Awwww what a retreat! After weeks of stress and hard work at my job, we could enjoy relaxing in this adventurous country-style "paradise" Every pool has its own size and temperature. Staying in the domes is a good option because you have a pool next to it. Hiking was great, and the food was good (we brought our drinks and vegetables just in case) I do recommend bringing a light robe to walk around if you want to jump in a pool, and also bring your own towels. Another recommendation is to get the Deep tissue and the watsu massages. The yoga class was very intense but satisfactory. read more

Harbin Hot Springs - my first hot springs retreat experience! - Meditation Centers Near Me - Middletown, California

Escape the overstimulated urban fracas ....a truly healing peaceful place. Comfort at any level you choose. read more

This place proudly says on it's web page, "Harbin remains one of only three public facilities in the entire state of California not required to use chlorine as the primary disinfectant in its pools." Well, I got a serious skin infection after coming here for one evening. My partner also had a breakout, though not as bad as mine. It started as infected hair follicles in several places on my body that were red and oozing. Two spots on my stomach and one under my arm then developed into large swollen masses and open sores, requiring a course of antibiotics to resolve and leaving me with scars. I see several other reviews on here from people who also got skin infections from the water. Maybe they should consider using chlorine... read more

food was just amazing, especially the moist chicken in the chicken dinner. rice was perfect, wow wow wow. the curry was great too but the grilled breast meat in it was rather dry. lemon tahini cake was yum. read more

Staff was friendly and dedicated to creating safe environment for guests. The grounds are really beautiful and it was a relaxing experience I would recommend to anyone in need of one! read more

I didn't think I will enjoy this place as much as I did. I stayed in one of the domes and have to say I am very pleased. The hot springs are amazing they have 7 different hot springs, from super cold to very hot temperatures and it surely helped me feel relieved and relaxed. Just exactly what I needed. I will definitely come back and planning to stay 2 nights so I can enjoy the hiking trail this time 1 night is definitely not enough. read more

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I've been going to Harbin since I was in the womb. Originally just with my mom but now that I'm older, I've brought my partner a couple of times. It's true, sadly, it's not what it used to be before the fires...but they're doing an incredible job of rebuilding and bringing back the magic. It is so peaceful, such a beautiful retreat center, and a wonderful community. It's clean, it's gorgeous, and it's diverse in every way (maybe except that it's still primarily white people) but incredibly inclusive of course. Going to Harbin (it being a clothing-optional hot spring) has been so healing in the sense of seeing ALL kinds of bodies; it really breaks down society's stupid, unattainable beauty standards (with bodies and g3nitals)! I can just guarantee an amazing time. Truly one of my favorite places, it will always be in my heart! So much love! read more

Labor Day Weekend! There's too many good things to say about Harbin. My S/O and I really enjoyed our experience. POOLS & OTHER GUESTS: - Someone in another review hit this experience spot on. Your experience is only as good as the people that happen to be at the resort at the same time. - Clothing optional; the male gaze definitely still exists, although no one seemed creepy. - Some people don't know how to count to six when getting into a pool, despite people limits posted in big numbers. - Sometimes there are children, but not before 10am. Most stayed on the pool/heart pool side. - The pools get crowded after 10am, so we strategically went early to the main pools and then used our Dome pools when it got too crowded. DOME 2: - This experience was really enjoyable. The dome community has its own pools. - I couldn't tell if we had a neighbor, but all the cars in the lot seemed to account for all the dome rooms. No one in the community was loud. It was so peaceful. - The rooms were recently built, since Harbin was hit by the fires in 2015. Whoever designed the domes and these rooms did a fantastic job. The domes outside had a balcony or seating area for the guests. The inside had decor that made the room more homey and the bathroom was super modern. - Each of the rectangular domes has 3-4 suites. I couldn't tell what other domes housed people. - I thought we were glamping with this dome, but this is more like a hotel, sans wifi and reception. You even get air conditioning. STAFF/SERVICE: - This staff goes above and beyond to make the experience what it is. - Check in was seamless. Our room wasn't ready until 3pm (as stated on the website), but we were given our pool pass and were able to use the pools in advance. We were also given a "fast pass" to skip the line and get our keys when it was time. - The power went out and the kitchen staff were handling service like rockstars. They even thanked customers for our patience. The coffee shop staff member even explained why she couldn't do smoothies when we went to get some. - I must have called at least 5x to learn about this place, attempt to book and learn the rules of booking, book, and confirm my booking + add a guest. Someone picked up the phone every time or called me back. They had a TON of patience. This helped so much because the info on the website is scattered throughout different links. FOOD: - The food can be expensive, but I'm sure it helps sustain the place and accounts for having to get the food + keep it fresh. Given how much storage they have on site, I can't imagine they're buying a ton of food in bulk. - All food seemed healthy OTHER: - There were a ton of wasps, making it difficult to eat outside. Luckily, we had the opportunity to eat back at our place and there was an indoor guest area with seating. - Comfort station aka the bathroom for campers was so clean and almost spider-less (only one). - I reaaaaally had to research the website for updates/news to find pictures of Harbin. No cameras are allowed (for obvious reasons), so the website is your best bet. read more

