Angelika Schmid

I believe it often becomes too focused on acceleration, optimization, and control.

In a world that is increasingly overstimulated, the ability to slow down and re

While prevention and performance are widely discussed, the profound impact of our surroundings on health, clarity, and emotional balance is often overlooked.

Among the five pillars, I would say environmental harmony is still the most underestimated in today's fast paced lifestyle.

We believe that when care becomes too extreme or overly technical, it risks becoming disconnected from real life.

What is often missing in the broader industry is balance—the integration of cutting-edge science with emotional well-being, lifestyle quality, and the simple ability to enjoy life.

Mio padre, che ha sempre avuto problemi di peso, andava a curarsi in Germania e in Austria in cliniche private. Finché ha deciso di rilevare, nel 1982, due ville che ha poi unito

Abbiamo ridotto le 40 camere iniziali in 25 suites per renderle più confortevoli per gli ospiti

Another important step was the continuous investment in medical expertise, diagnostics, and highly personalised programmes, allowing us to combine scientific precision with a very individual guest experience.

Over the years, this meant continuously investing in medical expertise, scientific innovation, and holistic therapies, always with the aim of supporting our guests in taking an active role in their long-term health.

After a short seasonal break—during which we once again invested in improving and refining our property—our entire VE Family comes back together.

We do not see Villa Eden as a 'traditional hotel' but as a sanctuary of peace, holistic wellness, and harmony. This vision is reflected in our adults-only concept, timeless elegance, absolute exclusivity, and uncompromising service. Over the past decade, we reduced the number of rooms from 45 to 25 suites, while doubling our staff from 45 to 90—ensuring privacy, attention, and highly personalized care for every guest.

Sustainability is deeply ingrained in our philosophy. We prioritize local, seasonal products, protect our surroundings, and also focus on social sustainability. Remarkably, 80% of our staff have been with us for more than five years. Taking care of one another creates a ripple effect of happiness and gratitude that our guests can feel.

But a lot has changed over the years. The once strict, regimented spa concept has become a state-of-the-art Longevity Retreat. The number of rooms has been reduced from 45 to 25 exclusive suites, while the medical expertise has been further developed and transformed into an innovative Longevity Med Spa.

I am particularly proud of this area. When we were able to recruit Marcello for our team, we were ridiculed by colleagues - how can you combine 'healthy' with Michelin-starred cuisine? I can tell you: it is possible, and at the highest level.

The villa, built in 1905 in the Belle Époque style, once served as a guest house for a Dutch aristocratic family. We have therefore made a conscious decision to preserve the historic character of the building. In order to realise this ambition at the highest level, we have engaged the best Italian designers and selected master craftsmen.

My father had a revolutionary idea in 1982: he wanted to completely redefine the classic spa hotel concept. He took this private villa and turned it into Italy's first Remise en Forme. The central theme at the time was weight loss.

lavoriamo al concetto di timeless longevity

Together, let us continue to shape a more conscious and inspiring future for hospitality.

For Hannes and myself, it was a true pleasure and honor to share the philosophy behind our VILLA EDEN Timeless Longevity Concept — a vision that combines preventive medicine, wellbeing, emotional hospitality and the art of living well, longer.

The future of hospitality is no longer only about luxury. It is about health, meaning, vitality and genuine human connection.

This shift is encouraging a more conscious form of travel, where time becomes the ultimate asset and where hospitality is measured not only by experience, but by its lasting influence on health and lifestyle.

Luxury will no longer be defined solely by aesthetics or service excellence, but by its ability to meaningfully enhance long-term health and quality of life.

Preventive medicine, in turn, will become more experiential, personalised, and seamlessly integrated into environments that feel restorative rather than clinical.

This evolution will lead to a new category of hospitality – one that is highly individualised, data-informed, and medically grounded, yet always delivered within a context of comfort, beauty, and emotional wellbeing.

The ultimate goal will be to create spaces where guests do not simply recover, but actively learn how to live better and longer in their everyday lives.

At Villa Eden, we see the environment not as a backdrop, but as an active component of well-being.

Light, silence, space, and nature all play a decisive role in restoring the nervous system and creating the conditions for true regeneration.

Rather than radical changes, we focus on small, sustainable adjustments that can be naturally integrated into daily life.

At the heart of it, sustainable micro-habits are about restoring balance in a very realistic way – small actions that, over time, support resilience, clarity, and long-term well-being without creating additional pressure.

The environment of Merano and the wider Dolomites is an essential part of the Villa Eden identity.

We draw inspiration from this setting in a very intentional way. It influences the design of our programmes, the pace of the guest experience, and the importance we place on outdoor activity, light, and stillness.

At VILLA EDEN, we aim to translate this natural intelligence into a structured experience, allowing our guests to reconnect with a sense of balance that the environment itself so naturally embodies.

