0:00:02 > 0:00:05All over the world there are remarkable hotels,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08born of bold vision and daring endeavour.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09Wow.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11This is how I ought to live.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Whether it's one of the remotest hotels on Earth
0:00:13 > 0:00:16hidden on a Pacific island...
0:00:16 > 0:00:18..or a sumptuous resort
0:00:18 > 0:00:20on one of the highest mountains in the Middle East.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22What an incredible view.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25The people running these hotels
0:00:25 > 0:00:28strive to create the perfect sanctuary.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33But what does it take to offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences
0:00:33 > 0:00:35in stunning locations?
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Construction was a logistical nightmare, no water,
0:00:40 > 0:00:42no source of power.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44I'm a restaurant writer, newspaper columnist and critic.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47I have opinions on just about everything.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49- He's not a very good driver is he? - HORN HONKS
0:00:49 > 0:00:51- HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE - Crazy.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53HE SHOUTS
0:00:53 > 0:00:57And I'm a chef who's worked at the top end of the hospitality
0:00:57 > 0:00:59industry for well over 20 years.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01This is awesome! Whoo!
0:01:04 > 0:01:08We'll travel to amazing hotels in every corner of the world...
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Enjoy.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13..to spend time getting to know
0:01:13 > 0:01:16the people working away behind the scenes.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19I polish Elton John's fruits.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22You polished Elton John's fruits.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Do you recall life under an apartheid? Has it changed for you?
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Nelson Mandela was the first black president,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31give me more inspiration to achieve what I want in life.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Join us as we venture inside...
0:01:36 > 0:01:39..the world's most extraordinary hotels.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Switzerland.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49One of the most mountainous countries in Europe.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53A landscape of towering beauty.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Those peaks with the sun dappling them and the green underneath,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00- that's like pure Heidi. - It's beautiful.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Lots of cheese to be had. Clean.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06- Possibly some beers.- Cheese and beer and cleanliness.- Yes.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08These seem to me like Swiss expectations.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10- Chocolate.- Chocolate!
0:02:14 > 0:02:16But where we're going it's not about pure indulgence.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18We're in the foothills of the Alps,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22on our way to the spa town of Bad Ragaz.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Overlooked by the spectacular Tamina Gorge,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36visitors have flocked here since the 13th century to take
0:02:36 > 0:02:40advantage of the mineral-rich thermal water.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Tapping into that local asset is the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47one of the world's most exclusive health and wellness hotels.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55It should be a mind and body rehabilitation for us.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58- Right, we can do this. - After our stressful life.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00In other hotels.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11- Welcome to Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. - Hi. Thank you very much.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18There's been a hotel here since 1868.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22Nowadays there are two luxury spas, two golf courses,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25and Olympic-standard sports facilities to boost fitness
0:03:25 > 0:03:27and endurance.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32This modern day temple to wellness sprawls across an 187-acre site
0:03:32 > 0:03:34with three separate hotels.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41The most expensive rooms are the top suites,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44costing up to £10,000 a night.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51For those guests who want a more indulgent break, there's a
0:03:51 > 0:03:55wine cellar, a cigar lounge, and nine restaurants, including
0:03:55 > 0:03:58the innovative Michelin-starred IGNIV.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08But ultimately it's the hotel's wellness credentials that
0:04:08 > 0:04:13make it stand out. It has an in-house team of 80 medical staff,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15offering everything from sleep therapy and dietary advice
0:04:15 > 0:04:17to surgery.
0:04:17 > 0:04:23Presiding over a staff of 777, ranging from doctors to porters,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26is general manager and local boy Marco Zanolari.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31It's much more than just a hotel. It's a destination in itself,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33it's a lifestyle.
0:04:33 > 0:04:39The combination of medical, hospitality, sports, water are much
0:04:39 > 0:04:44more appealing to a lot of guests than just a hotel and a nice beach.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Before we start work I want to know what has lured the
0:04:51 > 0:04:53well-travelled Marco back to Switzerland.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- Hi, how are you?- Very well. How are you?- Good, thank you.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58- Please come in. - What's all this on the wall?
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- These are all your holidays?- Well, it's all the places I worked at.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06So, Middle East, the US, Greece,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Maui, Los Angeles, Miami.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13I have a long relationship to this hotel. I grew up here...
0:05:13 > 0:05:17- So did you used to come here as a child?- Yes, yes.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20I'm a member at the golf club for 33 years.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22So for me it's truly a coming home.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24The position was published in the newspaper.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27My mother saw it and told me, "Why don't you come home?"
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Still, at your age, after 33 years in the golf club, your mum is
0:05:30 > 0:05:33getting you the job. Is she round here?
0:05:33 > 0:05:36My parents, my brother, everybody lives one town over.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- VOICEOVER:- But it seems the hotel's distinctive focus on health was a
0:05:39 > 0:05:41big part of the attraction.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44How does it compare, coming back here, do you think you have
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- an ethos?- It's a different expectation of luxury.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50I think, truly, people will get to a point to in their lives where
0:05:50 > 0:05:55you ask yourself, "Can I become more energetic, can I be healthier?"
0:05:55 > 0:05:57True luxury is time for yourself.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01True luxury is how much quality time you spend with your loved ones,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03and what can you do to increase your time with your loved ones.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07I think it comes down to this unique question.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11So I'll be able to help people, help out, do some stuff, and maybe
0:06:11 > 0:06:12I can have some treatments as well.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Oh, I'm sure you will. I'm sure you will. You will look so much younger.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Do you think? Surely that's not possible.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Whilst we are working here, we will be staying in the spa suites.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31It feels like a healthy place to be.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Being away from the city, in a village, it's so green.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37You can imagine people hiking.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Kind of feel like I should yodel.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Here, health considerations are built in.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48The bed's gradient and firmness can be altered at the touch of a button.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Oh! Legs are going up.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54And there is a pillow menu, as the hotel strives to ensure the
0:06:54 > 0:06:56perfect night's sleep.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58"Anti-allergy pillows." Right.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01"A pine pillow." I want to try a pine pillow.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05"Filled with 100% pine wood." Oh, maybe I don't.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09"Beneficial for the heart, soporific and revitalising."
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Water is piped directly from the gorge.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Shower. Thermal water.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18It's also clearly a steam room.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Load of controls, so you can come and have a proper shvitz.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Jacuzzi. Massive. Thermal water again.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Loo. Thermal water? Possibly not, who cares?
0:07:28 > 0:07:32And here, there is my own personal sauna.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Literally, like, cut off the corner of a pukka sauna.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37So, I don't even have to leave my room and I can have the
0:07:37 > 0:07:39healthiest holiday I've ever had.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Of course, a spa in your bathroom
0:07:42 > 0:07:46is a typically efficient Swiss innovation.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48It starts in banking, it starts in watches,
0:07:48 > 0:07:52I think the reputation of Switzerland being very exact
0:07:52 > 0:07:56and precise has helped us as a brand, Switzerland, to
0:07:56 > 0:07:58attract guests to come and visit.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01And it's that precision that the team attempts to bring to
0:08:01 > 0:08:02every morning meeting.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04We have Mr Fogarly arriving.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Evian. Just Evian. No other water inside.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10We have people in this resort
0:08:10 > 0:08:13that have been here for the last 45 years.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17We were able to create the family environment yet with all the
0:08:17 > 0:08:19amenities one would wish for.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23She was a little bit sick the last few days.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Thanks to Andy we will play golf with her, as her husband
0:08:26 > 0:08:29passed away last year, so she feels a little bit lonely.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Make sure it's not an easy competition
0:08:32 > 0:08:35but make sure she wins, huh?
