A world-renowned Swiss clinic has been named the world’s best medical spa by a leading UK newspaper.

Clinique La Prairie, situated in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva, received the accolade from the Sunday Times’ ‘Style’ section on January 1, 2006 following an extensive renovation programme and the opening of a state-of-the-art wellness and ‘thalassotherapy’ centre.

The Sunday Times reviewer was impressed by the emphasis on medical wellbeing and Clinique La Prairie’s long history of scientific research that complements the more traditional aesthetic treatments and spa therapies.

“The fact that the clinic is a serious medical affair gave me confidence,” said Joan Woodhall in her statement which appeared on the Sunday Times website. “And, though I did have some intensive face-fresheners, in the form of microdermabrasion sessions and collagen masks, the programme’s main aim was to uncover any potential health problems.”

“By the week’s end, I felt an inner sense of wellbeing and I had lost 2kg,” Woodhall continued. “A month on, my renewed enthusiasm for life has not waned. I have not been ill since my trip, either — the ultimate proof of its effectiveness.”

Equipped with a large in-door pool, a salt-water, therapeutic bath and treatment rooms boasting magnificent views of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps, the new spa and thalassotherapy centre is the perfect place to de-stress, lose weight and recuperate.

The newly restored 19th-century Château offers 24 rooms and suites, all featuring lake, mountain and park vistas from private terraces. Lighted underground passages connect all buildings within the complex, making it possible for patients to travel inconspicuously to check-ups and appointments in their robes and slippers.

Clinique La Prairie is best known for its unique Revitalisation cellular therapy, which is based on two injections that boost energy levels and strengthen the immune system. First developed in 1931 by Dr Paul Niehans, the treatment aims to slow down the ageing process and has evolved over the years to become the refined product, CLP Extract, which thousands of clients travel from all over the world to receive.

The clinic, which has also been short-listed in the Medical Spa category for the European Spa Awards taking place on 21 January in Monaco, is a premier authority on various skin treatments, weight management, plastic and dental surgery.

For decades, Switzerland's Clinique La Prairie has been renowned for its innovative antiaging treatments, most notably for its injections of extracts from the fetal cells of sheep, said to revitalize and help prevent disease. And with the opening last year of a state-of-the-art spa, a sojourn at the medically advanced retreat in Clarens-Montreux--on an estate overlooking Lake Geneva--is even more desirable. You can arrange everything from a Thai massage to knee-replacement surgery, and the sixty-one-room center's discreet and multidisciplinary approach draws affluent men and women from around the world. Until this year, all packages required a minimum four-to-six-night stay, but now day and weekend packages are on offer for those who just want to be pampered at the spa. The new building also houses a pool, fitness center, restaurant and bar, and the expanded range of treatments includes thalassotherapy。