Planning for 18 to 50 people gets easier when the venue’s three numbers are kept separate: bedrooms, individual bed spaces, and maximum guests. They are not interchangeable. A property may have private bedrooms for a smaller group and reach its published maximum only with bunk beds, sofa beds, or shared rooms.
The comparison below uses venue-published details. “Not published” means the linked venue page does not establish that detail; it is a question for the venue, not an estimate.
Seven venues, read through the rooming plan
| Venue | Published bedroom / bed detail | Published group limit | What a planner still needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Canas Beach Retreat | Up to 48 guests in beds across 18 suites / 24 bedrooms. A separate four-bedroom villa is an add-on. | Up to 60 exclusively for family groups using bunk beds | Confirm the room assignments for the selected dates. |
| Villa Coco Mar | 14 ensuite bedrooms. The FAQ lists king and queen beds; several rooms have two queens. | Up to 28 adults; children may make the total flexible | A guest-by-guest room chart, and whether children or extra mattresses change the agreed adult limit. |
| Kibayo | 8 bedrooms and 17 beds; the site describes double, single, and bunk beds. | Up to 24 guests | A current bed-by-room diagram; confirm how the stated 17 beds map to the 24-person limit. |
| Casa Rosabaya | 12 bedrooms; listing describes eight queen suites that can be separated, two master suites, one room with five beds, and one accessible bedroom. | 27 guests | Exact sleep count in each room, including what “can be separated” means for the queen beds. |
| La Tigra Mountain House | Five rooms. Four are described with two beds; Orchid has four beds including bunks. | Up to 22 in the whole-house booking | Whether the 22-person figure includes extra beds in every room and what linen/setup fees apply. |
| Con Smania Costa Rica | Eight casitas: five private-bath units and three shared-bath units; a separate four-bedroom house is described for the leadership team. | Casitas sleep 20 guests, plus up to 7 staff/team members | Whether the leadership house is included in guest capacity and which rooms are private versus shared for your booking. |
| Cascada Elysiana | 35 beds across private homes and shared dorms. | Up to 30 guests | The bed plan by building, dorm gender/party allocation, and which beds are private-room inventory. |
Translate your headcount into room types
Before requesting a quote, write down the number of people who need each sleeping arrangement. For example, a 30-person group might need 10 single rooms and 10 doubles; another group of 30 may be comfortable with 15 doubles. Those are planning scenarios, not claims about any venue’s availability. Ask each property to price the same scenario and identify any additional charge for single occupancy.
For a group of 18, the smaller properties in this list may be workable on paper, but their actual room inventory can require sharing. At 22, La Tigra’s stated whole-house limit is reached. Kibayo publishes a 24-person maximum. Casa Rosabaya publishes 27, and Villa Coco Mar 28 adults. A group of 30 reaches Cascada Elysiana’s published maximum, so confirm whether facilitators and staff count toward that limit. Las Canas has capacity for up to 48 guests in beds across 18 suites (24 bedrooms); capacity up to 60 is exclusively for family groups using bunk beds. These are maximums, not a guarantee of private rooms.
Occupancy arithmetic does not replace a rooming list. A suite may contain more than one bedroom, and an advertised bed count may include bunks or extra beds. The Las Canas accommodation page describes one- and two-bedroom suites and bed choices; the group page separately states the adult-in-bed and total-guest figures. Keep both details in your comparison.
Private rooms, double occupancy, and shared rooms
Ask for the same information from every venue:
- Single occupancy: How many guests can have a bedroom to themselves, and what is the single-room supplement?
- Double occupancy: Which rooms have one king/queen bed, and which can be made into two separate beds?
- Shared occupancy: Which sleeping spaces are bunks, sofa beds, rollaways, or shared bathrooms? How many people are expected to use each?
- Exceptions: Does the stated maximum include children, facilitators, or venue staff? Does an accessible room reduce another room’s capacity?
- Written inventory: Ask for a dated rooming chart with the number of each room type held for the group, cut-off date, and substitution rules.
This also makes your retreat pricing more honest. A “per person” quote can change substantially if the organizer subsidizes single rooms or if shared rooms are the only way to meet the venue’s maximum. Do not divide the full property rate by the maximum headcount unless you label it as a maximum-occupancy model and explain any excluded meals, taxes, transfers, or fees.
Shortlist by sleeping style
- A mixed single/double rooming plan: Start by asking Las Canas, Villa Coco Mar, and Casa Rosabaya for room-by-room bed inventories; their published pages give the most specific room detail in this comparison.
- A group comfortable with bunks or dorm-style sharing: Ask Kibayo and Cascada Elysiana for a bed map and written roommate arrangements. Kibayo publishes 17 beds and a 24-person limit; Cascada describes shared dorms as part of its lodging mix. Confirm the intended setup directly.
- A small group with a compact property: La Tigra’s whole-house page caps the booking at 22; Con Smania describes sleeping space for up to 20 guests in the casitas plus a separate leadership house. Clarify whether the team house is part of the attendee inventory.
- A group larger than 30: Las Canas is the only option in this list whose published overnight limit reaches the 31–50 range. Its standard capacity is up to 48 guests in beds across 18 suites (24 bedrooms). Only family groups using bunk beds may request capacity up to 60.
Sources and limits
Venue descriptions and limits above are linked to the properties’ own pages or booking listings. Room configurations and maximums can change. This comparison does not verify availability, accessibility, current rates, or whether any bed configuration is held for your dates. Obtain a written rooming chart and contract before advertising room types to participants.
