Wild Rice Retreat

If you are looking for a place to stay, away from the hustle and bustle of urban life, that lives up to the images conjured up by the word “retreat”, Wild Rice Retreat is unbeatable in every way. Tucked away just south of Bayfield, gateway to the only National Park in Wisconsin, you’ll find yourself immersed in the natural beauty of the lodging built from locally-sources and eco-friendly materials. Yoga classes are led by the owner who is welcoming and friendly to newcomers of yoga, as are the front desk staff, and free to guests, as is the sauna. The food is both nutritious and delicious, a rare combination! My partner and I discovered the retreat through Expedia, with the intent to find a nice place to stay while exploring Apostle Islands and Bayfield, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that many of the guests were there for the community experience of an all-inclusive wellness expedition! If that’s not what you’re looking for or want, that’s okay too-staff and guests are accommodating of your needs. Overall, it was a superb experience that makes you fall in love with Wisconsin (again) if you’ve been too busy to enjoy it, or are a first-timer to the state!

The setting was gorgeous

One staff person informed me that meals were included and a different staff person told me that since I made my reservation through booking.com meals were not included and I had to pay.

Beautiful facility and very relaxing!

Could use more lighting especially when walking to and from the sauna in the dark.

Wonderful location on Lake Superior. Modern "pods" -- we had the Nest. Very spacious with a king size bed and a pull out couch. They spared no expense with the accessories. Super comfy bed, Parachute bedding, West Elm couch, French press with an electric kettle. Nice toiletries (although could have used some lotion). Full set of flatware and pottery dishes, wine opener, fridge with freezer. The pods are quite close, this is true. Sauna and plunge pool are great. Observation deck looking out over the water is a great place to enjoy coffee/tea or just sit and read. Parking is free. Would have loved to have a jacuzzi in the cabin or some kind of water therapy onsite. Electric fireplaces would be a nice touch too.

Overall, I felt it was too expensive. Granted, you get your own "cabin" but during our 2-day stay, we received virtually no personal service. Maybe that's on purpose but it was really hands-off. We paid $60 extra per person per day for meals and you have to get your own food and bus your own table. We went for my birthday weekend and hoped for a romantic getaway. Whether or not you get that experience is dependent on what else is going on at the retreat. During our stay, there was a private women's yoga retreat so the whole place was at capacity and all women (that we saw), so my boyfriend felt awkward. He didn't feel comfortable being in the sauna and we felt like outsiders in the dining space. Everyone was polite and nice but it just wasn't the vibe we were after. If you're not looking for light, vegetarian meals (with some occasional fish options) I'd maybe skip the meals. There were some highlights -- like the squash soup was amazing -- but we are meat eaters. On the first day, they ran out of fish and we didn't get a piece until we were about to leave. It was extremely salty. On the second day, same thing and they offered lox as a replacement but didn't let us know when it was ready. They put it out on the line and again were on our way out and saw it was out. Had to wait in line and literally got the last two tiny pieces. Not really worth the $$ IMO, especially since you have to do everything yourself. I didn't get to experience the workshops. They only had one yoga class per day. The first day, we only had time for one activity in the morning before we had massages (at Superior Massage in Bayfield, which was great!). We opted for a hike to Bayfield because the weather was so warm. NOTE: The trail is closed for the last 1/2 mile you have to walk along the highway. Would have been nice to know that.

Beautiful quiet stay! We didn’t participate in the yoga but loved the sauna and relaxing by the fires outside. The Nest was beautifully designed and spacious. Insanely comfy bed and gorgeous views. Love that there’s no kids or pets- makes the whole place very calm and quiet! Great couples getaway.

beautiful , great concept

would have liked the fire going.. It wasn’t going at all, and it would have been wonderful during this cool fall weather. Bummed me out.