Omega Institute for Holistic Studies — Attraction in Town of Clinton

Disorganized, Misleading, and Overpriced. Omega falsely advertises or omits critical information about the quality of their offerings. Edit: they replied below, I’m sure in good faith. although I laid out every issue clearly in this review, they still seem to claim to not understand the extent of my issues in my review. Extremely indicative of the nonchalant uncaring employees. We booked the "Beyond Delicious" program and two nights in a private cabin with two double beds and a private bathroom. Right away, while booking, we found it strange that there was no real description of the workshops, no clear itinerary, and barely any photos of the campus or cabins. The one generic cabin photo shown didn’t match the actual cabin we stayed in—it was misleading at best. Upon check-in, the front desk staff were unhelpful and vague about where our room was, despite us having a lot of luggage. We wandered around aimlessly until a kind woman in a golf cart offered to help—though even she didn’t know where our cabin was. When we asked if she was a guest, she replied, “No, I work here.” Strange.

Once we got to the cabin, we noticed dirty laundry hanging outside a room that wasn’t even ours. Inside, the beds were extremely small—definitely not standard double beds. There was a foul odor coming from the air conditioner, reminiscent of urine. The bathroom floor was dirty, the shower was grimy, and the blinds on the windows were dusty. Looking back at the booking, the single photo provided didn’t show anything beyond a cropped image of the bed. It became clear that the accommodations were not accurately represented. Though some inclusions were listed in writing, many didn’t function: the ceiling fan was broken, the beds were tiny and on wheels (which made them shift around uncomfortably), and the room overall felt neglected. Before our first workshop, we took a walk around campus and checked out the dining hall. Again—misleading photos. The space was more like a mess hall: summer camp vibes for adults. It smelled unpleasant, and the food looked overcooked and unappetizing. Reviews we saw later confirmed our impressions. Still trying to keep an open mind, we went to our first lecture. But once again, no one at the front desk could give us clear directions. At Guest Services, the staff handed us a poorly printed, hard-to-read schedule—just minutes before the lecture began. No one seemed to know who was speaking, or what the sessions would involve. For a program that cost thousands of dollars, this level of disorganization was shocking. The lecture itself was thoughtful and informative—but clearly geared toward local farmers or members of the Hudson Valley community. The promotional materials claimed the workshop was "for anyone interested in food," but in reality, it felt tailored to people already in agricultural networks. We came from out of state and were genuinely interested, but we left feeling misled. We were stuck in a system that offered no transparency and minimal planning. While I’m sure some workshops are better, the overall lack of communication, quality, and cleanliness led us to leave early.

TL;DR: Omega Institute does not accurately represent the quality of its accommodations or workshops. The staff are disengaged and unhelpful. Communal areas are dirty and often foul-smelling. The cabins are overpriced, poorly maintained, and not as described. The food is mediocre at best. If you're interested in attending a workshop, consider staying off-site and commuting in.

Advice to the Institute: —Be honest and transparent about your accommodations. Provide accurate, detailed photos of the actual rooms and campus facilities. —Send a clear, detailed workshop schedule before check-in, including names of speakers, topics, and what participants can expect. —Ensure rooms are properly cleaned between guests. Remove leftover items, and don’t charge boutique hotel prices for camp-level housing. —Train staff to know the layout of the campus and encourage them to show at least a basic level of courtesy and...

We arrived on a Friday afternoon for a weekend stay. We dropped our luggage off at the welcome tent at the parking lot, checked in and then proceeded to our cabin.

Most all the cabins are located out in the open across well-manicured grass and paved walkways. We were in awe when we walked past them as they resembled nothing like the cabin we were given.

Ours was located in an area I affectionally joked as "skid row." A group of cabins tucked in the woods adjacent to the large field and wellness center. As we walked up the steps to the cabin, we could see the infestation of mosquitos across the porch and on our door. We raced back to customer services to ask for another cabin but were told none were available as the weekend was sold out. So, our first few hours were spent getting back into the car, going to a local hardware store 20 minutes away and buying cans of citronella candles and Deet spray.

