A pioneer in the field of longevity since 1931, Clinique La Prairie offers advanced health and wellness programs on the shores of Lake Geneva in Montreux. It boasts the world’s most exclusive medi-spa, which has welcomed a long list of celebrities and heads of state. How did this cult venue for the world’s greats acquire such a reputation? Pascal Languillon, CEO of Luxe Wellness Club, went to test a stay on site to find out how Clinique La Prairie helps its customers defy the effects of time. Here’s a detailed account of a rejuvenating cure.
The world’s most famous anti-aging clinic
What do Carla Bruni, Pablo Picasso, Marilyn Monroe and some of the world’s richest people have in common? A stay at Clinique la Prairie, the benchmark for anti-aging medicine for almost a century!
Founded in 1931 by Professor Niehans, a pioneer in the development of cell therapy with spectacular results in slowing down the aging process, Clinique la Prairie has built an international reputation for promoting longevity as a true art of living. Its aim is to rejuvenate body and mind, strengthen the immune system and improve physical and mental performance.
Its flagship “Revitalization” program has provided empirical evidence of its effectiveness, and many clients return year after year to enjoy the facility’s exceptional quality of care. So it was with great anticipation and a certain amount of emotion that I arrived at Clinique La Prairie, the inventor of the medi-spa concept, to try out a stay focusing on detox, well-being and rejuvenation .
A word about the festivities. Clinique La Prairie enjoys an exceptional setting in Montreux, just an hour from Geneva and a stone’s throw from Lake Geneva, with magnificent views of the Alps from its lounges, swimming pool and some of its rooms. The establishment comprises a 5-star hotel with 38 rooms and suites, a 1,600 m² spa with heated indoor pool, and other buildings entirely dedicated to medical care.
What sets this wellness-hotel apart from the other medi-spas we promote is the science of longevity and the medical aspect. The Clinique La Prairie Medical Center, adjacent to the wellness-hotelier, offers an exceptional range of expertise from over 50 medical specialists. It’s unheard of in the world of medi-spas! There are also over 30 therapists offering a wide range of wellness, physio and paramedical services.
International guests staying at the hotel for a week can therefore take advantage of eminent specialists in all fields and plan a complete medical check-up in record time. The clinic is also open to outpatients, and many Swiss patients consult us for all types of pathologies. This is Clinique La Prairie’s first real strength: a place of medical expertise, backed by luxury hotels. So it’s not just a medi-spa, but a real clinic, as the name suggests! The guarantee here is seriousness.
The approach is based on four founding pillars of longevity : medicine, nutrition, movement and well-being. Each program begins with a medical consultation and health check-up, enabling the doctors to identify any dysfunctions and draw up a personalized program. During the few days I spent there, I was perfectly accompanied by a fully qualified team comprising a dietician, sports coaches, masseuses and beauticians, and several specialist doctors.
I didn’t experimented genetic testing nor thestem cell injection (facial aesthetic treatment using the patient’s own cells harvested from an area of fat): these are some of the high-tech treatments for which the establishment is renowned, and which I’ve heard such good things about.
Relaxing rooms
I was staying in the building known as “Le Château”, in a pretty Junior Suite, 419. It had a separate living room, a terrace overlooking the lake, and a very spacious bathroom with double washbasin, bath and shower. The decoration in this wing, the Château, is very classical in style. In contrast, some recent suites in another wing are ultra-modern in style. So there’s something for everyone. As you’d expect, it’s very quiet and the nights are restful, especially after the range of treatments on offer every day.
The quality of the bedding is impeccable, and I particularly appreciated the pillow menu. I obviously chose a vitamin E-infused anti-aging cushion.
Let’s be honest, they’re not the most extravagant or luxurious rooms I’ve seen to date, but they’re very comfortable and perfectly functional. If you’re a fan of trendy decor, don’t worry: you don’t come to Clinique La Prairie to post photos on Instagram all day long. The goal of a stay here is health first and foremost.
A special treat: courtesy Swiss Perfection products, the ultra-luxury cosmetics brand Made in Montreux. In addition to their divine scent, these products contain numerous active ingredients recognized for their anti-aging properties.
