Akasha Wellness Retreat is an adult only resort that promotes a relaxing escape surrounded by nature, digital detox, daily yoga classes & healthy meals. Located in Piatra Craiului National Park, the property is surrounded by lush greenery and enjoys views of the mountains and Pestera village. Just a stone's throw away from renowned attractions like Bran Castle, the retreat offers an idyllic escape for those seeking a quiet refuge and wellness escape surrounded by nature. The property offers exclusive access only for those booked as overnight guests and features an open lounge and dining area, an indoor yoga studio and outdoor deck, sauna & jacuzzi.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Mid-range
Languages Spoken
English, Romanian
Location
Strada Principala 187 Pestera, Moieciu 507136 Romania
Akasha Wellness Retreat is a little piece of heaven on earth. Please never, ever visit, because if you do we won’t be able to go back because they’ll be booked solid all year round. Please stay away from the spectacular location, poised in the mountains where you watch the hills gently fall away beneath you and the mountains soaring above. You will hate the beautiful sunsets from the open terrace. Under no circumstances should you try the fantastic food, which caters for vegans, vegetarians and omnivores, as it will delight you with its variety and freshness- it might even feature berries or mushrooms that you foraged on a forest walk with Irina the owner. Do NOT take advantage of the proximity to the national park where you can hike for days on isolated trails that look like something out of a fairytale. Don’t do any of the classes like yin yoga, cooking, meditation, or flower art, and certainly ignore the jacuzzi and sauna (which look over the mountains), because if you do you’ll be so relaxed you’ll never want to leave, and then how am I ever going to book a room again? Forget that it’s minutes from Bran and the castle that inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which is magnificently maintained inside and well worth a visit. Don’t play with the gorgeous cats or friendly dogs. Make sure you don’t walk through the kitchen garden or laze around on one of the inviting hammocks. Above all, do not let yourself fall asleep to the sound of owls hooting as you sink into the superior plushness of your bed. It’s awful. You’ll hate it.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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.
I went on a month long YTT and I literally loved everything! I'm not vegan, but the food was so delicious, it got me excited with every meal. They overdelivered on everything. We had snacks all the time, they gave out feedback forms and implemented all the preferences right away. The sauna and hot tub under the starry night was something I never even dreamt of having on my training. The rooms were extra cute, the place is more like a boutique hotel than an ashram. There was as much staff making sure everything is perfect, as there were students attending the course. We felt like being part of this big, close family and they truly created this deep sense of community among the group. There were also personal development instructors in the first, second and last week of the course, asking the right questions at the right time to help us navigate the experience with clarity and intent. I truly cherish every memory, conversation and morning or evening practice I had during the entire month. I also really enjoyed our walks around the village and to a nearby bat cave. I'm truly amazed by the quality of guests they attract from all over the world. Literally the only downside I can think of was hearing the wind a little loud during two nights when there were windstorms in Romania, but there's really not much they can do to stop the weather, right? Otherwise, there are dogs and cats on the premise. They're all extra friendly, clean and they give an even home-like feel to the place. They ask for allergies before hand. Oh, and they have this great library where travellers exchange books. On my free evenings when I wouldn't be sweating in the sauna, I'd be chilling in the main room with one of the many interesting reads they have. I'm planning on coming back for sure. Thank you!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2020
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.
I went to Akasha for a 5 days retreat. It is an idyllic place, a little piece of Eden between mountains. The views over the wild nature of Piatra Craiului National Park take your breath away. The accommodation was in a beautiful boutique bedroom with fantastic smell from essential oils used. The food was tasty and delicious from organic farms, the menus were made by a nutritionist. I had twice per day yoga classes with Mariana, an experienced resident teacher, who make me be confident in myself, taking into in consideration that I just started practice yoga. There was space for village visit, mountain and forest hiking, biking, horse riding. I felt safe during this Covid-19 times. The hosts were always happy to help, share knowledge, information and beautiful moments. I’ve meet lovely people and made some friends. I definitely will come back to Akasha.
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Date of stay: August 2020
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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.
2nd time at Akasha, first end of spring and now celebrating end of 2019 and beginning of a great 2020. Words describing the experience are too little and will not do justice to this amazing team and place. From booking with Mena (always so helpful and giving you all the details you need), relying on Alex to have everything you need during your stay (sauna turned on, your massage booked, hiking tours around the village and mountains), enjoying amazing yoga and wellness sessions with great yoga teachers (thank you Mariana for so many great days), savoring the most amazing vegan food you can ever experience (Alexandra is just amazing...and the cakes...omg.. the cakes:)) and not to forget Daniela who is offering her home and heart to everyone that comes at Akasha. Thank you everyone for making this experience so unique! I can't wait to come back and see what else you can offer.
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Date of stay: December 2019
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Room Tip:each room has a unique design, the ones facing the mountains offering you a stunning view when...
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.
I have planned this holiday by my own for a long time and my expectations were high. But I experienced the most complete holiday I was able to imagine, excellent food, a perfect choice in terms of activities, yoga instructor who made me feel so comfortable and confident, special people who own and manage the place with one objective, which is to make you feel comfortable and relaxed. I will definitely go again. Manuela
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Date of stay: August 2020
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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.
A great mix of delicious vegan food, morning yoga, wonderful people, breathtaking views.
I'm still mad we've stayed just 3 days, if I would known how beautiful it is, I would certainly booked a longer period.
I am super happy to recommend this place to everybody who wants some days full of calm and piece of mind.
