maintenance technician

property manager

guest service agent

housekeeper

shuttle driver

Natural Retreats

Whether or not you’ll like working for Natural Retreats depends on the department or location you’re in and who your manager is. The closer you sit to the senior leadership team, the more you’ll realize how dysfunctional they are. While there are a few good eggs who are well-intentioned, the majority are disconnected from the day-to-day and how their actions (or inaction) affect employees on the ground. Too many have been promoted or hired into roles they’re not qualified for or suited to fill. C-Suite doesn’t have the time or resources to hold these people accountable or provide necessary feedback and training. Silos are real. Information goes up, but very rarely comes back down. Decisions are frequently made without involving the people who have the relevant knowledge or experience, or without considering downstream impact. 

Praise and raises are handed out based on who you report to, how loud that manager is, and how valuable senior leadership thinks you are. Half the time they don’t know or understand the workloads of their people. If you happen to report up through one of the “rotten” eggs, the length of your tenure could be at that manager’s whim, rather than based on actual performance. The company says they care about their employees but lets people go without following their own discipline process.  

Most people stay because they love their co-workers and think the benefits aren’t half bad. If you’re closer to the beginning of your career, Natural Retreats could be a good steppingstone. If you have some idea of what effective leadership should look like and think self-awareness and humility are required to be a good manager, you won’t want to sit too high up in this food chain.



The company is bent on growth. Even when they're not prepared for acquisition and have no methodical plan for how to take on new locations.
The day to day work environment is casual. There seemed to be little urgency and things could usually be put off till the next day with no hard deadlines. Meetings and reporting were inconsistent. 

Management seemed to be disconnected from the day to day operations and held an idealistic view of the company's state instead of realizing the problems and making plans to improve. They would often impose ideas/initiatives that were out of line with the current needs.

Co-workers are friendly and kind. There is an emphasis on drinking and partying. 4 or 5 beers per person during a 1 hour in office social is acceptable. If you want to have a good time, travel, go to cool places and be compensated well, this could be a fun company. If you want to build marketable skills and have something to show for your time invested... look elsewhere. 

The hardest part of the job was the incompetent management. "Stuff rolling down hill" and blaming entry level employees for problems that were really management's errors. Firing of staff with little to no hand off made for many headaches while picking up the pieces and combined with poor introduction of new staff/management fostered a toxic culture.

The most enjoyable part of the job was the generous PTO and holiday time. It was kind of work hard and then take a three day weekend and forget about all the problems environment.

Rapidly growing business with the same sorts of growing pains as most other growing businesses I've worked for. Often its really hard work but that's re-paid to you with fantastic benefits and vacation allowance including a free stay at 1 of the managed retreats each year, and being able to leave early every now and again to go to a doctors appointment without taking a vacation day isn't frowned on. Managers have always supported me and every month there is some sort of a social event where you can get to know your team mates a bit better and enjoy a drink or 2. Yes, there are some issues as some of the other reviewers write, but I choose to be part of creating solutions rather than problems and rarely is the grass greener elsewhere anyway.  

It pays off to be flexible, approachable and have a grab the bull by the horns approach.

Would you like to work in an office where you are coached by your immature and inexperienced manager to not contact Human Resources in regards to an employee who showed other employees inappropriate photos on a regular basis? How about having your compensation plan revealed in May when the sales year started in January? Or how about having your manager threaten to write you up for taking a sick day after you suffered a mild heat stroke after touring a potential client through an estate during a 120 degree heatwave? Do you like working with software that operates with the efficiency of the Department of Motor Vehicles circa 2003? This is a bush league company to be avoided at all costs.

I've learned valuable skills related to property management and the intricacies of the hospitality industry. The management team could benefit from a more employee-focused approach to enhance overall job satisfaction. The workplace culture is generally positive, with a focus on collaboration. The most challenging part is working with difficult owners in order to find middle ground for both parties. However, the most enjoyable part is the remote work as a property manager and being able to form my own relationships with vendors, coworkers, and owners while being in control of my day. 

I've seen this company go through its share of evolutionary stages. I would say it's in it's most exciting stage yet. 

The opportunity lies in its size, the level of responsibility it trusts with its employees and the effort to promote within. 

The benefits are generous and thoughtfully weighed - between trips to our destinations for familiarization and Professional Development, they do a good job of keeping their employees on the rise.

The culture and the employees are the backbones, it's quite a family.

Joining Natural Retreats and the collection of brands was the best decision I could have ever made for myself and my family. The company really practices what they preach and have never made me feel like I should put the business needs ahead of my personal ones. The opportunities that are available to you to advance you further in your career are plentiful and the support from your supervisors to help get you there is like nothing I've experienced in other places. While no company or job is without it hard times or trouble areas, Natural Retreats is a quality company trying to do the very best we can for their guests, owners and employees. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Nothing, there is no best part.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
They do not follow their own policies. There are two different standards. There is one for the people that do the work, and one for the elites. 


What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment is that of a class based society.  The culture is, watch your back.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Typical day is one where you have a job, followed by one where you don’t.

I am currently halfway into my 3rd years with Natural Retreats and it has been absolute pleasure to work for this company and I look forward to many years to come.  I have never worked for a company that has had such an amazing benefit package and sends me on vacation every year to check out the other Retreats accross the country. Everyone in the company that I have come in contact with whether in be someone in our central office or another employee at one of many other wonderful locations has been an absolute delight to work with and I have enjoyed making new aquistances and everyone seems to work so well together. This isn't just a job but a career! 

I’ve worked for the company for almost five years and have seen the ups and downs that are natural in a young and growing company who went through a management split with the U.K. side of the business. NR has changed in all the right ways. Still in need of a performance review process but keep it up! Growth can be scary but seeing and witnessing change bares witness to the company’s ability to listen to its employees and take those concerns and needs and then then into actions that benefits guests owners and most importantly its team members. Great place to work! Love my NR family!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Maintenance technician 5 salaries reported	$22.30 per hour
Property manager 5 salaries reported	$57,400 per year
Guest service agent 6 salaries reported	$20.67 per hour
Housekeeper 1 salary reported	$16.25 per hour
Shuttle driver 2 salaries reported	$20.00 per hour

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