The spa and its exceptional wellness treatments
The spa features a beautiful indoor pool surrounded by picture windows overlooking the lake and mountains. There’s also a sauna and steam room, a Kneipp course, sensory showers, an ice cascade, cold mists and a relaxation room, not to mention a well-equipped fitness studio with the latest Technogym and Kinesis machines.
Let’s face it, though, this isn’t where you’ll find the world’s finest or most impressive spa infrastructure. If you’re looking for something grand, take a look at Palazzo Fiuggi or Lefay Lake Garda, for example.
What impressed me here, however, was the exceptional quality of care. Let’s start with my meeting with Nittaya, a truly in-cred-ible Thai masseuse, and I weigh my words. I was lucky enough to have two treatments with her: a 120-minute reinterpretation of Thai massage, followed two days later by a Signature Immunity Boost massage.
I didn’t know that the muscles of my whole body could have so many knots, and Nittaya found the key to untie them one by one. She also didn’t hesitate to walk all over me, literally, in order to rebalance my lymphatic flow. Thai massage surprises and fascinates. The sessions were a real mixture of pleasure and suffering, an almost masochistic experience but so liberating in the end. I was told that some customers return every year just to find Nittaya’s fairy fingers (and feet). Probably the most memorable massages of the last two years for me.
I was able to try out other treatments such as cryotherapy, very energizing, and infratherapy with the Vital Dome, which enables the body to absorb long infrared energy. This gentle warmth releases tension, soothes the nervous system and energizes the body.
A very interesting test at the start of our stay was the TANITA test, which uses dual-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis technology to provide a complete body composition analysis in 15 seconds. The device measures body fat, muscle mass, bone mineral mass and metabolic age. I was more than delighted to see that this machine gave me a metabolic age of 29, even though I’m almost 45… So, in theory, I can wait a little longer before starting the Revitalization program for which Clinique La Prairie is famous 🙂
The fitness room made a big impression on me. All the equipment is renewed every two years at most, so I was able to try out the latest Technogym machines. It’s never been so much fun to train and work out, especially in the company of highly skilled coaches…
Another highlight of the spa is the use of Spa Wave technology. This acoustic and vibratory therapy is guided by technology that trains the brain to let go and succumb to deep relaxation techniques. Specific sounds slow down mental activity, while vibratory frequencies target the body’s energy centers.
For someone like me who’s always very “speedy”, this technique is really effective in helping to slow down. In the end, I came away from this stay both rested and galvanized.
Facial care and aesthetic medicine
Clinique La Prairie owes much of its reputation to aesthetic care. Indeed, the science of anti-aging is first and foremost about the beauty of the face, and Clinique La Prairie, as a pioneer in cell therapy against skin aging, has remained famous for its eponymous luxury cosmetics brand . In the meantime, the Clinique has sold the La Prairie brand and is now focusing on the luxury cosmetics products of Swiss Perfection launched by the La Prairieowner’s son.
These biotechnology products meet the highest expectations in terms of visible results, thanks to a plant cell with superior potency and anti-aging effects found in the Iris root, a flower with exceptional regenerative potential. Today, it is used as a key ingredient in Swiss Perfection’s flagship compound “Cellular Active IRISA®”. Swiss Perfection offers highly anti-oxidant and oxygenating formulas that strengthen skin cells, even in the deepest layers of the epidermis. Thanks to their intensely restorative action, they reactivate skin regeneration and cellular metabolism. This expertise comes at a high price: Swiss Perfection creams sell for around 400 to 500 euros per jar.
I was lucky enough to test a facial care of exceptional qualitywith a combination of Swiss Perfection products to enhance skin radiance, theapplication of a Vitamin C-infused collagen mask, and the use of an advanced machine that smoothes wrinkles and minimizes pores, with action on pigmentation spots too.
A wonderful experience with stunning results, leaving the skin feeling plumped, intensely moisturized, soothed and rejuvenated .
I was also lucky enough to meet Dr. Violette Parzin at the Aesthetic Medicine Center, who is none other than the President of the Swiss Society of Aesthetic Medicine. With almost 20 years’ experience in various renowned Swiss establishments, Dr. Parzin offers an innovative, preventive approach to aesthetic medicine, focusing on skin cell regeneration and using the latest scientifically proven medical technologies. As an expert in lasers, injections and non-invasive anti-ageing treatments, she was able to advise me on which treatments to use to reduce my few pigmentation spots caused by the sun.
