I’M FLOATING mid-air with the aid of suspension slings during my Nurac treatment at Chenot Palace Weggis, the award-winning wellness retreat in Switzerland. Built on the site of the former Park Hotel Weggis, Chenot Palace has been tastefully designed by Swiss architect Davide Macullo.
Hotel Pool
The two-year dramatic renovation has culminated in a state-of-the-art 5,000 square metre mega-spa and medical centre, together with Chenot’s global headquarter featuring a contemporary building blended perfectly with the original historical structure.
Located in a valley within the Swiss Rivera on the shores of Lake Lucerne, the view from my balcony overlooks the lake and a row of palm trees with a backdrop of snow-topped Alpine peaks dotting the horizon.
Chenot’s founder, Henri Chenot would be proud of every detail of this property that brims with class and elegance, but sadly he passed away in 2020. A pioneer in revolutionising Chinese holistic practises, Chenot combined these ancient methodologies with 21st century science by promoting a harmonious environment for the body, mind and spirit to co-exist as one.
View From The Lake
To discover the elements of the Chenot Method, I’ve committed to stay and partake in the one-week Advanced Detox Program. When combined with a low-calorie plant based diet of surprisingly tasty, beautifully presented meals, together with multiple litres of water and untold cups of mushroom broth, the program is designed to “unleash the self-healing power of one’s body”.
It includes three elements of daily treatments – hydro-therapy to dilate veins and vessels to eliminate toxins; a mud wrap enriched with pure microalgae to mineralise the body to create a sweat (swiftly followed by a hydro-jet shower to cleanse and raise blood pressure); and finally, a 55-minute pummelling with an energetic massage session. I am initially sceptical but am won over as I begin to feel physically and mentally lighter with each passing day – as if my body has experienced a complete and dramatic overhaul. Surprisingly, I don’t even feel hungry.
My first meeting kicks off with an appointment with a medical doctor, followed by a consultation with a nutritionist. These establish a baseline for my health in order to glean which in the catalogue of additional therapies and treatments will serve me best. These include body composition, bone and body density scans, neuro-acoustic deep relaxation, resting metabolic-rate monitoring, cryotherapy, colonic irrigation, photobiomodulation, vitamin infusions, lymphastim and a host of aesthetic procedures, to name a few.
Nurac Treatment
During my stay, I catch up with the charming Dr George Gaitanos, Chief Operating & Scientific Officer at Chenot Palace. In the splendid wood-panelled lounge he explains to me, over a cup of fruit tea, that the ethos of Chenot is “preventive wellness”. The revolutionary Chenot Method focuses on avoiding illness through diet and early diagnosis of any ailments.
A highly qualified international team ensure that guests leave with inspiration to create new lifestyle habits that will make small, positive changes. This wellness advice is formed by scientifically based discoveries learnt during their stay that focus on early repairing of the body.
Dr Gaitanos continues, “As a vehicle needs an MOT to establish what is wrong, so do our bodies need a clean-up to recharge and re-energise their wellbeing. We ensure that our guests partaking in this programme remain at their optimum health”. With the large number of returning international guests I meet during my stay, Dr George and his team must be doing something right.
Upon my departure, I feel rejuvenated, de-stressed and revitalised in a way I didn’t think possible. In the hectic world in which we live, the journey to sustained wellness has never been more relevant.
by Amanda Bernstein
Healing Holidays (healingholidays.com; 020 3372 6945) can arrange a 7-night Advanced Detox programme from £6,229 per person sharing, including British Airways flights, full board accommodation and inclusions of the programme. For more information, please visit: chenotpalaceweggis.com