For the past four years, Mexican hotel and wellness destination Rancho Pescadero in the town of Todos Santos has been undergoing a comprehensive makeover.

The property is the brainchild of Lisa Harper (former CEO of retail brands including Gymboree, Hot Topic and Belk) who first opened the oceanfront location with 12 suites in 2009.

From then on, she gradually accumulated more land to create an eco-centric wellness retreat at the foot of the Sierra Laguna mountains that immersed guests in Mexico’s healing cultures, cuisine and nature.

In October, Rancho Pescadero will relaunch as a 30-acre resort within Hyatt’s Unbound Collection, complete with 103 new suites and villas and a brand new 25,000sq ft spa and wellbeing pavilion.

The holistic spa will be set among nine interconnected gardens and steered by an ethnobotanical philosophy rooted in the power of indigenous plants.

Wellness facilities will include an apothecary, a Pilates studio, two yoga shalas, an ice fountain, a steamroom and a Himalayan salt sauna. These will complement an indoor/outdoor fitness centre and an Olympic-sized swimming pool surrounded by lush palms.

From sunrise yoga and hands-on apothecary experiences distilling essential oils from the onsite gardens to indigenous ceremonies that combine guided breathwork with cacao sourced locally from Tabasco, signature rituals are being designed to honour healing practices indigenous to Mexican culture in a laid-back environment.

In addition, Rancho Pescadero is organising a selection of experiences to help guests explore Baja California’s natural beauty. Highlights will include swimming with whale sharks, desert ATV tours and farm-to-table cookery and mixology classes.

New leadership
Rancho Pescadero has named Claudine S. Riemer as director of wellbeing, an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience in luxury resort spa and wellness positions.

Before joining Rancho Pescadero, Riemer served as the wellness spa director at Villa Del Palmar for 10 years.

She graduated from the College of Natural Healing Ottawa and has certifications in holistic wellbeing modalities such as hydrotherapy, Ayurveda, Lomi Lomi, reflexology, hot stone therapy, Reiki and bodywork.

Riemer has also led wellness programmes and spa operations at luxurious resorts throughout Mexico, including the Mesos Medi Spa in Cancun, the Renova Spa in Playa Del Carmen and Rancho San Diego in Ixtapan de la Sal.

Sustainable hospitality
While Rancho Pescadero is designed to showcase the best of its surroundings, Harper and her team have ensured this is balanced with a commitment to protect and preserve the area.

This has been the case since the resort’s inception, but the four-year-long overhaul has seen Harper increase sustainable operating measures. New additions include:
• Adding a substantial solar farm (with a long-term goal to run solely on solar power in two-three years).
• Using dark sky lighting.
• Installing a desalination plant providing water for human use.
• Using filtered grey water for landscaping and well water for farm irrigation.
• Leading a new composting programme for the local community.
• Transplanting thousands of plants moved during construction and placing them back in their original locations.
• Taking steps to ensure dunes are undisturbed.
• Continuing to maintain and use an onsite water treatment plant.
• Banning single-use plastics and continuing to recycle/compost, striving to become a zero-waste property.
• Manufacturing organic bamboo straws for local businesses.

Once open in October, Rancho Pescadero will also be complete with three distinct restaurants and a selection of event spaces.