Hawaii Island Retreat

Comentarios destacados

• Askddkdkfj

  06 junio 2019
  Horrendously disappointing

  Horrendous and disappointing. We rented the entire facility for 4 days of events including my daughters wedding for 130 people. Let me start by saying that the proprietor here (Jeanne) went a long way towards RUINING the entire process for my wife and I. Her (in my opinion, phony) aloha spirit when you meet her is quickly replaced by a very inhospitable and bordering on rude attitude for the rest of the process preparing and executing the rehearsal, wedding day, and post-wedding day brunch. In my opinion, she did not demonstrate the skills of a person in hospitality. The ONLY THING that saved the weekend was our wedding planner and the fact that the grounds are picturesque. I want to be very accurate in my appraisal of the weekend. The food that was provided for breakfast in the morning and the brunch was good. We had the wedding food catered by another company. The grounds are beautiful. The rooms were fine but very warm due to the lack of A/C so it made getting ready for a wedding difficult since we were all sweating profusely by the time of the events. Our bungalow was filthy in places, bugs everywhere. The real problem was the lead-up for months to the events. Im not sure what we would have done without our wedding planner (Hannah) who literally saved the day. The owner was so incredibly uncooperative...it was hard to fathom. On multiple occasions she told us things that she did not follow through on or downright lied. Some examples: She sent us a diagram of the grounds which included a space for tent erection that she had listed as 100 feet wide...in truth it was less than 25 feet wide. When we originally toured the facility, she told us we could use the yoga room for a variety of uses including a back up if it were to rain...then she reneged on that promise. (The yoga room, which is one of the better spaces in the facility, had drapes up the entire weekend even though we rented the whole facility). The selection of the beer and wine from long distance became an ongoing ridiculous process whereby the owner INSISTED that I provide her the wines that I wanted and she would see if she could get them... why not provide a list for me to choose from that she has available you ask?? God only knows. After $300 of wine purchases and multiple trips to my local wine store to try to select wines that she MIGHT have...the process became almost unbearable when she said to me on the phone, look if you dont want beer and wine at this wedding, its ok with me. Really?? She insisted that she was going to pass through the wine and beer at her cost but then refused to show me the invoice of what her cost was...and that she was including fees but would not tell me what those fees represented. I have been involved in countless large and small events in my career. I have been involved in bringing hundreds of people to destination-events in the past. NEVER have I run into someone who literally put hurdles up at every turn to make things more difficult. In spite of this woman, we were able to have a nice event due to the picturesque grounds and OUR diligence. Good luck to anyone who chooses this facility.

  

• Frank M

  13 julio 2019
  Property Geared More for Groups than Individual Bookings

  This is a lovely property in a beautiful location. The amenities and facility are first rate, but for reasons Ill describe below, it was not the right place for us and we cut our stay here short. We had made a reservation for 5 nights under the impression that, while it would be on the quiet side, there would be other guests to interact with, workshops or classes to attend, and an on-demand restaurant to dine in.  These expectations were not realized.  When we arrived we were informed that we were the only guests registered that night and that only one other couple was registered during our stay. After much consideration we decided that the unexpected solitude was not for us and decided to leave after one night. The owner told us that the property is meant to be a quiet place and that even if there had been other guests it would not have been a social environment.  She suggested that we had false expectations.  That may in fact have been true, but there is a big difference between a place that has a quiet vibe" with other people around versus being one of two couples on a large property where you might not see another guest for days. After some negotiation, the owner agreed to only charge us for a two night minimum stay instead of the 5 nights we had booked. Our expectations were wrong about this property.  The other couple told us they loved the idea of being the only ones there.  It seems that a lot of the bookings at his property come from groups and we can see how this would be a wonderful spot for a group event.  But still, we feel it is incumbent on a resort to inform you that you may be the only ones staying there, especially when it is in such a remote location.  Also, dont expect meals, classes or activities to be available spontaneously.  It seems that everything has to be booked and arranged ahead of time.

  

• jenaerachelle86

  30 julio 2019
  Yoga Teacher Training at Hawaii Island Retreat

  Hawaii Island Retreat offered a beautiful, secluded, pristine, close-to-nature experience. Very welcoming vibe and lots of hospitality and warmth from all those running the centre. Something to keep in mind is that although wifi is supposed to be available in certain areas of the property, wifi connection was non-existent or minimal at best. Cell service was also very limited. The patio door in my room was broken, and although I tied a cord around the handles to help keep it closed, the wind banged the doors open and shut, keeping me awake several nights. No alternative solutions (i.e., repairing the door) were offered. Additionally, something to keep in mind is that due to environmentally-friendly practices (which are wonderful!), no chemical sprays are used for insects etc., so ant infestations are an issue, especially if you have any food in your room. Must be very diligent to wrap and seal all food and drink items. Overall, low cleanliness level. If attending a large group retreat or training, I would still recommend Hawaii Island Retreat due to the beauty, solitude, and sacred energy of the land.