Taking a break from the city and immersing myself in nature for a few days always helps me keep some perspective. Whenever I want to indulge in natural beauty, free-spirited vibes, beautiful decor, and friendly service, I head to Harbin. What I appreciate about Harbin is the perfect balance between extroverted and introverted traits. For example, the clothing-optional environment (extroverted) and the call for silence (introverted). The nakedness adds romance to the atmosphere, and it's common to see couples embracing inside the pools. The silence element is respectful to the mental privacy of others; some people come here to heal from life. My routine involves checking the weather for the weekend, booking a Friday, Saturday and Sunday (there's little to no construction on those days), and parking next to the perpetually streaming creek. From here, it's a short walk to the pools, garden, food truck, classes, events and cell phone reception. I love the yoga and breathing classes. Most of all, I enjoy soaking in the pools, basking in the sunshine, and connecting with like-minded people. I prepare my own meals and savor them while listening to the sound of the flowing stream. Before leaving, I always make sure to eat the Hit-the-Trail cookie for a generous, vegan, and chilled treat. One of these days, I'll actually hit a trail and explore the surrounding nature in the valley. Top tip is if you need a bag of ice you can buy it for 3 bucks from the food trailer. read more

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I've been coming to Harbin for over 20 years now. I finally treated myself to a birthday weekend with friends this past weekend. Best birthday ever! Props to Katrina for the amazing breathwork class and to Christian and Troy at the cafe for their incredible service and making me feel so special on my birthday. These guys truly care about their job and take pride in what they do, they really made my day. Cannot wait for the steam room and new space to open next time I come back! The only feedback I would offer is that the pools need to be skimmed more often for bugs, hair and other debris. It's can get pretty thick when it's crowded. More attention to this would make the experience perfection! read more

I recently returned to Harbin for the first time after the fires. I noticed I was holding my breath a little bit concerned that one of my very favorite places on the planet wouldn't feel the same. I arrived just before dusk and the front kiosk was exactly in the same place and felt the same. Friendly people who were happy to help me get situated. I decided this time I would stay in an Airbnb nearby and travel each day to Harbin for visits. I think I made the right choice. For now the accommodations are either camping, staying in Trailers that are very close to each other or very expensive small housing units. All of the options feel far from the pools which is why I am there in the first place. I parked in one of the main parking areas, got all my things together in a basket and walked up the hill to the pools. Walking through the dragons gate, and feeling this place all over again. It was a little different as there were construction trucks and workers all over the place. There is an elevator at Harbin now! It is aimed at allowing differently abled folks to access the pools which I think is fabulous. There are lockers down below where you can leave your things and then take the elevator to the top floor where all the pools are. The most important part of Harbin, for me is the large meditation pool, the super hot pool/meditation room, and the cold plunge prayer area up above. All of these pieces of Harbin are in tact and as beautiful and welcoming as ever. This is what I needed. I am so grateful to all that worked so hard to rebuild this place with thought and care. I will be back and hopefully utilize some on-site lodging. read more

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Over crowded, Very loud heavy construction within 3 feet right next to the pools. As an Air Force Veteran it reminded me of SERE (Survival training for POW's). This is THE most stressful mind "F" of a retreat!!! If you are into that....cool. DO NOT come here to relax. What's on the website is deceiving. The Vibe is horrible. The heavy construction scared away all the wild life, birds. Just a bunch of angry "P" off people. Cars everywhere... a nightmare!!!! If you want to get away from the City to relax DO NOT COME HERE!!! read more

Harbin Hot Springs - Trying to get some relaxation with this constrction right in my face??? NOT COOL!!! - Meditation Centers Near Me - Middletown, California

Truly horrible experience. The pools were dirty, crowded, and filled with naked couples straddling each other. Could not recommend less.

