WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA—With activities that include morning hikes, exercise classes, daily massages and opportunities for down time, Four Seasons Westlake Village has debuted a four-day boot camp and wellness program for private groups and corporate retreats. The resort offers The Ranch 4.0, an abbreviated version of the weeklong program featured at The Ranch at Live Oak Malibu, a fitness and wellness retreat in Malibu, CA.
“We realized that many of our guests were not able to take a week off from work, so we wanted to create a program that was still effective but did not take a full week for those with a busy schedule,” said Alex Glasscock, CEO of The Ranch at Live Oak Malibu. “Wellness travel is an emerging category. We have found through prior incentive travel that this is most in demand.”
Through a partnership with California Health & Longevity Institute, The Ranch 4.0 includes diagnostic fitness testing via a BOD POD body composition assessment and a VO2 Metabolic test. Like The Ranch’s seven-day stay, the daily routine at The Ranch 4.0 consists of eight to 10 hours per day (Friday through Sunday) of rigorous exercise, including four hours of morning mountain hiking and an afternoon full of exercise classes and daily massage. The four-day program is priced at $3,800.
“What makes it an ideal attraction is the immersion experience,” said Glasscock. “Being in a group environment creates a special dynamic and bonding experience. Also, because it is a no-options program, all the decisions are made for you. People tend to come away from the program with measurable results, both physically and mentally.”
Since the retreat can be rented for a private group under 20 people, the team can sculpt the fitness schedule and dining experience to accommodate special requests. Additionally, The Ranch 4.0 wellness regime includes an organic vegetarian cuisine, and Four Seasons Westlake Village’s five-star chef can tailor the menu to meet the needs of a group.
“One of the key components is aiding the guests in detoxification. So, by providing an organic, vegetarian menu as a baseline, we use this as a way to reset guests’ systems,” said Glasscock. “Guests are pleasantly surprised how satisfying and tasteful our nutritionally dense meals are, in addition to the amount of energy they have from this selected meal plan.”
Overall feedback on The Ranch 4.0 from participating groups has been overwhelming positive. Glasscock noted, “We have exceeded in programming, nutrition and food,” according to the guests, who “rebooked or intend to rebook annually. The groups want to integrate this into their annual programming.”
—Matthew Marin