A Guide to Monastic Guest Houses: Fourth Edition

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Summary: National Geographic Traveler
Review: "...an invitation to share, if briefly, in the contemplative spirit of monastic life." --National Geographic Traveler

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Summary: The New York Times
Review: "A detailed guide...sketches, descriptions, prices, and directions are included." --The New York Times

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Summary: National Catholic Reporter
Review: "Here is an alternative for people who would like vacations that heal, are truly restful, and economical." --National Catholic Reporter

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Summary: Finding Serenity
Review: As a child growing up in Connecticut there was always a mystique but a certain serene feeling that I would experience when we would go to the monastery to pick up our mother after she attended a retreat or picked up mass cards. I experienced that same calm when I visited centuries old castles and churches in Europe. The only other experience similar for me is to be in a museum or at the ocean-they are always there for me, secure and comforting. Robert Regalbuto's wonderful book "A Guide to Monastic Guest Houses" fourth edition, is a concise volume that I love. I love it because with it's gems of anecdotal information and necessary addresses, phone numbers etc. I am able to visit monasteries throughout the United States and Canada in order to relive that serenity I found whenever we visited the monastery to collect Mother after her day of good works.

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Summary: Great Book for Practicing Religious
Review: First of all, I am not much of a traveler, but many in my family our. This is a wonderful book for family who sometimes need to get away from everyday life and don't know where to go. I thank Robert Regalbuto for doing his homework on the places of interest. Enjoy....

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Summary: traveling without frills
Review: I have read this book by Mr. Regalbuto and have used the information on many trips around the country. For anyone looking for a spiritual high and no frills economy in lodging and meals the information is invaluable. The clear directions and information about these havens of retreat from worldly concern make it easy to experience a bit of heaven on earth. Such practical information I have not found elsewhere.

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Summary: An Outstanding Resource for the Modern Day Pilgrim
Review: I've been wanting to review this book for some time. A friend gave me a copy as a gift. The concept of a "monastic" guest house was new to me. By reading this inviting guide I learned that the custom of accommodating guests in monasteries and convents is as old as Christian monasticism itself. I have had the opporunity to visit several of the guest houses included in the book. The research done by the author is certainly thorough and the broad denominational representation is good. Most importantly, I was rassured to know that all of the guest houses in the book will accommodate those of any faith...or no faith at all. Practical information such as addresses, telephone numbers, and directions are invaluable. Even if not planning to visit the monasteries, convents, and guest houses in the book, the Guide makes for interesting reading with its histories, descriptions, and other information about the orders and their way of life. The line drawings for each guest house add a finishing touch which make this book a delight to browse though, interesting reading, and an outstanding resource for the would-be modern day pilgrim. The New York Times, National Geographic Traveler and Arthur Frommer recommend A Guide to Monastic Guest Houses, and so do I!

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Summary: A revised and expanded edition of a perennial favorite!
Review: Now in its fourth edition, this revised and expanded volume offers detailed information on accommodations in monastic guest houses in the United States and Canada. For each place listed, Robert J. Regalbuto includes a description and history of the site, directions for reaching it, points of interest, information about meals and lodging, charges or donations, and ways of contacting the guest houses via mail, phone, and e-mail.

For all who need some time away, this book offers assistance in finding "a place apart" for rest, reflection and renewal where, according to the author, "monastic hospitality is offered and a 'holy leisure' enjoyed."

"...an invitation to share, if briefly, in the contemplative spirit of monastic life." -National Geographic Traveler

"Here is an alternative for people who would like vacations that heal, are truly restful, and economical.""-National Catholic Reporter

Robert J. Regalbuto, writer, historian, and lecturer, graduated cum laude from Harvard University. He has traveled extensively in Europe and North America, experiencing boundless hospitality at many monastic guest houses along the way.

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Summary: Worthless!
Review: Terrible writing...banal style...horrible information. Can't recommend

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Summary: A Useful Listing But Not Truly Informative
Review: The author has compiled a useful listing of monasteries and the like that welcome guests, but the descriptions are little better than those one finds in an AAA travel guide. There is, for instance, little information on the extent to which one is expected, or allowed, to join in the spiritual life of the institution or (excepting listings of numbers of single and double rooms) whether married couples are welcome. Moreover, he seems to have strained to include one guest house from each of the 50 states, rather than the best guest houses, wherever located. This book simply provides minimal leads that must be followed up.