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Meticulous pre-arrival planning is just one element of attending
0:08:42 > 0:08:44to guests' wellbeing.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Once they're on-site there's a team of five butlers providing
0:08:48 > 0:08:4924-hour room service.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Hello!
0:08:51 > 0:08:53My first job is to work alongside Irina...
0:08:53 > 0:08:55- Hi.- Hi, Monica.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57..the hotel's very own pillow butler.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- You're looking very good.- Yeah?
0:09:03 > 0:09:07I never get used to the amount of tunnels under hotels.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10VOICEOVER: The butlers can walk up to 25km per day.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13We don't need to go to the gym because we are always...
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- Always constantly walking.- Walking.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Wall of fame.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23THEY SPEAK LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:09:23 > 0:09:25That's what I said.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Please, go in.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29This is our pillow stock.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34- So the guests can request a pillow? - Guests call us and order the pillow,
0:09:34 > 0:09:38or they just say, "I can't sleep," we bring pillow during the
0:09:38 > 0:09:40night as well.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44The hotel believes good sleep is key to a healthy life
0:09:44 > 0:09:46and offers 14 different kinds of pillows.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Eucalyptus.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Each one is supposed to have different benefits.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Eucalyptus to help your breathing, lavender to prevent migraines,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57and thyme to alleviate coughing.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Yes! Oh, my gosh, it really does smell like thyme.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01That's amazing.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04And of course the guests' most requested option...
0:10:04 > 0:10:06- That is the anti-aging pillow?- Yes.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Now we're talking. It's no wonder...
0:10:08 > 0:10:11This already looks like a magic pillow.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15- I give you also.- I need it?
0:10:15 > 0:10:18It's loosely stuffed and treated with vitamin E, supposedly
0:10:18 > 0:10:21allowing the guest's face to breathe whilst they sleep.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Oh, I can feel the effect already.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:10:27 > 0:10:34We have guests now. She called me and she ordered anti-aging pillow.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38They must be high in demand. Do a few of them go missing?
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Sometimes, yes.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44I like the way you held back on that!
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Anti-aging pillow coming through.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Of course, choosing where to rest a weary head at night is
0:10:54 > 0:10:56important for guests.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59But the real star attraction is the thermal water.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05Locally known as "blue gold" it's everywhere you look -
0:11:05 > 0:11:08flowing out of drinking fountains, in the hotel's very own beer...
0:11:12 > 0:11:15..and of course the hotel's centrepiece,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18the 8,500 square metre spa.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37Over seven million litres pour into the nine pools every single day.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41The hotel believes the water helps circulation and can ease
0:11:41 > 0:11:44conditions such as rheumatism and arthritis.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54275,000 guests and locals benefited from the water last year,
0:11:54 > 0:11:58all under the watchful eye of spa manager Robert Heinevetter.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01This is quite special.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05All this water the mountain is giving to us, we all use it,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08everybody from the hotel, the workers, everybody here is
0:12:08 > 0:12:11only because of the thermal water.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13It's really blue gold.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Along with running the spa,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Robert is a world-renowned sauna infusion specialist.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32But there is one job here that he thinks really sets the place apart,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34and he wants me to give it a go.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38So what we have here, this is actually for me the most important
0:12:38 > 0:12:41thing because this is a long tradition, we're giving the
0:12:41 > 0:12:45- guests a hot sheet.- OK.- But it's like that normally.- Right.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49- This is important that we're giving the sheet like this, yeah?- Yeah.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53And we have small contact, like, "It was nice? Yeah, you feel good?"
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- This is nice.- You can do contact again, it's all right.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58It's not like we're doing it like this and say,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- "Yeah, have a nice day." This is not nice.- Yeah.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04You need to do it from your heart.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Before each sheet can touch a guest's shoulders, it's
0:13:07 > 0:13:09heated to a cosy 85 degrees.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- Did you have a good time?- Yeah.- Is that all right?- Oh, yeah, thank you.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13All right, off you go.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20GUESTS SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:13:20 > 0:13:22OK!
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Good? I'm going to do something and you can stay here.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29- You trust me to do this on my own?- Yeah, of course.
0:13:32 > 0:13:33Oopla...
0:13:34 > 0:13:35OK?
0:13:37 > 0:13:39- Thank you.- Welcome.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Who knew it was so stressful to open a sheet for people?
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Oh, no, I'm getting busy, I've got another one.
0:13:46 > 0:13:47Voila.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50All is good?
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Ah.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54OK?
0:13:54 > 0:13:58I've done many jobs throughout hotels, but I've never been
0:13:58 > 0:14:00made a chief hugger in a spa.
0:14:00 > 0:14:05Warm sheet, give him a hug, send him off.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Makes you feel good. I feel good. Next!
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Monica may be embracing her work but I'm going to meet chief
0:14:16 > 0:14:19engineer Reto Schwengeler for something a lot less touchy-feely.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Hey. How are you?
0:14:21 > 0:14:24This is the brain of the whole hotel.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27The water for the hotel comes from the nearby Tamina Gorge.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Reto regulates the all-important flow into the complex.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38- What is this?- This is the source of the water.- This is the gorge?- Yeah.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41- And that's the shape it is, it's a sort of cavern?- Yeah.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43- So here you can see the actual levels?- Yeah.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45And that's the bottom of the reservoir, is it?
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- If the water is here... - You're in trouble.- Yeah.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- Does that ever happen?- No, never.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54- We hope that never happens. - That's the big nightmare.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58- Then this whole thing just comes crumbling to the ground.- Yeah.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Can you show me the button you have to push to stop all the water?
0:15:02 > 0:15:05HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:15:05 > 0:15:07So he's going to get the guy out, he's going to log in and show
0:15:07 > 0:15:10me the button where you can actually stop all the water, which is
0:15:10 > 0:15:13basically just pure James Bond-villain territory.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Turn off the water and then charge
0:15:15 > 0:15:18£1 million to turn it back on again.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23- If I hit the OK...- Yeah, hit it. - Really?- Yeah, it's...- Ah!
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Nought percent water, really? So I've cut off the water?
0:15:27 > 0:15:31The wait is half an hour. You have time now...
0:15:31 > 0:15:34So now is when I make my call to the manager to say, "If you don't
0:15:34 > 0:15:39- "deposit in my Swiss account a billion francs..."- Yeah.- Cool.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Having talked me out of my dastardly scheme,
0:15:45 > 0:15:49we're heading up the gorge for the weekly check on the source itself.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59- It's very beautiful. - Yeah.- Are there bears?
