No words or pictures can exactly describe a staycation at The Farm at San Benito. It is the experience that will say it all, suffice it to say that The Farm is no ordinary spa, resort, health or wellness facility, even if you roll it all into one.

In the personal program that will be created at The Farm, guests will experience new levels of sensory experiences. The sight of its perfectly landscaped gardens, the smell of nature-fresh air, the taste of its farm-to-table organic cuisine, birds in the morning and crickets at night — as you hear the sounds of life itself — and feeling the touch of people who care for your well-being, heightened by the balance brought about by a collaboration with technology providers. 

Short of gushing over it, people living in the Metro will be glad that there is this facility that melds science and time-honored traditions into a healing process. It is a surefire way of being in the best of health in a toxic lifestyle in the concrete jungle. 

Impressions

The Farm is a wellness and holistic complex with facilities that addresses a number of wellness issues like pain management, women-wellness, long-Covid recovery, even holistic cancer care. Its twelve specialist doctors are well adept and highly qualified to use and interpret what the technology reveals. In fact, they are the only facility in the world that gives coverage for mental health and pain management.

“Our guests, mostly foreigners, usually come here for weight management. We also venture now into holistic beautification to include contouring, dental, and a beauty salon to compete the whole dimension when it comes to medical wellness tourism,” related Jenny Sanvictores, Director of Global Marketing of CG Hospitality, and Director of Sales and Marketing of The Farm at San Benito.

Wellness, of course, is a  process that concerns healing of mind and body. You  just don’t feel it  in all your senses, others see it in you. Thus, the key healing components through holistic integrative approach, nurturing spa and hydrotherapy, including plant-based food balance the state in achieving optimum wellness.

Right from the time of checking-in, it is all a hassle-free conduct wherein everything is organized and well-taken cared of even with new health procedures brought about by the pandemic. As your vehicle and luggage are kept out of the way and stored safely, you are briefed on what to expect everyday and what you can add on. 

The casitas, or the abode you will be staying at in the duration of your holistic program, are elegant and kept so clean inside and out that it smells fresh. Shades are easily drawn and the air-conditioning silent and adequate. Carefully chosen fruits in a basket and some healthy cookies are already on the table as well as water in a glass bottle.
Right at that moment you will be thinking of taking a rest on the long sofa, taking a shower in the spacious bathroom where you will find toiletries—all-natural, virgin coconut oil-based, made in-house—or, if it’s your first time, you will change into something comfortable to walk and check-out the complex and meet the resident peacocks, ducks and geese. 

As you would have been given the healthy programs scheduled for the day that ranges from lectures on mental health, yoga exercises, meditation and detox sessions, one will find The Farm as unique. 

Offerings

The Farm at San Benito’s long list of holistic and medical wellness. The Healing Sanctuary Spa banners the principles and practices of hilot, a traditional touch therapy through a massage together with hydrotherapy that addresses multi-step water program. The healing sanctuary promotes mind and soul detoxification, the first step in engaging into a holistic program. It will be followed by a health consultation to carefully plan your program, conducted by professional integrative medical doctors. The most common sessions  guests undergo are live blood analysis, colon hydrotherapy, flotation pod that addresses issues on sleep problem, aromatherapy and flower essence, IV nutritional therapy, immune boost, glutathione and vitamin C drip among others. A Holistic program depending on health condition, takes a longer stay and monitoring.

On the other hand, the resort also offers venues to hold thematic events for a small group. It is a perfect venue with a safe environment. The Farm has created picturesque background and iconic spots, in partnership with acclaimed event planners, to create venue design inspirations made of organic and sustainable materials.

Healthy cuisine

To complement the rigid sessions guests can undergo, The Farm now has three themed restaurants to cater to those with more diverse culinary choices: ALIVE!, the well-known vegan restaurant offers vegan cuisine for detoxification and gut health; PRANA vegetarian restaurant that features Indian cuisine that promotes vital energy; and the new PESCE, the resort’s pescatarian restaurant that is inspired by the Blue Zone diet (by Dan Butler) that adds fish to its array of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables as a protein source for longevity.

Pesce was inspired by the Wilson diet to add to the vegan and vegetarian restaurants (wine, however, is served here, for the interest of many).

“It was a long debate for many years to introduce seafood. I found the National Geographic research on longevity, Blue Zones around the world. The centenarians ‘diet are 80% organic, and  the rest are fish as a source of protein,” Sanvictores revealed.

Trendsetting

“We started the trend of  the farm – or garden-to-table concept that will differentiate The Farm from all other properties. Now, we partnered with medical technology companies such as CIGNA Medical consultants as well as equipment for physical therapy, medical acupuncture, chiropractic care, and Myotherapy. It is a big investment because they own these big machines and we partner with them so they can bring them here. Together with our doctors and nurses that they can train, digitalized science is now accessible for a complete wellness package,” she added.

For those who can’t stay away from work, they will be glad to know that if it is an ordeal to be disconnected  to your business as done in other resorts, you can still get connected at The Farm.

“We can call it wellness workcation because of the strong wifi. We have an IT who can support in doing work. That’s the reason why we had expats who stayed here for 6 months to one year during the height of the pandemic, working in the morning and doing programs at night. We have doctors on site so they are well-monitored,” she stated.

Expansion

There’s none in the country that offer all-inclusive stays as extensively as in The Farm and its success story doesn’t end in this present development. Sanvictores revealed that they have long-term plans for the individual’s well-being and the key word is retirement.

“The future of retirement is building wellness communities. We wanted to build bigger houses so you can bring your whole family because the future of retirement is bringing your family, building a community of like-minded people, not on your own. It can be your vacation home or retirement home, and here it is ideal as you have access to doctors and medical facilities.”

Four of the total 52 hectares is site of a recent development to serve the need of this market segment. Eight luxury villas and four Pool villas called the Mahogany Luxury Residences have been added to the 47 exclusive suites and pool villas that were in the original complex. The elegant villas are ideal for family vacations, equipped with two-bedroom suites and spacious living and dining areas, and gazebos.

A Meeting Hall has been added as well for MICE purposes and plans are underway to put up a facility for kids called The Kid Zone. Sanvictores mentioned that there are more millennials and Gen Z who enter treatments because, as the generations who grew up using technology, they trust treatments because diagnosis are science-based and use the latest technology.

Not just people

According to Sanvictores, the resort is also developing an area for pet grooming and wellness. There will be a pet park that will have an obstacle course for them, like a daycare, while their owners are undergoing treatment. First in Asia, it will have an in-house veterinarian to oversee the project. The park will open by the end of the year.

“We have identified a partner already the same was as we have partners for projects that we will undertake. We will be monitoring products of our partners to see if they have preservatives, etc. on their products and the shampoo will also be coconut-based. One out five guests bring their pets, so we have studied also the effect to our own animals.we require our guests to put a leash on their pets.if they cannot put a leash, they would have to leave them in the tech park,” she added.

With all the holistic activities, the experience of staying at The Farm for wellness now becomes words to live by. It continues to make a difference to most of its guests who follow it and live it as a means to say goodbye to stress and be confidently healthy.

The Farm at San Benito in Lipa City, Batangas is owned by the CG Hospitality, the hospitality wing of CG Corp Global. CG Hospitality portfolio covers 141 hotels and resorts in 12 countries with a total of 8,246 keys. For more details of The Farm at San Benito, visit www.thefarmatsanbenito.com or call +63 918 8080 or +63 917 572 2325.