The Portal Marin — Local services in Alta

The Portal in Marin is an interesting eclectic community of people run by 3 founders who have done this before at the Center in San Francisco, and who are successful in their own right, as Founders and Investor Fund managers. The place has stunning Asian decor which pulls you in, yoga is spiritual, so don’t except a sweat, or workout, and it has a co-working space and Biohacking Spa plus Communal Sauna which are state of the artThe founder's, staff and community who belong to the Portal all seem lovely but they project their values and beliefs onto others and if you don’t fit their mould or stereotype they are not inclusive in spirit and even whilst paying for events at the Portal or signing up for basic memberships like yoga. There is a huge element of exclusivity and they are not very inclusive to foreigners or anyone who doesn’t fit into their projected mould or culture. There is very little diversity. Everyone looks the same and sounds the same and most of the people that go there are from Mill Valley, Tiburon and other exclusive wealthy areas in Southern Marin.So it feels like a very exclusive SoHo Lounge or Battery in someways but with a very gentrified and judgement approach to anyone who does not fit into their mould of being Wealthy connected,, successful or Spiritual. Most of the people that go people there are burners.and some even describe it as a swingers club. So be aware that before you sign up that there are a lot of things the staff and founders don’t disclose as per the above and it is extremely expensive for what you end up getting as you still have to pay for some events and biohacking treatments on the $350 per month membership. There is an interview and vetting process to become a member and they will vet you according to their beliefs and values and from references and what other people think or you, and they have turned a lot of people away who applied for memberships who don’t fit their stereotype and mould described above. Some of their values also seem incongruent to the way they treat their staff and...

When I heard The Portal was opening up near our home, I was excited - I thought I would love it. We had moved from the city the year prior and are very into health, wellness and community. We had been talking that a place like this was missing in Marin. We toured the facility, and although nice: it's very dark and small. It was very expensive for the monthly offerings (originally 250+) and we were told that the upstairs communal space (very dark, too) was not meant to be worked on more than 1-2 hours a day. Seems like a big waste of space.

If you want to use their wellness services you cannot pay a la cart to do something any longer, and have to apply join for $450 a month (!!!) to have access these amenities. The 2 cold plunges and saunas are single use and not communal. Really bad design choice.

I ended up taking some yoga classes through class pass. Jeremy's classes were amazing, all others were sub par. The ladies at the reception barely greeted me each time I came in. Then The Portal abruptly canceled use of class pass and now offer a 180 monthly yoga option for a pack of classes. The yoga space is small and holds about 15-20 people max.

The concept was a great one, but reality of the space and the functionality is not - the prices do not make any sense. This is more than you'd pay for a very very high end gym. Why not offer any communal wellness spaces besides the tiny yoga space? The place has almost a cult-y vibe to it, and is astronomically priced for the size. The vibe does not feel inclusionary at all. Huge...

So happy this sanctuary came to our community. It's a beautiful and supportive space. The best yoga instructors. Fantastic to have a cold plunge in Marin. The people and events are amazing. The best money I've spent all year.

Edit: I'm revisiting this review as my experience has evolved & after reading some of the reviews. I've been a member for 9 months now so my experience is a fair representation of what The Portal has done as it spans most of it's existence. As a woman of color, I'm very impressed at the diversity at The Portal. It consistently attracts people from all walks of life. Marin is still very white & very segregated. At The Portal, it's a relief to be surrounded by so many new BIPOC friends.

Are they cultivating a conscious, loving, regenerative community? Yes. If that's not your thing, cool; the Portal is probably not your jam.

It takes money to provide yoga, an incredible coworking space, amazing biohacking and wonderful events. Membership is not inexpensive but it is an incredible value. It's also evolving. I joined early bc I wanted there to be something like this in the world and was grateful that it came to MV. How lucky are we? Imho, the way they've scaled has been smart & keeps the business healthy.

It's not going to be all things for all people. I came for the yoga (they've since added pilates, slow yoga & yin yoga), found the longevity spa and stayed for the community. If you are open minded & curious, interested in your health (mind & body), this is a...