0:15:59 > 0:16:05- Bears?- Bears.- Rarr!- No, no.- No bears?- Not normal, no.- OK, fine.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08- It is just amazing.- I love it.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14In the 13th century the sick were lowered down in baskets to
0:16:14 > 0:16:17bathe for days on end in the steaming pools.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26In 1840, they decided to make it a bit more convenient and wooden pipes
0:16:26 > 0:16:29were used to channel the warm water into Bad Ragaz itself.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36For 120 years these wooden pipes supplied the hotel, finally
0:16:36 > 0:16:39being replaced only in the 1960s.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42The futuristic system was installed in 2014.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47This must have been a huge endeavour to put this pipe in.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52Yeah, that was really strong guys, they put it there by hand.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54- Guess you can't get a machine down here, can you?- No.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56This was all hand work.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58I think there's a leak here.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01Our first job is to check the pH balance.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Too much acidity will corrode the pipes, turning the hotel
0:17:04 > 0:17:06pools green.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Too much alkalinity and the guests will have stomach complaints.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- Perfect.- Perfect, huh?
0:17:17 > 0:17:20We have tested the neutrality of the water and it is pretty much
0:17:20 > 0:17:22neutral at 7.3.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Perhaps no surprise, given we're in Switzerland.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Does the water change?
0:17:26 > 0:17:30No. Never something goes wrong cos Switzerland is tick, tick.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Like a watch.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36After all this clinical efficiency,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39the raw power of nature is even more stunning.
0:17:41 > 0:17:42Whoa.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45- That's amazing.- Yeah.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48- That is like the Batcave.- Yeah.
0:17:48 > 0:17:54Around 1240 the hunting men saw the steam on top of the gorge and he
0:17:54 > 0:18:00was wondering what's down here and comes down and found the hot water.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04And he goes back to his guys and tells them, "I found hot water,"
0:18:04 > 0:18:08and they think he's crazy or really scared to go down here.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13Some of it's closed and then some of you can see right up into the light.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Imagine Swiss hunters look down and they see hot water, which you can't
0:18:17 > 0:18:21have in the 13th century without boiling it over a fire. Amazing.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23And they thought immediately, being Swiss, "Aha!
0:18:23 > 0:18:25"We build huge, very efficient hotel!"
0:18:25 > 0:18:30It doesn't matter how hi-tech, the system, Reto still checks in
0:18:30 > 0:18:32person that the water is flowing freely.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34I love to go behind and get the real stuff.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37As we neared the source, you can feel the heat rising.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Wow!
0:18:39 > 0:18:42That's hot. That's really hot.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44- 36.5.- 36.5?- Yeah.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Wow!
0:18:46 > 0:18:48You can touch with your hands.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56It's amazing. The water is just so clear.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59And hot. And just quite spooky.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10It's not just in the hotel spa that water plays a central role.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- Um...a Manhattan. - I will have a G and T, please.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Oh, I'm sorry, I've got only mineral water.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Butler Irina also works as a water sommelier.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25- So this one is called Henniez. - Sparkling.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32The hotel believes water is not just beneficial to bathe in.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Heated by geothermal activity, it rises from deep within the Earth's
0:19:36 > 0:19:40crust, passing through rocks and collecting health-giving
0:19:40 > 0:19:42minerals en route.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46We have still, medium sparkling and sparkling water.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49- I've never heard of medium sparkling water.- Petillant.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51- Isn't that what they call it in France?- Oh, is it?- Yeah.- Ah.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57That's more... It's more...
0:19:57 > 0:20:00I haven't really got the words to describe water.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Irina serves over 30 different varieties, some from the source,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07including bicarbonate-rich waters which can help with a hangover,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11and those high in sulphur, good for curing indigestion.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13I like sparkling water, I don't drink a lot of it but the
0:20:13 > 0:20:15main reason is I burp a lot.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17- That's a good thing. - Well, it depends.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20When you're in the middle of a restaurant it's not good.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24If the water has low bubbles, actually doesn't...
0:20:24 > 0:20:26So this is for me?
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Yes, and also this water is a best, um...
0:20:30 > 0:20:35- ..dinner or lunch companion.- Why?
0:20:35 > 0:20:38It's medium mineralization
0:20:38 > 0:20:42and it's just a good companion with the food,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45don't disturb the taste of food.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Is there a correct temperature for drinking water?
0:20:48 > 0:20:55- I like nice cold water.- If we drink warm water or 36.5 water
0:20:55 > 0:20:59it means it's the same body temperature, so the body
0:20:59 > 0:21:02feels calming.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Irina can even recommend the right type of water to accompany
0:21:05 > 0:21:06different wines.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09So you reckon the water is going to change the taste of the wine?
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Exactly. Because of the minerals.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15Each mineral has a different taste.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18- I drink this first...- First water, please make big sip,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21and then the wine and after wine, water again.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24I'm getting the lemonyness of the Riesling at the moment.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29Slightly acidity... More of a sort of fuller Riesling flavour.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31SHE BURPS Excuse me.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35- That's a bit embarrassing.- See, that happens to me if I drink it.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Chin-chin. Thank you.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Switzerland is one of the healthiest countries on Earth,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48with the highest male life expectancy in the world.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53The Swiss spend more money on health than any other European nation.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55But the hotel's facilities also attract a high number of
0:21:55 > 0:21:59international guests, including some permanent residents.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03We can take the elevator.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06One of the hotel's most valued guests is about to arrive,
0:22:06 > 0:22:10and VIP butler Karina needs to make sure everything is fit for a king.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Normally I'm faster.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Her guest is a Middle Eastern prince and she has served him on
0:22:19 > 0:22:20each of his last three visits.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22It's a banana chocolate cake,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24because he loves bananas and chocolate.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26It's a top VIP.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29We never know exactly but they will come with round about 300
0:22:29 > 0:22:31pieces of luggage.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36As always, he will occupy the entire top floor of the spa suites,
0:22:36 > 0:22:41where for £10,000 per night he will get 600 square metres of
0:22:41 > 0:22:46floor space, 360 degrees of balcony, and a thermal water Jacuzzi.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49It's hot. And it's clean.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53When he's here I will be here to care about the preparations
0:22:53 > 0:22:56for the breakfast, then I will serve the breakfast, then I will
0:22:56 > 0:22:59guide him through all the appointments.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04I'm with him till he gets back to the suite
0:23:04 > 0:23:07and then he will tell me, "I don't need you any longer,"
0:23:07 > 0:23:09and then it's time for me to go home.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Before the prince's arrival, general manager Marco checks the
0:23:15 > 0:23:19rooms to ensure everything is up to the hotel's exacting standards.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22It's the little touches that we try to get right.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25For example, if you leave your sunglasses out it's nice if
0:23:25 > 0:23:29they're cleaned. Do you see it? Maybe, maybe not.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33But you see the world a lot clearer when you walk out.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39OK, what's the, um...
0:23:41 > 0:23:46..the strength of the bed? Does he prefer hard or soft?
0:23:46 > 0:23:51- He's always taking it hard.- OK. So, that's pre-programmed, OK.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Put the initials on one side of the pillow, please.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00- That will be a nice touch. So he has a nice pillow memory.- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Overall, if a guest feels comfortable,
0:24:03 > 0:24:05and then come home, and you've felt "Wow,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08"that was a very unique experience, and I would like to return",
0:24:08 > 0:24:10we have definitely done our jobs.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18One of the most important and unusual ways
0:24:18 > 0:24:21the hotel keeps high-end guests coming back
0:24:21 > 0:24:23is their ultramodern medical centre.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24No sausage dogs.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27Clinic Bad Ragaz.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32So... Yeah, so you've got sort of...