I came here last weekend and mostly enjoyed my experience. There are several hot tub pools and a colder Olympic sized pool for enjoyment. I did find it weird that children are permitted at a clothing optional resort geared towards adults. I don't think that is a good spiritual practice. Additionally, I was followed around by one male individual no matter where I went or moved. I felt very uncomfortable about this and didn't feel like I could ask staff for help. It seems like this is commonplace. Cleanliness of the facilities could use some real work. The cabin was nice, however the shower was slimy and could use a good scrubbing. No shampoo or conditioner was provided, and towels were pretty limited. Bathrooms were gross. There was a disgusting prevalent smell of human waste and the cleanliness is questionable. "Hippie" levels of clean. Additionally, it doesn't seem like anyone follows respect for silence. I went up for a soak in the wee hours of Friday night and could hear loud voices and socializing walking up to the pools. Staff managed to leave me a stern note about my glass water bottle that I left by my clothes, but doesn't seem to mind letting in creeps, and party goers. Additionally, I saw people with their cellphones out and nobody was reprimanded. Also, there is no "hot spring" it's mostly pools, and the warmer pools are not as warm as advertised. This place is nice in a lot of ways and desperately needs revision in MANY other ways. I would come back, but not stay there. read more

PRO: My skin is very smooth now. Amazing hot vegan morning muffins. CON: My room (The Domes) had ants crawling up the bedside light cord. The "wassuu" water massage was $150+ for someone swishing me around the pool barely keeping me alive as water poured into my ears. There was no "massage" component. I need a massage now. DEPENDING WHAT YOURE LOOKING FOR The walls were so thin I heard loud tantric sex all night long. read more

After a disappointing experience with Harbin's then lack of enforcing the Ca. State mask law, I have been assured that changes in compliance have been implemented. I appreciate the responsive action of ensuring that the Harbin Experience remains safe and enjoyable. As a decades long fan of this facility, I want to support it. Thank you, Harbin, for creating a place of sanctuary and safety. read more

We had the greatest time. Relax, release, reset. The lodging was nice and quiet. Love that the pools are open 24 hours. We adventured out at midnight to do more healing. We will be back to explore more! read more

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Not a place accepting of people of color or disabilities! For context: A group of friends decided to come to Harbin Hot Springs for my birthday retreat, having been to hot springs before in Palm Desert. We are all people of color, and we called ahead for information and to notify both the property of the service dog and the plans that we were all wanting a relaxing spa like day for my birthday. We were told that this was all totally fine. My friend has a service puppy in training for psychiatric purposes, and she is quite good at staying calm and settling except she is still adjusting to the dark where she barks at incoming people. Every time it happens, we stop it immediately. It only happened twice over the course of four hours. However, not only were all of the guests extremely rude about the situation, they were extremely judgy and it felt like we were perceived as outsiders. A few folks even commented or yelled at us about the service dog and the fact that we were having conversations between all of us. We were not being loud, respecting the rules of quiet conversation, and we were not playing in any of the pools. It felt extremely religious and not welcoming, which was not advertised on the website. I am not sure if this was a mistranslation by the minister, but we were told that this member fee makes us members of the church, which should have been disclosed. While I am okay with a donation, there is a difference between an explicit member fee and giving money to a non-profit. I came out of this experience extremely upset and judged, which was the opposite of what I wanted to feel. I would have appreciated a heads up or a more detailed description on the home page of the website. It should not be expected of guests to do extensive research for something that seems to be advertised like a traditional spa. I hope you can take this feedback and create a more inclusive space for guests. Edit: We were only there until 8:30 pm, which while after dusk, was within reasonable hours having small conversation between friends. We left 2 hours early before our 6-hour pass ended because we felt extremely uncomfortable. Edit 2: Editing my review and star count due to a kind message from the managing director. read more

Couples were humping each other in the pools, and every time I looked up someone was staring at my body. Extremely uncomfortable environment. I will never go back and I suggest others find elsewhere. read more

