Hi I would like to address Sandy H of the JUNE 30, 2025 review of the Silent Meditation Retreat. In…read moreit she headed it with: "it's Cult, STAY AWAY". LOL She also stated "...we noticed a level of unquestioning reverence for the AOL founder that felt more like cultish devotion than the pursuit of wisdom". And "...In our view, AOL does not represent a genuine path toward spiritual growth. For those seeking meaningful insight, authors like Alan Watts..." etc. I've been on this spiritual path for 50 years! yeah forever! hahahha - and I love Alan Watts and Ramana Maharishi and some of the other great Advaita teachers and lectures. And after 30 years of meditation and even teaching meditation, I also took the "Silent Retreat Course" several time and frankly - IT CHANGED MY LIFE. I FINALLY GOT WHAT SILENCE ACTUALLY MEANT. As far as it being a cult - Well everything can be considered a cult if one is devoted to it. Have you every been to one of those "Krishna Das cults" hahahahha? I live here on the mountain near the Retreat Center, I'm not a teacher nor a "cult member" lol. I'm just happy here with the knowledge I've gained here at the retreats. As far a Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder is concerned - Yes, he's my Guru, so was my mother. But the beauty of Sri Sri was that he (by example) showed me what SILENCE REALLY MEANT. So I would encourage people who want to come here to this beautiful retreat to remember that the PURPOSE of words, critical thinking, spiritual discourse is Silence and rejoicing in your own Being. Conversation is nice, interesting But the revelation of Silence is inner peace and true wisdom. (in my humble opinion :D ) and for sure my dogs love it here too! :D

I am writing this because I would not want another traveler to experience what happened to me…read more On April 13, 2026, I booked a weekend retreat at the Art of Living Wellness Retreat Center in Boone, NC--approximately 350 miles from my home. I received an immediate confirmation and was charged $1,594 in full. During the week of the retreat, I received no pre-retreat information. I emailed three times and received no response. I then called twice with basic questions about what to bring. On both calls, staff took my name and answered my questions. Not once was I told the retreat had been cancelled. So I drove approximately seven hours to the center. When I arrived, the registration employee could not find my reservation. I offered to show her my confirmation email, but she declined. She asked me to wait, then disappeared from the reception area. About five minutes later, the manager, Christy, came to the desk. She told me the retreat had been cancelled on June 24 because of low enrollment. I was stunned. I had just driven seven hours to attend a retreat I had paid $1,594 for. Her response was that there had been "no other way". I asked why no one had successfully notified me. She said the reservation notes indicated that a voicemail had been left for me on August 1. No voicemail ever reached me. I reminded her that I had spoken with staff twice during the week immediately before the retreat, and neither person mentioned the cancellation. The only immediate alternative offered was to sell me a room and a meal for the night. As I stood there trying to process what had just happened, another employee walked by and said, in what I felt was a remarkably dismissive tone, "Everything will work out." I left and began the seven-hour drive home. After I regained cell service, I received a voicemail from Christy. I expected an apology--for the wasted trip, the expense, and the fact that I had been allowed to drive 350 miles to a cancelled retreat without being told. Instead, she maintained that the center had sent two emails I never received and continued to insist that the situation had been handled appropriately. I understand that retreats can be cancelled because of low enrollment. What I cannot understand is cancelling a retreat, waiting weeks to notify paid participants, then speaking with a customer twice in the week before the retreat without mentioning the cancellation--and ultimately allowing that customer to drive seven hours to the facility before learning the truth. This was not simply an inconvenience. It was deeply upsetting and, in my view, completely avoidable. At a minimum, I believe I deserved a sincere apology.

Restaurant & Chef is best keep secret around! We actually booked an AirBnB here when they didn't…read morehave a retreat going on. It was a last minute booking due to travel plans changing suddenly. If we'd have known the resort would've been so serene, we wouldn't stayed longer. They had a fire going during the day that was so nice and inviting. The pool was wonderful and walked out from the spa and near the fire. They had a nice bar set up by the pool, although we didn't have time to indulge before checking out. There was also a nice swing and play set for kids, and lots of space to run around. There are lots of trails to walk on the property too. The room was pet friendly, and looked out onto a beautiful forest! The bed was comfy and the room was fine for what we needed. Sunset and sunrise were breathtaking. BUT, the best part of the entire experience was the restaurant! Although our server seemed new, he was quick to ask the kitchen on things he didn't know, instead of giving us the wrong answer. We came in for breakfast as a family of four. White table cloths and a beautiful dining room made for the perfect ambiance! We were slightly worried about our kiddos not dressing super fancy and in ball hats, but it didn't matter and we felt very welcome. We ordered a couple typical breakfast items, which were delicious, but I got the shrimp and grits. They were made with a tomato broth instead of a cream, and the seasonings and ingredients tasted like New Orleans gumbo. It was perfection!! My son got blackened fish for breakfast, and he LOVED it! Even the coffee was dark and lovely. The best part, was that the chef came out to our table to greet us, ask us about the meal, as us where we're from and talk to my kids about sports and their team gear they were wearing. We couldn't give him enough compliments! Fun, don't walk to this place!

The most amazing week! Location, staff, guests, activities! A fantastic way to spend a week in the…read moremountains of North Carolina

Had a very relaxing stay here!…read more We checked in really late and had called ahead to make sure that would be okay. The staff member I spoke with (only not mentioning the name here to respect their privacy) was lovely! We were sent an email with instructions and our keys were left exactly where the email said they would be. We had a woodland cottage. Clean, rustic and spacious, with a charming porch. I'm unclear as to the complaints by other reviewers here about the lack of a tv, or telephone or WiFi. That clearly isn't the point of this place. There are a ton of other places in Asheville with all the traditional hotel amenities. It's nice that they are environmentally conscious and only refresh the rooms every 3 days on a 5 day stay. I would prefer a 2 day refresh personally, but can certainly appreciate the effort. A lot of major hotel chains now also don't refresh towels daily or give guests the choice. Only complaint I had was no additional meals are served or available but I was told that was in the works.