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Allergiology, allergies,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36schlafmedizin, sleep medicine,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38lungenkrankenheiten, lung disease.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41But then gynaecology, special gynaecology and oncology,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43I mean, cancer doctors?
0:24:43 > 0:24:44Yes, dermatology, skincare,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47lasering and stuff but neurology?
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Perfect smile...
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Bing! Got one of those, don't need one,
0:24:51 > 0:24:52but it's a radiology unit,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55it's plastic reconstructive surgery, orthopaedic...
0:24:55 > 0:24:58I mean, that's more than they've got in my local hospital
0:24:58 > 0:24:59let alone a hotel.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03For the Swiss, good living is a national obsession.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Their insurance-based health system is one of the best in Europe.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Combining a medical centre and a hotel
0:25:11 > 0:25:14is at the end of the day adding another experience.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19The combination that you can improve your wellbeing, your energy level,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23your performance within a beautiful environment,
0:25:23 > 0:25:24it's a win-win.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30The hotel's clinic employs 30 doctors.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33This medical one-stop shop also offers cosmetic treatments,
0:25:33 > 0:25:34and surgery.
0:25:34 > 0:25:35For the guests,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38receiving treatments away from the prying eyes of neighbours
0:25:38 > 0:25:40can have its advantages.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45I think confidentiality is the backbone of any hotel operation
0:25:45 > 0:25:47or any medical operation.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51It's a trust of your guests you cannot betray.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52You go on a vacation,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54you can visit a doctor,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57and not your whole neighbourhood knows what you have done.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00So you could just come back and look much better,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02that it was just the beautiful water of Ragaz.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07I'll be working with Dr Christian Hoppe,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10hotel doctor and head medic of the Swiss Olympic medical centre.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15He is a specialist in sports medicine and rehabilitation.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17He's been practising for over 20 years.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21We have people from China, from India, Brazil,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23all over the world,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25but main part coming from Middle East.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27They're looking for a different approach.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30It's a fact that people work hard,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34and if people have only four weeks vacation every year
0:26:34 > 0:26:37then they should use this four weeks to,
0:26:37 > 0:26:38to make progress.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Retired banker Rolf Baumann and his wife Joy
0:26:45 > 0:26:47have been coming here for more than 30 years.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53It's very important to say we meet here in this resort.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56- Yes, exactly, we met here. - We met here.
0:26:56 > 0:26:57She came in.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59I knew I have to make something.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01I shouted over the bar.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06She was ordering a gupli, a glass of champagne,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08then I said, "That's on my bill."
0:27:08 > 0:27:09Very rude, you know?
0:27:09 > 0:27:11But I went to her,
0:27:11 > 0:27:15introduced myself, and then... It starts.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Then it was OK for me, yes.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- And we decided to get married. - Here.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22- Cheers.- Cheers.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26- Mr Baumann?- Yes.- Hi, come in.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Currently, Mr Baumann is concerned about his weight.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- Morning.- Good morning.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35- Your special interest in losing weight a little bit?- Yes.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38- How old are you?- 74.- Yeah.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41What was your highest weight you've ever had?
0:27:42 > 0:27:4487.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45And now?
0:27:45 > 0:27:4780.5.
0:27:47 > 0:27:52And I was down, about one and a half year, on 76.
0:27:52 > 0:27:5576, I think it's too low.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58You were 87, and you're now 80 kilos.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02You want to lose weight, but 76 kilos is too little.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03Exactly.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05So you want to lose what, two kilos?
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Yes, but I would like to keep 78,
0:28:08 > 0:28:09for example.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12We go now and measure your weight.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15- OK, so what's your first name?- Rolf.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16Rolf.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18- Rolf Baumann.- Yes.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20There we go.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22- Grosse. How tall are you?- 182.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27182. You see, I'm 178, and I weigh the same as you,
0:28:27 > 0:28:29- so I'm the fat one here. - So you are too heavy.
0:28:29 > 0:28:30Yeah, I'm the fat one.
0:28:30 > 0:28:31ROLF CHUCKLES
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Well, we need him to disrobe, don't we?
0:28:33 > 0:28:36THE SCALES SPEAK GERMAN
0:28:39 > 0:28:41It's telling him he's got to stand still and not speak.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43DAINTY PIANO TUNE
0:28:43 > 0:28:45Hence the music the computer's playing while it thinks.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50Magermasse des Beins?
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Das Bein is a leg.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56- Is it telling you the weight of the legs?!- Yes.
0:28:56 > 0:28:57Then it will show you...
0:28:57 > 0:28:59His legs weigh 19 kilos?
0:28:59 > 0:29:01Der InBody test ist abgeschlossen.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03- Does that mean finished?- Yes.- Yes.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05- OK.- 100%. 100%.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07- Look here.- Hmm? Oh, look!
0:29:07 > 0:29:10- Verstetigung.- Verstetigung. What does that mean, print?
0:29:14 > 0:29:17You don't really need doctors with this kit, do you? I mean...
0:29:17 > 0:29:19I could do this!
0:29:19 > 0:29:21THEY SPEAK GERMAN
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Danke schoen, Herr Baumann.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25- Can I go on this later?- Yes.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28So this is his InBody test, and he's stood on there,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31they've passed electric currents through him, it's broken down his...
0:29:31 > 0:29:34body, the weight of his right arm, left arm, trunk,
0:29:34 > 0:29:35right leg and left leg.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37I've often told myself, when I come up as 12.5 stone,
0:29:37 > 0:29:39"Oh, I've just got heavy legs."
0:29:39 > 0:29:41But we're going to find that out about Mr Baumann.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44His body composition in water and everything else,
0:29:44 > 0:29:45muscle fat analysis...
0:29:45 > 0:29:47It's...
0:29:47 > 0:29:48It's brilliant!
0:29:48 > 0:29:52Fortunately for Mr Baumann, Dr Hoppe has good news.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55- Oh, man, I want to have this test! - Thank you.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Herr Baumann, with a BMI of 24,
0:29:58 > 0:30:00that's just perfect.
0:30:00 > 0:30:05You even could have two, three kilo more,
0:30:05 > 0:30:08so you are really in a comfortable situation.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12I will be happy in your age if I have the same levels.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15But it's cost £1,000 to find that out.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18I'm very glad to have this information.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20I'm on the right direction.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24I can't help wondering if having all these examinations on tap
0:30:24 > 0:30:27has the potential to prey on guests' anxieties.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Do you get a lot of hypochondriacs in?
0:30:30 > 0:30:32Yes, yes. No, really, it's a problem.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36But it's our job to tell them that they don't have to spend
0:30:36 > 0:30:38their whole money.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Because I know people who, if they came to somewhere like this,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43they'd go, "Oh, I could have an MRI scan,
0:30:43 > 0:30:45- "I could have little operations here and there."- Yeah, yeah.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49People, they say, "I pay for myself."
0:30:49 > 0:30:51A guest is king,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54he, she can have what you want,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57but it's my job as a doctor...
0:30:57 > 0:31:03..when I like my patient to tell him or her what really makes sense
0:31:03 > 0:31:06and what is spend money for nothing.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11MONICA: For patients like Mr Baumann,
0:31:11 > 0:31:13food and diet are central to their stay.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16In this hotel, there's a choice of nine restaurants,
0:31:16 > 0:31:22staffed by 85 chefs and overseen by executive chef Renato Wust.
