Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The Art of Living Retreat Center: A place to rejuvenate. A place to rest. A place to energize yourself for months to come amid spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The center offers inclusive packages with simple, comfortable rooms, inspiring activities and a vegetarian cafe.
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The Art of Living Retreat Center is lauded for its serene atmosphere and stunning mountain location, providing guests with a tranquil experience and picturesque views. The staff is often celebrated for their exceptional service, contributing to the retreat's overall atmosphere of relaxation and rejuvenation.
While opinions on the room comfort and value for money differ, the center's cleanliness and wellness amenities generally receive high praise. However, guests have suggested that the hiking trails and shuttle services could be enhanced.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Tranquil
Rooms
Basic
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Meticulous
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Relaxing
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I will always remember my beautiful experience at the Art of Living Retreat Center because my room is very comfortable and peaceful. I sleep completely at peace with the window open to have fresh air throughout the night and feel good to wake up in the morning. In the dining room, foods are nourishingly delicious and just right for me for my diet. The dining room is huge and meticulously clean full of happy people appreciating the food and the atmosphere. Everyday, I enjoy looking at the majestic place outdoor balcony surrounded by magnificent mountains and very healthy looking trees. I also admire the beauty of the architecture in the meditation building. As I walk down the steps the landscape is so elegance and inviting make me stop to savor the moment. Happy deers rooming the property accompany me, when I do my morning and afternoon walk. I would love to come back again!
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Date of stay: September 2024Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Such a great experience all the way around. Staff was wonderful and knowledgeable!! Location was wonderful. Fall time is a must. The leave colors were full bloom. Way to fall in love with yourself.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sydney Brown, Guest Services / Front Office at Art of Living Retreat Center
Responded Nov 11, 2023
Thank you for your feedback from your recent retreat! We love to know that you enjoyed our location and felt supported by our friendly staff members. It's great that you were able to join us during the glorious fall weather, the leaves and views are truly stunning up here. Thank you for allowing us to host you; we can't wait to welcome you again for another relaxing getaway!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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I was there for Arielle Schwartz weekend and felt that she was an excellent presenter A++ and the content was expertly and thoughtfully communicated.
Loved the vibe of the retreat center, the setting in the mountains was breath taking , the staff was so friendly and delightful, the campus was lovely, the food was nourishing and kitchari was delicious. The gift shop... such beautifully curated and merchandised treasures!!! The staff there was so pleasant to shop with, very helpful. I had a treatment at the spa that was amazing!
Just a few notes for improvements .. as I tend to be highly sensitive to some things: The main program hall felt a bit damp and had slight mildewy smell. It could have been more comfortable temperature wise, it was pretty warm & sunny outside and there were no fans going in the room and the side doors were only open for part of the time. I heard mention that the fans were not being used due to the noise level. I wish there had been better air circulation in the room. I also found the bolsters (and blankets )to have that mildew smell and they were quite smushed down to about half of their initial size. They could use a good disinfecting wash and restuffing. The dining hall temperature was also quite warm for me. Again, not many fans running at all and air not circulating I had to walk around the dining hall searching for the couple fans that actually were on and seat myself directly in front to cool off.
My guest room was in Zambezi 102. There was mildew on the shower tiles and the shower curtain. The pillows were not that comfortable due to some weird bubble thing covering the zipper pull. The desk chair was broken and I almost flipped over when I leaned back a bit. The room was adjacent to front porch entrance and the light shined brightly into my window all night ... I didn't want to pull the blackout drapes closed because that would close off the airflow from the open windows and make the room hotter and less comfortable.
The relaxation room at the spa was hot and stuffy! definitely did not want to relax in there and sweat!
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lovely, wonderful and organized retreat! Really enjoyed the yoga, nightly chanting and meditation. And LOVED it overall. I thought the clay class was awesome, but wished it was much longer and more available. It was only offered 1 of 4 days and was only 1 hour long. I was also sad that I played phone tag with the spa for weeks, wasn't able to connect (even during regular business hours) and by the time I arrived, the spa was entirely booked. I had an individual room, which was spartan and fine. I was slightly uneasy that the internal lock on the room door seemed quite flimsy (and didn't appear to work), and despite having my "please make up the room" tag on the door every day, the room wasn't once turned over by the maid during my stay.
