch2.comparison.no
Live streaming	batch2.comparison.yes	batch2.comparison.no
Product marketplace	batch2.comparison.yes	batch2.comparison.no
Advertising platform	batch2.comparison.yes	batch2.comparison.no
Production language availability	FR active; non-FR locales frozen outside production	EN + others
Referral program	batch2.comparison.yes	batch2.comparison.no
Affiliate program	batch2.comparison.yes	batch2.comparison.no
Mobile app	batch2.comparison.yes	batch2.comparison.yes
GDPR tooling	Consent, DSR, audit logs	varies
Free listing	batch2.comparison.yes	by application
Review system	batch2.comparison.yes	batch2.comparison.yes

Commission rate

Retreat & BePlan actif / contrat

Airbnb Experiences20%

Integrated social platform

Retreat & Be

Airbnb Experiences

Live streaming

Retreat & Be

Airbnb Experiences

Product marketplace

Retreat & Be

Airbnb Experiences

Advertising platform

Retreat & Be

Airbnb Experiences

Production language availability

Retreat & BeFR active; non-FR locales frozen outside production

Airbnb ExperiencesEN + others

Referral program

Retreat & Be

Airbnb Experiences

Affiliate program

Retreat & Be

Airbnb Experiences

Mobile app

Retreat & Be

Airbnb Experiences

GDPR tooling

Retreat & BeConsent, DSR, audit logs

Airbnb Experiencesvaries

Free listing

Retreat & Be

Airbnb Experiencesby application

Review system

Retreat & Be

Airbnb Experiences

Why choose Retreat & Be over Airbnb Experiences

Designed for multi-day residential retreats — Airbnb Experiences favors 1-4 hour activities

Transparent active-plan service fees compared with Airbnb Experiences' published 20% host fee

No competitive curation bottleneck — Airbnb Experiences requires editorial approval that is highly selective

Integrated community platform generates repeat bookings without paid advertising

Live streaming and virtual retreat formats — not supported by Airbnb Experiences

What our hosts say

“Retreat & Be nous a permis de centraliser nos outils sociaux et commerciaux selon les conditions prévues dans notre contrat actif.”
— 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

Can I list a multi-day retreat on Airbnb Experiences?

Airbnb Experiences supports multi-day experiences in some markets, but the platform is primarily optimized for shorter activities. The booking flow, pricing structure, and discovery algorithm are designed around 2-4 hour experiences, creating friction for retreat formats.

Is it difficult to get approved for Airbnb Experiences?

Airbnb Experiences has an editorial curation process. Retreat & Be onboarding is designed for retreat organizers, with publication and review rules governed by the active platform policies.

Does Airbnb Experiences provide host community tools?

No. Airbnb Experiences does not offer community-building features, live streaming, or ongoing host-guest engagement tools. Retreat & Be's integrated social platform is specifically designed to build the long-term communities that sustain retreat businesses.

Feature comparison

Why choose Retreat & Be over Airbnb Experiences

What our hosts say

Frequently asked questions

Ready to try Retreat & Be?