0:31:22 > 0:31:27Renato has created a bespoke health menu called Cuisine Equilibree.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30It has over 700 carefully balanced recipes
0:31:30 > 0:31:34and that no meal exceeds 600 calories.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38He works hand-in-hand with hotel nutritionist Sonja Ricke.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42As a nutritionist, I have a special relationship to the kitchen.
0:31:42 > 0:31:47I'm somehow a ping-pong ball between the guests and the kitchen.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Sonja's job is to police the chefs,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54ensuring their desire to please their guests' taste buds
0:31:54 > 0:31:56is not to the detriment of the rest of their bodies.
0:31:56 > 0:32:02There is really no unhealthy food and there is really no healthy food,
0:32:02 > 0:32:07the only thing is that there is food we have to limit the quantities.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10I'm helping Sonja and Renato prepare one of their menus.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13We have always three course menu in Cuisine Equilibree -
0:32:13 > 0:32:17starter, a main dish and a dessert.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21And all the three courses are less than 600 calories.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25- 600 calories?- Altogether. - All three courses?- Yes.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Oh, wow, that's impressive.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32The starter is an asparagus soup with Ginger.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36At just 137 calories, Renato is only allowed to add
0:32:36 > 0:32:39five grams of olive oil to start it off.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42Stop.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45- You know.- Very good, Chef. Very good, very good. A good try.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47I was trying to, you know, distract her.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Oh, it's very good. That's very good.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56The main course consists of lean veal steaks,
0:32:56 > 0:33:01containing roughly half the calories and 75% less fat than beef.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04This is accompanied by a Swiss potato rosti.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07- In the recipe, you have 20g.- Yeah.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11It's quite funny, there's Renato's cooking and everything he's adding,
0:33:11 > 0:33:15a bit of oil, a bit of cream, Sonya has got her eye on it.
0:33:21 > 0:33:22Nice.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25For dessert, guests will be served an exotic fruit salad
0:33:25 > 0:33:28with a papaya and champagne smoothie.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30- So, champagne in here? - Yep, there, please.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37Champagne smoothie, I like the way you're thinking.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40So, you're allowing a bit of indulgence at the same time,
0:33:40 > 0:33:41a little bit.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54Even the lemon thyme garnish has medicinal qualities.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57This is a herb to digest very well, so you can eat your herbs
0:33:57 > 0:34:00and the digestion is also activated.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04They control me, I don't put so much oil,
0:34:04 > 0:34:08not so much butter, not so much cream in.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10- Yeah.- Thank you, my dear.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Well done, guys.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14I guess what it is that people are looking for
0:34:14 > 0:34:19in your stressful lives is they come here and the worry of trying
0:34:19 > 0:34:21to eat healthy is taken out of the equation.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Someone else is doing it for you behind the scenes
0:34:24 > 0:34:27and you get to sit back, relax and enjoy.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34Whilst guests may rely on Renato's 600 calorie menu
0:34:34 > 0:34:36to keep the pounds off,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39he uses a scooter to get from one restaurant to the next.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42Yeah.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46I have a restaurant I make only Swiss cuisine.
0:34:48 > 0:34:49- Hello!- Hi.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52I have another restaurant I make only Thai cuisine.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58And then here we have a Michelin star restaurant, IGNIV.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01- IGNIV means...- The nest.- The nest.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06For those guests seeking the ultimate indulgence, IGNIV,
0:35:06 > 0:35:10overseen by the three Michelin starred chef Andreas Caminada,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13is a shared plate fine dining experience
0:35:13 > 0:35:15and is the talk of the Swiss culinary scene.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23The restaurant serves only local produce
0:35:23 > 0:35:25and its sommeliers source wine
0:35:25 > 0:35:26from the Donatsch winery,
0:35:26 > 0:35:30a family-run vineyard on the opposite side of the valley.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37Here they make one of the best
0:35:37 > 0:35:41but least known pinot noirs in the world.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43Pinot noir is notoriously hard to grow
0:35:43 > 0:35:45but the Donatsch family have been excelling at it
0:35:45 > 0:35:47for five generations.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53The hotel buys 700 bottles from them every year.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59It's harvest time and I'm helping boss Martin
0:35:59 > 0:36:01pick the precious fruit.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03- Hello, Martin.- Nice to meet you. Hi.
0:36:03 > 0:36:04You can help us.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08We had a little bit of a problem this year with starting rotting
0:36:08 > 0:36:10- because we had a lot of rain.- Mm-hm.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14So we take off all the grapes which are not nice.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18Every grape you wouldn't take in your mouth,
0:36:18 > 0:36:20- you shouldn't put in the bin. - Really?
0:36:20 > 0:36:23And it is all pinot noir for red wine.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Do you know what? I've never heard the phrase Swiss wine
0:36:26 > 0:36:28- and in my life, in my work, I see a lot of wine.- Yes.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30I've never heard of Swiss wine.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Switzerland is not, erm...
0:36:32 > 0:36:37..not famous for wine because we don't export.
0:36:37 > 0:36:38So, why don't you export?
0:36:38 > 0:36:41Our wine, even in Switzerland, very, very rare.
0:36:41 > 0:36:46Our wines go to the best restaurants in Switzerland, to luxury hotels
0:36:46 > 0:36:49and we have, even there we have waiting lists.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53Even Burj Al Arab in Dubai or Noma in Denmark asks for our wine but...
0:36:53 > 0:36:56- Noma?- Yes, yeah.- The most... The best restaurant in the world
0:36:56 > 0:37:00- and you don't give it to them.- We told them, "Sorry, we don't export."
0:37:05 > 0:37:07What kind of people do you have picking?
0:37:07 > 0:37:11Because, you know, grape picking is traditionally a job for poor people
0:37:11 > 0:37:13- and you don't have any poor people. - No, we have no poor people.
0:37:13 > 0:37:18We have many customers or guests from Grand Resort Bad Ragaz
0:37:18 > 0:37:21come here to work in the vineyards.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23The hotel's guests come to the vineyard to sample a little bit
0:37:23 > 0:37:26of the simple life, alongside locals.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29- CEOs from big companies...- Really?
0:37:29 > 0:37:34..work in the nature with the soil where I have dirty hands.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38All the CEOS which come to us ask why you don't expand
0:37:38 > 0:37:39when you could sell much more,
0:37:39 > 0:37:43but I think the most important thing in life is to be happy.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49Picking grapes to make wine may not be the most conventional
0:37:49 > 0:37:52of wellness activities but it certainly pepped me up.
0:37:52 > 0:37:53What a lovely way to spend a morning,
0:37:53 > 0:37:56what a lovely way it would be to spend the whole picking season.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59What a way to spend your life, out in the fresh air, staying healthy.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Back at the Donatsch family home,
0:38:06 > 0:38:08hotel guests are rewarded for their work
0:38:08 > 0:38:11with a hearty lunch prepared by Martin's mother Heidi,
0:38:11 > 0:38:14whilst his father Thomas works down in the cellar.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19With a predictable Swiss attention to detail,
0:38:19 > 0:38:23he hand paints an emblem on each of the 2,400 premium bottles
0:38:23 > 0:38:25he produces every year.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28And, today, I'm helping to alleviate his workload.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31- Is that OK?- Wunderbar.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35- You make it like my dad. - OK, I'm going to do another one.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39- Bit too...- No, it's...- Is it, no?