Don't let the pictures fool you like they did me…read more The place is barely being kept up. The outside is in dire need of a paint job. Inside the entrance your greeted by two school desks. One friendly girl was behind one to the right, while later a grumpier older lady to the left. They say it's been open for a year already, but really I'm surprised it's open at all. For over $200 a night it was not worth it!! I arrived early and asked about an earlier check in, a couple hours before 4pm. They said it would be an extra $25 charge. I said no thank you, as i only wanted to leave my things in the room and go downtown Asheville. The young lady gave us a tour of the "sanctuary" and she was very sweet. She showed us where they teach classes, and have the sauna. One of the major reasons I considered this place. Sounds nice, right? Think again... the separate building, an up hill walk from their building. They have Yoga classes / chi-gong (only held in the morning) on what seams like a nice wood floor. This other building was under a serious re-model & I would not have found it fit for any guest to walk through. The rooms upstairs of this building for the most, were filled with ideas of what's to come.. the salt room, steam shower. It was a mess!! The only semi finished room was the sauna. I think they made a make shift room for it in a closet. The friendly girl giving the tour said she was getting requests from guests to use it, but that she needed to do a serious cleaning first and hoped it would be ready. Let me paint a picture for you.. No towels to sit on or pat off the feeling of sweat dripping off you. No shower. Having to walk from your room up hill to a distant building only to get hot & sweaty and walk back to your room. What about clothes? Is it a co-ed sauna? Bathing suits? Is it clean? Usually you have a towel to sit on. Do you bring a change of clothes for walking back to your room only to get them sweaty. Is there a changing room? ..because I didn't see one. It seams like they have many concepts that are nice, but not all together. The room... We got back from the tour, a different lady said we could put our things in the room, but our fireplace isn't working. I walk in to see two ladies on their hands and knees saying "we might have to call someone" as they are trying to fix the fireplace. We left our things. When we came back, luckily the fireplace was up and running. The room had a pretty big bathroom with a big tub and shower. The tub was dirty and I had to clean it. Make sure if you're going to take a bath to have extra time to not only clean it, but to fill the tub. It must have taken almost an hour. Slow going but it was nice and hot. The beds were decent, but the pillows were hard and almost better without one. There was really nothing in the room for entertainment or to keep you on schedule. No clock, no radio, no phone, no tv. Just the fireplace and WiFi. It was cold in the room so we went downstairs to get extra blankets. The older lady looked at us like we were crazy when we said we wanted 3 blankets since we only had a light thin blanket for two separate beds. She said you know there is a thermostat. That was a surprise to us. Still we wanted an extra blanket just in case. She made it seam like it was an imposition. Breakfast.. - One of the better things about this place! - Fresh and delicious My mom enjoyed the classes the next day Yoga Chi-gong I was happier to leave! Just know that what they have in reality is different from what they advertise.

It's an AWESOME! Place! It's fun, there's a lot of mountains! I have never been in a mansion until…read moreI went here. It's highly highly recommend!

I really have not stayed at many retreats. Elijah's Harbor is a spiritual retreat center primarily…read moredesigned for pastors, missionaries, geared toward Protestant/Baptist faith. It is in farm country in Tennessee near the city of Greenville, TN. I have had the opportunity to stay here for a week because my in laws are missionaries. The do retreats and conferences here, but they also allow people to simply rent houses/suites in order to simply get away. I stayed in the Alexander House and it had 2 1/2 bath three bedrooms and a bunk room. Seven children and four adults had no space issues. Some of the other amenities are up the hill at the central mansion. They include a two level pool with hot tub and six foot wall to jump off in to the deep pool. A game room with foosball, pool, ping pong. There is a theater room, a 50's cafe room set up for ice cream socials. There is an exercise area and coffee shop as well as a place to get dinner kind of like a bed and breakfast. Anyone that stayed here can relax or be active. I is a great place to get away and recharge.

A idyllic treasure B&B with sweeping mountain views and an immaculately maintained and decorated…read morehouse with beautifully decorated rooms. Delicious homemade food with a lot of produce and herbs from the gardens. Dog friendly and healing oriented. The charming owner, Kim, is very knowledgeable not only about local hikes and waterfalls, but also very talented in healing through nutrition and exercise.

Wow! Wow! Wow! If you want a BEAUTIFUL experience surrounded by the beauty of nature with luxurious…read moreaccommodations and incredible food, Butterfly Ridge Mountain Resort is truly a five star experience. From our gorgeous room with a private balcony overlooking the mountains, to the incredible hostess, plant based chef and wellness expert who also prepares delicious homemade breakfasts for you in her home (the banana bread alone is worth the trip), to the true sense of peace and tranquillity you feel--it is priceless! Whether you are wanting to hike the miles of trails, a romantic weekend getaway, are looking for a wellness retreat or want to finish writing your book (like I did), do yourself a favor and come here! Your future you will want to thank you for making such a beautiful choice.

i love this place! when i first moved to asheville a student told me her favorite place in all of…read moreasheville was the Light Center. i made my way there and could see why. it's a very peaceful place and restores the Spirit make sure to leave a donation- they run on donations and they hold such a sacred space for all of us it's a good way to say thanks and give back to the mission to spread Light

Great place for meditation and trails and healing concerts sound healing, spiritual dancing and…read moremuch more. I love this place.