My trip to the five-star Medical Spa Palace Merano spa hotel was a little out of the ordinary, but not because I went there as a journalist. There were a range of other reasons. A day before my flight from London, I had been hit by a drunken cyclist on a hired Lime e-bike, leaving me in a sorry state. Although I had escaped serious injury, I had a broken toe and I was walking with a pronounced limp. Where better to crawl to lick my wounds than a spa hotel in the Alps, especially if it has been pre-booked? In any case, my restorative detox was to be shorter than the norm; a mere three days.
Photo: Kommersant UK's head editor Ksenia Dyakova-Tinoco
Usually, people go to Palace Merano to recuperate for at least four days and more often a week. I arrived injured, my stay was to be brief and my visit was unusual in a third way as I found myself in Merano at the end of November, off-season. It's probably a more enticing destination in spring or summer when the high meadows bloom under the alpine sun and the outdoor swimming pool beckons. However, for me, an important part of the beauty therapy was the town’s Christmas markets and illuminations, set in a distinctive, dreamy landscape reminiscent of the Germanic fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, with rushing mountain rivers, snowy peaks, crystal-clear air and yellowing leaves still clinging to the forest branches. Although not explicitly mentioned in the hotel’s literature, the beneficial effects of these surroundings are instantaneous and undeniable.
The Concept
Medical Spa Palace Merano is more than just a luxurious modern five-star hotel. It plays a leading role in the field of preventative medicine, especially in the spheres of detox, rejuvenation and enhancing overall well-being. In 2024, the Swiss magazine Bilanz noted the high standards at Palace Murano and included it in its list of the 20 best spa hotels in the Alpine Region.
Palace Merano is Italy’s first Medical Spa that, over 20 years ago, pioneered the Revital® Method. Its bespoke programs integrate functional, allopathic, and energy medicine for preventive care, combined with holistic principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
At Palace Merano, quality is central to every treatment and service, ensuring an unforgettable experience. Personalization is the norm: every guest deserves a tailor-made journey designed to meet their unique needs. Health is seen as a continuous journey, with each stay marking a step toward lasting wellness. The expertise and reliability of the dedicated team distinguish Palace Merano, guiding guests through every phase of their wellness path.
Transport and transfer
Merano is a small resort town with a population of 40,000 in the Italian Alps, in the formerly Austrian South Tyrol, which many of our readers have probably heard of from the historical novels of Lion Feuchtwanger. Merano is easily accessible by taxi or train from Bolzano airport, to which Sky Alps Airlines offers direct flights from London several times a week. Return tickets are roughly £300. More budget options are available, such as flights from London to Verona (£80 return), from where Bolzano is reachable by train.
The hotel offered me a personal transfer. I was met at the airport by the gallant Signor Floriano and his brand-new Mercedes. After a two-hour drive through dark mountains, we arrived at the high gates of the old palace…
Exterior and interior
The luxurious but unfussy six-story Palace Merano was built in 1906. Many European aristocrats and intellectuals have stayed here, including my favourite Germanophone writers, Franz Kafka and Thomas Mann.
The spa, renovated in 2023 and scheduled for further upgrades in 2025, offers customised treatments using advanced technologies and natural products. These include therapeutic massages, scalp, back, and abdomen treatments, lymphatic drainage, reflexology, peeling, and facial treatments. A boutique offers Revital® cosmetics, and a hair salon is also located there.
The medical center on the fifth floor spans 1,500 sqm, hosting an analysis laboratory, scanning and check-up facilities, hydro-colon therapy, acupuncture, osteopathy, oxygen-ozone therapy, a bioenergetic and nutritional department, advanced aesthetic treatments—such as meso-jet—and the expertise of an aesthetic doctor and team. Supported by a dedicated medical team working in synergy with nutritionists, naturopaths, osteopaths, and nurses, the center implements an integrated preventive approach.
The rooms and hallways are adorned with marble, crystal chandeliers, tastefully chosen furniture, carpets, antiques, luxury items and objets d’art. Even if you've had your fill of luxury, and visited a Mandarin Oriental hotel or two, the classic interior of Palace Merano may prompt an involuntarily raised eyebrow in pleasant surprise. The level of comfort here is extraordinary and the luxury is not oppressive. Instead, it lifts you above mundane existence.
