Menla and it s programs and retreats, it s stewards and staff and volunteers and yogis and healers and teachers and therapists and administrators, its outrageously beautiful and blissed out spa and facilities, all of which are situated on sacred ground in what can only be described as a pristine natural womb formed by one of the Earth s oldest known meteor impact sites (leaving what is essentially a verdant crater enshrined by 360 degrees of mountains), are each and all magical and sublime. If this sounds like a rave , it is. Indeed, it was the predominate factor driving my decision to move to the area from NYC this past February. The place just rocks!!
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It's nature healing, every staff member super kind and making you feel right at home, the food was heavenly good (!)... i'm deeply impressed and recommend anyone to pay a visit when in search of a peace of mind, to recharge and for those who wants to deeply (re)connect with their (inner) nature. The good spirits of the Catskill mountains are definitely highly active and working their magic on everyone who comes and goes. Went home deeply inspired, recharged and full of love.
Special thanks to C, the cooking team and every other staff member for making us feel at home.
Keep spreading those good vibes and we'll meet again! Big hug,
The view is beautiful but I wasn't impressed with everything else. The service was so-so, rooms nothing fabulous. Nothing much to do unless you like doing things outdoors. The meditation classes were okay but nothing out of this world you can't get from yoga.
Honestly didn't feel it had any spiritual vibes or energy. I think they just market it that way, but nothing really spiritual. They charge you for everything! I expected a little more from a Buddhist place but when I saw they were promoting fishing, that was it for me. Basically, overrated and overpriced to get away to do nothing. I could have gotten this at the park.
Menla - One of my most favorite retreats centers in USA and beyond. The land is beautiful and sacred and the buildings are infused with the art and teachings of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Rooms are comfortably and thoughtfully furnished and the chef creates delicious imaginative healthful meals. Pure medicine for the heart, mind, and soul.
Great spiritual space for retreats, meditations and just find yourself in peace and harmony. Pleasant hospitality and friendly Services. Clean Holistic approach. I will recommend to others and visit again.
This place look beautiful in the picture, but is totally different outcome in reality. Basic hygiene is not up to std. Bed sheets, cover, pillows have odour.
I was finally here at Menla Spa last month after reading many things about it on the internet but I was extremely disappointed. First of all everything is overpriced and the service was just only average. The advertising and write-ups say this is a Tibetan Buddhist place for healing but there was nothing spiritual about it. The Catskills is nice countryside but this Menla Spa is just another place for unknowledgeable tourists. I won't be coming back.
A unique gem in the Catskills. The lodging options are all great, the scenery is breathtaking, and the food is fabulous. The staff here go above and beyond to make your experience one-of-a-kind. Would recommend for a peaceful getaway for those who love nature!
Krishna Das and Sharon Saltzberg offered their Love of Being via Kirtan and compassion filled stories that moved us all to tears and laughter! Menla staff were great and always helpful and kind. Take your "self"out of default mode and enter the space of Loving Kindness, and feel the Mystery of Life move you!
Amazingly tranquil energy, great staff, and beautiful facilities! And I the food is my favorite of all the local retreat centers. I highly recommend Menla. And if you have the opportunity the spa services are excellent.
I recently visited Menla for a workshop with Robert Thurman and it was awesome! First, the place is gorgeous, peaceful, and spiritual. Exactly what you need to get away from the intensity of the city. The food was great, the grounds well maintained, and my room was comfortable and clean. I will definitely be back!
After reading some good reviews about this place, I decided to come with some expectations of good services and quiet time to be away from the city. The place was nice to visit, however, my requirement was not fulfilled although I have requested for it when I made reservation. I didn't get the room I have requested and was put in the rooms together with others which defeats my purpose to have quiet time for myself. I have requested for gluten free vegetarian meals and disappointed to find gluten in my very first meal. My stay was therefore unpleasant. I don't think I will return again.
We were there for Richard Freeman and Robert Thurman. Great combination and would go again in a minute. Food was delicious and plentiful and setting is great.
definitely do the spa experience. the meals can be culinary delights of original recipes. surprising spaces and buildings throughout the retreat complex, where yoga feels welcoming. Thurman can be egotistical during retreat teachings, but after his adamancy cools down he is a wealth of knowledge. many teachers and artists hold sessions there throughout the year, some in tandem with Thurman so check the schedule frequently because spaces go fast. book early for the best rooms and rates. rooms are spacious with original wood floors and windows; lots of relaxing charm with artwork of various media in all the buildings. amenities such as heated towel racks, spacious showers, and over-sized beds. song birds, turkeys, and waterfowl abound. water features and trails throughout. the deer are out after dark (counted a herd of 10 or more) and in the morning down by the spillway visible in the panoramic view from the dining hall that extends to the wooded hills of the Catskills. staff are good natured and extremely competent.
