About Menla

Mission & Vision

Surrounded by thousands of acres of Catskills forest preserve, Menla is nestled in a magical mountain valley. Throughout the year, guests enjoy deep serenity, abundant wildlife, and can explore many different levels of hikes.Area Information:Menla is 1,500 feet above sea level and set on a 325-acre private nature reserve. At 3,720 feet above sea level, the peak of Panther Mountain is one of the tallest in the Catskills. Menla is located in a region of the Catskills renowned for its unspoiled beauty, variety of wildlife, abundance of rushing streams and rivers, and ancient forested mountains.The Catskills are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world and used to be connected to the Alps before the continental divide. Aside from its natural splendor, the area offers such activities as hiking, swimming, kayaking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. For avid downhill skiers, the noted Belleayre and Hunter Mountain resorts are just half an hour away.An easy drive from New York City, Menla is located in Phoenicia, NY—voted one of the “Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America”—and just 20 minutes away is the most famous small town in America, Woodstock, known for its deep-rooted culture of music, art galleries, and great restaurants.Meals:Menla’s wellness cuisine is centered around serving fresh, delicious and healing foods. We source primarily from local farms with an eye toward seasonal and organic fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. We also receive a wonderful bounty from our on-site organic garden throughout the year.Our Executive Chef, Charles Goodall, loves to explore the fantastic flavors of various regional cuisines through their use of different ingredients, particularly herbs and spices. He and the kitchen team create combination of traditional and modern dishes that showcase what the Hudson Valley has to offer in a delicious and healing way.Most of our offerings are vegetarian and vegan with an emphasis on excellent taste and texture as well as balanced nutrition and wellness promotion.We work with a number of dietary restrictions and allergies, so let us know your needs in advance, and we’ll work with you to give you a fantastic dining experience during your time with us.Accommodation:Upon arriving at Menla, you enter into a natural paradise. Our accommodations are extremely comfortable, and the décor is accented with a touch of Tibet. Guests can choose from a variety of different rooms, from our deluxe private suites to shared housing.Additional Activities:○ Skiing (Belleayre, Hunter, and Windham Mountains)○ Hiking○ Art galleries○ Fine dining○ Antique shopping○ Music○ Theater (Upstate Films, Woodstock Playhouse)

Upcoming Retreats at Menla

Getting Here

Location icon Menla, Phoenicia, NY 12464, USA

Customer Reviews

4.78 out of 5.0 average rating

5.0
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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 .

5.0
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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.

1.0
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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.

5.0
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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.

5.0
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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.

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