0:38:39 > 0:38:42- It's good when every bottle is unique.- A bit different.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48That's the reason why we make every single bottle by hand.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51This is almost more fun than picking grapes.
0:38:53 > 0:38:54Enjoyable as it might be,
0:38:54 > 0:38:57it's hard to imagine many business owners resisting
0:38:57 > 0:38:59the urge to cash in.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03What would you think if your son decided to sell
0:39:03 > 0:39:07the business for lots of money to a big wine producer?
0:39:07 > 0:39:11HE SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:39:15 > 0:39:18My dad said if I would,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21it's my choice, but I think he told us that
0:39:21 > 0:39:23because he know I wouldn't do that.
0:39:23 > 0:39:24THEY LAUGH
0:39:24 > 0:39:28Money is not the most important thing in life.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31The most important thing is to be happy.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35I'm happier here doing this than I have been for a very long time.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38So, I can well understand how you feel.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51Giles may be enjoying the rejuvenating results
0:39:51 > 0:39:53of getting his hands dirty,
0:39:53 > 0:39:57but I'm off duty and heading to the hotel's dermatology department
0:39:57 > 0:39:59where they take a more scientific approach
0:39:59 > 0:40:01to feeling and looking younger.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04I'm meeting lead dermatologist Brigitte Bollinger.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08- When you look in the mirror...- Mm? - ..what are you seeing?
0:40:08 > 0:40:10What is not right in your face?
0:40:10 > 0:40:13I think eventually I'm going to start getting more wrinkles
0:40:13 > 0:40:15- as life goes on, yeah.- Yes.
0:40:15 > 0:40:20For your age, I think you can start with a kind of treatment
0:40:20 > 0:40:23- to improve the quality of your skin. - Mm.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27Brigitte thinks natural fillers might be the best thing for my face.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30The best areas are the stomach or the bottom...
0:40:30 > 0:40:32- That's the premium fat.- Yes.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34OK, this will be, like, Galetti fat,
0:40:34 > 0:40:38I'll have to charge premium for that if anyone's going to use that.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40- OK. - MONICA LAUGHS
0:40:40 > 0:40:44We need not too much, we need 30ml.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46So, instead of having chemicals,
0:40:46 > 0:40:49- you take your own booty fat and separate it...- Your own, yes.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51- ..and you put it in your face. - You take your own filler.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53That's so interesting.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Who knew you could check yourself into a hotel,
0:40:56 > 0:41:00have face implants and then checkout and no-one would know?
0:41:00 > 0:41:05Whilst last year the hotel provided over 200 guests with facial fillers,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08it's not one for me. I'm going to settle for the facial for now.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14The hotel offers a full body health check.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17It's a barrage of examinations including specimen
0:41:17 > 0:41:20tests for your organs, as well as cardiovascular monitoring.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24It costs £1,500 and is designed to give you a sense of your
0:41:24 > 0:41:25life expectancy.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Is there something specific you would like to know?
0:41:28 > 0:41:32Basically, "How long have I got, doc?,"
0:41:32 > 0:41:33is what I'd like to know.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36I go away from my family to come to these fancy hotels
0:41:36 > 0:41:40and I think they might worry the lifestyle is taking its toll
0:41:40 > 0:41:42on me so I'd like to be able to go back and tell them,
0:41:42 > 0:41:43"It's OK, I'm fine."
0:41:43 > 0:41:47What makes sense is to know about your cardiopulmonary performance.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49Is that good or bad?
0:41:49 > 0:41:54And therefore I would suggest we do a stress test.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01A Dr Hoppe stress test involves having my own
0:42:01 > 0:42:02body composition measured...
0:42:05 > 0:42:07..before being wired up to an electrocardiogram...
0:42:07 > 0:42:09Oh! ..and made to cycle.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12This is fascinating. This is brilliant.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16I can see why people do this on holiday because it's all about me.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19It's much better than lying on a beach
0:42:19 > 0:42:21- drinking pina colada.- Absolutely.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24But it's not long before things get a little bit tougher.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27I'm just breathing hard for stage effect, it's not really bad.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29He can still talk and talk and talk and talk.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33I can't believe.
0:42:33 > 0:42:38Now it's up to you, you can continue or... OK. Keep going, keep going.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Sleep is also seen as being vital to good health
0:42:42 > 0:42:44so the final stage of assessment happens at night.
0:42:44 > 0:42:49- Just bring my dinner through and put it anywhere. Oh!- Hey, good evening.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52I'm going to be wired up for a sleep assessment by the hotel's
0:42:52 > 0:42:53very own sleeping specialist,
0:42:53 > 0:42:56Dr Mark Daeppen, a close colleague of Dr Hoppe.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00So how does this work? Why do you need to know about my sleep?
0:43:00 > 0:43:02It's very important
0:43:02 > 0:43:05if you want to live long that you have a good sleep.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08So why am I doing this in a hotel, not a hospital?
0:43:08 > 0:43:12It's the hospital where they have their routines,
0:43:12 > 0:43:17ward rounds during night shifts and nurses are stepping in
0:43:17 > 0:43:20so you don't really get the quality of sleep.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23You sleep much better and we have better results.
0:43:23 > 0:43:24OK, good.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28My sleep patterns will be recorded throughout the night by 60
0:43:28 > 0:43:32electrodes stuck to my head to measure my brain activity.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34I feel like I'm being prepared for a lobotomy.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37My heart rate and breathing patterns will be measured through
0:43:37 > 0:43:38pads on my chest.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43And sensors on my legs will gauge how much I move in the night.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45OK, very gently.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48Finally, I'm forced to wear this cotton mesh cap,
0:43:48 > 0:43:50purely for fashion reasons.
0:43:50 > 0:43:51Your night cap.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56- Night cap.- How do I look?
0:44:02 > 0:44:06- We'll see you tomorrow, have a great sleep.- I will.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10I'm going to nip out for a couple of drinks, is that OK?
0:44:10 > 0:44:12Then I will come back up.
0:44:12 > 0:44:13Take care.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17Gute nacht.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19I think if you think about all the things that go with
0:44:19 > 0:44:21the idea of spending a night in a hotel,
0:44:21 > 0:44:26all the things from relaxation to me time to fun to naughtiness,
0:44:26 > 0:44:30this is about as far away from what people mean as you can possible get.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43While guests slumber the hotel never stops working.
0:44:44 > 0:44:49Every night the main pool's 312,000 litres are drained and replenished.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05And in the kitchens they're busy doing room service,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08perhaps surprisingly for a health hotel, spaghetti bolognese
0:45:08 > 0:45:11and not salad is the most requested dish.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16No midnight feast for me though.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19I'm up before sunrise to help catch the hotel some fish.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25I'm at a lake called Walensee,
0:45:25 > 0:45:30Just 20 minutes away to meet Andreas, the hotel's superstar chef.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33Morning.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37This area of outstanding beauty is protected by the local canton
0:45:37 > 0:45:41which grants just a few permits for people to fish on the lake.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43Luckily for us and the Grand Resort,
0:45:43 > 0:45:46our fisherman for the day Hans-Peter is one of them.
