The new 160-room five-star luxury Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence in Lucerne, Switzerland has opened its doors after an extensive regeneration programme.

Combining the healing tranquillity of Lake Lucerne with Switzerland’s outstanding reputation for wellness, Waldhotel Health and Medical Excellence has opened within the historic Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort.

The integrated, state-of-the-art alpine facility is an exclusive retreat for medical tourists, wellbeing enthusiasts and athletes, providing diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitation programmes, in addition to preventative and cosmetic treatments. Set in the luxury of the five-star Waldhotel, the holistic approach to health encompasses nutrition, exercise and rest, balanced with the healing qualities of Lake Lucerne, to create a bespoke wellness experience for each guest.

With alpine air, dramatic scenery and a focus on health and nature, as well as exclusive shopping districts, it makes for a compelling proposition for a growing number of visitors from the GCC region. Switzerland is now a destination of choice for 253,919 outbound medical tourists from the GCC countries.

According to the Deloitte Swiss Hospitality Study 2015, GCC health and medical tourists accrued 735,318 overnight stays in 2014, marking an increase of 23 per cent on the previous year, with the highest number of visitors arriving from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Swiss arrival figures received a further boost in 2017, with UAE passport holders no longer required to obtain short-stay visas - music to ears of luxury hoteliers, especially when GCC visitors spend up to $450 per day, four-times that of domestic Swiss tourists.

Robert Herr, general manager of the Bürgenstock Hotel, said: “The Waldhotel is a medical competency centre of the highest order, focused on health, beauty and wellness, all integrated with exclusive, five-star hotel and spa offers. Each guest receives an assessment of their health status at the beginning of their stay and this information is used to create a unique programme, with medical and wellness treatments supported by the health benefits of fresh alpine air and specialist gourmet cuisine.”

Guests are cared for by a dedicated multidisciplinary team of in-house doctors, therapists and nursing specialists, in collaboration with the Nidwalden Cantonal Hospital and Lucerne/Nidwalden Regional Health Authority. Treatments cover mobility and activity, weight management and metabolism, body and mind balance, beauty and healthy ageing. Further medical services are provided by experts in the fields of dermatology and venereology, internal medicine, gastroenterology, cardiology, orthopaedics, psychosomatic medicine and dentistry.

These are supported by a private practice for specialist photodynamic, laser and non-invasive procedures and a Medical Training Therapy centre to meet the requirements of guests and professional athletes alike. The 4,200-square-metre centre is complemented by the Waldhotel spa, featuring indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna and zones exclusively for women.

Adopting the principles of “Bürgenstock Colour Cuisine”, all menus at the Waldhotel are developed by doctors and nutritionists and designed according a herb-based Mediterranean gourmet diet, with 25 herbs grown within the resort’s grounds. Menus are adapted to the specific dietary needs of each individual, with budding chefs invited to learn about nutrition and healthy eating in the Cooking Lab, a high-spec teaching kitchen where guests become their own gourmands.

Guests on weight management programmes can receive in depth nutrition and health advice, supported by a daily training routine and a check-up in the Metabolism Laboratory.

Herr continues: “The Waldhotel, in its exceptional surroundings on the Bürgenberg, offers the best possible conditions to promote health. Complementing our medical and wellness facilities, guests can truly embrace Swiss life, through exercise, exploration and relaxation, taking part in yoga classes, enjoying relaxing massage treatments, or simply letting their spirit linger in the unique surroundings.” - TradeArabia News Service