Xinalani Retreat

We had a wonderful stay at Xinalani. Arrived at a Sunday afternoon and the staff were so warming and welcoming. The hut we stayed at had a gorgeous ocean view with the bed facing the ocean. It was all we asked for. The food on the menu were all great tasting with mostly sources and prepared locally. There are many activities planned for each day, from hikes to snorkel and everyday yoga practices. Overall they made it great experience for us. I highly recommend it.

We may be the only people who did not do Yoga the entire time we were at a resort that is known for it's Yoga retreats, but that was only because we were so thoroughly content to just lay on the very private idyllic beach and just get fully relaxed. The beach was wonderful and so great to swim in the ocean. The pool, sauna & jacuzzi were also fabulous. It is a bit "rustic" in that you are really away from it all but that is what makes this such a special place. All the staff are beyond gracious and the whole place functions like a very well oiled machine. If you do travel there without being part of a Yoga retreat you need to make arrangements in advance for any outings you might want to do. There is yoga once daily for all non group retreat guests.We are just back home tonight and missing this special place already.

All of these 5 stars are deserved!!! This place is truly wonderful and unique. The service is excellent. The staff didn’t miss a beat when it came to helping us. They were friendly and accommodating. Special shout out to: Luis (meals supervisor), Samuel (server) Victor (activities) and the gal at the front desk! You were wonderful and made our trip as did the guys at the bar, the guys helping with beach and pool stuff, other servers, teachers and front desk staff, maintenance, cleaners plus the guys carrying our luggage!! We suggest you bring cash for staff tips because they deserve them but they certainly don’t ask for them. The Japanese hot tub and sauna were spectacular! So relaxing. You will get your workout in with the stairs, that’s for sure. Ha, but we liked that part. The food is heavenly, especially the last night on the beach. They accommodate gluten free which we really appreciated. Thank you Xinalani! We will be back in a few months!!

Highly recommend staying here. The service is some of the best I have ever experienced in all my travels. The beach views are amazing and I loved falling asleep and awaking to the sound of the ocean. Beachfront is nice and comfy. The pool is also great. I stayed in an AC room at the top by the yoga studio. I love steps because they are awful and a good workout. If you don’t like stairs, stay lower and don’t go to yoga hahah. The beds and pillows are great and so comfy. The sheets are also nice and you have a great ocean view from the balcony. The AC rooms are not airtight, so expect little critters. The bathroom is outdoor, which is a neat experience. Obviously you’ll see critters out there, but nothing crazy. Don’t leave food out, don’t throw out food wrappers in your room. And if you use the cabinet by the lobby, lock it! We saw a coati/raccoon steal someone’s food bag right in front of us because it wasn’t put away haha. The yoga areas are lovely with all the props. Some of the mats are stinky bc people probably don’t wipe them well after using them. The crabs are everywhere in June, but I expected that after reading their website. They are cool-looking and scurry away when they hear and see you. Just watch your step and give them a second to move away. The food was incredible and so fresh. All around amazing stay and amazing staff. Go here and contribute to their economy instead of going to a big corporate resort.

The staff is outstandingly kind and friendly. The food is out of this world and delicious. The setting is serene and the sound of the ocean is always present. The location is pristine and peace inducing and a simple boat ride from PV. I strongly recommend the whale watching if you visit in March

Xinalani is a magical retreat away tucked away in the jungle. We stayed 3 nights and loved everything about the experience. The rooms are spacious, well thought out, comfortable and the showers were spectacular overlooking the ocean. Hot water always came in abundantly. The food was delicious and healthy. Service was top tier. Highly recommend staying here if you love eco luxury.

Front desk staff hostile and angry- appear to be only concerned about money.||Food “ok”- serving 1/4 glasses of juice (like a shot).||The yoga, however, is amazing. It’s too bad a few staff can ruin experience.||Beach is beautiful.||Excursions wonderful.||Much better options elsewhere.

What an interesting place…For context, I am a solo BIPOC female traveler and I heard about Xinalani for its restorative practices and beautiful location. Right off the bat, I noticed that this is a PWI, and for people of the dominant group this is not an issue, but I stood out like a sore thumb. I should have known from the pictures and done my research but it’s ok. The hotel itself is gorgeous, right on the beach with a lush jungle enclosing all the rooms. The stairs were an issue for me because I have a bad knee, and again I wish I had done my research on this because they made moving around extremely difficult. But if you are relatively fit with good knees you should be fine. Lastly, I just want to say that the staff are the ENTIRE reason behind this resort’s success. They are all amazing, hard working people who need to be paid triple what they are currently making. It’s a stark contrast when all the customers are rich white people and all the staff are brown, local people. I felt so taken care of and seen by them, and their stories are heart warming. Shoutout to to Jose, Vanessa, Luis, the two Fabian’s, Omar, Berenice, Cynthia and literally everyone else who I interacted with and didn’t know their name. For a resort founded by white people, the reason they are successful is from their brown, beautiful and hard working staff. Xinalani claims to give back to the community who’s land they are built upon, yet they need to pay their staff a more than liveable wage because the presence of this resort makes life less affordable for the locals. I will not be returning, but I hope this review brings awareness of how much the staff needs to be appreciated and paid more for their hospitality.

