Beckley Retreats, which operates legally regulated psychedelic wellness programmes, has reported a significant increase in attendees from high-pressure sectors including corporate leadership, mental health professionals and executives.
Since launching in 2021, the number of entrepreneurs and corporate professionals joining retreats has doubled year on year, with a threefold increase in C-suite attendees.
The company has responded by launching a new four-night programme designed to be more accessible in terms of cost and time commitment whilst maintaining a comprehensive approach.
Neil Markey, co-founder of Beckley Retreats and former McKinsey consultant, says: "We've seen a clear rise in demand from people navigating high-pressure roles and major life transitions – 60% of our guests report some type of burnout symptoms. These are individuals who give so much to their work and communities, leaving little time for themselves. Our programmes offer an opportunity for them to reset, learn some new habits and find relief from the symptoms of burnout. In fact we will soon be publishing more research on burnout, in collaboration with our research partners at Yale and Harvard."
Over the past four years, Beckley Retreats has welcomed over 70% of guests from high-performance or purpose-driven roles including executives, clinicians, educators and creatives. Nearly 10% of guests are C-suite leaders working in finance, technology and law, seeking what the company terms "decision-fatigue resets". One in four guests are professionals in healthcare or coaching fields.
Markey continues: "We've seen significant growth in professional diversity: in 2022, 60% of our guests came from health-related fields; by 2025, half now come from leadership, business and creative sectors, expanding Beckley's reach beyond the wellness echo-chamber."
The company has also seen an increase in attendees aged over 65 seeking personal growth and embracing wellbeing as part of their post-retirement journey. Participants come from over 25 countries, with 35% from Europe and 55% from North America.
Based on decades of research from the Beckley Foundation and under the guidance of its late founder Amanda Feilding, Beckley Retreats combines contemplative practices with psilocybin. The immersive experience includes comprehensive pre- and post-retreat integration with group workshops, one-to-one facilitator calls, journaling and exercises, plus an introduction to key wellbeing practices.
The company offers four and five-night retreat programmes across two locations in the Netherlands – the De Hoorneboeg retreat centre and Venwoude retreat centre – as well as Good Hope in Jamaica. Each retreat is small-group and highly supported, designed to offer an intimate environment with a high facilitator-to-participant ratio. Retreats take place in groups of 10 to 15 people in peaceful, secluded estates. Read more about the Beckley Retreat experience here.
During ceremonies, participants consume psilocybin through tea, with ceremonies facilitated by therapists, physicians and musicians lasting approximately six hours.
Markey adds: "The power of these experiences lies in their ability to open new pathways. They create a window of neuroplasticity and increased potential for change, and if you make a conscious effort to change the way you think and build some new habits, you can make the positive change stick. Our guests report feeling better – more energy, more connected. More moments of gratitude and awe. 88% of our guests say their experience with us was one of the most meaningful experiences of their lives."
Prices start from US$3,000 per person, based on a four-night programme in the Netherlands. The price includes all pre and post programming, all lodging, locally sourced health-conscious menus and airport transfers, but not flights.
Luxury wellness is evolving. It’s no longer just about massages and mindfulness; it’s about transformation – deep, lasting, life-enhancing change. Increasingly, affluent travellers are turning to psychedelic retreats to find it. And Beckley Retreats, a trailblazer in the field, is offering these experiences in legal, luxurious, and deeply supportive settings in Jamaica and the Netherlands.
The global wellness tourism market is on track to be worth US$2 trillion by 2030. Within this, psychedelic therapies are gaining traction, with the psychedelic market in general expected to leap from US$3.8 billion in 2023 to US$10.7 billion by 2027.
This surge in interest is being fuelled by mounting scientific evidence supporting the therapeutic benefits of hallucinogenic compounds such as psilocybin, combined with increased media coverage, celebrity endorsements, and a cultural pivot towards self-actualisation.
Just this month, The Times reported that "magic mushrooms are entering the mainstream as a treatment for depression", with the Czech Republic close to becoming the first European country to sanction the use of psychedelics in this instance.
Psychedelic retreats have emerged from the fringes to become one of the most compelling trends in luxury travel. As past stigmas fall away and public acceptance grows, trailblazing organisations like Beckley Retreats are leading the way.
At a recent webinar (you can watch the recording here), I spoke with Neil Markey, co-founder and CEO of Beckley Retreats, and Hannah Millar-Case, head of business development from luxury hotel booking platform Little Emperors, to learn more about this next-level evolution in luxury wellness.