  

• Nitrochaser

  14 agosto 2019
  A Slice of Sustainable Paradise

  Aloha. I LOVED my experience on my recent stay at Hawaii Island Retreat! I felt welcome the minute I arrived and was warmly greeted until the minute I left. The whole staff went above and beyond to ensure my stay was AWESOME. HIR is a very special place full of peace and sacred energy all around. I feel fortunate to have been able to experience the incredible living example of where sustainability and permaculture mix with luxury and transformation. I highly recommend it. The entire property is pesticide free, eco friendly, organic and is breathtakingly beautiful with views of the ocean from the seaside cliff. There is a fantastic salt water infinity pool which I felt like I was floating in heaven. I watched the stars at night and felt refreshed each morning. I stayed in one of the luxurious yurts and it was exactly what I wanted. I deeply enjoyed the peace and quiet since I value my privacy and love my solitude which was undisturbed. I dislike A/C so I really appreciated the fans and natural fresh air that breezed through my yurt windows. My bed was extremely comfortable. The yurts have their own private bathroom with a sink and toilet. The showers are conveniently located close to the yurts and have dispensers of organic body wash, shampoo and conditioner made from the land. They smelled so nice and made my hair and skin feel silky smooth. I felt a genuine connection to nature and I really enjoyed spending time in the gardens and the open courtyard. Positivity and good vibes abound. The architecture and construction of all the buildings on the premises are lovely. The Legends & Lore Walk and visit with the Council Stones in the sacred valley was fun and I learned a lot about the sacred and medicinal plants of Hawaii along with interesting facts about the culture, land, history and traditions which I thought was extremely cool. The food was healthy, delicious and delightfully fresh farm to table organic meals with lots of fruit and veggies which were beautifully prepared. There was a glass water bottle which I was provided with in my yurt so I was able to refill it with fresh, clean drinking water as often as I needed to stay hydrated. The Applied Kinesiology Massages and spa treatments were magical. I felt an authentic healing of mind, body and spirit. Jeanne is a gifted healer. I feel inspired by her love and dedication to transformational sustainability. Thank you Robert, Jeanne, Daemion and the rest of your wonderful Ohana at Hawaii Island Retreat for creating a slice of sustainable paradise and for making my stay truly exceptional, uniquely transformational and for treating me like family. I will forever cherish my experience and I am already looking forward to my next visit. Aloha.

  

• BeccaFann

  18 agosto 2019
  Beware. Not as pictured. Not luxury.

  Beware. This place is a total scam. Overpriced to begin with, but terribly rundown and understaffed. Not to mention sketchy business practices, dishonesty, and sneaky fees. The grounds are beautiful and it's certainly a peaceful place, but better for a day hike or quick visit than a weekend stay. That's mostly because of the staff. When we arrived we were lead to an old, buggy yurt with a stained bedspread, located a couple of feet from several other yurts. It's less seclusion and more like a crowded summer camp environment. Showers were located in a separate building and it was very hot. Nothing luxurious about it. The grounds and lobby area are worn down and dilapidated, and the front office seemed surprised about our arrival. There was only one other guest on the property, and the entire place had a haunted house feel. We decided to leave since this was not the kind of place where we wanted to spend any additional time, but the manager said it would cost us $300 (nearly the cost of our two nights at the yurt) in cancellation fees. She offered to show us one of the rooms in the (empty) house, and offered us an upgrade since no one else was staying on the property. We checked out the room which was significantly nicer than the yurts with a nice bathroom, good bed and sheets, and a nice view of the grounds. We still weren't thrilled about staying on the property, but didn't want to waste the $300 and struggle to find somewhere else to stay on a Friday afternoon. We agreed to stay in the room, and traded in our yurt keys for room keys. Note - There was no mention of fees then or at any other time during our stay. When we checked out, we were emailed a bill which showed two $75 charges for "upgrade fees", something we had never heard about before. I inquired with the front desk who took 24 hours to get back to me, then made up a story about informing us of the fees and how we agreed. They then wrote a long list of all of the "value" we got from staying in the room, and how much money we "saved" by getting the upgrade. Keep in mind, we were charged additional money. Subsequent phone calls and explanations were dismissed. It's very disappointing to write a review like this, especially when we loved the idea of a green place that's so close to nature, but we encourage everyone to stay somewhere else when visiting the Big Island, this place is sure to leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.