Our daily process moving forward was burning the candles on the porch to keep the mosquitos at bay, then when we opened up our cabin door, we had to be sure to race in and out so that none got inside...but they always did. We spent more time than we wanted killing mosquitos inside our cabin and spraying ourselves down with deet. It was a crazy experience and every time we walked past the cabins in the well-manicured section of the property we just sighed that we had gotten a bum deal on ours.

Another bad sign things might not be going well is the fact that when we arrived to our cabin a maintenance worker was replacing a broken window shade with another broken one as they were still waiting on an order of new ones. So, we had this broken shade hanging from our front window.

Finally, on the subject of the cabin, we got very little sleep at night thanks to the fact that there were one or two rooms above us, and because there is no sound insulation to be had, we were at the mercy of those above us who dragged their luggage and furniture across the floor consistently through the late night and early morning.

We had hoped to hike one of the on property trails that the website boasted on its website. However, that turned out to be another disappointment when we found out that the trails consisted of walking into the woods, with no clear path and warning signs of tick infestation. Why there are no actual trails cleared that can be walked is beyond me. We simply took to the road and walked there.

Then there's the waterfront. There's no really no beach and what is there is roped off with signs warning that you can't swim. We were told that swimming is off limits because of algae that has been appearing in the pond/lake. There are a few canoes/kayaks that can be taken out, but we didn't opt to do that.

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner was included in our stay at the dining hall. As someone who is not a vegetarian, I found the lunch and dinner selections to be challenging, but that's my problem. The selection is mostly farm fresh vegetables and salads which I did stock up on, but gave me an incredible amount of bloating and gas with gut microbes multiplying and producing lots of plant-digesting enzymes. I actually found breakfast to be the best part of the food day as it offered scrambled eggs, home potatoes and pancakes (though unfortunately pancakes only served on one of the days).

The most enjoyable part of our stay was spent in the cafe where we found a table and worked on one of the many puzzles for hours on end. We also visited the library which was quite enjoyable for the both of us.

The most notable thing I can say about our weekend at Omega is that the staff was incredible. Everyone was extremely nice and helpful. We were able to get a staff member to take a broom to our cabin exterior to get rid of all the bugs that had collected there. When we were late putting out luggage on our last day, they arranged for a special pickup. We never encountered anyone who didn't have a smile on their face, said hello, or...

Disappointed in Omega’s Hypocrisy on Trauma and Selective Compassion

I am deeply disappointed by the Omega Institute’s decision to ban Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, a globally respected trauma expert, for expressing personal views about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The very idea that this institute claims to center healing and trauma - yet punishes someone for acknowledging Palestinian suffering - exposes a disturbing double standard. Is trauma only recognized when it aligns with certain political narratives? Does Omega only care about one kind of suffering? One kind of survivor?

Millions of people are experiencing intergenerational trauma, displacement, and war in Gaza, and yet acknowledging that reality - especially when it echoes historic pain - is deemed “offensive.” If your mission is truly about healing, how can you silence voices calling attention to human suffering?

Van der Kolk’s comments were admittedly provocative, but they are not unprecedented. In fact, many Jewish scholars, writers, and Holocaust survivors have made similar comparisons - not to diminish the Holocaust, but to confront violence wherever it appears.

Consider the words of: • Masha Gessen, who likened the siege of Gaza to Nazi-era ghettos. • Norman Finkelstein, son of Holocaust survivors, who called Israeli actions in Gaza a form of “holocaust.” • Gerald Kaufman, UK MP, who said: “My grandmother did not die to provide cover for Israeli soldiers murdering Palestinian grandmothers.” • Hajo Meyer, a Holocaust survivor, who warned against using trauma as justification for oppression. • Rene Lichtman, who compared the situation in Gaza to the Warsaw Ghetto. • Amos Goldberg, Holocaust historian, who called what’s happening in Gaza “genocide.”

Are their voices not worthy of respect? Are they also “banned” from the trauma conversation?

Silencing dialogue around Gaza does not protect anyone. It only alienates survivors whose pain doesn’t fit into politically convenient categories. If Omega claims to be a home for healing, it must create space for all trauma - not just the trauma that offends no one.

This decision speaks volumes—not about Bessel van der Kolk—but about the limits of Omega’s commitment to justice,...