Clinique La Prairie offers a wide range of aesthetic treatments: peels, facelifts, hyularonic acid injections, botox, lasers… Now I know where to come back to in ten years’ time.
Clinique La Prairie also offers Coolsculpting, an innovative, non-invasive solution that uses cold to reduce fat cells on various parts of the body. Facial plastic surgery is also possible, but is performed in a different building and with different specialists.
The most sophisticated dietary supplements on the market
We are what we eat, and the importance of the intestines cannot be overlooked. With this in mind, Clinique La Prairie is now marketing the fruit of several years of research focused on nutraceuticals. Working with a team of life science experts, she has developed four ranges of food supplements: Anti-Aging, Balance, Energy and Purity, which combine the five fundamental pillars of healthy living: immunity, stress management, anti-inflammation, rejuvenation and cellular longevity. From this meeting was born the ‘Holistic Health’ brand,a holistic complex unique on the market combining 17 major vitamins capable of supporting and optimizing physiological functions.
This dietary supplement offer allows customers to benefit from Clinique La Prairie‘s cutting-edge medical expertise after their stay. A box of food supplements costs around 700 euros, making them probably the most expensive in the world… But exclusivity comes at a price!
Absolutely wonderful dietetic cuisine
Yet another “coup de coeur”, but it must be said loud and clear: Clinique La Prairie’s cuisine is exceptional. Masterfully orchestrated by the young and talented chef David Allesandria, the dishes feature vegan recipes… And if you think the result is bland, think again: the flavors are delicious, and the dishes are as beautiful as they are good!
The emphasis is on plant-based foods, although fish and seafood are not excluded. Red meat is served once a week.
I was on a detox program, but I can guarantee that the portions were hearty enough and I never felt hungry. A far cry from the small portions at Chenot Palace Weggis or Vivamayr🙂
Clinique La Prairie’s cuisine skilfully blends prebiotics, nutrients that promote the development of good bacteria, such as garlic, onions and asparagus, with probiotics, health-promoting bacteria that strengthen the immune system and ensure good digestion. They are found in fermented foods such as yoghurt, miso and kombucha.
Clinique La Prairie offers a gluten-free, lactose-free and caffeine-free anti-inflammatory diet. During my stay, I had a private workshop with a dietician, who gave me the keys to eating better once I was back in my daily life. The rule of thumb she gave me was to have a colorful plate at every meal .
The other piece of advice I put into practice immediately: reduce my consumption of coffee in aluminium capsules, as high levels of aluminium have been found in the blood of Clinic patients, I’m told! So I bought a good old espresso machine and relished the smell of coffee beans 🙂
Some of the most memorable dishes I’ve tried at Clinique La Prairie include: “Silken tofu, zucchini spaghetti, lemon zest and amaranth gel”. A marvel.
All in all, I felt that the cuisine here was as refined as it was inventive, and I place Clinique La Prairie in my top three list of the best diet restaurants I’ve had the chance to try so far.
Our feeling
Clinique La Prairie probably doesn’t have the most beautiful spa or rooms of all the luxury mediaspas we recommend, but it does have the best of both worlds, but what makes the difference here is medical expertise. Whether it’s the impeccable quality of the treatments, the inventive and delicious cuisine or the advice provided by various specialists, everything is top-notch. In the end, I had the feeling I’d only spent a few days there, and yet had gained a few years of life… A must for anyone interested in cutting-edge anti-aging medicine… and who can afford it.
Luxe Wellness Club
Book (with exclusive Luxe Wellness Club benefits)
Take advantage of our expertise in luxury medispas and contact us for a personalized quote. A stay at Clinique la Prairie is well prepared in advance.
Prices : All-inclusive health programs from CHF 9,800 per person for the Detox Reset (5 days), from around CHF 17,500 for the weight loss and detox programs, and up to around CHF 45,000 per person for the Premium Revitalization. Exclusive Luxe Wellness Club benefits: free exceptional cosmetics, early check-in and late check-out guaranteed, room upgrade subject to availability.
Call us for Switzerland: +41 22 501 75 16, the USA: +1 (646) 980 6652 , or for the UK: +44 20 4577 3258 to discuss your holiday plans.