This is an amazing magical place that is a dream to stay at. There is a LOT of stairs!!! by the end of the week your legs will be in amazing shape at least. This is more of a rual and rugged resort not a five star hotel. The rooms are open air with a mosquito net around the bed. The beds are confortable and the views of the ocean from the room I had was amazing. I went with a group so did two pilates classes a day, I think they offer one yoga class per day for those not with a group running their own classes. The outings offered are fun. Hikes guided by someone that has a ton of local knowledge, Visits to local towns, whale watching, and bird watching. Take advantage of these! The resort is only accessable by boat make sure to bring everything you need. It is nice being at such a quiet and relaxing place. They've upgraded their wi-fi so there is wi-fi avaliable everywhere in the resort. I didn't do much on my phone but the internet was fast and seemed reliable.

I came with no expectations and am leaving feeling completely restored! What a magical Pilates retreat!! This place is definitely unique and sleeping with the sounds of nature is as peaceful as life can be. Waking to the sunlight and chirping of birds is where I want to be to relax and meditate. I definitely needed 5 days here to totally decompress. My stay was made extra special from all the staff that work so hard - Thank you Juliana for the deep tissue massage and Carla for the beautiful pedicure, Fernando for all my tropical drinks at the bar, and all the attentive waiters that remembered me by name. They are what make this retreat truly special! I loved living in the jungle and the 130+ stairs to my room - such a good workout that gets easier every time you do it . Our petite eco suite has beautiful ocean views and complete privacy. The food was very good and presented beautifully at every meal, every day. We had lots of options available and I was never really hungry for that next meal, but couldn't resist trying something new so I really enjoyed the dining experience. They also offer many tours (waterfall, shopping, etc) , a sweat locooking lessons, kayaks, paddle boards, hiking trails and spa services. Now the downside - We did have rain for the first few days so I highly suggest you bring some "off" for the mosquitos and shoes that can get muddy and be washed off. I also recommend tucking in the mosquito nets at night under the mattress. The pool was also closed for the entire stay due to some deck staining which was a disappointment. The beach is small and the water quite rough while I was there. If you're quite the adventurous type and want to try something new, I highly recommend the experience.

This place is absolutely magical! Every one on the staff here is so kind and accommodating! They adjusted my package with ease and helped with all my needs. It's so clean and they came every day to tidy up and change our sheets. It's in a jungle and it's absolutely stunning! Exactly what my soul needed! Plus all the activities are so good. Love this place and will absolutely be coming back again.

Beautiful resort and yoga retreat tucked away in the trees. My stay at Xinalani was amazing! The service was great. It seemed like everyone who worked there knew our names even if we only talked once. They went above and beyond. I went whale watching and swimming with dolphins which were both totally worth it. They each cost about $80 but you have to go whale watching while you're there- it was amazing!!! Also you can sometimes see whales from your room or the dining area. The food was very tasty and healthy. It says online that it's mostly vegetarian but that wasn't the case. There was always a fish or meat option. You actually have to let the front desk know if you are vegetarian or else they will default you to the meat option. There are A LOT of stairs. It was 125 stairs up each time to get to my room and 100 steps more for some rooms. Not very accessible to those with mobility issues. The rooms are beautiful and open air overlooking the ocean. The yoga studios are also beautiful. But they get buggy so wear long sleeves during yoga or put on bug spray. Highly recommend this resort!

An absolutely amazing experience. Service and food is outstanding. Every meal was delightful. The grounds are well maintained. The steps are rough but such a beautiful place. The rooms are charming. Will go back for a retreat. Thank you staff.

Luxurious jungle ocean yoga retreat south of Puerto Vallarta. Xinalani offers every bit of luxury and service that you could possible ask for. The resort is remote, only accessible by boat, and is on the side of a mountain with amazing ocean views. All of the staff are experts at their craft, and will have your name memorized after asking it once. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style and dinner is coursed. Make sure you let them know if you have any dietary needs (vegetarian, vegan, etc) when you check in. They also offer lots of excursions, spa treatments and a full bar. The extras are expensive, but definitely worth it. Quick note: -The website says they don't have WiFi, but this actually isn't true. I had WiFi everywhere at the retreat.

