Ever wanted to buy a retreat?

The owners of ZEN Beach Retreat at Bargara are ready to sell their baby - and to share some helpful tips with the new owners.

The dinning area has a white table and chairs with hanging lamp covered with bamboo or rattan decorative nest over the ornamental items on the table. Kitchen is next to the table with white ceramic counter top and huge wall cabinets and pantry cupboards around oven and refrigerator, lights are turned on to illuminate the whole house

The owners of ZEN Beach Retreat at Bargara are ready to sell their baby - and to share some helpful tips with the new owners.

Shane and Pascaline Emms are the team behind ZEN Beach Retreat, a luxury beachfront sanctuary at Bargara, just a four-hour drive north of Brisbane.

With family across the globe, the couple has now decided to sell their beloved resort to spend more time with family. Here, they share some of the secrets of their success, and outline 10 reasons why ZEN offers a great opportunity for any budding resort owner:

1 Location

As with all property, location is paramount. An absolute beachfront location is an alluring feature for discerning travellers.

ZEN Beach Retreat sits on Bargara Beach in Bundaberg, between the Great Barrier Reef and Fraser Island, two UNESCO world heritage listed sites.

Boasting local wildlife including whales just offshore and dolphins, the area is an internationally renowned turtle sanctuary. With easy access to islands and stunning coral reefs, visitors can do as much or as little as they wish. Water sports, fishing, golf, art galleries and paddock to plate experiences are all on offer in one of the most equitable climates in the world.

2 Opportunity for growth

Is the location a growth market? If you go into a market that’s saturated, it’s a very competitive scenario and pricing seems to be a tool people use to compete. It’s better to provide a unique offering for guests than to compete on price alone.

The opportunity for growth makes the Southern Great Barrier Reef a prime location to own a resort and ZEN Beach Retreat is a unique offering. It has no comparison locally and we believe there is nothing like it in Australia. There is an enormous level of opportunity to grow.

3 Accessibility

How easy is it for your guests to get to you? You can access ZEN Beach Retreat from anywhere on the east coast of Australia in a morning; from Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, even Darwin, if you get a connecting flight.

From Brisbane you can fly to Bargara in just over an hour, or drive in just four hours.

4 Guest experience

With so many holiday options available for travellers, the guest experience is what sets a resort apart. As a potential buyer, look for a resort that offers an experience in line with the atmosphere you want to create.

ZEN Beach Retreat specialises in relaxed luxury and hospitality in the true sense. A sanctuary to renew, refresh and reconnect with nature. At ZEN, relaxed luxury means absolute customer service, attention to detail and offering extraordinary experiences like swimming with turtles and simple pleasures like sitting by the fire pit under a full moon.

5 Number of guests

Buyers need to consider the workload versus the lifestyle they want to achieve.

As a boutique resort, ZEN Beach Retreat can accommodate up to 22 people with four two-bedroom villas and an oceanfront executive residence that accommodates another six people. The new owners have the flexibility to live onsite or appoint an on- or off-site manager.

6 Know your guest target market

Who are the customers you want to work with? When buying an established resort, you need to feel a connection with the existing customer base.

At ZEN Beach Retreat, the focus is on high-end travellers, multi-generational families and groups such as corporate and wellness groups. However ZEN is only a year old so the business model is still evolving. A new owner would be able to choose the direction they want the retreat to go in.

7 Opportunity to innovate and make it your own

Opportunity to grow, develop and innovate is important in any industry, especially in tourism. To offer high-end, relaxed luxury, you need to keep developing and fine-tuning your offers and products and the experiences you provide.

At ZEN Beach Retreat, there are so many opportunities to put your own stamp on the business and implement ideas that reflect your style.

8 Lifestyle and flexibility

Buying a luxury retreat in an idyllic location is all about lifestyle. The ZEN Beach Retreat business model has been built around lifestyle and flexibility.

Lifestyle is so important, and at ZEN you have the flexibility to have a game of golf or close the doors and go camping for a week or block out the retreat to spend the weekend with family and friends.

9 Ongoing support

Will the former owners provide the support you need to settle in?

We want ZEN Beach Retreat to continue its success, so we intend to provide the new owners with as much or as little support as they need. We plan to live in the local area so we can help them settle into the business and continue the success that ZEN has already generated.

10 Operating systems and procedures

Can customers around the world find you and book with you? Are there efficient workplace procedures in place?

Online bookings, social media, a mailing list, a fully functional website and workplace procedures are crucial in a well-run resort. At ZEN the systems are in place to successfully run the business, right down to the wine list

Originally published as Ever wanted to buy a retreat?