Gstaad Palace Spa, Switzerland
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late adopter of wellness offerings, says general manager Andrea Scherz, who launched the Palace Spa just six years ago. “We had been following the trend for hotel spas, but we were cautious,” he admits. “We wanted to make sure that we delivered a spa concept that would meet the needs and aspirations of our guests.” Scherz and his team spent a year researching spas and canvassing the opinions of hotel guests to ensure they developed the perfect spa for their clientele. “We were clear that we didn’t want to copy any other spa culture. We didn’t feel a Roman or Thai-themed spa would work here – we wanted this to be very much a Swiss experience,” he explains. His views were echoed by the hotel’s guests, who said they wanted a classic spa that offered high quality treatments and experiences, such as the Anti-Aging Facial and Traditional Oriental Massage, which are on the spa’s current treatment menu.
Alpine style Built into a hillside, the CHF16 million (£11 million) Palace Spa exudes the simple style and authenticity for which the Gstaad Palace is renowned. The facility
was designed by local architectural practice Tschanz Architektur which, having been a preferred designer of the hotel for some years, worked closely with the hotel to meet its requirements.
The interiors were designed by Roland Schön to reflect the spa’s Alpine location; the relaxation areas are lined with windows which offer views of the magnificent mountain scenery, while stone and dark wood blend with stylish, muted lighting to create cosy and intimate spaces within. A key design feature of the Palace Spa is a 60m-long
stone wall built using granite sourced from the nearby region of Blausee, in the Bernese Oberland. More than 50 tonnes of rock were cut into small pieces and re-assembled to form this central spine of the spa. At the wall’s base runs a narrow strip of water from which lights softly illuminate this striking feature. “We wanted the spa to be open plan with as few doors as possible,” explains Scherz. “Having too many doors makes you feel like you are in a public facility and we wanted the Palace Spa to have a comfortable and homely feel about it. Our aim was to create a harbour of peace.”
www.europeanspamagazine.com | european spa
“We wanted to make sure that we delivered a spa concept that would meet the needs and aspirations of our guests”
Andrea Scherz General manager Gstaad Palace
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