The resort is beautiful, with incredible views. You're literally sleeping in a handmade palapa with only three walls, in the Mexican jungle, overlooking the ocean. The yoga was great - not as athletic as I expected, but probably more authentic than the type of yoga we tend to practice in big, busy cities. Very focused on meditation, posture, breathing. Finally, the food was INCREDIBLE. Every day was different, all very healthy choices alternating local fish (catch of the day) and chicken... dinner was plated and included salad, appetizer, entree and dessert. Breakfast and lunch were buffets with tons of options (including vegan / vegetarian options for all meals). Beware, there are tons of stairs. That was fine for me, but people with bad knees may have an issue with it. Also, it did tick me off that the prices are US prices, not Mexican (meaning, a massage or boat ride are comparable to NYC prices and about 4X what they usually cost in Mexico). Overall, a great experience that I would recommend and would love to do again!

This resort is more than I expected. Not only is the resort amazing. The people that work here are even better! I'm on a solo trip. I was nervous, but for no reason. I feel more than comfortable. I needed a place to get away after my after passed. I'm secluded in paradise. With amazing healthy nourishing food, wonderful yoga. Today no one attended the last session of Yoga and i had a private session on the beach. This place located IN the jungle, and next to the beach. Not a walk from the beach ON the beach. There's a waterfall nearby, surfing, lots of incredible wildlife. You can see whales dolphins and sea turtles. Definitely take part in the Temazcal ceremony, music by Mario, and don't forget to have a custom drink my Fernando at the bar. If you get a massage, ask for Angel. He does his namesake proud. Wear the insect repellant. You'll be IN the jungle, there are bugs. Food is incredible, buut served at specific times. Don't miss out. There are probably a million other amazing things I'm forgetting, you'll just have too book to find out...

So far so good. Just arrived. Service and food is great. Long journey to get here. Room is nice and spacious and view of the ocean is crazy.

*REFUSING REFUNDS for TRIPS CANCELLED due to COVID-19* I'd originally booked with a NJ group for a retreat at Xinalani 3/21-3/28. I flew from NYC to CA to stay 6 days and then fly from SFO to Puerto Vallarta. I wake up to an email on 3/14 (the morning after I landed in CA) that the retreat had been rebooked to the end of May. I spent 3 hours on the phone to rebook mine and my friend's flight +$300. 10 days later, they postpone the retreat to MARCH 2021. At this point NYC's COVID pandemic is peaking. They are flat out refusing refunds of any kind due to COVID-19 (not to mention official travel bans to Mexico without a timeframe) - and in their words - "GENEROUSLY RESCHEDULING US TO MARCH 2021 - I paid $1650 + $1000 in flights for this trip. I am an actor - there is no work to be had - the world is in CRISIS. How can we possibly plan for a YOGA RETREAT a year from now while in a global pandemic? Ruthless, selfish capitalist not in line with their supposed mission (signing "Namaste" in each correspondence I send to their staff). Give us our money back. It's immoral that they hide behind business policies during a global pandemic - as a professional actor - no one can work - I am stuck in CA paying my rent in NYC for an empty room. Hypocrites re: their mission.

This place is magical!! Everyone is so so so friendly, there wasn't a single meal that I didn't want seconds of, the level of organization surpasses any place I've ever stayed and I travel quite frequently. I was traveling alone and the detailed email beforehand and communication at the airport allowed for such a easy transition into this beautiful Oasis. I highly recommend the temezcal. It was quite the spiritual journey and would totally do it again if I ever had the chance. The yoga is twice a day and perfect! The pictures just do not do this place justice and the service! Xinalani goes out of their way to make sure you are comfortable and could want for nothing. My only warning to those who might have difficulty with stairs is there is a ton of them, a ton! I just counted it as my cardio for the day:-) Thank you Xinalani!

Not knowing what I was in for at a yoga retreat, this lovely resort far exceeded my expectations, from the moment you're greeted in Puerto Vallarta to your departure, The staff across the board was exceptional from the kind and fun bartenders to the restaurant staff, Jimmy and crew, to the excellent food coming from the chef, accommodating all needs and wants from Vegan to Gluten free to daily salsa made for any meal and who doesn't love a Negro Modela with a Mexican breakfast. The chef came out during every meal to make sure we were well taken care of. The housekeeping was thorough in taking great care of your room. Any excursion (hiking and fishing village) was highlighted by our lovely guide, Daniel. The various yoga rooms were beautiful with stunning views everywhere as every room from anywhere at the resort also had stunning ocean views. Truly, a gem to be found, can't wait to return. Well done Xinalani, Well done!!!!!!! Vasi