Side by Side Retreat Venue Comparison (North Coast DR, Costa Rica, Mexico & Caribbean)
- Venue records cover the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Mexico; publication detail varies by property.
- Room count, guest capacity, nightly rate, and airport access are separate fields. A missing value is not evidence that a facility or service is absent.
- Confirm current rates, room layouts, meal terms, transfer times, and activity access directly with each venue.
| Venue & Location | Suites / Bedrooms | Max Guests | Yoga Palapa / Meeting Space | WiFi & Connectivity | Beach Access | Airport & Transfer | Published Rate & Meal Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natura Cabana Cabarete, North Coast DR | 14 BR 12 stone and thatch bungalows plus 2 rooms | Up to 28 24 to 28 guests across 12 bungalows and 2 rooms | 100 sqm open air yoga temple | Free room WiFi | Yes, garden runs directly to the sand | POP (Puerto Plata, 25 min) | From $240 per night per bungalow; group quote on request Meals: On site open air restaurant and juice bar |
| Blue Spirit Costa Rica Nosara, Guanacaste, Costa Rica | 56 BR 56 rooms across ocean view suites, mountain rooms, and eco cottages | Up to 90 Hosts multiple concurrent retreat groups up to 90 guests | 3 yoga halls (largest holds 90 people) | WiFi in main common areas | Hilltop overlooking Playa Guiones (10 min walk down hill) | LIR (Liberia, 2 hr 30 min) | From $1,650 to $2,950 per person per week depending on room tier Meals: 3 gourmet vegetarian and fish meals daily included |
| Haramara Sayulita Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico | 18 BR 18 private open air thatched cabanas plus 8 bed dorm | Up to 42 Up to 42 guests across cabanas and dorm | 2 panoramic open air hardwood yoga pavilions (35 to 45 mats) | WiFi in restaurant and lounge only (no WiFi or electricity in cabanas) | Yes, private Pacific cove and hillside | PVR (Puerto Vallarta, 50 min) | From $1,950 per person per week plus 19% Mexican taxes Meals: 3 gourmet meals daily included |
| Las Canas Beach Retreat Gaspar Hernandez, North Coast DR | 28 BR 18 suites across 6 buildings (24 suite bedrooms) plus 4 bedroom adjacent villa with private pool | Up to 48 Up to 48 guests in beds across 18 suites (24 bedrooms); up to 60 guests exclusively for family groups using bunk beds | 40 seat covered oceanfront palapa, ocean deck, covered dining room, cabana with projector and TV mount | 50 to 100 Mbps Starlink across grounds and suites | Yes, direct sandy North Coast beach (10,000 sqm / 2.5 acres) | POP (Puerto Plata, 55 min) / STI (Santiago, 1 hr 30 min) | Starting at $3,000/night depending on the season ($5,000 holiday rate; $600 villa add on) Meals: $65 per person per day ($10 breakfast, $25 lunch, $30 dinner) by Chef Carmen |
| Villa Coco Mar Cabarete, North Coast DR | 14 BR 14 bedrooms (5 night minimum stay, 7 nights over holidays) | Up to 30 28 adults per FAQ (up to 30 per Dubaisa) | No dedicated meeting room or yoga shala | Standard residential WiFi (weak in some bedrooms per guest notes) | Yes, private sandy beach | POP (Puerto Plata, 30 min) | Custom nightly quote (5 night minimum); rated 10/10 on Vrbo Meals: Private chef service quoted separately |
| Kite Buen Hombre Cabarete Cabarete, North Coast DR | 10 BR 6 lofts plus a private house for 8 guests | Up to 30 25 to 30 guests (targets 12 to 25 for yoga, 10 to 20 for corporate) | 100+ sqm indoor lounge with projector, screen, and whiteboards | 200 Mbps Starlink mesh | No (8 minute walk to beach) | POP (Puerto Plata, 25 min) | Published under $15,000 per week (about $85 per person per night) Meals: Group catering available on request |
| Kibayo Cabarete (5 min to Kite Beach), DR | 8 BR 8 bedrooms configured for friend groups and yoga trips | Up to 24 Up to 24 guests | Covered yoga shala (no indoor meeting room) | Property WiFi | No (lagoon setting, 5 min to Kite Beach) | POP (Puerto Plata, 20 min) | Priced per person via online trip builder; 4.9 stars on Google (220+ reviews) Meals: Per person online trip builder options |
| Zen Cabarete Kite Beach, Cabarete, DR | 18 BR 18 hotel rooms at Kite Beach (formerly eXtreme Hotel) | Up to 30 Yoga loft holds 20 people; 18 rooms sleep up to 30 | Ocean view yoga loft for 20 participants | Property wide WiFi | Yes, directly on Kite Beach | POP (Puerto Plata, 20 min) | Published from $960 per person for 7 nights in shared double room Meals: Included in 7 night package options |
Common questions
Does a venue's guest capacity mean everyone gets a private bed?
- No. Capacity may include bunk beds, sofa beds, children, or shared occupancy. Ask the venue to identify each bed and approved occupancy by room.
How many rooms should I book for 18 people?
- It depends on who will share. Request a rooming matrix with single, double, and shared-room options before calculating the number of rooms.
Can I use the published max occupancy for retreat registration?
- Only after the venue confirms that number for your event dates and sleeping arrangement in writing.