At first, I was settled into a relatively modest room but when the considerate hotel clerk noticed that I was limping, she made a quick call and I was given an upgrade to a spacious demi-lux with a balcony. The first part of my detox programme was an exquisitely served dinner. These can be delivered to your room every day if so desired.
From the very first night, my bruised-covered body and weary brain appreciated the comfortable bed with memory foam pillows. The benefits of good sleep grew with each subsequent night. When I woke up the next morning, opened the curtains and saw the view of Merano, with smoke rising from stone chimneys, pastel-blue church roofs, autumnal hills and blue mountains, I felt the first influx of well-being and strength.
Food and Drink
At Palace Merano, chef Günther Pirhofer prepares fabulous anti-oxidising dishes free of salt and saturated fatty acids to fit your specially developed personal menu. All the ingredients are of vegetable origin, using beans and seaweed. There is a choice of special diet plans: Revital Detox to accelerate the metabolism and improve the work of the liver and intestines or Biolight to keep you energised. All of these dishes include various superfruits making the detox more effective and thorough.
The culinary experience at Palace Merano is the crown jewel. Nutrition, central to all treatments, is personalized to complement therapies. The three dietary regimens—Palace Detox® Diet, Palace Biolight® Nutrition, and Palace Sport® Nutrition—are crafted with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Nutritionists work closely with guests, providing consultations and guidance to help them experience each meal as a moment of joy and wellness.
I was offered the lower calorie revital detox menu. The food is served in an enormous snow-white dining room with windows looking on the garden where palms and cypresses grow. The food is presented like in a Michelin-starred restaurant. The main dishes were not repeated at all during my stay. Breakfast consists of a small mound of berries and slices of fruit plus herbal tea or barley coffee. At lunch, an appetiser such as a blue almond mousse may be served, followed by soup and a grain-based dish. There are no desserts, steaks or caffeine, but the spices turmeric, paprika and black pepper are always present on the table. These may be generously sprinkled on the food by the spoonful. Even the bar solely serves wholesome vegetable smoothies. On two floors, fruit or mint-flavoured water and warm tea are available to detox the liver and cleanse the kidneys. There are always several bottles of first-rate mineral water in the room. At the Merano, you must drink copiously and often. At dinner, hotel guests gather in a different dining room where a pianist plays.
Medical history
My medical history was already awaiting me in my room. A weighty folder with a hard cover contained my individualised programme. On the first day, I set off to meet the charming head doctor of Palace Merano, Massimiliano Mayrhofer, who looked at the questionnaire I had filled in listing all my personal and family Illnesses and ailments and measured my blood pressure and weight.
As I'm healthy and don't do high-impact sports, the consultation was brief. However, the hotel is accustomed to guests with severe chronic illnesses and sporting injuries. In addition to your main detox programme, you can have a wide range of analyses or checkups done, including MRI scans. My core programme featured hydrotherapy, massage, energy therapy, consultation with a dietitian and also DEXA body composition analysis but the list of procedures may be broader. These procedures took up at least three hours a day.
The Spa
Before certain international events, the majority of the hotel's patrons were Russian-speaking. There are still many staff members at the hotel who enjoy the opportunity to speak Russian, such as the warm and friendly Olga, who worked with me on my first day at the spa. First, she filled my bath for a hydro massage and then she treated me to hot and cold mud wraps inside a special vacuum bed where I spent half an hour laying in the half-light, swaddled like a baby. Next was shock therapy with an icy high-pressure jet from a Charcot shower which, for some reason, was always getting me in the eyes. Then this was switched for a warm shower. I began to feel a little unwell and as soon as Olga realised, she called a doctor who measured my pulse and blood pressure right there in the shower (how awkward)! Having recovered, I set off to Francisca for a massage. The first time, it was around the liver meridian and the next day, it was the turn of the kidneys. She then gave me a precise spinal massage followed by a foot massage, using ancient Chinese techniques, after which she put cups on me, but not like those Soviet ones that smelled of camphor. Instead, they were modern electric ones which didn't leave any marks.