0:45:51 > 0:45:55I quite like he's the only professional fisherman on the lake.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57He cannot supply that many chefs.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00He has some private people who come and buy it
0:46:00 > 0:46:03but he has maybe three restaurants he supplies.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Our job this morning is to catch trout and perch
0:46:06 > 0:46:07to take back to IGNIV,
0:46:07 > 0:46:09Andreas's restaurant at the hotel.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14Is it a more modern take on food compared to Bad Ragaz?
0:46:14 > 0:46:16Our concept is a little bit younger.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19It's a little more relaxed but it's a very high quality, actually.
0:46:19 > 0:46:24The main idea is to have our three-star cuisine
0:46:24 > 0:46:27broken down in a very nice atmosphere.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30Is that very much part of the history of Swiss cuisine,
0:46:30 > 0:46:31when you eat together?
0:46:31 > 0:46:35We eat fondue a lot and cheese fondue and meat fondue as well
0:46:35 > 0:46:39and that's actually a very social way of enjoying something
0:46:39 > 0:46:44because you don't have your own plate and you just keep it for you.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48- Conversation starts to flow.- Yes.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50And I think that's a nice way of sharing concepts.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56Watching the sun rise over the beautiful lake, hearing about all
0:46:56 > 0:46:59this wonderful food, it's easy to forget that we have some work to do.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03So now the work starts, huh?
0:47:03 > 0:47:06- Yeah.- We're not here to look, we're here to work.- Oh, come on.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11Come on, Monica, move. Take off your jacket, you're getting wet.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20Hans dropped 600m of drift net yesterday evening which needs
0:47:20 > 0:47:22hauling in by hand.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30Fish.
0:47:34 > 0:47:35Oh, it's a good size.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44The hotel is very lucky to be
0:47:44 > 0:47:48able to have this fish 20 minutes from their doorstep, so fresh.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51In this environment, what a dream.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09With the catch unloaded we're heading back to the restaurant.
0:48:14 > 0:48:19Head chef Andreas introduces me to his Michelin-starred understudy, Silvio.
0:48:20 > 0:48:24- How are you? You OK?- Nice to meet you.- Lovely to meet you.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27I'm helping out on a lunch time service.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33Whilst Monica will no doubt feel at home in the kitchen...
0:48:33 > 0:48:36..I will be doing my best not to embarrass myself with head
0:48:36 > 0:48:39- waiter Francesco. - I have a jacket for you.
0:48:39 > 0:48:41Aw! I thought you were going to show me to my table.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43No, I'm sorry.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46Francesco and I will be looking after a table of ten diners,
0:48:46 > 0:48:48paying upwards of £130 a head.
0:48:50 > 0:48:51Expectations will be high
0:48:51 > 0:48:54and we have less than an hour before they arrive.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57It looks beautiful, or not?
0:48:57 > 0:48:58I think so, yeah.
0:49:02 > 0:49:03So, the next step...
0:49:04 > 0:49:06..to iron a table.
0:49:06 > 0:49:11They used a bright white, crisp, ironed table cloth as a dust sheet.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13That's posh.
0:49:17 > 0:49:18Super.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24HE SPEAKS GERMAN
0:49:26 > 0:49:29- Closed side to the guest.- Closed side to the guest, yeah.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33They're just redoing the cloth that I did
0:49:33 > 0:49:36because in the ironing I left two little tiny black marks from the
0:49:36 > 0:49:40brass polish so they're whipped the whole thing off and are going again.
0:49:42 > 0:49:43Impressive stuff.
0:49:46 > 0:49:50- Monica, you can just finish two. - Finish two with the apple.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57It's quite a calm kitchen so far.
0:49:58 > 0:50:02When it's like this it's nice to make something look so pretty.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04Can you imagine when you've got five, six tables on?
0:50:06 > 0:50:08- We'll prepare the candy stall. - Mm-hmm.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11It's for our guests if they would like something sweet
0:50:11 > 0:50:14for the coffee or to take away, then.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16And so you put them in a row?
0:50:16 > 0:50:19The idea is here to have the high...
0:50:19 > 0:50:22- Mm-hmm. High ones. - ..and then we go...
0:50:22 > 0:50:24High at the back and low at the front? OK.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27And, yeah, we do it a little bit freestyle, you know?
0:50:27 > 0:50:30- GILES LAUGHS - Oh. You do this a bit freestyle? - Yes, a little bit freestyle.
0:50:30 > 0:50:33- Suddenly now you tell me you do it freestyle.- Yeah.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36- I was trying to do it Michelin. - THEY LAUGH
0:50:37 > 0:50:39- So I'll put it there and then we... - Yeah.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42I suggest you'd put this on the right side.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45- You need a lot of plates here. - Yeah?- Yeah.
0:50:46 > 0:50:50- Yeah, it looks good.- Is that good? - Yeah, it looks good.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52I'm going to turn my back and you're going to move it, but...
0:50:52 > 0:50:55- And those are beautiful.- Oh, yeah.
0:50:55 > 0:50:56Is that...? That's pink chocolate.
0:50:56 > 0:50:57Pink chocolate, yeah.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59- Probably...- Probably?
0:50:59 > 0:51:00Probably here.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02So, my opinion... Do you want to know what I think?
0:51:02 > 0:51:05You know, the chocolate, it feels so good here in this area.
0:51:08 > 0:51:09Well, in that case...
0:51:09 > 0:51:11With our bird you know?
0:51:11 > 0:51:13- Yeah? Is that your special bird? - Yeah, our special bird. Yeah.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15Your paradise bird, lovingly fondled.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22Joking aside, the prep and everything can all be done
0:51:22 > 0:51:23and nothing hinges on it,
0:51:23 > 0:51:25but the actual service, I've never actually done that.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27There's quite involved fiddly stuff.
0:51:27 > 0:51:28It's not just slapping down egg and chips.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31It's a bit nerve-racking and, given that I'm a restaurant critic,
0:51:31 > 0:51:32there's an extra edge.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35There's more at stake. I could look a double fool.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37They're here.
0:51:37 > 0:51:38There, thank you.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40GILES LAUGHS
0:51:40 > 0:51:43Frances, the other waitress, just crossed herself as she saw me
0:51:43 > 0:51:45carrying these glasses.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47It's got us flowing, you know?
0:51:47 > 0:51:49- WOMEN LAUGH - It's OK, perfect.
0:51:49 > 0:51:51No, on the right of the water glass.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56The lady looked so unimpressed with something that I did,
0:51:56 > 0:51:58the way I reached, whatever it was.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00It was not excellent. It was not acceptable.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02Genuinely stressful - genuinely.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04People aren't very nice to waiters, are they?
0:52:04 > 0:52:06- I mean, I'm always really nice. - Oh, really?- Yeah.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09- Oh, is that so? - They're nice to chefs, aren't they?
0:52:09 > 0:52:12Here's hoping I can do better with the starter.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16OK, we're getting this out and this has got to have a vinaigrette,
0:52:16 > 0:52:17a beetroot vinaigrette poured round it,
0:52:17 > 0:52:20and then I've got to smash this little bonbon with a spoon
0:52:20 > 0:52:21when he winks at me.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25Oops.