Superb! 👍
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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.
Beautiful place, great yoga teaching and food, all vegan and delicious. However I heard of staff being treated poorly by the management from several people staying there, and I also had issues with my booking which were unresolved, i.e. I booked several treatments which I was then told were unavailable when I arrived and no effort was made to resolve this accordingly. I spoke to three different people while I was there, and a suitable alternative was not provided. It's marketed to guests as a family business and community, however, it seems that it's actually primarily a money making enterprise and behind closed doors there are poor practices and poor customer service at play. Several of my emails went ignored when I tried to follow up afterwards. A shame, as it's a beautiful place but it's a shame it's marketed as ethical and community-focused when it isn't really. GIf you go, know what your money is going towards.
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Date of stay: September 2019
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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 Irina Raileanu, Owner at Akasha Wellness Retreat
Responded 24 Jun 2020
Hi ellybean2013, Thank you for your review. We tried to find on which retreat you were last year in September, we actually can't identify your booking based on your Tripadvisor name which leaves us to respond to your comments without actual facts. Thank you for your kind words on our yoga teacher, the chef, the food, the location how beautiful it is etc which is, all testament of our management as the creators of this experience. You may also know as a guest that this is our home, we actually live here it's not just a business as you indicated. We share our home with guests and staff on the retreats we organize. A yoga retreat, like any other, is a business. We are not ashamed of that. You paid for a service which we delivered, to your expectations. Yoga Retreats in general, especially our small, 9 room home, in a remote village in Transylvania can hardly classify as a money-making enterprise. But because we offer yoga retreats we are vulnerable to such comments whereby some guests expect yoga retreats to run “ethically” like ashrams. Perhaps you would be more suited to visit a community-led donation-based retreat without a set structure, without actual employees, or any social responsibilities etc. Whereby the cycle of money like you suggested is a closed system not a circular economy like it happens here. According to this logic, a yoga teacher or a retreat center should not ask to be paid for their service, it is not considered ethical despite the rigorous training they have to do and the demands put on them by their participants. We have an internal code of ethics that also considers sustainability on a social, economic and environmental level for the village where we exist. We believe we offer excellent value for money for our participants that includes all organic food, beyond average comfort in our rooms, excellent yoga teachers and a well run programme for €650 per 5 nights all inclusive. In September when you indicated you visited Akasha we had an average of 14 guests per week and 12 full-time staff, all with social security benefits, not volunteers. If your goal of a retreat here was to identify our practices on how we treat our staff you should have spoken to each one of them, especially the 8 Romanian staff from the village which we retrained, many that work with us for the last 5 years who now have guaranteed retirement pensions, can pay for their further education and health benefits and for whom the experience of working for Akasha is as life-changing as coming as a guest, on a personal level and for their families. This is something we have always wanted to create, job opportunities and a nice environment for our team to grow with us. And yes, we require our staff to be professional, to be efficient, to be compassionate, due to the delicate nature of the service we deliver, just like our guests are demanding of us. We are a family business and we run our entire retreat as a family. As in any people oriented team, perfection is not something we can ever strive for. But we try our best, and as in any people led organisation regardless of their service or product, if there aren’t shared values, a common mindset and people do not understand the experience we wish to give or the message we wish to transmit they will always judge us, harshly like in this case, but do not necessarily need to be part of that community. If you happened to hear comments from one isolated person who was not happy here, it happens in every organisation, despite our best efforts, it is more a reflection of themselves projected on to you, a conduct which we cannot tolerate and most likely that person is no longer part of our carefully curated team for this reason. It's interesting you talk about us in the "behind closed doors" however you only saw one side of the story, that of a guest for which you indicated you had a pleasant experience. Regarding the treatments which you did not receive for which an alternative was not provided according to your review please contact us to give us the chance to check this and rectify this issue for you. The only service which we could not deliver in September 2019 is our Herbal Bath which we discontinued due to our decision to minimize waste of natural resources, the reserves of spring water that is fast depleting in this area. If this is the issue you experience we apologize deeply for the inconvenience caused. Thank you for posting and giving us a chance to respond. Irina, Management of Akasha.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I stayed at Akasha during Sept 2020, which was a warming and restful experience. The Akasha team work hard to make your stay feel comfortable and safe. There are beautiful places to see around the local area and much of the food is grown locally - which was always delicious. I would recommend Akasha for those who would like a slowed down, mental and physical detox and is comfortable to go with the flow to fully experience all the beautiful touches you’ll find there.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled 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.
My recent stay at Akasha Wellness Retreat in Transylvania was an absolute delight. Daniela was very welcoming on our arrival alongside all her staff throughout the stay. One highlight was a village walk with Bursuc and Luna who are the sweetest dogs we have met in a while! The property's location is like something out of a fairytale, offering breathtaking views and a serene atmosphere that's hard to find elsewhere. The food was delicious and healthy, and the staff were incredibly warm and accommodating throughout my visit. Yoga sessions were fantastic too but we just hoped to do them outside but the weather did not allow - next time we will book in the summer to catch the sunshine on the terrace in the morning. Highly recommended for a rejuvenating getaway!
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Date of stay: March 2024
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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.
Akasha is a lovely place where you can find lots of peace, greenery, stunning views and warm people as hosts. We had a lovely time, ate very good food (by the way, if you are vegan/vegetarian this is a very good place to eat and everything is cooked in-house). We took Yoga classes, gone hiking around and discovered beautiful landscapes and peaceful forests.
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Date of stay: July 2020
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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.
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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