If you're reading this, you're probably ready for a reset. Maybe you want to shed boardroom stress, drop a few pounds, or get back into your active groove.
The Ranch Malibu is the famous hiking and wellness retreat in the Santa Monica Mountains. It delivers results. The formula is intense, structured and social, and it works.
Serenity Ways clients ask us the same two questions. How much does a week really cost, and what else is out there if the price gives you pause? Here is the honest answer to both.
What does The Ranch Malibu cost?
The Ranch Malibu is unusual among high-end retreats: one program, one room category. To be precise, there is one main program with small extensions of one or two nights, plus a few optional treatments and diagnostics.
The signature 7-day program, Sunday to Saturday, starts at $7,600 per person in double occupancy. Sharing a cottage with a fellow guest is part of the culture. Single occupancy starts at $9,200.
Add the 16% service charge, and an extension night if your flights require one. A realistic total for the week is $8,800 to $10,700. The add-ons will not drastically increase the bill.
What do you get?
A lot. Eight hours of guided activity per day. Morning hikes on mountain trails, yoga, strength sessions and a daily massage. Afternoon naps are on the schedule too. That is part of the method.
The food is plant-based, grown in The Ranch's organic gardens and nearby farms. Portions are capped around 1,400 calories, adjustable if weight loss is not your goal. Meals are served family-style, so you bond with other guests over kale and quinoa.
It is also a digital detox. No TVs and limited Wi-Fi. It forces you to unplug, and it feels good.
Want IV drips or cryotherapy? Those cost extra. The core package covers the essentials.
Is it worth it?
We recommend The Ranch Malibu to clients whose health is good but who do not settle for good. They want their metabolism, energy and performance back at optimal levels.
Participants typically lose 3 to 6% body fat in the week. Most also report a clearer, sharper mind and a real reconnection to nature and exercise. If you want structure, simple luxury and fast results, it is a big yes.
Private groups
The Ranch Malibu can be privatised for groups of up to 25 participants. Same method, adapted to the exact objectives and capabilities of the group.
Alternative 1: Canyon Ranch Tucson
Cost: around $1,000 to $1,500 per night, depending on package and room. A week usually lands between $7,000 and $10,500.
Canyon Ranch is the granddad of American wellness retreats, and Tucson's desert setting is pure magic. The flexibility is the draw. You are not locked into a bootcamp schedule. Choose from more than 35 daily activities: hiking, Pilates, kayaking, spa time. The chefs and doctors build a custom nutrition plan if weight loss is the goal. You get an active reset without the drill-sergeant feel.
Alternative 2: The Ranch Hudson Valley
Cost: from about $2,575 for 3 nights, or $4,300 for 4 nights, before the 16% service charge.
Technically still The Ranch, but on the East Coast, one hour from New York City. The Ranch Hudson Valley compresses the method into a long weekend: hikes, yoga, plant-based meals and massages in a 120-year-old mansion surrounded by forest. Guests leave lighter and refreshed, and many come back two or three times a year. Bonus: it is dog-friendly.
Alternative 3: ZihFit, Zihuatanejo
Cost: around $5,500 to $6,000 for 6 nights.
ZihFit is a cliffside retreat on Mexico's Pacific coast, capped at 16 guests. Daily yoga, personalised workouts, dance and movement, mindfulness, and plant-based meals with a local twist. You hike beaches, sweat in a Temazcal ceremony and unwind with sound healing. Active, intimate and steeped in Mexican culture. It privatises easily for a group of friends.
Alternative 4: SHA Wellness Clinic Mexico
Cost: $7,000 to $8,500 for a week, depending on program and suite.
SHA Mexico is a different animal: no rugged hikes, and a strong medical backbone. Expect diagnostics from bloodwork to body composition, personalised nutrition, therapies from TCM to cryotherapy, and coaching. The Leader's Performance program suits anyone optimising physical health, mental clarity and appearance in one stay. Small leadership groups can run the program together.
How to choose
Pick The Ranch Malibu for maximum structure and fast physical results. Pick Hudson Valley when time is short. Pick Canyon Ranch for flexibility, ZihFit for intimacy, SHA Mexico for medical depth.
Or simply tell us your goal, your dates and your budget. We know these properties personally, and booking through Serenity Ways adds exclusive amenities and the best available conditions at no extra cost.