I am giving Harbin Hot Springs only 1 star. I love this place, and I am glad it is still here after the fire. I am so happy I can buy a day pass and enjoy the hot springs. I always come to Harbin when I visit the US. We do not have anything like that where I live. What I did not enjoy was being exposed to COVID. As a healthy, young, triple vaccinated person, I do not have to worry as much as any of you over 65 and immunocompromised. Harbin staff knows that COVID is a contagious, debilitating, and in some cases, deadly disease. If you try to come into the registration area without a mask, you will be shown a door. They do not want to get sick, but they do not care. Harbin anti-COVID measures are infection control theater. Two years into the pandemic, they check visitors' temperature instead of the vaccine cards. Imagine my horror when I realized that the several loud people with whom I shared my space in the hot pool and the heart-shaped pool are not vaccinated and proud of it Harbin refuses to enforce vaccine policy because they want to get all the money while you carry all the risks. read more

Disappointing experience. Booked for the 2 nights on the weekend and left after 1 night. Most hotspring pools were lukewarm and only one pool was hot -- scorching hot. The pools were also packed, so there's not much space to stand. So it was hard to truly relax and feel comfortable. We came on a rainy weekend and were told it was at 50% capacity, so assuming that a normal weekend would be even more packed. Not worth staying overnight. I recommend checking it out for a day pass first before making the investment to stay overnight. If you're local, I think it may be worth a day trip, but if you're driving over an hour, I don't think it's worth it. If you're looking for an alternative, I highly recommend checking out Refuge in Carmel, CA. We stayed at the Domes which has a private pool, but that one was lukewarm as well. The Domes are novel and the shared bathrooms were clean. read more

TLDR: Do not under any circumstance stay overnight, and maybe pass on the hot springs too even though they clearly, desperately need your money. It's what they care about most, your money. They can't afford to actually care for you, especially not women. I love hot springs and have visited many throughout the US: you can skip Harbin. Never have I felt as unsafe as I did here. Their low professionalism and bad state of affairs showed up in several ways during our visit. The few good staff interactions were at the friendly cafe. Harbin ran out of towels for overnight guests (yikes?), and we had to wait the following day to get one. We visited the cafe and there's a funny soupy mess of a dish called Buddha Bowl: unfortunately my friend found a bunch of grain weevil or beetles after eating the entire meal. To the credit of their cafe manager: a full refund was given. Things to note about the pools: sexual activity is allowed despite what signs say. No staff did anything about the numerous couples having some fun in the warm pools. Also, expect that if you're a femme/woman, you will be leered and gazed upon by men. Oh well, this wasn't nearly as bad as what happened later. My friend and I paid higher lodging prices to stay overnight in the dome that has a kitchen. We shared the small dome and communal space with a elder couple. On the first morning of our few-night stay, we woke to find a stranger in the dome kitchen. The person was a guest staying in a different dome. He proceeded to berate us, "don't you know you need to leave the doors unlocked? This kitchen is to be shared by everyone." Bewildered, we were speechless as fixed himself breakfast and left. The elder couple in the dome agreed that the very-entitled and rude person should stay in the dome he paid for, and leave us alone. They called security, who assured us that he would be prevented from returning into our dome. Security asked us to place the strange guest's cooler/food outside. We were shaken by this and also wondered: why didn't security retrieve the person's food themselves? Why wasn't that person being ejected from the property at this single offense of crossing boundaries? As women travelers, we felt our sense of security violated. Maybe we should have left that evening? On the following morning, guess who was in the kitchen again: rude-entitled person, fixing himself breakfast...again! It turns out that an actual staff person on the housekeeping team unlocked the dome and let him in! The staff person told us, "You should not have thrown this poor guest's food out. I did not want to ask consent from you all because I did not want to knock on your bedroom doors and trouble you." The staff person's rationale was that allowing this man to fix himself breakfast was not a big deal, that we should practice heart consciousness by permitting him to use the kitchen because he came all this way expecting to have a kitchen. Staff person: "I just wanted to make everyone happy." The staff person did not seek consent from any four of us actually staying in the dome. Our consent was not sought. We were overruled by the staff person's decision to accommodate that single guest. We did not feel safe enough to even stay the last day and left without visiting the pools again, for fear of encountering the rude guest who may yell at us and we would 100% likely be without any protection from their staff. We have since been in conversation via phone, email, etc since leaving the property and they claim: we care about you and your safety. But, actions speak louder than words. The offender should have been removed from the premises. I asked for a partial refund for our stay, and they are unable to provide that refund. Their actions clearly state: we will continue to let harassers stay here without consequence. Their actions are clear: they care about you in theory, only verbally and in practice they just need to run the hot springs to bring in money. Harm-doers are welcome here. read more