The cooking classes were pretty slow, and could definitely benefit from more advanced preparation... it wasn't really "cooking" demonstrations. More about health benefits (so mostly talking). The food on site is ok. It's mostly vegan (not just vegetarian), and tasty--flavorful... but I would have preferred if there were more options for proteins (and actually meat) available. The snacks offered in the "cafe" are also very very pricey and not especially yummy (chocolate bars with ginger, etc).
But, OVERALL, it's an awesome retreat! Very restful! The staff is super friendly and kind. Everyone is very respectful of the "retreat" mentality in terms of making connections (and respecting one's desire for seclusion/silence).
I'm excited to go again! It was well worth the money despite the little improvements needed.
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Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip:Â Bring your own snacks and call the spa again and again if you don't connect.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Christi Nasser, Owner at Art of Living Retreat Center
Responded Apr 16, 2023
Thank you for your feedback. We are so glad you enjoyed the yoga, nightly chanting, and meditation. I apologize that our clay classes are not offered for more extended hours; we try to allow time for everyone on site to enjoy a class. I understand how this may have felt too short. We are a vegetarian, mostly whole foods kitchen. We believe that removing most animal products and processed foods from the diet promotes health and well-being and leaves a smaller ecological footprint. I will talk to the spa about making sure they are calling back promptly. Being that we are a retreat center, we do not offer room services /turnover service during your stay. The door tags are only for privacy; I will look at those closely today to ensure they do not give the impression of maid service for future guests. Thank you for your understanding. This is very helpful for us to improve our service, so thank you so much for taking the time to leave us this note. Overall I am glad you enjoyed your retreat, and thank you for noticing how much we love working here. We appreciate you so much and look forward to seeing you again.
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I wanted to love AOL! There were positives. Beautiful setting, friendly staff, and that vegan queso dip was amazing! However, I left feeling disappointed with the following:
-Lack of yoga options. While there seemed to be about two daily classes, the levels, and instruction felt extremely limited.
-Hiking. This was my biggest disappointment and I actually gave feedback in person. After being given multiple trail maps and personal directions and encouragement from a few staff members, I set out to do a small loop that would drop me at the dining hall for lunch. Let's just say, I felt like it is a disaster waiting to happen. My "loop" could not be completed as the trails were completely overgrown, with zero signage once on the trail. I'm in good shape and could not have gotten through the overgrown brush. I ended up doubling back, taking a wrong turn, and finally emerged annoyed, not recharged. as I had set out to do. I (politely) told the kind front desk staff that she needs to send an employee out there to try and do the trail she had suggested for me. It's not possible, and frankly, a disaster waiting to happen. Hiking in nature was one of the things highlighted and I came away completely disappointed and frustrated with the lack of attention and knowledge that the trails were completely neglected.
-Overall "tiredness" and lack of attention to amenities. Small things that feel like a retreat to me include well maintained sacred spaces. For example, the planters at the wellness center on the deck contained (mostly) dead or dying flowers. Lighting in the small room off of the wellness reception (where the hot water is) had overhead florescent lighting. The accommodations, including the treatment rooms and dining area felt dated and lacked positive energy and feng shui. The "fitness" room was extremely limited and uninviting. While the relaxation room was lovely, it felt that was the only area in the wellness spa that was special.
I hope this feedback is helpful, not critical!
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Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The place lives upto the expectations as we chose right season to visit. However the retreat itself is not very elaborate and I didn’t feel that it’s worth the money we spent as retreat itself costed $1600 for 2 people + flight + car rental. Yoga, meditation, kirtan and food would be your routine. My online Yoga classes are far better than what I attended in the Center. By looking at images in the website, we thought the yoga sessions will be in open space amidst nature but it was in a closed room. Got disappointed there.
