My mom and I were considering the Esalen Institute for a retreat and are so glad we changed our minds and stayed at Lynn's cottage! She has created a sanctuary - the cottage is comfortable and light-filled with absolutely breathtaking views. I can't really put into a review how special and memorable my trip was - I left three days ago and would go back tomorrow if I could.

Some of the pros:
We were given fresh eggs, local honey, and a bottle of wine upon our arrival.
Lynn welcomed us to pick both lemons and grapefruits from their ripe trees.
The land that she and her family live on is so well-loved, there are beautiful trees, flowers, succulents, and animals everywhere. My mom and I were often visited by very cute lizards and saw a few bunnies from our view on the porch.
Their wonderful dogs Gwin and Loki came by for pets and joined us on walks in the canyon nearby.
The nights were cool and the days were warm, dry, and sunny, even if it was cloudy in Malibu/by the coast.
The food in the Canyon is great - we loved the Canyon Bistro and the Inn at Seventh Ray but spent most of our time cooking and relaxing at the cottage.

Cons:
You can't stay forever.