Three days ago I visited Harbin Hotsprings for the first time. I went for a visit based on my friend's recommended as a location for healing and relaxtion. When we arrived at the Hot Springs we had a great time until I was a victim of racist harassment from a customer. This older white woman was celebrating her 68th birthday. She proceeded to ask me where I was from and when I told her I was from Arizona, she proceeded to stalk me, tell me that I couldn't possibly be from Arizona as she ued her hands to make "asian squinty eyes" at me and further make me uncomfrotable by telling me aloha! I emailed this incident to the owners who are own the Heart Concious Church. When I brought the situation to their attention to include a "no-hate-tolerance policy to our guest agreement." They said appologized for her behavior and told me they would consider it. These people are hipocrites and racist and you should not support this business that lacks accountability to protect ALL of their guests from hate. Their appologies and lack of action will not keep their future guests safe. They need to get their "Midsommar so-called morals and values" in order as a self proclaimed church that honors to protect their guests. read more

It's like a clique. New people are unwelcomed . It was a very uncomfortable surroundings and was not welcoming. The staff was not very friendly nor helpful. Their website seems so friendly but all of that was a lie unfortunately read more

I had a traumatic experience with their front desk staff. This place is transphobic and ableist. I wrote this email to them and it has been sent to two different email addresses. "To whom it may concern - I'd like to file a formal complaint against the staff and management of your facility. I was to attend today on a day pass that a friend had purchased for me yesterday upon their arrival. My friend gave the registration staff both my name and license plate number prior to my arrival today, and the staff member told my friend that I'd just have to identify myself at registration when I arrived this morning. I got to the reservation this morning came in with my service animal. We were greeted by a barking dog behind the counter that heightened the whole scenario immediately. I was asked for the name of the reservation. It was safe to assume that was my name considering the information given to my friend yesterday. The staff member assumed this was the person who made the reservation for me, assumes their pronouns as she/her, and then asks if "she" is here... my response being an ask about who it is we are talking about. Oh... Meghan... that's me. It was all very confusing and dehumanizing to be misgendered in a third person by the staff. A second individual came out that later identified themself as a manager. This person tried to find the name of the reservation assuming I would know the legal names of everyone in our party. This alone is wildly transphobic, and not a safe practice for trans folk. And indeed, I did not know the legal name of the person holding the membership to your facility. Amidst the conversation, this manager asks if my service animal is in training. There are two questions ADA law allows a place of business to ask of a disabled person with a service animal. This is not one of those questions, and was wildly insulting and ableist. I suggest your management refresh themselves in ADA law. Between the gender and disability discrimination, I was no longer able to continue to interact with this level of unprofessionalism. The manager seemed to lose their patience, and when I asked them to take a step back with the attitude, considering this was a office mistake on their end, the rebutted with me being the attitude. At that point I walked out. If this is the way your management treats disabled trans folks, I highly suggest you all go through some serious diversity trainings. Going to a place to relax and recharge should not continue to traumatize disabled and trans folks. This is unacceptable behavior. As a result of your blatant discrimination I lost precious time with very dear humans to me that live on the other side of an ocean. That is irreplaceable, and I am livid about it. We also all left the facility as a result of your discrimination, losing the three other folks six hours each of paid time in your facility. That is monetary, and while my pass was refunded, i do believe you ought to refund this lost time of theirs to the individual that is a member of your facility as three day passes. I'd love to see some accountability and acknowledgement on how you will be doing better to show up for the trans and disabled community. I will be taking the time to write reviews as well, and do expect you as a facility to respond appropriately, as well as rectify your wrongs here. I would appreciate response and updates on how you will be showing that accountability. I can never recommend this space to other trans and disabled folks, and I do hope I can keep others from being traumatized by your staff. Take care," I have yet to be responded to... but they sent a nice apology to my friend that also wrote a letter. Do better Harbin. Also... maybe respond to me. Stop silencing trans and disabled voices. read more

Harbin Hot Springs - Umm... and they forwarded the apology to my friend to me... but did not address me at all... I cannot. - Meditation Centers Near Me - Middletown, California

