Melinda's Story.

Founder Melinda Beckett-Hughes reveals her personal journey to the quiet bliss of Antalya – and how her experience shapes and informs the appeal and success of

Ayuda Retreats.

For almost three decades, I thought I had it all. As a HR consultant in the 1980s and a coach in the 1990s and 2000s, I was working at the top of my game. Business executives looked to me for support and guidance in how to change their professional performance.

And while a dramatic downturn after the 2008 financial crash changed my direction, life still seemed positive.
In 2014, with my kids grown up and flying the nest, I opened a seven-bedroom boutique B&B called Ayuda House in Cheshire, UK.

Then, in early 2020, everything happened at once.

My relationship ended. A major family crisis left me with a gaping sense of loss. My business closed down and I fell through the public grant cracks. And a community charity project I started went very wrong.  I was faced with an immeasurable combination of grief and regret.

It was a brutal experience.

Over time, I realised that only through forgiveness, acceptance and gratitude could I move forward.  I put Ayuda House up for sale and in lock down spent a lot of time alone and with God. I prayed, meditated, read and sought the support of wise friends, coaches and counsellors.

In September 2020, I jumped on a plane to Turkey and started to explore the possibility of a retreat house. I travelled to several towns but by the time I ended up in Side, I was smitten with the authenticity, history and geography of the area – just like you will be, too.

I gathered together every source of finance, put down my deposit on a new complex in Evrenseki, and returned to the UK to complete a house sale and start the liberating process of freeing myself from a lifetime of possessions.

The next chapter of my story promises so much. I can’t wait for you to join me.

Melinda Beckett-Hughes

A lifetime of experience