Our Story

The Global Retreat Company was co-founded by Caroline Sylge and Victoria Spicer, who have 50+ years experience in the retreat industry and are on a mission to bring you the very best in retreating around the world.

Our Team

  • Co-founder

    Poet, author, journalist and trusted expert on retreats and retreating for over 30 years. Founder of Queen of Retreats, powered by The Global Retreat Company. Author of How To Retreat, publishing globally by Penguin Random House. Retreat-focused journalist, whose credits include The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, Condé Nast Traveller and National Geographic. Author of healthy travel guidebooks Body & Soul Escapes and Body & Soul Escapes: Britain & Ireland (Footprint Books). Carcanet-published poet, and a judge for the British Book Awards. Lives in Devon, England with her husband and daughter.

A woman with blonde hair smiling outdoors next to a tree during sunset.

  • Co-founder

    Queen of Retreats’ number one fan joined Caroline as a partner in The Global Retreat Company in 2020. Previously established Europe’s leading travel communications business and led campaigns for global hotel groups such as Four Seasons and Taj. Played a pivotal role in the burgeoning wellbeing industry, championing dozens of award-winning retreats and spas. Many remain clients today as a part of IndigoEight, a PR business she Chairs. Mentors emerging voices in complementary health and responsible tourism. A Vedic Meditator of 25+ years. London based, but escapes regularly to Suffolk with her author husband and family.

Woman standing outdoors near a creek holding a camera on her shoulder, surrounded by trees and rocks.

  • Photo Editor

    Passionate about photography and rarely leaves home without her camera. Has worked with images for over 30 years, as a freelance researcher and editor. Enjoys documentary and portrait photography with personal work regularly featured in books, newspapers and magazines. Single mum of three and a cat, finds her flow in cold water swimming and running with friends.

Woman in black coat holding a small fluffy dog outdoors in a grassy area with trees in the background

  • Retreat Editor

    Has worked as a journalist for almost 40 years, starting out as a news reporter, and then moving to features. Has contributed health, fitness, wellbeing, case studies, parenting and travel features to many UK newspapers, magazines and websites. An empathetic, accurate writer, with a BA in French and German. Hay House published author of her autobiography, Why Do Monsters Come Out at Night? A Vedic Meditator, loves writing and reading, long distance walks and shorter distance running in North Yorkshire, where she lives with her journalist and lecturer husband Ian.

Our History

Queen of Retreats was started in 2011 by poet, author and journalist Caroline Sylge, following the publication of her healthy travel series of books Body & Soul Escapes (Footprint).

Cover of the book 'Body & Soul Escapes' by Caroline Sylge, featuring images of relaxation activities like massage, salt baths, beach hut, foot massage, and a foot icon with the subtitle 'Where to retreat and replenish around the globe.'

Caroline was called ‘Queen of Retreats’ in a tongue-in-cheek press interview, and started a blog using the name as a light-hearted way to share her honest stories about retreats and offer free advice to interested readers. Soon Caroline invited her trusted writerly friends to share their retreat stories too, and so the site grew.

A minimalist illustration of a smiling face with closed eyes, surrounded by green leaves forming a circular shape

When Victoria Spicer joined Caroline in 2022, they launched The Global Retreat Company, and transitioned the site from blog to business. Queen of Retreats remains as a concierge service to help people find the right retreat for them.

Seven people doing handstands on a beach at sunset, with their shadows cast on the sand and the ocean waves in the background.