Beautiful scenery, the staff is awesome I just got married and I was able to get my wedding flowers from there gorgeous garden! My guest were so surprised I got marigolds like the ones grown from my country, Mexico. I also was able to get editable flowers for my wedding cake.
We chose Menla for its secluded location, sacred grounds, and Buddhist philosophies. The vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free meals were delicious. We enjoyed the Kunye massage at the spa and the friendly and engaging staff. We will definitely be back!
The staff at Menla are incredibly helpful and polite. The rooms are spacious, bright and clean. The setting in the Catskills is spectacular and the setting here is an exquisite balance of comfort, fresh air and peacefulness.
I wasn t going to recount my bad experience with Menla, Dewa Spa but when I saw them promoting fishing recently when they project themselves to be a place of spirituality with heavy emphasis on Buddhism, I felt compelled to say something. Basically, there are a lot of heavy misleading marketing and it is becoming clearer that this place is really about just capitalising on spirituality to make money.
Travelling from overseas I was very excited and very much looking forward to a trip to the spa, which was a treat from a dear friend. The cost was actually expensive however it was in return for the spiritually infused service and environment as it was said to be. The entry and the natural bush surrounds are beautiful and impressive Unfortunately that the best of it.
It was hardly relaxing when there are so many not to subtle pressure to sign on to more packages. And I am quite cheesed off with a couple of people there who immediately took off their nice mask and blatantly showed disdain after I declined their attempts to push more packages onto me. In fact, I had to bear with their sarcastic jabs of being cheap etc and they weren t even focused on doing a good job providing the spa treatment. So, if I don t sign up more I am relegated to half-hearted services? After all those "spiritual opening speeches"? And when I attempted to highlight the unfair treatment to management, I was told they would get back to me but basically was given the run around until l left.
In short, I really wanted to love it being a spa junkie. Sadly, it was the worst as it wasn t as how it promoted itself to be and quite an embarrassment to keep not so subtly dropping the names of Dalai Lama and supposedly famous Tibetan Buddhism scholar Robert Thurman (apparently very close student of Dalai Lama) to get more sales. If they really revered the Dalai Lama, one would think they would have respect for the Dalai Lama than to use his name in vain.
This place is absolutely the worst. Staffs are arrogant and rude. I wasted my whole weekend there stressed out. I was there for a yoga retreat but it turned out very bad. I didn't want to post this bad review at first but seeing their Twitter account promoting fly fishing , it absolutely disgust me. They are a buddhist spa which promotes living saving and showing kindness to others. Hypocrites ! Promote the torture and killing of precious life just to get business. This is just disgusting. I don't think anyone can get peace from a place that wrecks with energy of killing and torture.
Menla is a magical and authentic destination. There are dedicated and talented staff who took care of us the entire time. I have traveled the world for work and pleasure and am excited that there is such a special slice of nature and spiritual well-being so close to NYC. We did yoga, had an amazing massage, hiked, swam, meditated and overall recharged. Thank you Menla!!
Gorgeous place to go on retreat or visit for the day. Tibet inspired spa offers massage, sauna, pool, hiking etc. Good place to relax and soak up the natural surroundings, meditate and do yoga.
This is a COVID-era review. Menla is open for "create your own" getaways, so I signed up to have a break this past weekend. Honestly, the grounds and rooms are nice enough, but there's no draw here other than hiking without activities and lectures. The spa hours were limited, and the meals were oddly stressful. The chef is REALLY LOUD and you can hear her talking anytime you are in the main lodge, so if you're trying to have a quiet meal inside, forget about it. The meals themselves were repetitive and limited (note they charge separately for breakfast and the coffee is TERRIBLE so bring your own). One final quibble - the naming on the maps and the property guideposts (Eagle House, etc) don't match. It's a small point, but it feels really unwelcoming. In short, if you want to create a hiking adventure in the Catskills, stay elsewhere!
Great place overall. beautiful grounds, excellent service and friendly staff and well maintained rooms-property. Also the food was awesome, creative and unique. Great experience, very relaxing and tranquil overall, if your looking for a great retreat from the city!
