I planned for a 20-minute sit down with CEO & co-founder of The Ranch, Alex Glasscock, and an hour later I was still talking with him about vegan food, long hikes and life-changing experiences. One week at The Ranch, says Glasscock, can change a person’s life. The conversation alone was evidence of that.
Wellness—we’ve been hearing that buzzword for some time now, with Virtuoso launching a Wellness Community just last year, and many cruise lines, hotels and tour operators putting the emphasis on wellness-oriented vacations and incorporating healthy dining options and active experiences into their programs and itineraries. Wellness is now a megatrend, says Glasscock, who was obviously cognizant of how much wellness would resonate throughout the travel industry community when he debuted The Ranch back in 2010. In other words, The Ranch didn’t jump on the wellness bandwagon, they undoubtedly spurred the wellness movement in the travel industry.
There’s No Turning Back
“We are a results-oriented program,” says Glasscock, and with a “no-options” philosophy, it’s tough for anyone to leave The Ranch feeling they haven’t accomplished a 180-degree lifestyle change. The program at The Ranch includes morning stretches, a 4- to 5-hour hike, core and ab work, weight training sessions and evening yoga. And there are also naps, a daily massage and a structured nutritional diet of fresh vegetarian fare (1,400-calorie in-take).
Clients can choose from The Ranch 4.0 (four days), The Ranch Malibu (seven days) or The Ranch 10.0, a 10-day detox program during which, says Glasscock, clients can expect to shed inches and unwanted pounds.
The program is “for all fitness levels,” he says. “All sizes and shapes, and all physical abilities. We’ve had people from 14 to 84.” And tell clients there is no cell phone usage, because Glasscock emphasizes, it’s not just about resetting the physical self, it’s about the mental state as well. That’s why he says the naps are so important, as well. “There’s a mental component,” he says, “that’s choreographed.”
The surroundings, too, add to the experience. The Ranch is set on a historic working ranch, three miles above the Pacific Ocean, spanning over 200 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains. There are 18 private cottages, each decorated with rustic, yet refined interiors ideal for calming the mind, embracing nature and allowing clients to focus on their health, fitness and wellness goals.
Glasscock mentions that it’s very “scary for us to give up control,” but at The Ranch your clients have to let go. “They’ll come away,” he says, “with The Ranch glow—slimmer, glowing skin, white eyes and everyone is happy.”
He notes that there’s a “40 percent repeat clientele, because The Ranch clients want the annual reset,” with only about 5 percent coming through travel agent bookings. Meaning plenty of opportunity for your wellness-focused bookings.
The Ranch 4.0, which actually takes place at Westlake Village, with accommodations at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, is $3,900. The Ranch Malibu, set on the 200-acre Ranch, is $7,200; and the 10-day detox stay is when a visitor combines the 4-day stay with the 7-day stay. The program size maxes out at 18 persons.
For more information, visit theranchmalibu.com.