We see this as a key area where prevention can make a profound difference. By combining advanced diagnostics with personalised medical guidance, we aim to support women in maintaining equilibrium, vitality, and clarity throughout this transition, rather than simply managing its effects.

When luxury is understood as 'how long and how well we live,' expectations naturally evolve. Guests are no longer seeking only comfort or exclusivity, but meaningful outcomes—clarity, vitality, and a sense of long-term wellbeing that extends far beyond their stay.

Over the next decade, I believe we will see an even deeper convergence between luxury hospitality and preventive medicine, where the traditional boundaries between the two disciplines gradually dissolve.

Longevity, to me, has never been a trend, but a responsibility — both towards ourselves and towards the quality of the life we lead over time.

From the very beginning, my vision was to create a place that goes beyond traditional hospitality or wellness, focusing instead on sustainable health, prevention, and a deeply personalized approach to well-being.

V ILLA EDEN has therefore evolved into a longevity institute quite naturally, driven by the desire to combine medical precision with a highly individual and human-centered experience.

We do not follow trends—we anticipate needs and take responsibility for offering our guests meaningful, lasting results.

At VILLA EDEN, we see longevity very differently. Our philosophy, "Timeless Longevity – Gracefully Aging," is rooted in the idea that aging is not a problem to be solved, but a natural process to be supported with intelligence, prevention, and dignity.

True longevity is not only about adding years to life, but about preserving clarity, vitality, and joy throughout those years.

Our approach is instead to create sustainable, realistic pathways that allow people to age well without pressure, but with awareness, elegance, and continuity.

My background in jurisprudence has strongly influenced my way of leading VILLA EDEN. It taught me to think in structured systems, to value precision, responsibility, and long-term consistency—elements that are essential in building a longevity institution.

It also helps me bring clarity and discipline to a highly interdisciplinary environment, where medicine, hospitality, and prevention must work seamlessly together.

Ultimately, it allows me to translate vision into structure, ensuring that innovation is always supported by integrity and organisation.

One of the key turning points was the decision to reposition VILLA EDEN beyond traditional hospitality and towards a true longevity concept, with a strong medical and preventive foundation.

This required a clear vision and the courage to redefine what luxury means today.

Finally, the international opening of our approach—both in terms of clientele and communication—helped position Villa Eden as a discreet yet globally recognised destination for longevity and well-being.

The role of our Scientific Committee is to ensure that every aspect of our approach is firmly anchored in the most advanced medical research, while remaining meaningful and applicable in everyday life.

My task, together with our international experts, is to translate this knowledge into highly personalised, structured programmes that bridge scientific precision with lived experience.

We carefully curate and adapt medical insights so that they are not only effective, but also sustainable, intuitive, and deeply human in their application.

At Villa Eden, science is never theoretical. It is seamlessly integrated into a guest journey that transforms prevention, diagnostics, and personalised care into tangible, lasting lifestyle choices.

Preventive medicine is indeed the foundation of our philosophy, but at Villa Eden it is never reduced to a purely clinical framework.

We are deeply aware that true well-being is multidimensional, it requires scientific precision, but also emotional resonance and sensory harmony.

We ensure this balance by integrating medical expertise into an environment that is intentionally designed to feel restorative, calm, and deeply personal.

Every programme is medically structured, yet experienced within a setting that engages the senses, supports emotional wellbeing, and allows space for reflection and enjoyment.

In this way, scientific rigor and the luxury experience do not exist in opposition—they reinforce one another, creating a form of prevention that is both effective and profoundly human.

True longevity comes from inner balance. When we support the body from within, energy, resilience and radiance follow naturally.

Endovenous Laser Therapy delivers a true energetic reset – like a biological charger for the body. It revitalises cellular metabolism and immune response, allowing beauty and vitality to emerge naturally from the inside out.

When winter quietly gives way to spring here in Merano, I am always reminded that longevity is not just about time — it is about renewal, rhythm, and the deep intelligence of nature.

For me, this is the essence of longevity — not only extending life, but enhancing its quality through awareness, balance, and connection.

At VILLA EDEN, this transition is something you can truly feel. Our park is awakening, light is changing, energy is returning — and with it, a sense of vitality that no treatment alone could ever create.

Our guests are already experiencing this special moment: walking through nature in its most authentic transformation, reconnecting with themselves, and understanding that true well-being begins in harmony with the natural world.

There is a moment every year that never fails to inspire me.

Exchanging ideas and perspectives on the future of hospitality, wellness, and longevity is always inspiring, and we are very much looking forward to these meaningful conversations.

My husband Hannes is delighted to join friends and colleagues from the international hospitality and wellness industry to discuss how rapidly our world is evolving — markets are shifting, guest expectations are transforming, and the concept of luxury hospitality continues to be redefined.

What a great honor and pleasure to be invited once again to the HOTEL & SPA Forum in Paris.