As well as scheduled procedures, the hotel offers a fantastic spa zone. As everybody was having treatment, I was able to swim in the pool, go to the Turkish baths and sweat in the dry sauna in virtual solitude. Naturally, it is equipped with a modern gym with an indoor pool where you can assemble a workout programme assisted by a personal trainer, take part in group pilates sessions, or even have your posture checked to diagnose any potential issues.
Beauty
The Palace Merano spa menu includes a comprehensive selection of procedures for face and body care for any taste or age. I tried the all-purpose needle-free MesoJet treatment, which involved spraying a pressurised jet of vitamins and hyaluronic acid on my face. The glowing skin effect is instantaneous! Longer stays allow for more extensive work on your appearance and full courses work out cheaper. Prices for cosmetic interventions here are in euros and competitive with London.
Personalized face and body treatments combat cellulite and localized fat deposits while stimulating collagen production. The signature energy massage with cupping releases energy blockages, acts on muscles and tendons, and tones and regenerates them. Treatments are designed to naturally drain, detoxify, and stimulate the body, helping guests rediscover well-being.
The aesthetic medical staff performs high-tech cosmetic corrections using the most advanced innovative equipment.
Bioenergy
For me, the most mysterious part of my stay at the Palace Merano was my visits to the Italian electrotherapist Sonia. First, she used a special German apparatus to measure my energy levels and stress resistance and then, working on control points in the hands, feet and spine, she stimulated my energy channels. According to Sonia, in traditional Chinese medicine, I am a person of the Water Element. In all, there are five types of physique and personality; Wood, Metal, Water, Earth, and Fire, each with its strengths and weaknesses. My vulnerable zones are my kidneys and stomach, so the main focus of the treatment was on these. Curiously, as well as discussing energy flows, each time we meet, both the serene and radiant Sonia and later Katrin the dietitian gently introduced Zen philosophy and the theory of the cumulative benefit of many small actions. These conversations helped me look anew at disorder in my life and even global crises.
Densitometry and Dietitians
Many of us have smart scales at home which use electric signals to determine the proportion of fat and muscle in our bodies, how many calories we burn at a rest state and even our bone density. This analysis is approximate, but at Palace Merano, more reliable DEXA x-ray technology is available. In my case, the results turned out virtually identical to what the scales had told me, but in much greater detail. At our final meeting, doctor Massimiliano used these findings to advise me on how to avoid premature osteoporosis of the femoral neck and precisely which muscle groups to exercise to achieve an ideal weight and preserve it for years. I was reminded of the ‘skinny fat’ state when somebody looks thin whilst having a low muscle mass and substantial fat deposits. He explained that weight loss is not an aim in itself. It's far more important to find a balance between muscle mass and fat to prevent the return of excess weight. To achieve this, it may be necessary to put on fat in certain areas.
The dietitian Katrin showed me that in winter, my water type requires borscht and other soups from my childhood which I had forgotten over my years in England; my comfort food. We drew up a rough menu for the week. I already knew a lot as I have long been interested in low-carb and keto diets but Katrin drew my attention to the fact that an urge for certain foods is based on our emotional requirements and that a love of chocolate, for instance, might be a sign of a hidden creative potential in need of development…
Summary
So my three days turned out to be extremely busy, putting thoughts of London, work and e-bike riders out of my mind. To the surprise of the electrotherapist, even the German apparatus showed that my body’s energy levels were already raring to go. Having bought some delicate Christmas decorations, I flew home, not noticeably thinner, but more relaxed, slightly euphoric and determined to return to Merano one day.
Palace Merano is the perfect retreat for the tired, emotionally burnt out and injured. It is admittedly quite an expensive pleasure, as four days of detox will set you back €3,000, but it is worth it.
Most of the hotel staff are Swiss and the waiters, masseurs and doctors have worked here for years; you can see in their eyes that they enjoy being at Palace Merano. Talking to them is easy and enjoyable; there's no pressure, and they always listen to your requests. The staff told me that clients, from pensioners to football players, come back here year after year to recharge, destress, get back on track in their struggles with weight gain and chronic illnesses and generally, as it says in Russian fairy tales, live long and happy lives.
