How the Best Get Better

By Mary Scoviak -- Hotels, 9/1/2007

Brenner’s Park-Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden, Germany, is a perennial leader in the list of the world’s great spas. But, even the best have room for improvement. The legendary resort/cure hotel is repositioning its in-house medical services beyond treatment. “We wanted a more modern approach aimed exclusively at prevention,” says Frank Marrenbach, managing director. “This became the staring point for Brenner’s Medical Spa.”

This Leading Spa of the World member is targeting the growing market of travellers who want to manage their own health “with foresight and in an active manner,” Marrenbach says.

Brenner’s Medical Spa is based on six pillars to address those needs: Prevent – health check-up; specialist medical care; aesthetic dentistry; aesthetic dermatology; physio spa; and nutrition coaching. Brenner’s contracts with local medical specialists for these services. “Our aim was to offer competent, comprehensive medical services in a relaxed and discrete atmosphere with high-quality medical diagnostics and thorough individual counselling,” Marrenbach says. “This is a complement to our spa.”

Marrenbach sees major advantages. Not only does the medical spa reach a growing and underserved market, it also delivers a clientele tends to stay longer and to and return to the hotel more frequently, especially when involved in medium- and long-term programs.