Canyon Ranch Lenox

Pausing before I write to collect words to describe the INDESCRIBABLY WONDERFUL 4 days (3 nights) at CR. My sister-in-law and I went to the Deepak Chopra "An Awakened Life" retreat and not only was it an amazing lecture series but the experience of CR was perfectly suited to support the work Dr. Chopra was doing for us. The staff was genuinely warm, gracious, and friendly without being intrusive or overbearing...just there for you whatever your needs. The food was absolutely phenomenal. I usually do intermittent fasting, but for these 4 days, NO WAY, I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner and actually lost a pound while I was there! The portion sizes are actually healthfully calculated, but sincerely I ordered two of everything (which I assume any man would have to do to be full), but it's all included so that wasn't a problem at all. Specifically, my favorite dish was the Maine Lobster Cakes, but even if they don't have that when you go, you just can't go wrong. Everything was expertly prepared with the best ingredients. I chose to stay Keto, but there are carbohydrate options like sesame crackers, sour dough pita crackers, and sandwich bread (just not large, sugary deserts which I don't even eat anyway even on vacation). It's the TOP OF THE LINE healthful, flavorful, expertly prepared, and nutritious menus. Not to mention food, coffee, smoothies, health shots, etc, are offered from 7 AM - 9 PM (between the snack bar and the restaurant). I'm in my 50s and have stayed in plenty of hotel rooms at all costs (4 Seasons to Motel 6). This was BY FAR THE CLEANEST (looking and, more importantly SMELLING) room and hall I've ever experienced. NO MUSTINESS, DUST or ANYTHING OF THE SORT. TOTALLY CLEAN, NO SMELLS of any kind and certainly no dust or grime. SPOTLESS. Anyone with allergies, come with confidence (I have asthma). The Spa was as one would hope, although, I have to say that the prices are quite high. Maybe that's due to the high quality amenities that need maintenance; unlimited towels, bathing suit spinners (like salad to get the water out), luxurious robes, spa sandals, and a magnetic bracelet key to a locker. Showers, bathrooms, and all manner bath necessities. Maybe it wasn't that expensive after all, now that I think about it - you don't get all that at a local spa, after all. The Sound Bath is a must-do if it's on the schedule while you're there. We could barely walk back to our rooms afterwards we were so relaxed! Jim deserves special mention for his extraordinary heart-felt concern for CR guests.

The grounds are lovely. The rooms are clean and roomy. The included lectures are mostly common sense information or things that can easily be found online. The activities are quite diverse. Many of the instructors inaccurately assume that you are on a level of knowledge of their subject higher than beginner. The foundations of yoga sounds like a beginner class, yet the instructor was calling out poses thot no one knew and at a crazy speed. Plus, she did not provide alternate poses for the people who couldn’t do it. It was even worse with a different instructor who did an abs and hips class. She moved so fast that it was impossible to keep up. The best was Tom who did the archery class. He took everything at our pace, was extremely thorough, and really emphasized safety. He also taught the history of the old mansion on the property. He was equally as knowledgeable and thorough with that class. The person who taught the chair yoga class was also very good. He moved through each pose at a very reasonable pace. He explained everything and provided alternate poses for those having difficulty. The food and service in the restaurant were not at all what one would expect from such a pricey place. The food was quite bland, there are a million healthy herbs and spices that could be used but are not. The wait staff is a real mixed bag. Some are excellent and others not so much. We went to dinner at 6.30pm and they were already out of the catch of the day, but it took our waitress 20 minutes to tell us, then it took another 40 mins to get our food. This made us late for the evening program. The housekeeping service was equally as hit or miss. We had to call down for service when they hadn’t cleaned our room after being out of for 7 hours. The management did give us a credit for the inconveniences that we experienced. That was the right thing to do.

This is a wonderful spa. We had a wonderful room with two bathrooms and a living room space. The force of the rain shower was average. Remember to make dinner reservations in advance so to be able to be seated when you want. The outdoor lunch grille has great offerings especially the Branzino. The two mile hike around the resort is a great way to unwind and loved the labyrinth on the property. Wish they had a sound bath on the schedule. They did not. The highlight of the weekend was “The Falconry”. John and Choco his Harris Hawk were amazing. It is $200 per person but totally worth it. The food at the resort is excellent. The scallops were my favorite at diner. The only hiccups was my medium rare steak came out well done but was immediately fixed. We did not know dinner reservations were required but we fixed that too. Just a great weekend overall. Well run resort with attentive staff

A big disappointment. I visited Canyon Ranch in Woodside, CA. It was a fabulous experience, with the staff, hotel, service, food, classes and sleeping rooms. Canyon Ranch Lenox, on the other hand, is an outdated facility with poor service, sleeping rooms like a mid-level hotel and most classes unimpressive. More surprising is the poor quality of the food. Flank steak was precooked and warmed up. Large scampi were cooked earlier and warmed up before being served. When I went to the more casual café to get a pizza, the told me they did not have gluten free pizza. I corrected them, since earlier in the afternoon, another staffer had showed me where they kept the frozen gluten free crusts. Neither the staffer nor pizza cooker knew they had gluten free crusts until I told them. Also the staffer said they did not have sparkling water and after I turned around I found a dispenser of sparkling water. Just weird. Staff has no idea of what they have. The older teacher who taught restoration yoga was a big disappointment, as well. I have attended hundreds of restoration yoga classes. The class was not restorative. She gave us 4 poses and we stayed in them for 10-15 minutes, more like yin yoga. Eating in the formal dining room was neither elegant, delicious or efficient. Most waiters disappeared after initial serving. I think they are responsible for too many tables. Overall sad that Canyon Ranch Lenox is not up to its previous reputation. I loved Canyon Ranch Woodside. Superior staff, food and facilities. I felt like they offered unique health programming and had deep health-oriented experience. I will not, however, go back to Canyon Ranch Lenox. I understand Canyon Ranch has now partnered with a company that has ties with the MGM Grand and the Mandalay in Las Vegas. I hope this corporate style of hotel management is not the future of Canyon Ranch. Just sad.

I went with my sister on the “Besties” package and we had a terrific time. Here are the positives: 1. All the fitness classes were great. The instructors are knowledgeable and enthusiastic and make every workout enjoyable. A special shout out to Bridget, whom we had for a couple yoga sessions. 2. Spa services were so pampering. We each had a pedicure, a facial and a massage (my favorite – I fell asleep on the table.) 3. No rules. Do you wanna wear workout clothes in the dining room? No problem. Want to grab a sandwich and sit out by the Koi pond? Be our guest. No worries about dragging any of your own stuff back to your room after a shower and a sauna. Everybody gets their own locker… and a cozy robe. 4. No tipping. The bellman took our luggage from the car to our room. Same thing when we left… while we were taking our last couple classes, someone retrieved our luggage from our room and loaded it into our car. I cannot emphasize enough the level of service that guests will enjoy here. Now, for a few minor annoyances: 1. Our package included $150 credit in the boutique. But it’s almost impossible to hit that figure. I bought yoga pants for $100, but it was hard to find anything for the remaining $50, so you end up, leaving some money on the table. Also, the selection is limited to just four labels. So if you wanted to use your remaining credit for, say, a rollerball fragrance? Forget about it. 2.. The food was generally good, but it really came hot — especially the soup. This could easily be fixed by zapping the bowl in the microwave. (however, the smoothie bar is a really nice touch..) This was something I wanted to do for years and I’m so glad I did