0:52:33 > 0:52:34Oh!
0:52:36 > 0:52:37How did it go?
0:52:37 > 0:52:39It was great. It was... It was...
0:52:39 > 0:52:41I mean, it's not rocket science, but I was worried.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43I was stressed that if I'd do it too gently, it wouldn't go,
0:52:43 > 0:52:45and if I did it too hard, it would go splat
0:52:45 > 0:52:47and go all over all these lovely ladies.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50And, you know, we looked at each other, boom, and it worked.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52- You got it?- So, you know, yeah. - Oh, fab.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54Little hurdles, Monica.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57Aim low and succeed - that's my motto.
0:52:57 > 0:53:01This is going to be the first surprise after the main,
0:53:01 > 0:53:03after the appetisers,
0:53:03 > 0:53:06and there, the nuggets into...
0:53:06 > 0:53:09- There will be nuggets under there? - The chicken nuggets.- Yeah.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13- And we are serving this together. - Mm-hmm.
0:53:13 > 0:53:18- And then we are looking in our eyes, another time.- OK. Really deeply?
0:53:18 > 0:53:19Very deeply.
0:53:19 > 0:53:25And by three, we take off the cloche and we do this move.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27- Cool.- OK?
0:53:28 > 0:53:29Nice.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46- ALL:- Ooh!
0:53:49 > 0:53:50Nailed it.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54Grabbing the opportunity to end on a high note, I make my escape.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56- Did you give up?- How did it go? - Really good.- Yeah?
0:53:56 > 0:53:59- Lots of fun, yeah. Did you enjoy it? - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01It was jolly. It's nice. There's fun things to do...
0:54:01 > 0:54:03- Yeah.- ..as opposed to just spanking plates down.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05Yeah, there's a bit of drama in it, isn't there?
0:54:05 > 0:54:06Yeah, yeah, it was fun.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11- Hey, Marco.- Hi, Giles. How are you?
0:54:11 > 0:54:15Our time at this health-fixated hotel is drawing to a close
0:54:15 > 0:54:17but, before I leave, manager Marco has invited me to
0:54:17 > 0:54:18hit some golf balls.
0:54:18 > 0:54:19I go to lots of hotels,
0:54:19 > 0:54:22and it's rare that I finish feeling really, really good.
0:54:22 > 0:54:27We try to have a luxury that is very familiar.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30Here, it's all about yourself. It's about taking time for yourself.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32The only problem that remains is my golf.
0:54:32 > 0:54:33Come on.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39Oh, man!
0:54:39 > 0:54:40- WHISPERING:- Come on...
0:54:40 > 0:54:42Right, I'm just going home.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44Bollocks.
0:54:44 > 0:54:45Thank you very much.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48And for me, it's time to say goodbye to butler Irina...
0:54:48 > 0:54:49Chocolate, Swiss chocolate... Thank you.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51- ..and nutritionist Sonja.- Thank you.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53Stay happy and well.
0:54:53 > 0:54:54Aw!
0:54:54 > 0:54:56That was a wonderful thing to say. SONJA LAUGHS
0:55:02 > 0:55:05When they leave the hotel, many guests are given a health plan.
0:55:05 > 0:55:09Before we go, I want to get my results.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11Giles, please.
0:55:11 > 0:55:12- Looks good.- Hello.- How are you?
0:55:12 > 0:55:14I don't know. You tell me.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16Yeah, OK, I will tell you.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18- Let's start with body measurement. - Mm-hmm.
0:55:18 > 0:55:23The fact is that you have more muscle,
0:55:23 > 0:55:26- much more muscle than fat...- Mm-hmm.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30..so you're an athlete.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32- Is that what that shows? - That... Yeah.
0:55:32 > 0:55:33That's perfect.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36- GILES MOUTHS - Just perfect with your body.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38- HE LAUGHS - Oh, my word!
0:55:38 > 0:55:40It's magic hearing that from your doctor.
0:55:40 > 0:55:45But then the results from your sleep test...
0:55:45 > 0:55:49You wake up 18 times during the night -
0:55:49 > 0:55:51what's more than usual.
0:55:51 > 0:55:52Really?
0:55:52 > 0:55:57- Yeah, and what's not normal is... - 18 times?!
0:55:57 > 0:56:00We know that there are a couple of things that are not good
0:56:00 > 0:56:02for a deep and healthy sleep,
0:56:02 > 0:56:06so one thing is too much alcohol.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09I think, in your case, that was evident.
0:56:09 > 0:56:12- In that sleep?- Yes. Too much food.
0:56:12 > 0:56:18And what we know is that the blue light from the iPad,
0:56:18 > 0:56:23the iPhone and whatever is definitely not good.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26How is my life expectancy compared to normal?
0:56:26 > 0:56:28It's... I...
0:56:28 > 0:56:33I think all the results I've got, it's at least normal -
0:56:33 > 0:56:36maybe a little bit higher than normal.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38Erm...
0:56:38 > 0:56:45I hope you'll keep going strong with daily exercise and...
0:56:45 > 0:56:47Hope? Hope isn't enough!
0:56:47 > 0:56:50The consultation over, there is plenty to ponder.
0:56:50 > 0:56:52That's strange to be told in a hotel, isn't it?
0:56:52 > 0:56:55When you going to the doctor and he says, "Your sleep is dodgy
0:56:55 > 0:56:58"and you're not going to live an especially long time,"
0:56:58 > 0:57:02that...that could be said to put a bit of a downer on a holiday.
0:57:02 > 0:57:03But that is an incentive to do something,
0:57:03 > 0:57:06and it makes me absolutely resolved -
0:57:06 > 0:57:08not just in the moment, going to forget about it -
0:57:08 > 0:57:10to try and do exercise every day,
0:57:10 > 0:57:13because if you can do something about your health,
0:57:13 > 0:57:15it's sort of stupid not to.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27Has it changed what you think about what a hotel ought to be?
0:57:27 > 0:57:31I have been pleasantly surprised to discover such a hotel
0:57:31 > 0:57:32actually exists.
0:57:32 > 0:57:37I never knew you could go into a hotel and get your teeth done,
0:57:37 > 0:57:41get your face done, have a detox and recover.
0:57:41 > 0:57:43I mean, you go on holiday and you want it to be all about "me" things.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46"And I want to go to the beach and I want to have that avocado."
0:57:46 > 0:57:48And here it's the same thing, it's me, me, me, me, me,
0:57:48 > 0:57:49but it's just slightly different.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52You know, you get to have a doctor on you all the time.
0:57:52 > 0:57:54You get to have nurses. You get to have massages.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56It's another way of being waited on hand and foot
0:57:56 > 0:57:57which is just a bit healthier.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59You know, you also have the option to sit back,
0:57:59 > 0:58:01enjoy a glass of wine,
0:58:01 > 0:58:03and go and have a burger if you want,
0:58:03 > 0:58:05and they don't judge anybody by it.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07Do you feel healthier after spending a week here?
0:58:07 > 0:58:10I do, and I'm looking forward to moving on to our next hotel
0:58:10 > 0:58:12and making a bit of a mess of myself.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14Shall we go and have a burger for dinner?
0:58:14 > 0:58:15That sounds ideal. Maybe two.
0:58:15 > 0:58:17Maybe two.