Trust
Methodology
Open Retreat publishes listings only when claims can be tied to a source. We do not invent affiliate IDs, invent listings, or claim a visit without visit metadata. If we cannot check something, we say so on the listing.
Verification levels
Every sourced claim carries one of four levels. They are never collapsed into a single “verified” badge.
- Source checked
- A primary public source was opened and the claim matches what that source currently says.
- Cross-source confirmed
- Two or more independent sources agree on the same claim.
- Owner confirmed
- The operator, teacher, or venue confirmed the claim directly.
- Visited
- Someone from Open Retreat attended, with visit date and notes on record.
Refresh states
Each listing carries a refresh state so stale pages are not silently
treated as current. The default is manual_check_required.
Volatile claims such as prices and dates are re-checked where automation
allows; when a source cannot be re-checked, the listing shows that rather
than guessing.
- Fresh
- The source was re-checked and nothing changed.
- Update pending review
- The source changed since our last check; the update is awaiting review.
- Source unavailable
- The source we relied on could not be reached. Treat the claim with caution.
- Source conflict
- Two sources disagree. The conflict is shown rather than resolved by guesswork.
- May be outdated
- The information is old enough that it may no longer be accurate.
- Manual check needed
- This claim has not yet been re-checked by a person.
What we include
- Bookable commercial meditation and contemplative retreats in Australia
- Donation-based centres, always labelled no-commission
- Retreat centres and venues whose primary use case is retreats
- Retreat-ready hinterland stays: silence-friendly, group capacity, hosts who welcome retreats
- Teachers who lead actual retreats
What we exclude
- Generic wedding venues and generic farm stays listed only for locality
- Broad teacher directories disconnected from retreat discovery
- Clinical or therapeutic treatment as the primary purpose
- Illegal or controlled-substance retreats
- Unsupported treatment, cure, trauma, or clinical claims
Money
Some outbound links — including BookRetreats — may earn us a commission at
no extra cost to you. Affiliate links use rel="sponsored" and
carry a disclosure next to the booking action. Donation-based centres are
always no-commission. Editorial inclusion follows this methodology, not
payment.
Corrections
If something is wrong, email hello@openretreat.com.au or use the corrections page. We re-check sources before changing published records.