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DIY Wellness Retreat In Portugal: Can You Save Money By Skipping The Traditional Retreat and Doing It Yourself?
- Alice
- Jun 10
- 3 min read
Why I Looked Into This
Wellness retreats are everywhere right now.
Many promise yoga, workshops, mindfulness sessions and a chance to reset. But they often come with a price tag of £2,000-£4,000 per person before flights.
And it got me wondering: do you actually need a structured retreat to get the benefits?
Or could you create your own wellness-focused escape for less by choosing the right hotel and building your own itinerary?
To find out, I compared three hotels in Lagos, Portugal for an early September 2026 trip and looked at publicly available Booking.com prices alongside member pricing available through a travel membership.
What I Compared
To keep things fair, I looked at:
Early September 2026 pricing for 2 adults
Like-for-like room categories & board basis (with breakfast included where applicable)
Booking.com pricing and Travel membership/Travel Club pricing available at the same time
The hotels represented three different styles of wellness break:
Adults-only hotel
Boutique countryside escape
Apartment-style spa resort
What Stood Out
The biggest surprise wasn't necessarily the savings - it was how easy it would be to create a wellness retreat experience without paying for a retreat.
All three hotels already include many of the things people are looking for:
Swimming pools & spa facilities
Quiet surroundings
Walking opportunities
Sunshine
Time away from everyday responsibilities
The largest saving came from Vila Valverde, where member pricing was £184/$248 lower than the publicly available rate.
That's enough to cover:
Several spa treatments
Airport transfers
Multiple restaurant meals
A private yoga session
The other interesting finding was that the cheapest option wasn't necessarily the one with the biggest percentage saving. It's a useful reminder that looking beyond headline room rates can sometimes reveal better value.
The Numbers
Lagos Avenida Hotel (Adults Only)
Member Price | ||
GBP | £1,299 | £1,207 |
USD | $1,754 | $1,629 |
Difference: £92 ($125)
Vila Valverde Design Country Hotel
Member Price | ||
GBP | £1,312 | £1,128 |
USD | $1,771 | $1,523 |
Difference: £184 ($248)
Boavista Golf & Spa Resort
Member Price | ||
GBP | £631 | £576 |
USD | $852 | $778 |
Difference: £55 ($74)
Total Potential Savings
Across all three comparisons: Potential savings: £331 ($447)
Is A DIY Retreat Worth It?
If your goal is to attend workshops, join group activities and follow a structured programme, a traditional wellness retreat may still be worth paying for.
But if what you really need is:
Rest
Sunshine
Good food
Sleep
Time to think & reflect
A break from daily life
...then building your own retreat could make a lot of sense.
Based on these comparisons, it's a reminder that publicly available prices aren't always the only - or best - prices available. Checking alternative booking methods or member pricing can sometimes uncover worthwhile savings.
Quick Summary
I compared three Lagos hotels for September 2026.
Potential savings ranged from £55/$74 to £184/$248 per booking.
Vila Valverde offered the largest price difference.
Creating your own wellness retreat could cost significantly less than booking a traditional organised retreat.
Want More Travel Investigations Like This?
I'm Alice and I regularly compare hotel prices, destination costs and travel trends to see where travellers might find better value. Join my newsletter for more hotel comparisons, destination investigations and travel savings discoveries.
And if you'd like to see current member pricing for these hotels or learn more about how travel memberships work, feel free to get in touch - thattravelfeeling@gmail.com
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