I rated low majorly because of the spa experience and how negligent the staff to check on how I liked it. I would strongly suggest to NOT to for their massages if you are someone like me who wish to relieve pain through massage. I didn’t get a good massage, even after conveying that I need deep tissue massage - it was mostly time pass and was charged with 18% gratuity without even asking me about how I liked it. not value for money at all. But it also depends on your masseuse. I have experienced far better massages for less than 50% of their price where I live.
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Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip: Prepare mentally to not expect too much based on YouTube videos 🙂
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This November-December, I attended the Awake Silent Retreat for the second time. The retreat centre is on an absolutely spectacular property with stunning views of the Blue Mountains and incredible sunrises visible from the main meditation hall patio as well as from the dining hall balcony.
The food is delicious, healthy, and varied. The accommodations are great as well, both the retreat rooms as well as the hotel-style rooms, both of which I have experienced.
Note that if you are very sensitive to noise or vibration, it's wise to let them know when you book, as the ground floor rooms have some vibration and buzzing from the machine rooms. I ended up having to upgrade to a hotel-style room on the 3rd floor because I'm very sensitive to these things.
The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, and they took care of me very well when I told them about this issue.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:Â If you're really sensitive to noise or vibration, make sure you let them know when you book so...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sydney Brown, Guest Services / Front Office at Art of Living Retreat Center
Responded Dec 10, 2023
We appreciate your 5 star review! Thank you for sharing your feedback from your recent retreat. We are so happy to know that you enjoyed your cozy room, the delicious vegan meals and our incredible views! Our location here in the mountains is truly so special and we are grateful to share it with our guests. Thank you for booking for the Awake Silent Retreat for a second time with us and we hope to welcome you back for another stay full of rejuvenation in the future.
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What a beautiful place! The staff was so friendly. And the food! OMG the food!
One suggestion would be that the spicy food be labeled. A few times I got something that was too hot for my picky palate. After the rain there was a puddle in front of the Orinoco stairs that was hard to get around. I know sometimes this can't be avoided, but the bathrooms in the main hall were often being cleaned and the toilets flushed in the morning while we were silently meditating. Might be hard to schedule that differently. Also, I understand that the kitchen staff have a job to do and it often involves talking in the dining hall. They did a good job of keeping that to a minimum. It's interesting how jarring it can be to hear people talking when you've been in silence for a few days.
Thanks so much for providing such a wonderful place for retreat. I'm recommending it to all my friends. I have a friend who just got back from doing a month-long panchakarma in India. You are only 2 hours from us.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip:Â Don't miss any meals.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sydney Brown, Guest Services / Front Office at Art of Living Retreat Center
Responded Dec 22, 2023
We love your enthusiasm about your recent stay with us! Thank you so much for taking the time to write us this review. We are so happy to know that you enjoyed your time and found our center and staff so nurturing. Your feedback about labeling the spicy food, the puddle by Orinoco, and the sensitivity to noise during your silent retreat is well received as we are always looking for ways to improve the guest experience. Your honesty is much appreciated! Thank you again for allowing us the opportunity to host you on this retreat. We can't wait to welcome you back for more magic here in the mountains on your next stay!
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I participated in the Stepping Into Silence retreat in February. Our cohort of six was led by Poornima. She was a patient, wise and fun retreat leader throughout the experience. Yoga each morning with Azim was a gentle way to start the day. I am always more challenged by breath work and meditation, but practicing daily deepened my resolve to make this part of my daily practice. For the first two days, I felt anxious at times, struggling with being fully unplugged from my phone, computer and TV. By the 3rd and 4th days, I felt refreshed, well rested, and full of wonder for all the beautiful things that often go unnoticed in my busy daily routine. The schedule is busy! There is occasional downtime to hike or sit quietly to enjoy the gorgeous views. The food was thoughtfully prepared and delicious. What a gift to never have to think of cooking during the retreat. I stayed in a room in the spa building. It was comfortable, quiet and clean with minimal decor or distractions. The shuttle runs regularly, so you can easily catch a ride if you’re not up for the trek up the mountain to the dining hall and retreat spaces. I loved walking downhill each evening after the final session of the day. I enjoyed beautiful star filled skies and a visit from a deer near my path! I felt extremely safe on the property. I indulged in a one hour detoxifying Abhyanga massage with Easter. It was simply dreamy! If you choose to leave the oil on your hair, the massage therapist will give you a disposable cap to wear. My hair was so shiny and moisturized after the treatment! I thoroughly enjoyed my first sound bath session with Benji. I hope to practice my new breath work and meditation skills daily now that I’m settled at home. This was a lovely reset for me!