I've wanted to come to Harbin since pre-pandemic and I went for the first time this last weekend. I did a ton of research on other NorCal springs and this one seemed like the best bang for your buck. I read a lot of reviews and was kind of spooked by some of what people were saying so I wanted to give my take. (I can't speak for anyone else's experiences, I'm just going off of what I saw) I had a FANTASTIC time, I highly recommend going 1) Crowdedness- I went very late on a Sunday and came back Monday afternoon and it was perfect. I wouldn't go on the weekend days because I hear it gets much more packed. Try to plan around less busy times and you'll be very happy. 2) pools- the pools do not smell like chlorine or much of anything. Most of the random debris in the pools were leaves because it is outside. I saw like one or two hairs. It felt very clean. Nobody was talking in the non talking areas. 3) nudity- it is clothing optional and I had zero issue with creepy people. I saw no sexual activity, mainly just hugging and some kissing but that's it. Nobody followed me around and I saw nobody erect at all. The vibe was very chill. And the reviews on here disgusted at seeing "unattractive people" or Children on site are gross. Bodies are bodies, nakedness does not equal sexuality, calm down. 4) security- the security guard we met was on site often. We saw him walking through every few minutes and there are phones around to report if there's an issue. Etc) -the food was so good, expensive but it's local so that makes sense. -Bring a towel, a robe, sunglasses, and a water bottle and you'll be set. -make sure to get a parking pass or you'll get a ticket -the massages were good. The rooms they were in were very office like. Would have been cool to have them outside. -the scenery was gorgeous! Explore while you can, Harbin is full of beautiful hidden alcoves. read more

Nourishing sacred space. (some food a lil expensive... but always nourishing and good quality). Healing waters

Harbin pre- fire was a total 5-star. Post-fire the experience is diminished. Although many amenities are new, the overall vibe has suffered greatly. I'll focus specifically on the food experience, which is now overpriced and very slow. We waited 45 minutes for our banh mi and rice bowls. We will come back, with sandwiches. Crisis averted. read more

Horrible experience. It was my first and LAST time at Harbin Hot Springs! Wasted money, time and nerves. I give 1 star for the cute Grove Cottage we reserved for 2 nights. New and comfortable with a beautiful hill view. Other than that there is nothing to like about this NOT-AT-ALL-PEACEFUL place. It was our first time; at check-in, they went over the resort's strict (NOT) rules, scared us by saying that if we didn't follow the rules they had a right to throw us out... Later we realized that NOBODY was following those stupid rules. 1. No smoking - I spotted 3 guys smoking pot here and there in the parking lots and around the pool. 2. No food at the pools - at least 60% of the guests brought big cooler bags with food to the pool area and were eating right there! 3. No diving - adults and kids were diving and splashing everybody around them! 4. No alcohol - drunk people screaming and yelling extremely loudly in the Heart pool area until midnight, every night! 5. Parents must supervise children - nah, kids are running, screaming, jumping into the pools from the stairs. Our neighbors in the cottage next to us had a little child who screamed and ran around like crazy until 2am, and was looking into our window and running on OUR PATIO(!) at 8am, parents didn't care. 6. Quiet Pool (meditating pool): No Talking, No sexual activities - couples in this pool got very obviously handsy while making sexually evocative movements and sounds(!). 7. Awful customer service: during the day, no one was enforcing the aforementioned rules, so we decided to wait until nighttime, when most of the crowd would be gone, to enjoy the pools in peace. At 1AM, we were the only ones in the Quiet Pool, and whispered a little bit about which pool we'd like to go to next. Out of nowhere, an employee appeared and began berating us, very loudly and aggressively, scaring us to death and ruining what little magic we had managed to experience. This came, again, after a long day of absolutely no one following the rules. When I tried to complain about all of the above at checkout, the management was very dismissive. Save your time, money and sanity - don't go to Harbin! read more

Harbin Hot Springs - Meditation Centers Near Me - Middletown, California

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We visited Habrin this weekend. Here are some of my observations: - The surrounding nature is beautiful. It gets pretty cold at nights, at least in March. - The hottub near the doms was barely warm - There were very limited parking spaces near the common hottubs/pools. - They advertise it as a hot springs place, but it was unclear to us where the hot spring was. I think it was mostly a fouple of large hottubs. - Clothing is optional. Most people were just fully naked in the hottubs. We enjoyed our time there, but I think there must be better places to visit next time. read more

I experienced this place with my daughter and daughter-in-law. I suffer from arthritis . They thought it would be a good place for me to go. The different pools that they have and the temperature range from ice cold to hot. I attempted to try all of the different pools ice cold I couldn't do the meditation pool was my favorite because I was able to sit and meditate. I tried the other various pools and the sauna and coming out of the warm Waters my body began to feel better I wasn't in so much pain. And clothing is optional you shower before you can shower in between and you shower after. The weather was nice the stars were out the people were very respectful of each other I had a beautiful time and I will be back because it helped with my body read more