They're more interested in parting you from your cash and have zero morals. Justin, one of their team raved about how fly fishing was invented there and suggested I do some 'compassionate' fishing. I still haven't worked out how that ties in with the Buddhist principles of not killing or harming other creatures. Fake, overrated and massively overpriced.
What a gem. The location is excellent. The food is fabulous. The entire place is very clean and a well run retreat center. All of the employees are happy and gracious. If your looking for a location to participate in a retreat or a place to host a retreat, I think this is the best location in all of North America.
At the first moment you step in that restaurant the stuff gives you a pleasant feeling. Very comfortable team, it is a kind restaurant to hang out with your friends or with your date. delightful cooking, professional chief cook and stuff, comfortable pay and excellent service. Warmly recommended.
This place was eerie. On the outside it seemed nice enough, beautiful landscape, facilities you would need, etc. But there was just something that felt off about the place while I was there. People there were friendly, but to be honest it all felt a little contrived. I've been to a couple of places like this before but I don't think I will be back here again. Personally, it isn't a place I would like to stay for long. I felt really strange when I finally left the place.
The site is beautiful and the food was good. BUT the front desk staff is dangerously incompetent. I was told there were 2 trails, one of them very easy and the second one slightly less easy with two hot spots. The 2 hour hike ended up in a 9h hour ordeal and a trip to the ER. The rangers that came to my rescue told us it would have been at best a 4h hike with the snow and as nobody had gone up the whole winter there was no trail and it was very dangerous. Interestingly there was no follow-up either. Don't go in winter and don't listen to what the front desk tells you.
Menla is a beautiful, soulful property on an incredible piece of land. I spent a day a the spa and enjoyed a beautiful and nourishing lunch. I will absolutely be back!
On a side note, my husband and I own a fly fishing shop and are both fly fisherman. I wanted to note, with the kindest of intentions, that fly fishing is not about harming animals by any means; it actually promotes ecological understanding and environmental conservation.
Fly fishing is about connecting with the water and the ecology of a body of water. The handling of fish is with true love and compassion for the animal and all intentions are to return the fish back into its environment safely and to do no harm.
I wanted to let your staff know how much my husband and I enjoyed our time spent at Menla during the Friends of Fungi retreat in September. Although we weren't residential guests at the retreat, we absolutely loved the grounds, the conference center and the dining experience. Your chef and their staff are phenomenal! I would recommend visiting Menla for the serene peace of the grounds and the mindful meals alone. We will be back again next mushroom retreat.
Some other reviews during COVID-19 have complained about limited spa hours and even criticized the chef. We have nothing to say but happy things. The food was wonderful, the staff warm and professional, and we were served large healthy portions. Yes, COVID-19 has put a damper on life, but not at Menla. We were welcomed , respected and felt connected to everyone there whether supportive staff or fellow guest.
Very scenic venue. Management staff indifferent to suggestions and complaints. Employees park in spots close to deluxe accomodations (upscale). Limited in accomodating disabled placard vehicles. Dragging luggage over gravel less than ideal. Extremely dark at night. Quite a walk from main office and dining room to conference center. Parking somewhat limited. All vegan meals. Excellent wifi and free VoIP phone service included. Electric receptacles located behind bedposts in our room. Would be a 5 if they made the effort to take suggestions to heart. If you want peace and tranquility and can afford to stay here and pack light, give it a try.
An amazing magical place with freshly made vegan food, spa with Tibetan medicine therapies, swimming pool, vast greenery, and mountain water. They invite the best teachers from around the world too!
The posted photos look very nice and attractive. But found there's a recommendation for Esopus Creel ~ fly fishing in the Catskill Mountains? The fishing may harm the fishes and others. It shows that Menla offers wellness and spiritual retreats for the people but is to harm the environment and living beings. :(
My one weekend retreat and a second week-long yoga retreat, just ended, were transformative and left me feeling like a new and much happier being. I enthusiastically recommend Menla as a beautiful pathway toward a more joyful and tranquil life.
This place is incredibly transformative. If you have spent any time in the Tibetan Buddhist culture, this Sacred centre will feel immediately familiar. At the same time it is absolutely Beyond. This retreat centre in the Catskills is unparalleled. I loved my room and the amenities, however, if you are seeking luxury by Western standards, this may not be the place (although the spa is quite dreamy and the beds are sooo comfy). If you are seeking to find your Heart, and hear the Rhythm of the Earth and the Sound of your Soul, then this is your place. I can not recommend it highly enough.
Menla Mountain Retreat - Center for Health & Happiness
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