Zen Vacation

My experience with Zen Vacations and Azerai Hotel during the November 6–9, 2025 Pilates retreat was one of the most distressing and disappointing trips I’ve ever taken. The retreat was advertised as a relaxing, luxury experience, yet at no point was it stated that guests would be forced to share rooms with strangers. I only discovered this upon arrival — after paying nearly $900 — and was shocked to be told I’d be sharing a twin room with another guest I had never met.

As someone with PTSD and sleep issues, I made it clear that this was completely inappropriate and unsafe for me. Despite offering to pay extra for a private room, I was first told none were available, then suddenly offered one for an additional $600 when I said I might leave. This felt manipulative and exploitative, especially given the false advertising and the vulnerable position I was in as a solo traveler in a foreign country.

To make matters worse, when I raised my complaint after the retreat, I was told that “others agreed to share and sharing is part of retreat culture.” This response was utterly dismissive and gaslighting — as if the issue was my fault for not accepting conditions that were never disclosed in the first place.

What should have been a healing and restorative retreat instead became a deeply stressful and upsetting ordeal. I would strongly caution anyone considering Zen Vacations or Azerai Hotel — their practices are misleading, their communication unprofessional, and their handling of complaints is unprofessional

The number of Pilates sessions was also falsely advertised and the schedule was disorganised . My whole group was shocked and disappointed which was fun in a way because we bonded over this over the dinners . Don’t book this !