Cameron's Staff Pick

Menla Create-Your-Own Getaway

4.78111 reviews

Phoenicia, NY 12464, USA

Flexible Dates

About this Retreat

Details of this retreat

Build a custom escape vacation by choosing activities à la carte.

Only two hours from New York City, Menla lies in the heart of the Catskill Mountains. De-stress on more than 300 acres of private wilderness. Unspoiled natural beauty adjoins state land, creating endless opportunities for wildlife spotting and discovering secret hideaways. Let fresh air, light, water, movement, and sound envelop your senses in the mystical act of forest bathing.

Serenity

A unique experience awaits with the ability to distance yourself from others while finding zen. Use the essence of nature to restore your mind and spirit in a peaceful refuge, far from the noise and anxiety of city life. Cozy, private villas are available if you need more personal space or are traveling with family. Our small staff offers minimal-contact service, and with plenty of room to spread out, interaction with other guests is optional.

Wellness

Improve your fitness and mental clarity with private qi gong, yoga, and meditation sessions available to book a la carte daily. Go on a guided hike or explore on your own – on-site and nearby trails range from easy to advanced. Awaken new senses with sound baths and other sound therapy techniques that release stress through harmonic vibration. As the sun goes down, light up the night with bonfire magic under the stars.

Sustainability

From the bed linens to the cleaning products we use, every attempt is made to source ethically and sustainably. This is most evident in our food supply. Our vegetarian farm-to-table menu features organic dishes right from Menla’s gardens. Enjoy lunch and dinner (included in the price of accommodation) through the Lhasa Inn to-go service. Learn about how we grow sustainably on one of our many garden tours. We cover everything from ecology and horticulture to the healing power of medicinal plants.

Accommodations with meals are available Thursday check-in through Sunday check-out or just for the weekend Friday check-in - Sunday check-out. If you are interested in a longer-term stay that is unavailable through our website please reach out to us for a custom quote.

It’s best to book any activities you are interested in prior to arrival to ensure staff, teachers, and therapists are available when needed.

Rates reflect the minimum number of guests that can book a space. For example, if you are a group of two, any space that reflects a minimum of two guests will show the rate for two people combined for the full weekend. You will not be asked to pay separately. You will not be sharing bathrooms or sleeping spaces with guests who are not members of your party. Single accommodations include queen-size options and camping. Please email frontdesk@menla.org with any questions.

Getting Here

Menla, Phoenicia, NY 12464, USA

Accommodation

Getaway Deluxe King

Getaway Deluxe King Room with King Bed and Private Bathroom Free Phone and Hi-Speed Wifi Internet Access Available Air Conditioning This Space is not ADA compliant. Deluxe King Rooms are Available only in Kathmandu House * Please note that rates include meals and accommodations

Getaway Deluxe Queen

Getaway Deluxe Queen Room with Queen Bed and Private Bathroom Free Phone and Hi-Speed Wifi Internet Access Available Air Conditioning All Rooms in Lhasa are Handicap-Accessible, Including Four Rooms with Wheelchair Accessible Showers. Deluxe Queen Rooms are Available in Lhasa Inn and Kathmandu House * Please note that rates include meals and accommodations

Getaway Economy Premium Single - Shared Bath

Economy Premium Single Room with a Queen or Full Bed and Shared Bathroom Up to 10 guests share two large bathrooms. Each bathroom has two shower stalls and two toilets. A phone is not available but high-speed WiFi is available in the room Phone Access Available in Upper Level Of Conference Center. All calls are free of charge This Lodging Type is not ADA Compliant. * Please note rates include meals and accommodations.

Getaway Deluxe Double (2 Person Minimum - 2 Person maximum)

Deluxe Double Room with Two Twin Beds and Private Bathroom Free Phone and Hi-Speed Wifi Internet Access Available Air Conditioning All Rooms in Lhasa are Handicap-Accessible, Including Four Rooms with Wheelchair Accessible Showers. Deluxe Double Rooms with Private Bathrooms are Located in the Lhasa Inn * Please note rates include meals and accommodations. This booking is for one bed in a double shared room: We May Assign You a Roommate if You Do Not Register with One. Deluxe shared accommodations can be booked as suites for additional information please reach out to registration@menla.org

Getaway Potala House (5 Person Minimum - 10 Person Maximum if couples)

Potala is a stunning three-story home featuring a sundeck, full kitchen, cathedral ceilings, a large living room and open kitchen. This house can sleep 4-8 people. Cabin includes 3 queen rooms, 1 king room, and 3 full bathrooms with showers. There is no landline phone in the house, but high-speed WiFi is available throughout. Phone access available in nearby Conference Center and also Lhasa Inn. All calls are free of charge. This lodging type is not ADA compliant. *Note that cottages are available for larger parties and families. Rates reflect our minimum number of 5 people for this space. If you have a party of less than five people and would still like to book this cottage we do not offer rate reductions and recommend that other housing types that better suit your needs are booked.

