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The “yoga retreat” was more than disappointing:
- When booking the “retreat,” we were told there would be yoga classes in both the morning and the evening; in reality, however, only one evening class took place. I spoke to two other guests who were also surprised, as they too had expected a second class in the morning.
- Breakfast was not healthy (as advertised). It was the kind of breakfast you find in any budget hotel. There wasn't even fresh juice, porridge, cheese, butter, or tea.
- I couldn't lock my room because the door was stuck.
- The room was very hot and stuffy, both day and night. I never slept for more than three hours at a time and was completely exhausted.
- There were only two bathrooms, not three as stated on the website.
- Hot water was available for only a few seconds; after that, you had to take a cold shower.
- The washing machine was very dirty.
- One of the windowpanes in my room had almost fallen out of its frame.
- The beanbags on the tiny terrace were very dirty and old, and the chairs were broken and therefore unusable.
- There was no interaction with the yoga teachers. We simply received a WhatsApp message that same day informing us who would be teaching in the evening. At no point was there any conversation about our practice or our yoga experience.
- I didn't meet the organizer, Ana, until the last day, and she never asked—either in person or digitally—how the “retreat” was going or if I needed anything. It seemed as though she had no interest.

I shared all the points with Ana and received the following email:
"Hello, I completely understand your frustration, and I am incredibly sorry. This falls short of the level of communication or service we aim to provide our guests, and it certainly does not reflect what Yoga Weeks truly stands for.
We have just come through an exceptionally difficult summer; after eleven years of hosting wonderful retreats and looking after countless participants—and working hard to maintain that standard—we have literally reached our limits. We are only human, after all. I am sorry.
However, I don't mean for this to be an excuse. I genuinely want to find a fair solution to make amends. Please let me know what you consider appropriate; unfortunately, a cash refund isn't possible for us right now, as the team is currently working together to navigate the present situation. Operations are running smoothly again now—we’ve been able to resume morning classes—and we hope to soon return to our usual positive atmosphere.
I would like to invite you to a complimentary retreat next year so you can experience what truly makes this place special. We hope for your understanding."

I was deeply shocked by the reply and told Ana as much in a follow-up email. Naturally, I have no intention of returning next year; I have lost all trust in them. Consequently, I requested a refund of one-quarter of the amount I had paid. I had paid €880 for four days. Ana did not respond to this second email at all.
I want to warn everyone: under no circumstances should you book with Yoga Weeks. It is a rip-off, and—given that they are aware of the issues—fraudulent in my view.

This retreat oversold itself. For what it costs the accommodations are primitive. Our group had no hot water, and we had some people with insects in their beds. Communication was very bad, in fact I am still waiting for a response from them regarding them forgetting to leave a lock box outside. For all they know, i am still standing there on the street with my suitcase. The pain point that we struggled with was the promise of two yoga sessions per day, only to find that there is only one per day. They had no interest in resolving any of the issues, and I see here in other reviews that they have had the same problems for some time. Too bad.

I stayed here for 3 nights and, unfortunately, the experience fell significantly below expectations - particularly given the price (~€660).

While there were some positives (the teachers were kind and a couple of classes were good), the core elements you would expect from a retreat - rest, cleanliness, comfort, and a well-managed environment - were not delivered. This felt much closer to a hostel-style experience than a retreat, while being priced at a premium level.

First, the room. It was extremely noisy, making it very difficult to sleep. I raised this during my stay and asked to be moved to a quieter room not near the main street, but this was not actioned, despite other rooms being available. Another guest in a similar situation was moved immediately, which made this even harder to understand. For a place positioning itself as a retreat, this is a fundamental failure - sleep is not optional.

There were also basic comfort issues, including showers not being reliably hot. One of the yoga sessions was held on the rooftop in very cold conditions with no clear alternative offered, which meant I couldn’t properly participate.

Breakfast was another major issue. It wasn’t simply a matter of preference - on the morning I was travelling back, it did not agree with me and caused food poisoning, which made an already disappointing stay significantly more stressful. At this price point, both quality and basic food safety standards should be reliable.

More broadly, this is priced at a level where you could stay in a high-quality, 5* hotel in Barcelona and attend excellent external yoga classes for a similar total cost, but with far better comfort, safety, and consistency. In that context, the value here simply does not stack up.

I shared this feedback directly after my stay with Ana (the founder) and gave the team an opportunity to resolve it with a partial refund. The response did not acknowledge the core issues or offer a meaningful remedy, and my follow-up was not answered. A gesture of goodwill would have gone a long way in acknowledging the issues raised, but the lack of response had the opposite effect.

Overall, while there are some good elements (mostly meeting other guests and some of the teachers, which could frankly be achieved outside the retreat), the experience does not justify the price. I left feeling more tired and unwell than when I arrived, which is the opposite of what a retreat should provide.

It’s a shame, as the teachers I met were genuinely kind, but the way issues are handled and the lack of accountability make it difficult to trust the experience or consider returning.

Update: 3 weeks later- still no reply from the Retreat owner, still no refund!

I booked a 7-night stay with Yoga Weeks in Barcelona through BookRetreats.com but cancelled my booking immediately upon arrival due to unacceptable hygiene conditions and significant discrepancies between the property and its online description.

HEALTH & SAFETY CONCERNS:
• The accommodation was in poor condition, both in terms of hygiene and in its accuracy compared to the listing on the website. Immediately upon using the bathroom, I encountered a huge cockroach in the shower tray, which raises serious hygiene and health concerns for guests.
• When I reported this to the cleaner, she acknowledged it was a known issue due to warm pipes. Another staff member further confirmed that despite attempts to disinfect, the infestation persists. This seemed to be a recurring known problem.
• In addition, the overall condition of the accommodation (interior, fixtures and furnishings) showed clear signs of neglect: shabby, worn, and poorly maintained. A stark contrast to the clean and inviting environment depicted in the listing. The room I was assigned lacked basic furnishings such as a chair or stool to place my belongings. When I asked the cleaner for one, she directed me to the garden where a couple of damaged red plastic wire chairs were available. The property was clearly misrepresented and did not align with the online advertised standards.

UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
• Despite raising the issue immediately with Yoga Weeks (and BookRetreats.com) and asked for a full refund, the owner of Yoga Weeks remained unresponsive for 12 days before ultimately declining to authorise a refund, despite earlier indications to the contrary.
• This lack of communication is sadly consistent with my overall experience with Yoga Weeks in Barcelona.
• This lack of responsiveness and unwillingness to resolve the matter demonstrated a clear absence of professionalism and accountability.

OUTCOME
• The whole experience was extremely stressful and disappointing and completely contrary to the purpose of a retreat.
• The issues encountered prevented me from staying at the property. I was forced to secure alternative accommodation and shorten my trip because of the additional expense.

RECOMMENDATION
• Fellow travellers should exercise caution when booking Yoga Weeks in Barcelona.
• Based on my experience, the accommodation does not meet advertised standards, and support from both Yoga Weeks and BookRetreats.com was inadequate.
• It is advisable not to pay in advance and to inspect the Yoga Weeks accommodation in person before committing.
• There are many alternative accommodation options in Barcelona that offer better hygiene, maintenance, and value for money, while yoga classes can be easily arranged separately.

Overall, if I could give zero stars for this experience with Yoga Weeks in Barcelona, I would.