According to Markey, the majority of guests say that their Beckley Retreat was either "the most – or one of the most meaningful – experiences of their life". This is not your typical yoga and green juice detox. Beckley Retreats offers integrative health programmes centred around two psilocybin ceremonies, underpinned by breathwork, meditation, and psychotherapy tools.
Crucially, Beckley Retreats is backed by more than two decades of research initiated by the late Amanda Feilding (she passed away this spring), founder of the Beckley Foundation and pioneer of global drug policy reform.
Markey, a former US Army captain and McKinsey consultant, now dedicated to studying integrative health at Harvard, explained how Beckley’s programmes blend Western science, indigenous wisdom and holistic healing practices to meet people “where they are” on their journey of personal growth.
The emphasis on rigorous screening, expert facilitation, and post-retreat integration ensures that guests are supported at every stage. As Markey put it, “It’s an extremely loving military operation” – a nod to both the safety protocols and the deeply caring environment the team cultivates.
Millar-Case, who attended a Beckley retreat in Jamaica, shared an emotional account of her experience. Seeking healing from grief, she turned to Beckley after plateauing in traditional therapy. “I experienced a deep connection with myself and a greater understanding of who I am,” she said. She emphasised the exceptional hospitality and the warmth of the facilitators, noting that the emotional intelligence and care she received rivalled the service standards of top luxury hotels.
For her, Beckley’s unique combination of professional credibility, holistic care, and luxury presentation sets it apart. “This isn’t fringe,” she said. “This is the next evolution of wellness.”
Retreats take place in small groups (often ten to 15 people) in peaceful, secluded estates. Think lush Jamaican gardens or serene Dutch countryside. Each programme includes two guided psilocybin ceremonies – but the experience is about much more than the mushrooms.
“We run what we call integrative health programmes,” said Markey. “We do a lot of teaching – meditation, breathwork, mindful movement, and gratitude practices. There’s a month of digital prep before the retreat, five days in-person, and then a six-week follow-up. We give you tools to sustain the benefits long after the journey ends.”
The psilocybin is consumed as a carefully measured tea. Everyone’s dosage is tailored to their needs, and experienced facilitators (some of the best in the world, says Markey) are on hand to guide, support and care for you throughout.
“You’re not lying on a yoga mat in the jungle, left to fend for yourself,” said Millar-Case. “It’s like being held by angels.
“It’s been seven months, and I still talk about it every day. I felt supported from the moment I submitted my application to long after I returned home. The accommodation was beautiful, the food exceptional, and the facilitators had this intuitive emotional intelligence I’ve never encountered before – even in luxury hospitality.”
She explained that while the psilocybin ceremonies are powerful, much of the magic came from the supportive practices that surrounded them. “I didn’t realise how big a part breathwork and meditation would play,” she said. “But those tools have stayed with me. They’re part of my daily life now.”
During the ceremonies, guests lie comfortably in a shared space – outside under a canopy, surrounded by nature, with live musicians playing intuitive soundtracks. Some wear eye masks and journey inward; others gaze at the stars.
“Sometimes the whole group would erupt into laughter,” said Markey. “Other times, people would be moved to tears. It's all part of the process – and it’s all completely safe.”
Beckley retreats attract high-functioning individuals who have achieved success – but seek more. They’re often entrepreneurs, creatives, philanthropists, and parents. What unites them is a desire for deeper meaning.
Guests are screened before being accepted to ensure they are emotionally and physically ready. “Our retreats are for generally well people looking to go from good to great,” said Markey. “This is about self-actualisation – processing loss, moving through transitions, becoming a more present parent or partner.”
“These are people who’ve done the luxury hotels, the yoga retreats, the silent meditations,” said Millar-Case. “They’re ready for the next step.”
For those hesitant about the idea of “doing drugs,” Markey suggested reframing. “This is plant medicine. It comes from nature. We use natural, tested psilocybin – not synthetics. And we’ve built our programme on decades of scientific research."
Leading holistic wellbeing company Beckley Retreats has announced its first psychedelic retreat in Europe, which will take place outside of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, on August 24-28.
Beckley Retreats already runs psychedelic retreats in Jamaica. Hosted in a safe and legal setting, its programmes provide participants with the “guided consumption of hallucinogenic fungi for therapeutic purposes”.
Based on "decades of insights" from the renowned Beckley Foundation, and under the leadership of its founder Amanda Feilding, the Netherlands retreat will combine “world-class contemplative practices with the science-backed benefits of psilocybin to offer a comprehensive approach for people looking to make meaningful change in their lives”.
The experience will be part of an 11-week course that includes pre- and post-retreat preparation and support, as well as a five-day immersion in Amsterdam, where using psilocybin truffles (rather than magic mushrooms) is legal.