Getaway Dragon Cottage (5 Person Minimum - 9 Person Maximum Party or Family)

Dragon is a two-story cabin with a sundeck and small kitchen and can sleep up to 9 people comfortably. Cabin includes three singles, a double, and a quad, plus two and a half bathrooms. A phone is not available but high-speed WiFi is available in the room Phone Access Available in Nearby Conference Center and also Lhasa in Business Center. All calls are free of charge. This Lodging Type is not ADA Compliant. *Note that cottages are available for larger parties and families. Rates reflect our minimum number of 5 people for this space. If you have a party of less than five people and would still like to book this cottage we do not offer rate reductions and recommend that other housing types that better suit your needs are booked.

Getaway Garuda Cottage (5 Person Minimum - 9 Person Maximum Party or Family)

Garuda is a two-story cabin, situated adjacent to Dragon, with 5 bedrooms, a small kitchen, and a dining/living room. Garuda sleeps up to 9 people comfortably. Cabin includes three singles, one double and a quad, plus three bathrooms, including one with a jacuzzi tub. A phone is not available but high-speed WiFi is available in the room Phone Access Available in Nearby Conference Center and also Lhasa in Business Center. All calls are free of charge. This Lodging Type is not ADA Compliant. *Note that cottages are available for larger parties and families. Rates reflect our minimum number of 5 people for this space. If you have a party of less than five people and would still like to book this cottage we do not offer rate reductions and recommend that other housing types that better suit your needs are booked.

Getaway Snowlion Cottage (5 Person Minimum - 7 Person Maximum Party or Family)

Snowlion is a beautiful two-story cabin with an elegant 360-square-foot living and dining room with large windows and a cathedral ceiling, making it perfect for recreation or for meetings of 10-15 people. Relax on the upstairs sundeck and enjoy one of the best night sky views at Menla. Snowlion can sleep 11 people comfortably and was the Dalai Lama’s private house when he visited in 2006. Cabin includes one single, two doubles and two triples, plus two bathrooms and full kitchen. A phone is not available but high-speed WiFi is available in the room Phone Access Available in Nearby Conference Center and also Lhasa in Business Center. All calls are free of charge. This Lodging Type is not ADA Compliant. *Note that cottages are available for larger parties and families. Rates reflect our minimum number of 5 people for this space. If you have a party of less than five people and would still like to book this cottage we do not offer rate reductions and recommend that other housing types that better suit your needs are booked.

Getaway Eva's Cottage (3 Person Minimum - 4 Person Maximum: 1 Couple + 2 Guests)

Eva’s Cabin is a charming one-story cabin set next to the Conference Center. With a kitchen, large living room, and bathroom with large jacuzzi tub, this cabin is ideal for a small family or group of friends who want to stay together in one location and have the convenience of total privacy. Cabin includes a single queen room, a double room, and adjacent bathroom. *Note that cottages are available for larger parties and families. Rates reflect our minimum number of 3 people for this space. If you have a party of less than three people and would still like to book this cottage we do not offer rate reductions and recommend that other housing types that better suit your needs are booked.

Customer Reviews

4.78 out of 5.0 average rating

Mariel • Nov 05, 2026

5.0

Verified

Radiance Retrear at Menla

What a beautiful experience carefully curated and guided by Connie Viglietti in a magical, special place. The meals were cooked with love and the spa was delightful. Look forward to going again next year.

Anonymous • Nov 05, 2026

5.0

Verified

Loved the yoga retreat

Wonderful weekend of yoga and enjoying company of great group! Beautiful countryside with fall foliage and streams . Really remarkable. Clean rooms and very tasty food . Great yoga , wonderful teaching and beautiful place .

Donna • Nov 04, 2026

5.0

Verified

A perfect retreat

Everything was ideal. My room in the inn was spacious and thoughtfully designed, from the writing desk to the shower room, and I wished I had had time to avail myself of the beautiful reading nook and library down the hall. The food was nourishing and good, and the mostly volunteer staff was courteous and kind.

The sacred nature of Nature was tangible everywhere, and I appreciated seeing the various shrines celebrating it. The beauty along the upper and lower roads, as well as the middle way to the conference center, where my program took place, even in the latter part of Autumn, lifted my heart.

I'm very grateful for the time I spent there, and will gladly return.

Anonymous • Nov 04, 2026

1.0

Verified

Awful Lodging, Service, and Food

I've done the retreat circuit for over 30 years but had never been to Menla. I attended for a specific program. The program itself was disappointing and the teacher left early, leaving the assistant to teach the last two sessions, which involved quite a bit of self-promotion. The grounds are beautiful, but besides this the food was awful - you can feel the attempt to cut costs with food when one dinner is primarily a HUGE baked potato. The phone in our overpriced accommodations did not work and we were told it would be fixed - which it never was during the week's stay. Also during a week's stay, the garbage was not collected once, and piled up in our room and the shared bathroom (which was also not cleaned at all during our stay) - but the best part was having to take toilet paper back to our lodging from the conference center bathroom because despite repeated requests, we were never brought any once what was supplied had been used. I will never attend Menla again for any reason.

Nancy • Oct 29, 2026

5.0

Verified

Cultivating Joy- A Ketamine Assisted Mindfulness Retreat

What a fabulous location and place for this amazing retreat at Menla! The food was great, the grounds were gorgeous and the buildings/ facilities evoked a feeling of peace, honor and tranquility. There is a feeling of spacious stillness at Menla. Look forward to returning.