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do not go to this place because security issues parking tickets for no reason. these tickets are written if you park poorly that they don't like. they issue ticket Ms like you are in compact San Francisco even though Harbin has tons of acres. The security seems to control this place even though the place is not clean. I noticed uncleaned pool areas. the security makes this experience very negative and some of the security people need to be trained by the local sheriff in how to deal with the public for example I parked next to the cafe to run in to buy drinks. security charged to my car to write a ticket even though the security guy could see was buying drinks. This place is not a consumer friendly place. avoid this place unless you don't mind security breathing down your neck and rude staff read more

It was my first time attending a hot springs ever. Arrived on thanksgiving eve and spent the night with my company. We were both very pleased with the greeting staff's welcoming professionalism. Stayed at one of the cottages. It gave the feel of a brand new studio / 1 bedroom miniature house with neutral calming decor, floor to ceiling windows plus our own deck. So lovely. The bathroom was nice and clean and very spacious as well. It was well heated for November. We found it glad to be able to control our own temperature. Harbin is an electronics free zone. No phones. No laptops. We slept - no joke 12 hours !!! Amazing!!!!! Can I just come here and sleep ?! Received massages by Penny and a wonderful German man ( forgot his name but he rocked with Thai massage - go to him only). Ate the food. Organic and made to order - can't beat that. Loved how silence and low voice chatter is requested at most common areas. Finally but not least went to the pools. It was my first time braving being naked 100% in public. My partner and I were nervous at first but got comfortable quickly because no one cared, and all body shapes were present ( no need to be hot to come here). It was a relief to just "be". My only complaint is that sexual energy was present a little bit due to 2 couples who ignored this very sacred and important rule in the hottest water pool. Sexual energy behavior is not allowed - and it is written very clearly on their website and on signs around the pools. The staff wasn't around to enforce this. Normally I don't care about the above stuff - heck the more love the better - but people come to the springs to relax, to enjoy silence, and to be in a neutral space. Plus there were kids near to. The situation was not ok. I almost said something. Surprisingly, the young people were not the ones breaking this no sexy contact rule - but the older 50+ year old couples! Eek!! Overall good experience and will consider coming back. Fyi: this spa has burned down in 2015 and it's now back and running again. read more

Horrible experience. Save your money and time, avoid Harbin Hot Springs. Management is only interested in money, not patrons well being or experience. They were clearly packing the bodies in for profit. To be fair, all the staff we had contact with were great, the Dancing Bear Cafe was good, the grounds were clean, and the massages fairly priced for a US resort. Penny and Venus are skillful practitioners and were the BEST part of the experience. The reason for the one star by saying that this place came highly recommend by a trusted friend. I was eagerly anticipating spending a magical, memorable visit with my significant other celebrating a milestone event in an environment we have never experienced before. No, nudity is not a problem for me, I've been to nude beaches and enjoyed them. We checked in early Sunday afternoon. The place was packed, no room in the pools, no place to put our stuff or ourselves, limited shade. The crowding was a little better Monday, but still the issues of limited access to space for our backpack and bodies. There was so much coming and going in the meditation pool that I couldn't relax and shut my eyes because of having to watch out for the next person to bump into or splash me. It wore me out and I got really tired of having to watch out for other people and getting a better spot in the pool and on the deck. ** I don't understand how having to aggressively carve out personal space is considered healthy for the mind or soul. ** We stayed in a private dome room which was nice, but had no hangars in the closet, surprise, why have hangars when 95% + of the patrons in taking advantage of clothing optional! I sealed up the room to get some air conditioning because the weather was so hot and still heard the neighbor snoring both nights! Family members sorely in need of a truly relaxing experience (two sons 17 months apart, the youngest is seven months) are contemplating a visit. I've already told them that Harbin Hot Springs is NOT the place for them. A beach on the Caribbean with lots of room and pleasant beaches is my idea of a restful time. All in all, I'm out of two days of my life and almost $1,000 (I don't begrudge the massages, but I wouldn't have had that expense if I'd just stayed home) for a very disappointing experience. read more

