Our Story
Hummingbird Retreat House was founded by Hilary and Hosten Garraway and the top floor is their family home. Hosten grew up in Grenada and moved to London where he met Hilary, who is from the North of England. Over twenty years later and with the addition of their children, Hayley and Joshua, they bought the house in 2016 to be used as a retreat house.
The building has always been a place of prayer and worship and so, as the Celtic traditions would say, it is a 'thin place', a sacred place. After major renovation work, the Hummingbird Retreat House opened in 2026. However the vision began even before they met and their story has had its unexpected twists and turns, including the sad and unexpected death of Hosten.
Hilary and Hosten set up Hummingbird HOPE as a non-profit, family run business registered in Grenada (No. 228 of 2018-8211). Hilary, Hayley and Joshua continue the vision and you can read more of this story on our sister website, HummingbirdHOPE.com. Here there are regular blogs documenting the renovation work, life in Grenada and updates on the charity work.
Our Name
Hummingbirds are seen around the retreat house and in Grenada there are four varieties of hummingbirds. They are a good symbol of retreats because they are able to fly backwards and so symbolise the stepping back from our routine lives. They are also a good symbol for being a contemplative in action, a reminder of being centred and still within the busyness of daily life. Relative to their body size they have the largest heart of all animals, so a symbol of compassion.
They are busy searching for nectar and due to their long beaks they can reach the most inner parts of a flower for the sweetest nectar. So they are also a reminder to seek out the good in life and to search deep into each moment for the goodness within. They are a symbol of perfect balance and a reminder about finding our own balance in life.
Within Indigenous American traditions the hummingbird represents eternity and their wings move in the pattern of an infinity symbol, a symbol of eternity. In South American traditions such as the Aztecs, the hummingbird was a symbol of rebirth, resurrection and new life and so a sign of hope.
