Overlooking Switzerland’s picturesque Lake Lucerne — just a 45-minute drive from Zurich and an eight-hour flight from New York — is a five-star wellness retreat that caters to the uber-wealthy with money to spare on a head-to-toe health makeover.
With prices starting at $10,000 a week, visitors to Chenot Palace Weggis get a customized plan that includes a strict diet, hydrotherapy sessions, massages — and whatever extras they’d like to add on, from red-light therapy to infusions to Botox.
“I don’t see it as a hotel. I see it as the hospital of the future,” Dr. George Gaitanos, Chief Operating and Scientific Officer of the Chenot Group, told The Post.
People travel from around the world to stay at the medical spa — guests have included Middle Eastern royalty and Swiss pro tennis players, according to Condé Nast Traveler — though guests from the US are their second-biggest clientele.
Gaitanos noted that many visitors are already fairly health-conscious — and the Americans, in particular, are “very fit” and often knowledgeable about biohacking.
“They want to optimize their health,” he said.
On staff are six doctors, five acupuncturists, osteopaths, physiotherapists, nurses, massage therapists and technical staff, covering all the bases of guests’ health and wellness needs.
Ultimately, Gaitanos says this is a reset, allowing guests to recharge and leave healthier — on a cellular level — than they arrived.
“Cells are each like batteries. As time goes on, they become rusty and energy depletes,” he explained. But at Chenot, they put just enough stress on those to give them an energy boost.
The Chenot Method
That involves a strict protocol that starts with a medical consultation and a string of diagnostic tests so the staff can tailor their plan to each person’s individual needs.
Everyone is then put on an 850-calorie plant-based diet developed with the Medical School of Nottingham. That kind of restriction might be tough in a country known for its fondue and chocolate, but visitors here are on a mission — and calorie-loading isn’t in the orders.
The goal is to allow the body to enter ketogenesis so guests start burning fat while supporting brain function. The hotel even has its own cookbook so visitors — and those who can’t make the trip — can reap the benefits at home.
Next up in the protocol are hydrotherapy and mud wraps, which Gaitanos says make the body’s core temperature go up more effectively than a sauna.
Hydrotherapy has long been used as an alternative treatment to help with pain, stiffness and conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia and even Parkinson’s.
The third step in the Chenot Method is Eastern medicine practices, including a daily massage.
Beyond that, there are plenty of cutting-edge treatments on offer, including infusions, light therapy, antigravity treadmills, special IVs, an altitude chamber, cryotherapy and bio-energetic treatments.
They also have physical trainers for fitness and offer activities like tennis, yoga, guided walking and hiking tours, and swimming on the lake.
High-tech and cutting edge
One of Gaitanos’ favorite elements is their molecular lab, where they extract mRNA from the blood to better understand how guests’ bodies are functioning. He said they can learn about things like silent inflammation, accelerating aging, antioxidant defense, hormonal balance and neurodegeneration.
He’s also a fan of their antigravity treadmills, which make you feel lighter as you run, putting less pressure on your joints.
“It’s the best anti-aging treatment I have,” he said, explaining that it reduces his own weight by about 90 pounds, allowing him to run about as fast as he did when he was a teenager.
“So immediately, I bring back the somatic memory of youth into my body. I elevate my mood because it makes me feel young.”
With workouts, a diet and blood draws, Gaitanos acknowledges this place isn’t about relaxing — it’s about recovering.
“Relaxation and recovery are not synonymous,” he explained. “Relaxation means I’m not using any more energy in the system. Recovery means I add energy into my body.”
And with recovery, the hope is to slow down aging — not just to live longer, but to live healthier, too.
That isn’t to say they don’t also care about slowing down aging on the outside — and so do their guests. To that end, Chenot also offers cosmetic treatments like Botox.
“I believe beauty should be part of our health. You need to like yourself when you wake up in the morning. You need to like what you see your mirror, because otherwise you will be depressed,” the doc said.
Of course, none of this comes cheap. The most basic program starts at 5,500 Swiss francs (about $6,275), and that doesn’t include the room. The final price can go as high as your imagination takes you, depending on customizations and additional treatments you’d like to include.
But Gaitanos says the palace has a ton of repeat visitors, some who come multiple times a year.
The wellness jet set can also take advantage of their other Chenot Palace in Azerbaijan, as well as Chenot properties in Italy, Montenegro and Morocco.
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