The Palace Merano could be called the Palace of Detox. In fact, it has been a veritable institution for 25 years, and the very place where Henri Chenot invented his famous method for shedding excess weight, which has attracted stars from all over the world . Although Mr Chenot is no longer with us, his legacy remains intact, and the Palace Merano continues to offer high-performance detox programs, based on state-of-the-art diagnostics and the exceptional quality of its team. Pascal Languillon, director of Luxe Wellness Club, tested this legendary establishment for you.
The cradle of luxury detox cures
Considered a spa town since 1830, Merano is renowned for its mild climate and Mediterranean vegetation, right in the middle of the mountains. We’re very close to Austria here… and indeed, this corner of Italy was actually Austria before the First World War. So it’s no coincidence that Henri Chenot set up his famous detox cures here, creating a health center within the Palace Merano.
The Palace Merano was the first 5-star hotel to offer the “healthy” cures initiated by Henri Chenot. Its reputation has attracted the world’s most famous athletes and biggest stars. These include Chirac, Depardieu, Bellucci, Maradona, Benzema and Zidane, and more recently Victoria Beckham. The vast majority of the medical team has been working at Palace Merano for over twenty years, starting with the therapists and the warm-hearted Dr. Massimiliano Mayrhofer (“Dr. Max”), who is the Director of the Revital Cure Programs.
The 100 rooms are almost all different. There are some twenty room categories. What they all have in common is a high level of comfort and beautiful views over the park or the mountains. The decor here is flamboyantly luxurious and Germanic in inspiration. I admit that this decorative style isn’t particularly my personal preference, but I do concede that thewhole thing has a lot of historic charm. Starting with thePalace facade, which is absolutely magnificent! The park is equally splendid, with its century-old trees.
Bathrooms are equally luxurious, often with bathtubs, and courtesy products specially designed for the Palace Merano. It’s worth noting that the rooms on the street side have a nice view too, and are perfectly soundproof when the windows are closed, but once on the balcony, you can hear the noise of the cars. However, these rooms are much less expensive and therefore remain an excellent choice for those who want to follow the star detox!
I really liked the Palace’s location, just a stone’s throw from superb mountain walks, and a 5-minute walk from Merano’s pretty town center.
Cleverly orchestrated programs
Revital preventive care programs aim to eliminate toxins, restore energy and trigger weight loss. Thanks to a team of medical professionals, therapists and nutritionists who have been working together for over 25 years, Palace Merano helps you regain balance and rediscover new vital energy.
The method developed here is a blend of the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine and advances in Western medicine. The aim is to stimulate the body’s natural self-healing powers by using its cleansing functions to detoxify and regenerate the organism.
The program begins with in-depth diagnostics. The aim is first to map the body using electrostimulation techniques and scans to establish bone density, subcutaneous and visceral fat levels, and emotional stress levels. For my part, I was tired when I arrived at the Palace Merano and some of the energy indicators were not very good. The Chinese medicine therapist immediately rebalanced the energy flow with targeted treatments.
I had already carried out bone density diagnostics in other establishments I market, but they had never been as thorough as at Palace Merano, where additional tests were carried out to observe bone density in the hips and spine. Unfortunately, the center diagnosed me with osteopenia (the stage before osteoporosis), which was surprising at my age, but Dr. Silviano Mascadri (the medical director) was quick to give me many recommendations so I can go home with a plan of action (doing more sport, taking vitamin D, etc.). I was impressed by this seriousness.
Other very interesting diagnostics are performed through blood sampling and the biological laboratory on the 5th floor. To my knowledge, it’s the only renowned medical spa with a laboratory of this size that can analyze all the components of blood and deliver 80% of the results within a day!
So, in addition to the usual blood tests, I was able to carry out a food intolerance test, an anti-aging profile, as well as the presence of tumor markers. Fortunately for me, all was well apart from a slight lactose intolerance, as I understand most people have.
Once the diagnoses have been made, the cure is fine-tuned by involving the nutritionist (I was followed by Katrin Kurz, who was exceptionally kind!), the types of massage that will press on certain meridians, and other complementary treatments can be prescribed according to objectives and needs (including intravenous vitamins and minerals). the famous ozonotherapy, “to change the blood”, techniques that have been popularized here among the great and the good, but which I’m not very keen to try out for myself at the moment).
I found top-quality care. What a pleasure it is to be massaged by the famous Patricia (“Patty” to her friends), who used to follow Maestro Pavarotti on tour and who recently treated Victoria Beckham… Her expertise is undeniable, and I was delighted to relax my muscles in her hands.
Sports coach Michele Scala accompanied me on an active walk around Palace Merano. It was a wonderful discovery: the landscapes of the region are magical. The fitness room is very well equipped, with equipment that is constantly renewed.
A well-studied alkaline diet
To stay healthy for as long as possible and avoid disease, the body must be able to fight against the acidity that causes inflammation. That’s why the diet at Palace Merano is essentially based on alkaline food, which counteracts the effects of acidity to maintain a neutral PH.
Of course, salt and sugar are banned here, as are meat and alcohol! Even coffee is not allowed, replaced here by barley coffee, an antioxidant.
Menus are essentially vegetarian, although fish is served twice a week. Obviously, portions are relatively small, especially if you’re following the detox diet. Customers on the “biolight” diet have larger portions. I liked the cuisine, which was relatively simple in spite of everything, and which I found easier to prepare at home than the sophisticated, gourmet dietary cuisine offered in other establishments.
Another undeniable pleasure of the Palace Merano is its tea bar, with home-made concoctions of rare quality, served in a lounge with pianist every evening… I loved the Revital infusion: turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, star anise, orange, lemon, ginger! Bartender John has also been with the company for 20 years, and has a great sense of humor.
Every customer leaves with a “Revital 3 Days” box, a mini detox program to be continued at home, consisting of 9 portion packs of ready-to-use, 100% natural, freeze-dried fruit and vegetable meals. There are bags of purée for lunch (green beans/broccoli, cauliflower/artichokes), to which you can add basmati rice for a complete meal, and 3 bags of velvety soup for dinner (asparagus/pumpkin/leeks). Very good!
Freeze-dried meal packs, herbal teas and dietary supplements are developed locally by Lyopharm, a research and development department linked to Palace Merano and based in Bolzano. Similarly, cosmetics and cabin products are manufactured locally by Piroche.
All in all, I can say that this experience at the Palace Merano has been very enriching for me. I finally understood where this unwavering reputation came from, and the professionalism and kindness of the team made a particular impression on me .
Our video of Palace Merano
Our feeling
The secret of the Palace Merano lies first and foremost in its extraordinary team, with over twenty years’ experience in providing fitness treatments to a highly demanding clientele. The facility is constantly being improved, and now boasts a biological laboratory as well as a range of high-tech equipment. The enchanting setting makes for a gentle detox. Another major advantage is that many of the staff speak French! All in all, Palace Merano remains a key player in the small world of luxury medi-spas.
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