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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if The Holistic Sanctuary submits its own information.

The Holistic Sanctuary: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca and Ibogaine Programs in Rosarito, Mexico

The Holistic Sanctuary is a luxury residential addiction and “biohacking” center founded by Johnny Tabaie in Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico, the original center behind the Sanctuary Tulum brand, offering one-on-one stays of four weeks or more that combine ibogaine, DMT, three nights of ayahuasca and psilocybin with IV, hyperbaric and stem-cell therapies, at $50,000 a month for its Gold package, per its prices page. It describes cardiac screening, nurses and a medical director. Against that, its terms say “All Sales Are Final” and require clients to sign an NDA and no-compete, its founder has no clinical license, its medical claims are unverified and partly placeholder text, it stacks ibogaine with several other psychedelics, and the critical reviews found online were removed after the company disputed them.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A private clifftop residence in Rosarito (Playas de Rosarito), Baja California, Mexico, with no published street address, per its locations page, which says the same team staffs its Tulum site. Some pages now describe a Tulum building, so confirm which site you would attend.
• Approach: One-on-one “Pouyan Method” stays: ibogaine first, DMT a few days later, then three nights of ayahuasca, with psilocybin for some guests and a separate 5-MeO-DMT offering, plus NAD+ and other IVs, hyperbaric oxygen, coffee enemas and sauna; the top tier adds stem cells, exosomes and plasmapheresis.
• Suitable For: Very wealthy adults seeking a medicalized private stay who verify the medical team and the contract independently. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: Gold $50,000 a month for four weeks or more; Silver and Platinum prices are not published, per its prices page. Its terms of use allow no refunds, only credit if a client leaves early and none if terminated.
• Overall Assessment: Private care and described cardiac screening, offset by no refunds, a client NDA, an unlicensed founder, unverified medical claims, stacked psychedelics and removed criticism. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Recovery.com shows 5.0 from 5 reviews, per its listing. On PissedConsumer, reviews from 2013 to 2017 average 3.7 from 16; the three negative posts from 2014 and 2015, one titled “Scam, Medical Malpractice”, were hidden after the company disputed them, and several five-star posts rebut claims of patient neglect and founder drug use (unverified). The center claims a 4.9 Yelp rating from 53 reviews; Salon reported in 2016 that its Yelp reviews were uniformly five stars with repeated phrasing. A 2017 review on The Fix, based on former-client surveys, was positive. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English and Spanish-language news for reports involving The Holistic Sanctuary, Sanctuary Tulum, Johnny Tabaie and its named medical director.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: Anonymous 2014 and 2015 PissedConsumer posts allege a scam and malpractice (unverified); no news, court or regulator record was found.
• Legal action: None found.

In a 2016 Salon profile, Tabaie described past methamphetamine use and time in jail and prison, declined to discuss 2012, and the reporter’s records search found no one by his name. The US trademark for “The Holistic Sanctuary” is registered to an individual named Pouyan John Tabatabaie, per Justia, and the center’s “Pouyan Method” carries Tabaie’s family name, per his bio.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this center, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Tabaie is founder and CEO, and his own bio says he did not go to medical school and is not a licensed physician; an SEO page in the center’s name nonetheless says “I am a doctor in the United States”, per about.me. The site names Dr. Jose A. Jimenez, MD, as medical director, and the Tulum site says he visits rather than works full-time (unverified). Facilitators are not named. No Mexican company is published, and its terms are governed by California law.

Contract terms. Clients must sign a “Terms of Service, Release of Liability, NDA, No Compete”, per its terms of use. An NDA can keep clients from describing problems publicly.

Screening and medical support. The center describes an EKG, echocardiogram, stress test and bloodwork before any dose, and excludes certain heart conditions, pregnancy and psychotic disorders; guests on MAOIs, SSRIs or lithium are “not automatically excluded” and are tapered on site. Its own clinic-vetting page leaves the license number, on-site medical hours and hospital details marked “[NEEDS VERIFICATION]”. Hospital General de Playas de Rosarito, a 24-hour public hospital, is about 1 km from the location the site maps, per a local directory (our estimate).

Marketing. Its figures of 5,000+ ceremonies and zero fatalities are labeled unaudited by the site itself. Two uncritical articles four days apart in December 2017, one claiming benzodiazepine dependency is usually “completely healed” in two to four weeks, per Harcourt Health, read as placements. Recovery.com says the brand serves adolescents, while its ayahuasca page says adults only.

Status. The website is active, with pages updated in October 2026. Rosarito is still listed, but some pages now describe the Tulum site, and no independent dated evidence of Rosarito activity in 2026 was found.

Legal context. Ibogaine is not scheduled in Mexico but has not been approved as a medicine, per Top Ibogaine Clinics. Ayahuasca is not explicitly addressed by Mexican law, DMT is controlled and people have been prosecuted for carrying ayahuasca, per ICEERS.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Ibogaine carries a known risk of dangerous heart-rhythm changes, and following it with DMT, ayahuasca and psilocybin in one stay needs strong, verifiable medical oversight. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes it dangerous with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs and that it is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

Ayahuasca of unpublished origin, given by an unnamed shaman over three nights. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A clifftop property above the Pacific in Rosarito, south of Tijuana, with pools and terraces, per Salon’s 2016 visit.
• Rooms: Private master suites with bathrooms on the Gold package, per its prices page.
• Style: A clinical luxury rehab format that mixes psychedelics with IV, hyperbaric and regenerative therapies.

Practical guidance: Rosarito is reached through San Diego or Tijuana; the site says airport transfer is included.

Should You Book?

Only with independent checks and a lawyer’s read of the contract. Before paying, ask in writing for the company name, the COFEPRIS license and what it covers, the medical director’s professional registration, which site you will attend, the receiving hospital and what the NDA prevents you from saying, and get your own cardiologist’s view on ibogaine. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Tabaie says ceremonies began in 2011; Salon reported the Rosarito center opened in 2009 after a start in Los Angeles. He opened Sanctuary Tulum about 2023. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing and plan any change with your own doctor. After you return: Arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

Programs are described on its website. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed November 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional.