The Ranch, with properties in Malibu and Italy, is a wellness retreat-based brand designed to allow guests to reset both mind and body.
Founded in 2010 with programs designed to allow guests to reconnect with nature and reset both mind and body through an intense fitness and wellness regimen paired with a plant-based diet, The Ranch Malibu is an alcohol- and caffeine-free boutique fitness retreat located about an hour’s drive from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The company recently opened The Ranch Italy in Fiuggi, an area of Italy renowned for its oligomineral waters that’s about an hour’s drive from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport. The brand’s first east coast retreat is scheduled to open in New York’s Hudson Valley in the spring of 2024.
Two Unique Locations Surrounded by Nature
The Ranch Malibu
Located on a working ranch, surrounded by nature and located in the Santa Monica Mountains high above the Pacific Ocean, The Ranch Malibu covers 200 acres with the 21-room property itself featuring an open-air kitchen, a Great Room, fitness center, over two acres of certified organic garden, an outdoor swimming pool and jacuzzi, infrared and cryotherapy saunas, a cold plunge pool and other wellness-focused amenities.
“The rustic, yet refined setting incorporates nature’s healing elements in all areas of design to allow guests to focus on themselves and their health during their stay,” says Chris Reed, v.p. of global sales.
The Ranch Italy
The Ranch Italy is a luxury experience located at Palazzo Fiuggi, a medical wellness retreat perched on an ancient hilltop surrounded by centennial sequoia trees in a private 20-acre park. While Ranch programming, including dining and fitness, takes place in private spaces for the group, guests of The Ranch also have access to the Palazzo Fiuggi’s panoramic indoor and outdoor pools, a world-class spa and sprawling fitness center.
Reed says, “Both The Ranch Malibu and The Ranch Italy are immersed in nature and set on historic properties that have been impeccably updated to become world-renowned wellness facilities.”
Programs Can Be “No option” or Completely Customized for Solos or Small Private Groups
Programs can cater to a wide range of client goals and intentions, including improving overall health, increasing mental clarity, weight loss, breaking unhealthy habits, jumpstarting a healthy lifestyle, unplugging, spending time in nature and others.
Both The Ranch Malibu and The Ranch Italy offer a “no options” fitness and wellness regimen paired with a highly structured plant-based diet. The menu is free of caffeine, gluten, dairy, soy, artificial sweeteners and alcohol, and can be further tailored to guests with any allergies or food sensitivities as needed. Additional portions and snacks are also readily available for those not looking to lose weight.
Designed for intimate groups of up to 25 guests, each day at Malibu consists of six hours of low-impact activity centered around a scenic 4-hour group hike in the Santa Monica Mountains. The daily program also includes core-focused fitness classes, low-impact strength training, restorative yoga or medication sessions, daily massage plus time for an afternoon nap. Guest also have the option of attending a talk on nutrition, tour of the property’s onsite organic garden and a cooking demonstration.
“We encourage guests to participate in the full day of activities to maximize their results,” says Reed.
At the Malibu property, the minimum stay is six nights/seven days (Sunday to Saturday), with 9-day and multi-week options also available. Rates start at $7,600 per person for double occupancy and $9,200 for a single room. A private experience that is completely customizable is also offered.
In Italy, the company offers a 4-night program 52 weeks per year plus a 7-night program from April to December. Both programs offer the same daily schedule and plant-based meal plan as the Malibu property, but also include medical testing (such as a full blood panel, urinalysis and diagnostics) and a doctor’s consultation for a more comprehensive look at each guest’s personal health.
The 4-night (Thursday to Monday) or 7-night (Thursday to Thursday) programs include daily guided hikes, low-impact strength training / core-focused fitness class and restorative yoga or meditation. A daily massage (for each full day of the program), diagnostic testing, a blood panel and medical consultation with the Palazzo Fiuggi medical team is also included along with accommodations, spa access, all meals, elective nutrition talks and a return transfer to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport.
Program rates at The Ranch Italy start at $4,950 per person for double occupancy and $5,800 for a single room.
Optional Add-ons On the Path to Wellbeing
In addition to the daily schedule that is part of a program, Malibu guests are able to participate in a weekly garden tour, a cooking class and a sound bath session along with infrared sauna, cold plunge pools and body composition analysis. Included in the program, guests also have access to a number of elective healing modalities including cryotherapy, acupuncture, IV therapy, cupping and pre and post-program cholesterol testing.
Authentic experiences for guests at The Ranch Italy include hiking along historic Pilgrimage trails and Roman trading routes through charming villages and hilltop hamlets and along crystal-clear streams. On property, guests have access to Palazzo Fiuggi’s 65,000-sf spa with indoor and outdoor pools featuring the region’s mineral waters, and can opt to include additional medical services and spa treatments from Palazzo Fiuggi’s extensive list of offerings.
Mostly Female Guests Range Between 35 and 65 in Age
According to Reed, while The Ranch Malibu attracts a worldwide clientele, guests are primarily U.S.-based with the largest percentage coming from the Tristate area (New York (NY), New Jersey (NJ) and Connecticut (CT). In Italy the clientele is more global with demand coming from the UK and greater Europe along with the Middle East.
“We welcome guests as young as 14 and have people in their late-70s but our typical guest is 35 to 65 years old and 70 percent female,” Reed says.
All fitness levels are welcome and Reed points out that due to the supportive staff and nurturing environment, the programs “are perfect for solo travelers and often allow for the development of unique connections within the group.” In Malibu, another option for solo travelers or a small group of one to four guests is The Ranch Private which is fully customizable to the individual’s or group’s unique needs, goals and preferences and can include as much or as little interaction with the weeklong group as desired.
Good Year-round Destinations
Due to its temperate climate, Malibu is considered a good year-round destination, and Reed advises that for clients looking at a January to May stay, booking about six months out to secure your spot would be a good idea. The rest of the year has about a 3- to 4-month waitlist.
While spring and fall are considered the best times to travel to Italy due to comfortable temperatures and less crowding, Italy is also considered a year-round destination with the winter months a bit colder but offering the opportunity to snowshoe through the local trails. The Ranch Italy could also be considered as an add-on for clients visiting other areas of Italy.
On a final note, Reed says the things that make the property memorable are “the intimate connection with fellow guests, the ability to spend time in nature, the caring staff plus the opportunity to transform one’s mental and physical health in a sustainable and meaningful way.”
For more information, visit theranchmalibu.com.
Recommend magazine has partnered with the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) to bring you monthly columns to help travel advisors sell wellness travel. For more information on the WTA, visit wellnesstourismassociation.org.