I haven't been back to Harbin since it was burnt down and rebuilt so was very excited to come and bring a friend visiting from out of town. We opted to spend two nights in the dome lodging with kitchen. Personally, I wouldn't recommend the space. There was a strange smell in the kitchen and main staircase something akin (to me) to old fried fish and chips, and my friend felt nauseated the whole time due to the smell. There was one full-sized double bed that sagged terribly in the middle and was probably meant for pygmy adults. We cancelled the second night (and for the record, we did receive a refund--thank you). One of the reasons why we chose to stay in the dome lodging was for the private pools. Unfortunately, the warm pool never really got warm. This could have been due to the temporary PG&E outage but even 14 hours later, the water was still barely warm so we couldn't use the dome pools, which, again, was the whole point of staying there. The main pools themselves were clean, lovely, and relaxing, albeit one woman in one of the pools who wouldn't stop talking very loudly to anyone and everyone, despite our asking her to lower her voice. We had good interactions with almost all the staff members (minus one), so appreciate this a lot. If we had made just a day trip, I imagine we would rate this higher but since this review includes the lodging, we can only give this three stars. read more

Drove up from Bay Area to Harbin on a weekday, hoping to avoid the crowds and get out of the City. we pre paid for a 6 hour visit and arrived at noon. front desk lady was nice and provided handouts for day hikes, guidelines and map; she took our temperature and handed us our parking pass to be placed on our car window. Everyone was required to wear masks even when soaking and i would say 90% did during my 5 hour visit. from parking lot to pools is a steep walk, both paved and unpaved approx 1 city block in length. there is handicap parking and elevator available. They have lockers but no locks. (bring one if you want). valuable are recommended to be left in your car. co ed clothing optional tubbing: I think it was a split w dressed vs non. all ages including 2 babies (yes, they cried.) 1 swimming pool (noticeable chlorine smell), 3 warm pools approx 90-112 degrees, hot pool (over 112 degrees) cold plunge and one river cold plunge. There is a silent pool area but the plunges/pools are only a 30 feet away from each other so talking voices carry. there were at least 3 bathrooms/showers which were small but clean and an outdoor shower for in between soaks. the weather was lovely, low 70's w blue skies; robes were nice. I'm sure at night, it could get quite chilly. as two single women we were slightly worried about being exposed to weirdos or lurkers. My friend went nuked and i had suit. we exchanged notes later and agreed, neither of us got creepy vibes. People kept to themselves or their group. There were some show boating (guys) and some couples getting...er couply, but nothing unnerving. (NO: sexual activity, drugs, alcohol, cells/camera allow on site) I guess my only complaint was the talking. Normal volume talking can be heard even by the silent pool. If you are in the area and don't want to pay the prices of Calistoga this might be a good option. Overall, Harbin is a good deal ($30/6-pass) with clean amenities and pools. Be well. read more

Great hot springs in the forest, enjoyed many years ago Kitchen was for vegan! Hope I can go back there near future read more

I love harbin hot springs. Here is nice staff and healthy food, beautiful pools and domes mountains. I love all! But last time I got some problems with one worker who cleaned the main hot pool. I asked to clean better water because there are a lot of human's skin. He explained it's just special water. And he sent to me the security worker. Ok I understand he got angry. . I recommend to buy a special vacuum for cleaning hot water from human's skin. read more

One thing I forgot to post about my last experience at harbin is that when I asked the man at the front kiosk if Ishvara still owned harbin, and if it was still heart consciousness church, he replied, "I don't know, I have only worked here for 2 years". Maria M, if you are serious about a having discussion please leave an email address where I can contact you. As I said before I have been coming to harbin for over 25 years. RIP harbin. read more

Just enjoyed a first visit to this Eden like oasis. Spent two days in one of the Grove Cottages. Extremely clean, comfortable, well-appointed, private, peaceful, and air conditioned during a warm visit. Food was healthy, delicious, and reasonably priced. Friendly, unobtrusive staff. Superb health treatments, notably Water Dance with Christina (never felt so relaxed and peaceful), and deep tissue with Stephen (hands of steel). Gorgeous gardens and landscaping at every turn. As for the pools, sheer heaven, utter bliss, can hardly describe the serenity. Temperatures ranging from 49 to 114 degrees. Clean, clean, clean. Excellent, large, clean sauna at 205. The clothing optional part works really well; felt very comfortable. Probably 90% au naturel. No weird vibes except for a very few couples with PDA problems (snuggling is okay, but, come on, straddling not so much). I thought two nights might feel long, but next time I could easily see doing 4. Such a great time to read, journal, meditate, breathe, soak, get pampered. Heaven on earth. read more