Wallpaper Magazine | Do luxury hotels need a farmer-in-residence?

From Ibiza to Indonesia, hospitality brands are cultivating a new travel experience, where wellness begins in the soil and ends at the table

Throughout history, holidays have been closely tied to agriculture, offering respite after the harvest or marking seasonal transitions. With the Industrial Revolution came a shift: leisure time emerged as a necessary pause from the grind of factory labour, a moment for rest and recovery.

Today, however, a new kind of holiday is taking root. Rather than escaping to distance themselves from rural life, travellers are being drawn back to it. Screen-weary professionals seek reconnection with nature, while a generation of eco-conscious guests is increasingly curious about the origins of their food. In response, a wave of luxury hotels is weaving agriculture into the heart of the guest experience, offering immersive farm stays that nourish both body and mind.

But who exactly is booking into these luxury farm stays? ‘The farm programming at Wildflower appeals to solo travellers, couples, families, and corporate guests alike,’ says Kristin Soong Rapoport, co-managing partner of Wildflower Farms, Auberge Collection in Hudson Valley, which is home to a four-acre organic on-site farm. ‘We find these educational experiences are what our guests talk about most after visiting the property.’

To be clear, these experiences do not replace traditional wellness activities; they complement them. ‘The typical Wildflower Farms Leisure guest is highly educated and has stayed at the most luxurious places in the world. That guest demands high-quality fitness and wellness programmes as part of their daily routine,’ continues Soong Rapoport. ‘Their needs for wellness about nutrition and connection to the earth, family, and community are not always met, so we focus on this at the farm.’