Collective Retreats Governors Island

Could not run out of good things to say about my time at Collective Retreats! The accommodations are beautiful, the food is RIDICULOUSLY good, and the team working there are incredible. We had a corporate event there and experienced the definition of hospitality from everyone on site. Highly highly highly recommend!

The room-a base camp cabin- was lovely and the staff was largely great. The shower curtain t gave been swapped put (it was rust-stained) and the resort’s common areas need attention. The dining room cushions smelled of mildew, the fiberglass banquets are scarred and the Buffett breakfast was more Red Roof Inn than luxe. You can’t beat the sunset views of the Statue of Liberty and the fire-pits and ‘smores were great. We won’t return but it was overall a hoot.

Overall a subpar experience We booked the journey family tent, months before arriving we were assured there were working air conditioners in the tents so booking in August would not be a problem. The day we arrived it was 95 degrees - the large journey tent had an AC unit in it that was not properly setup so it was pushing hotter air into the tent and the small children’s tent only had a fan - so it was a sweat lodge at best and utterly unusable. We went to get my children and ice waters and had to ask multiple staff for help who responded that they were working another event and the bartender would be there soon - again, all we wanted was water. There was also a dead rat the size of my shih tzu in the middle of the walkway directly outside the dinner tent. There was no shade anywhere and again, it was 95 degrees - we almost left as quickly as we came. We went to take showers to cool down and the knobs on the showers would fall off making it impossible to change the water temp. At the smores camp fire rats were literally as bold as squirrels and i had to chase them away. I have lived in the city for 13 years and never seen anything like it. I have been in a safari tent in the literal African bush that was able to provide shade, working ACs and no rodents - its a shame that Collective Retreats claims to be luxury but clearly cannot deliver.

I should really start leaving reviews because I’ve been in the hotel business for almost 20 years and travel a lot. Nonetheless here is my first! I’ll give you the positives and the negatives, with a very honest opinion. Some of the negatives of Collective Governor’s Island are outside their control, others aren’t. I booked 2 tents for my wife’s birthday: one for us and one for our close friends. We stayed two nights… Friday to Sunday. POSITIVES - The views are incredible. Do yourself a favor and take in the late-night views. Nowhere else will you get this view of NYC, Jersey City, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Incredible. - The tents are spacious. We have done a bunch of TENTRR trips (RIP TENTRR) and the size of the Collective tents is awesome… So much room to move around, ample seating, etc. - The beds are comfortable and they did a nice job making up the tent like a typical hotel service. - The bathrooms are also nicely appointed considering this is, at its core, camping. - Pickup was flawless. They were waiting for us as we were told and our guide Rihanna was very friendly. - The food is hit or miss, but don’t miss the cheese platter and prawns. We ate two meals… the first night I had the lamb chops. I am a foodie: we eat out 3-4X a week and travel often. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and preparation of the lamb. The cheese boards and prawns were amazing. We ordered many during our stay. The second night I had the whole fish for two. It was decent at best. Lacked flavor and buried in tomatoes. Just a bit more caper and salt and some more crisp on the skin and it would have been perfect. - Governor’s island is beautiful. Take a walk around the loop if you stay. - The proximity to the island’s spa is wonderful. We got day passes and spent 5 hours on Saturday. I’d review the spa separately… it was nice but very overcrowded in the afternoon and food was bland. NEGATIVES: - I arrived to the room and found ear plugs on the nightstand. I thought this strange given the location. When it came time to sleep I realized why…. There is a party boat that passes by every 45 minutes or so until 2AM and OH MY GOD… the ear plugs are useless. It’s like having a subwoofer under your bed. I can guarantee this barge is pumping at 10X the legal decibel level for after 11pm. But who do you even call about this? The police, the coast guard? So you can forget a peaceful night’s sleep if you come over the weekend. Of course, this isn’t Collective’s fault but you should be aware. The City should do something about this boat. It’s ridiculous. - Similarly, the tourist helicopters around New York are the rats of the air. Dozens of them flying low overhead literally all day long. The city should crack down on these invasive machines. Not only are they dangerous, but they’re insanely noisy. We were really fed up with them very quickly. Again, not Collective’s fault but you should be aware that this will not be a peaceful place t

My friend and I had a fun stay at Collective on Governors Island but it definitely fell way short of our expectations of luxurious "glamping" experience, especially for the high price we paid ($572 for one night). A summary: - We stayed in a Summit waterfront tent, which was really comfortable and spacious and has a bathroom. The bed was comfortable and the tent was nicely appointed. However, right outside our tent were huge puddles and piles of mud (this was before it rained). We noticed that other areas of the retreat were in similar shape. While of course the retreat cannot control the weather, it can invest in a proper drainage system and landscaping/paving that would prevent this from being so disgusting. It was awful to have this right outside our tent. - In terms of landscaping, we were shocked to see many, many huge areas with overgrown grass and weeds. The landscape really needs to be tended to in a much better way. - The views are absolutely incredible. This is by far the best part of the experience of being there. You can see the Statue of Liberty, lower Manhattan, and Jersey City - all very clearly. (However views from our tent were interrupted a bit by the very tall weeds - would have been much more appealing if the area were cleared/mowed!) - Some of the staff members were very friendly and service-oriented; others were not. We were told they had a 24-hour phone line and we called the line repeatedly when we had a question (and even texted) and no one answered (calls went to voicemail). Messages went unreturned. This was very frustrating. - We got to the retreat around 1:30 PM and were told our room was ready and we could check in for $50 extra. That is absolutely absurd. I have traveled to many places around the world and all hotels allow check-in as soon as a room is ready. This is supposed to be a "luxury" retreat and we were flabbergasted when we were told we couldn't go to our room at that time when it was ready. As an aside, the retreat was basically empty (only a handful of the tents were occupied). - The tent contained a cooler and we were told we could use it - but there was no ice in it. The coffee creamers left out on the counter were spoiled (milk products require refrigeration). So perhaps the cooler should be stocked with ice and some milk/cream for coffee before people check in. - The restaurant was nice and the staff was very friendly. The appetizers were nicely sized but the main course was silly. I got lambchops and there was only one piece of meat - was a bit shocking to see that. The bar was not well-stocked and ran out of prosecco after my friend's second glass. The wine was good though and they had good happy hour pricing though. - The lawn and deck desperately need umbrellas! There is absolutely no shade anywhere on the property except for when you're in the tent or in the dining room. We really wanted to sit outside and enjoy the view but it was so hot and sunny that it was uncomfort

AS we arrived on the island after a 10 min ferry ride I was not that impressed. Dilapidated buildings, lots of construction and the roads needed to be fixed.. First impression not great, Once we arrived at the retreat I noticed metal fence that surrounded the area. Was a turn off. There was a baseball field too close, near public visitors walking, but on the other hand it was very romantic, amazing sunset, dinner was excellent and having our own bathroom was worth the extra money. We rented a bike, which was al ot of fun. Make sure you ride on every road as there are little gems you don't want to miss. Hammock row, tons of food areas, forts, flowers and more. Grab a message at the local Spa, enjoy a drink at Gitano's a hip, DJ vibe, but eat dinner at the resort - Will not disappoint. The staff needs help as they do not meet our expectations after paying $1000 + a night all in. There is a lot of helicopters and boats, but the fan in your room fades it all out. Lower your expectation and you will be pleasantly surprised. just a bit pricey.