The new psychedelic retreat will take place at residential centre New Eden, 90 minutes from Amsterdam. Set in 50 acres of forest, the venue offers a “healing environment perfectly suited for deeply immersive experiences”.
Ahead of the retreat, participants join a four-week virtual preparation programme that enables them to learn the basics through group workshops, one-to-one facilitator calls, journaling and exercises, plus an introduction to key wellbeing practices.
During the retreat, participants "immerse themselves in nature and enjoy a digital detox". Apparently, there will be a mix of psilocybin truffle ceremonies, meditation, mindful movement, therapeutic group integration and breathwork.
Back home, acolytes are supported in turning what they’ve learnt into daily wellbeing practices through weekly group calls, meditation and breathwork sessions.
Neil Markey, CEO of Beckley Retreats, says the philosophy of Beckley Retreats reflects Feilding’s vision “to bring the proven benefits of psychedelic therapy to a wider, mainstream audience in safe and legal settings”.
Markey discovered the therapeutic potential of psychedelics after suffering from severe depression and PTSD following his deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan as a captain in the US Army Rangers. He says he recognises that accessibility is a major issue given the luxury price point, which is necessary to maintain high levels of care and experience.
Markey says: “Our goal as a mission-oriented, conscious business is to improve accessibility to psilocybin. We keep our prices as competitive as possible and offer an innovative model which has longer-term benefits to healers and the community. We’re also part of an ecosystem of world class psychedelic research, drug development, training and thought leadership.”
As a consequence, the Beckley Retreats business model is one that’s built around “distributed equity”, which supports Feilding’s wider vision of “egalitarianism and equal access”.
This takes the form of a scholarship programme with two free places on each retreat, available to make the programme more accessible. They also donate to improve veterans' access to psychedelic experiences, support community projects in Jamaica and train local practitioners in the skills needed to guide.
The new four-night retreat in the Netherlands costs from €3,600 (shared room), or €4,000 (single), with a maximum of 20 participants. The price includes vegetarian meals.
"A new beginning awaits." Launching in Jamaica in September 2022, Beckley Retreats is one of a number of companies spearheading the "Psychedelic Retreats" trend we identified in our debut issue of VOLT last year. Silo Wellness also hosts magic mushroom retreats in Jamaica.
Described as a "leading holistic wellbeing company", Beckley Retreats says it offers "transformative self-development programmes by leveraging the science-backed power of psychedelics in concert with supportive therapeutic modalities".
Based on decades of research from the renowned Beckley Foundation, and under the leadership of its founder Amanda Feilding, the retreats combine "world-class contemplative practices with the science-backed benefits of psilocybin to offer a comprehensive approach for people looking to make meaningful change in their lives". 
Held in a comfortable, luxurious setting, retreats centre around psilocybin (magic mushroom) ceremonies but also include breathwork, meditation and mindful movement sessions, plus six weeks of "supported integration techniques" (therapeutic after-care) informed by psychotherapy and neuroscience.
The proposition sounds very much like the fictional psychdelic retreat in TV series Nine Perfect Strangers, in which "nine stressed city dwellers visit a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation". According to the blub on IMDB, the resort's director is a woman "on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies". 
Beckley Retreats says it exists "to bring the proven benefits of psychedelic therapy to the wider community in safe and legal settings".
The company has chosen to host retreats in Jamaica because it is one of the few countries where the cultivation, gifting and consumption of psilocybin mushrooms is legal.
Retreats will take place at the Good Hope Villas located in the Cockpit Country region of Jamaica. Programmes start from US$5,500 per person. 
The exclusive-use property is 40 minutes from the Montego Bay airport in a secluded location deep in nature, featuring two pools, private beach and river access, open air communal spaces and mountain vistas.
Amanda Feilding, who was also a thought partner and close friend to Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann (an early advocate of LSD), has more than 50 years of experience pioneering drug policy reform and scientific research into psychoactive substances.
She has dedicated her career to destigmatising the use of psychedelics and has recently been dubbed the "Queen of the Psychedelic Renaissance".
With guidance from Feilding, Beckley Retreats is led by CEO Neil Markey. Neil says he discovered the potential of plant medicines and wellbeing practices after suffering from severe depression and PTSD following his deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Captain in the US Army Rangers.
Through Beckley Retreats, Neil hopes others can experience the life-changing benefits that are possible through the careful and responsibly managed use of psychedelics.
What preparation is involved? During the month leading up to the retreat, participants take part in virtual group meet-ups, one-on-one sessions with a guide and learn about preparation protocols. When people return home, they will also be required to take part in remote meetings and share short daily practices and science-backed "rewiring techniques".
