“ At the core of what we do is still nutrition, this will never change,” says Arjona, pointing back to Rancho La Puerta’ s ranch beginnings when farming was a major component of the Ranch lifestyle and nutrition was a fundamental part of Szekely’ s philosophy.
Today, this core belief in nutrition is reinforced through La Cocina Que Canta( The Kitchen That Sings), which serves as the heart of its organic six-acre farm and where cooking classes take place.
As far as Arjona is concerned, despite the many changes at the Ranch, there are some things that will remain the same.“ What has not changed for Rancho La Puerta are the values that have held us strong throughout the years. What has changed is our ability to become forward-thinking as to who our guests are today and where we believe they’ re going to be tomorrow,” Arjona says. n
Morning walks that culminate at the Ranch ' s organic garden are among its guests ' favorite activities.
For instance, they have successfully introduced a spa concierge within the communal dining hall for guests to conveniently set up a spa appointment.“ We asked ourselves: Is it best for guests to look for us? Or, is it better for us to look for them? For them, time is gold. The fundamental idea of the spa concierge is to provide added value, even if that means the gift of a few extra minutes of their time,” Arjona says.
Responding to guests’ need for casitas with more privacy and personalization, Rancho La Puerta recently expanded and opened the Villas Cielo, which means Heavenly Villas because they are built on the highest elevations on the Ranch, providing guests“ a little piece of heaven.” All three units— Azul, Terra and Verde— are highly customizable and even come with a sophisticated Technogym wall for an in-room gym.
Trends and Nutrition Arjona has seen a growing trend toward building a sense of community.“ We don’ t jump on new treatment trends but stay true on evidence-based treatments, such as cranialsacral, Feldenkrais and Watsu. There is a growing interest in these treatments and I’ m seeing it in the revenue numbers,” he says.“ As for fitness trends, group exercises are up. The Ranch is responding to this trend by creating more programs and amenities that enhance connection. As an example, the Juice Bar and Bazaar del Sol are community centers.”
But of all the connection-building opportunities, nothing beats its communal dining experience. Here, guests are encouraged to share a table with likeminded strangers over a nutritious serving of meals that use ingredients picked fresh from Rancho La Puerta’ s organic farm.
ABOUT THE SPA
Spa open date: June 1940
Number of health centers: 3( Men’ s Health Center, Women’ s Health Center and Villa’ s Health and Skin Care Center)
Number of gyms: 11 Number of full-time staff: 440
Guest percentage ratio: 25 % male vs. 75 % female
Signature treatments: Energy Treatments that use ingredients from the Mexican region and protocols inspired from natives of Mount Kuchumaa
Area size: 4,000 acres( 60 acres were utilized to build the casitas)
Spa products: COOLA Suncare, jane iredale and Pino
Corporate address: Rancho La Puerta 5090 Shoreham Place, Suite 207 San Diego, California
Phone number: 1.858.764.5500 Website: rancholapuerta. com Facebook: Rancho La Puerta Instagram: @ rancholapuerta
December 2016 ■ PULSE 19