Art of Living Retreat Center

Àmazing propy, views, staff, spa and overall accommodations

I have a wonderful stay each and every time I stay at AOL!

Hotel was empty and we get the worst room, big construction machine in front of our room.

This retreat center is one my favorite places to go for healing, rest, relaxation and beauty. It is an amazing place!!!

If you just want peace and quiet this is the place.

Hard to find retreat center pretending to be a hotel. Check-in was difficult. Had I seen room prior I would not have booked and only stayed because unsure of refund. guesthouse room was more like a dorm room. Bathroom was cramped with bathtub shower which had no safety aids. My wife sipped and fell in the tub and we discovered that there was no night staff in the guest house,but at reception half a mile away. When we notified the morning staff of her fall they gave us a rubber mat for the tub and did not seem concerned if she was seriously hurt. She is bruised and still sore two days later. She didn't think that she had anything broken and preferred to leave as soon as we could. There was nobody at the guesthouse for check out and we had to go back to reception. Other than the retreat dinning hall the closest restaurant was seven miles away. We were not pleased and as I stated before, if I could have been assured of a refund I would have refused to stay.

Very relaxing and beautiful scenery from most rooms.

overall wonderful experience. If you need a stress-free, relaxing stay, look no further. very friendly and helpful staff

Location is great. Facility is strange. Room was in a building quite far from reception. Had a bit of a "Shining" feel since not many guests were around.

We stayed at Shankara while visiting family in the area so we did not have time to try the spa treatments, but the quiet peaceful atmosphere was just what we needed. We plan to return and take advantage of the spa!

The vegetarian meals were delicious & innovative. There are hiking trails for those not into meditation/yoga. I did not book w/ that intention, but enjoyed the 2 classes I took. Greatest thing is doing meals/activities ala carte; not just expensive packages. Friendly, experienced, helpful staff.

Went to merlefest

Room was beautiful .it was one of the best sleep I have had in a long time! My husband and I had massage for 30. Minutes and at the end, we wish we had a full hour! It was that good. I also love the 24 hour tea room. We met with our friend for a late night tea.

Misleading while looking a t pics, and way overpriced!

Had a wonderful spa massage, very friendly staff, excellent dinner and breakfast! Absolutely the place to stay for a nice retreat. Yoga, Spa, Nature trails and so much more!!!

Just what we needed. Sufficient for a stay while attending a course nearby. We could have used a more comfortable chair in the room. Otherwise was good.

The Internet didn't work and when we called the front desk to ask about it, no one returned our call.

great view, no A/C and did not have enough staff to get great service but I would go back

The desk isn't manned after 6pm so a late check in was difficult. It was extremely difficult to find - took over an hour after dark. It was even difficult to find the correct way to go upon departure! I had ZERO cell signal and the wi-fi signal was weak. They don't have/allow alcohol or meat. The room was clean but not comfortable. The bed was extremely hard.

Our 3 nights at the Spa were peaceful. I recommend booking any spa treatments ahead of time; we were able to squeeze in a massage, but not able to book everything we wanted. The vegetarian food was excellent, but be advised, it isn't a restaurant, you get the meal prepared by the chef for each meal - we loved not having to search for a vegetarian friendly restaurant, and never having to leave the top of the mountain. The view from the main dining hall building is the most spectacular thing you'll ever see. For a quiet, peaceful retreat, it was incredible, and was a nice respite in the middle of a more hectic vacation. Map out routes in and out ahead of time; GPS doesn't work in these mountains. No cell service, but you'll have internet while there.