How to read a quote
A useful quote is a written list, not a single number in a message. It should name the dates, how many people it covers, and each piece you are paying for. If a line says “package” and nothing else, ask for the pieces before you send money.
Inward Stay does not take deposits or process payments. You pay the operator. A figure on a listing is a starting point until the operator confirms it in writing.
Deposits
A deposit holds your place. It is part of the price, not a tip, and it follows the refund rule below. Ask three things before you pay it: how much of the total it is, when the rest is due, and whether the deposit and the balance can be returned on different terms.
Pay only after you have the refund rule and the list of what is included. Keep the confirmation. If the operator later adds a fee that was not on that note, treat it as a new quote and decide again.
What is usually included
Most quotes that look complete already cover the stay itself:
- Lodging for the nights named, and whether the room is shared or private
- Meals on those days, and which meal is the first and the last
- The ceremonies or sessions listed for those dates
- Time with facilitators that the schedule already shows
“Included” means you should not get a second bill for that line. Ask them to say so in the same note as the total. The shape of those days is in the stay guide.
What the days are likeFlights and transfers
Flights are often not in the quote. A transfer might be. Read the line that mentions the airport, the bus town, or the port. “Pickup included” should say from where, at what time window, and for how many people. A ride that starts in a nearby town still leaves you to reach that town.
Also look for visas, travel insurance, and taxis on either end. Those often sit outside the retreat price. Add them yourself when you compare two quotes so you are looking at the full trip, not only the nights on site.
Comparing two quotes
Put the two notes side by side and match the same lines: nights of lodging, room type, meals, ceremonies, and the transfer. A lower total that leaves out the ride and two meals is not automatically the smaller trip. Ask each operator to confirm the same list in writing.
Lines worth matching
- Number of nights and whether the last morning includes a meal
- Shared room or private room
- How many ceremonies or sessions
- Airport or town transfer, and which direction
- Anything marked extra, such as a private session or laundry
Ignore a quote that will not name these lines. You cannot compare a number to a list.
The refund rule
The refund rule is the operator’s written statement of what you get back, and when. Read it before you pay a deposit. It should cover you canceling, them canceling or moving the dates, and you leaving early.
- The last day a cancellation still returns money
- Whether the deposit and the balance follow different rules
- What you receive if the operator cancels or changes the dates
- What happens to money already paid if you leave before the last day
If the note does not answer those points, ask once, in writing. A quote without a refund rule is incomplete. The choosing guide is the place for the wider decision about a place. This section is only about the money terms.
How to choose a retreatWhat is extra
Extras are anything you can decline and still attend the stay you booked: a private room when the quote assumed a shared one, a private session, airport nights, laundry, or a ride that was never in the package. Each extra needs its own line and its own yes from you.
Do not treat a verbal “we can add that” as part of the price. Ask for an updated written total before you agree.