Helpful things to pack: A small backpack for your water bottle and notebook. A scarf to keep you warm - also helpful to cover your eyes during supine meditations. A flashlight for evening walks. An extra blanket from home for sleeping. Your own pillow from home. Layers of clothing! I was surprised at how cold I got during breath work and meditations. I often wore my hat, fingerless gloves and a scarf during sessions. Layers are the key to your comfort!
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Date of stay: February 2025Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip:Â Helpful things to
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Overall, very nice stay! My mom and I went on a wellness retreat. They have everything covered (which is the primary appeal)! We did not know that the meals were vegetarian until we got there, but the meals were surprisingly good (one critique is that I wish there was more of a sound barrier between the "quiet" zone and the "talking" zone in the cafeteria... a simple sound dampening screen would probably do the trick). It kind of felt like summer camp for adults: lots of programming and everything taken care of for you. We went from activity to activity, but didn't feel rushed. It was the right combination of active and relaxing. We participated in yoga, meditation, sound bowl bath (look it up, it's cool), massage + steam room, cooking class, and clay pottery making. We stayed in a "hotel room" on-site, which was very nice and located in the same building as nearly all of the activities. There is a shuttle that will pick you up and drive you to where ever you want to go on the property, or you can walk (which we did). I wish there was more hiking opportunities but, other than that, it was great!
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Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Christi Nasser, Owner at Art of Living Retreat Center
Responded May 19, 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We're delighted to hear that you and your mom enjoyed your wellness retreat and found it to be an overall very nice stay. It's wonderful to know that our all-inclusive approach resonated with you and that you felt everything was covered. We appreciate your feedback regarding the vegetarian meals and the cafeteria setup. We'll certainly take your suggestion for a sound barrier into consideration to enhance the dining experience for our guests. It's fantastic to hear that you found the retreat to be like a summer camp for adults, with plenty of programming and a perfect balance between activities and relaxation. We're glad you enjoyed the variety of activities, from yoga and meditation to unique experiences like the sound bowl bath and clay pottery making. We're pleased to hear that you found your accommodations in the on-site hotel room very nice and convenient for accessing activities. Our shuttle service is designed to make getting around the property easy, and we're glad you found it convenient. We'll take your feedback about hiking opportunities into consideration as we continue to enhance our offerings. Thank you for choosing to spend your retreat with us, and we hope to welcome you back soon for another rejuvenating experience!
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Greetings, Maria! We look forward to having you. It is true, here in the Blue Ridge Mountains temperatures can drop quite significantly at night, so bringing extra layers is always a good idea. An umbrella may come in handy as well, due to the turbulent nature of mountain weather. Packing a water bottle, and anything else you need to support your practice will be beneficial. We are so looking forward to having you, and please be in touch with any additional questions!
New York City, New York9 contributions3 helpful votes
If you look at the website, select "your stay", then select "accommodations", then you will see the various room options. You have to select "book your stay" in order to see the prices. You can view it before officially booking anything. Also the price depends on whether or not you will be choosing to partake in a specific retreat program as the price various but also includes food and room. If you are booking the room only for a "personal retreat" then you can choose what to partake in on the premises and need to pay for your food as you go. You can see the retreat options on the website under "start here" and they are listed under quick links.
There are more places to choose from in the Boone area.
LOCATION
United StatesNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina MountainsBoone
NUMBER OF ROOMS
175
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Are there any historical sites close to Art of Living Retreat Center?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Moses H. Cone Memorial Park (6.3 miles), Flat Top Manor (6.2 miles), and The Jones House Cultural and Community Center (6.3 miles).
