Present Moment Retreat

It is unfortunate that I write this review. I only write honest accurate events, and this is by far the worst experience I have ever had at a resort. The terrible experience was NOT due to the staff, as everyone working here was extremely sweet, and if they weren't accommodating it was due to the owner not giving them freedom to do so. I do not want this to reflect negatively on the staff in any way. I signed up for the "Be Light" package at Present Moment. The package was supposed to last one week. On the sixth night I ate dinner, which didn't taste right and immediately made me feel nauseous and tired. I spoke to another person who ate a different dinner meal, and experienced the same symptoms. Both of us went to bed early not feeling well and woke up shortly after midnight vomiting. The next day both of us were achy, running a fever, and I had diarrhea. I could not, and did not, eat any food on the last day of the package. The staff offered to have a doctor see me, but the doctor visit would be charged to me. The next day the owner of the resort, "Tom" called me. He stated this can happen during a cleanse and that "sometimes people experience tummy issues while doing the Be Light package." I explained that I'm experienced with cleanses and this is definitely a pathogen, not a result of a cleanse as I am a very healthy person. He told me it could be from anything, that I could have gotten it from anywhere, and he will not take responsibility. After some push back, he finally said if I want to pay for a cab to the clinic he will cover the clinic visit, but he will not pay for a doctor to come to my room. The nice staff at the resort did help me to the clinic, and after an hour wait, I did finally see a doctor who told me I have E. coli. I could not have gotten it anywhere but at Present Moment because I bought a package from them and did not eat anywhere else but Present Moment from the day I arrived there, so for a full seven days. Apparently Tom directed that he would not cover the medication because the staff tried to charge me for the medication (which was only $20 US) and said Tom told them he would not cover the medication, even though Tom told me he would cover the expense. The crazy part is, I got E. coli from Present Moment and Tom did not call me to apologize or anything, and the entire bill was under $30, but he doesn't want to pay for anything. To him, I was just a paycheck. He does not put people first, and he will not take ownership, and he will not do what is right and fair. At checkout I explained I didn't use the 7th day of the package, the staff told me they could not reimburse me. I also paid for air conditioning for the entire stay duration, but the staff didn't want to reimburse me for that either. After thirty minutes of negotiation they finally reimbursed me $40US for the two days without AC, but I could tell they were very hesitant and will probably hear from Tom about it. I've since heard of other accounts where people got sick at Present Moment, and people were not reimbursed for their unused packages. Final thought- Present Moment is a beautiful place, but the owner is a narcissistic tyrant who views his guests as a paycheck, and definitely does not put people first.

This is my second time to visit Present Moment. First time was with large group of adults. Second time was with my two younger children. Both experiences exceptional - the second being more enriching than the first as most of the staff were the same and recognized me so the familiarity made it extra special. It’s a gift the experience of staying at this resort and I think the staff consider working at the resort a gift too. You can see their joy and appreciation and that they are genuinely happy and that flowed onwards to us as their guest. Staff have that yogi inner glow which is wonderful to see. Love the yoga schedule in that it offers four classes a day and that the yoga platform is only ten seconds away so that I don’t arrive late and that it doesn’t take a car drive to get there. The wellness consultation which was part of my package was relaxed casual chatty and helped me to set intentions for my life back home. Great restaurant great food great massages great housekeeping. I put my phone away for the week and went off grid which I highly recommend doing but you don’t have to, there is wifi. We also went horse riding, boogie boarding and surfing. There are many other activities to do such as caving. hiking, kayaking, ATV, snorkelling etc but in the end we were happy to go slow and only do a bit here and there and just relax.

We stayed at Present Moment Retreat for five days at the start of July, and overall it was fantastic. Nadia and the team are all incredibly lovely, the yoga teachers/massage therapists were skilled and knowledgeable and were even able to recommend some physiotherapy treatments for an ongoing problem my partner has. The food, smoothies and cocktails at the restaurant were all fresh and delicious (and the happy hour each day provides a good opportunity to sample everything). Our bungalow room was well-kept each day and right near the beach, so we slept to the sound of waves crashing on the rocks. By the end of the trip I was considering a permanent seachange. Our only discomfort throughout the trip came from the weather, which was obviously outside the control of the resort. ;) Be aware that early July in Troncones, with no air-conditioning, is a very hot and sticky experience. Even then the Present Moment team were lovely, providing an additional fan to our bungalow and providing icy cold drinks after our treatments. Just be mindful that if you prefer to be cool, you're going to want to book the air-conditioned bungalow!

Wonderful restaurant for organic food-loving, health-conscious individuals. Drinks are fantastic and service is attentive and considerate, doing the small things to make a person feel welcome. The sunset view should not be missed. Pricing is certainly on the higher end for Troncones but on par with most other tropical locations. Some dishes, specifically the burritos, are a bit dry/bland. But all in all, worth a visit!

I have stayed at Present Moment Retreat twice. Each time my experience was relevant to what I needed. The yoga is amazing, the other modalities and massages also supportive. There is so much to offer. You can really just get there and dive into your journey. The food and service is also top notch. Notably one year I rented a house on the beach and bought a punch card to go to classes at Present Moment. They opened a tab for me in the restaurant to enjoy dining there every night with my mom and young children (which is why we did not stay there...) and enjoy excursions, etc...then I closed my tab at the end of the week That was an over the top move on their part. Troncones is a great areas to land and I always have felt safe...sunsets await. I really cannot say enough.