It is not only about our medical expertise, our programs, or our beautiful surroundings. It is above all about the people behind it.

This moment reminds us why VILLA EDEN is recognized as one of the world’s leading Longevity Retreat Hotels.

The heart, passion, and commitment of our team for our guests and patrons make the true difference.

In a world increasingly driven by technology, we must never forget how essential the human factor remains in hospitality and wellness.

A sincere thank you to every member of our VE Family for their dedication, energy, and care.

For stressed entrepreneurs and high-performers seeking focus, balance, and rejuvenation, VILLA EDEN is your sanctuary: a place to recharge, reflect, and return stronger.

We’re back—and better than ever!

Luxury, wellness, and transformation—all in one unforgettable experience. Your next level starts here.

VILLA EDEN has reopened its doors, ready to welcome you to a world where luxury meets transformation.

Our Timeless Longevity concept offers more than a vacation—it’s a complete reset for body, mind, and spirit.

True longevity comes from inner balance, When we support the body from within, energy, resilience and radiance follow naturally.

Thank you for being part of our journey.

I invite you to discover what makes VILLA EDEN not just a destination — but a way of life.

This video offers an insight into our philosophy, our team, and the unique atmosphere that defines VILLA EDEN: discreet, refined, and deeply personal.

For over 40 years, we have dedicated ourselves to pioneering preventive health and holistic wellbeing — long before “longevity” became a global movement.

VILLA EDEN is a vision. A sanctuary for those who seek longevity, privacy, medical excellence and conscious luxury.

As Managing Owner of VILLA EDEN*****L - Private Retreat & Longevity Institute, I am proud to share with you a glimpse into a place that represents far more than five-star hospitality.

Villa Eden was originally the vision of my father, Karl Schmid, who recognized the unique magic of this historic villa. In 1982, he became the first entrepreneur in Italy to transform a private residence into a Remise en Forme center. Since then, our family has continually refined and expanded the concept of regenerative and healing holidays. Together with our in-house medical team and leading international experts, we have evolved the former Remise en Forme into a world-class luxury retreat for today's discerning traveler.

The future is bright. Society increasingly recognizes the importance of investing in health and performance, even during vacations. Advances in preventive medicine will enable us to help our guests age more gracefully, maintaining vitality longer than ever before.

Creating intimacy is at the core of our concept. The size of the villa supports this naturally, but the real difference lies in our people. We carefully select staff who embody warmth and expertise, building not just a retreat but a thriving, caring community for our guests.

Good food is at the heart of Villa Eden. We were visionaries in combining fine dining with health-conscious cuisine—something we see as the future of wellness gastronomy. Michelin-star chefs, doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, and personal trainers work hand in hand to create menus that are both exquisite and beneficial for wellbeing.

Wellness is never a rigid obligation here, but a joyful expression of life. Science supports us in this mission: research confirms the importance of regeneration, social connection, and happiness for long-term health. At Villa Eden, we welcome guests who value sustainable habits over strict duties, allowing them to embrace wellness as both fulfilling and pleasurable.

Longevity is already one of the fastest-growing trends. Our guests arrive informed and proactive, seeking not only treatments but also a philosophy of sustainable wellness. At Villa Eden, we combine scientific rigor, holistic care, and personalized luxury—ensuring every guest experience is both transformative and lasting.

Villa Eden has shaped me profoundly. At nearly 60, I feel fit, strong, and focused—something I did not always enjoy. Through Villa Eden, I found balance between high performance and essential regeneration. The most rewarding aspect is seeing guests embrace these same principles, discovering strength, joy, and purpose in their lives. That is the legacy I am most proud to lead.

Although we love winter, we are always delighted when nature awakens in March. It's time to get out and about again - be it on an e-bike or for a relaxing round of golf. After the long winter months, we have been longing for just such activities.

Both. But the decisive factor - and this was pure coincidence - was ultimately my age. I have always been fascinated by health and well-being, but from the age of 50 I gained a completely new perspective on the topic of 'living better for longer'. It's impressive what we can achieve today with a conscious, healthy lifestyle.

To be honest, I feel fitter today than I did when I was 40 - and that's without giving up the finer things in life. A fine wine from our own vineyard or an excellent meal are simply part of it for me. This passion inspires me and I hope to be able to pass this enthusiasm on to our guests.

Simply look forward to it. Look forward to your stay at Villa Eden - that's the most important thing for us. We'll take care of the rest. And without any pressure or coercion. You alone decide what is good for you.

Our guests are contacted by our team before their arrival in order to make their stay as pleasant - and, if desired, as effective - as possible. The possibilities at Villa Eden are almost limitless: you can experience a lot without feeling rushed.

Our focus? Clearly: your regeneration. Because it is the basis for everything.

In April, the flowering season begins and our valley is transformed into a veritable sea of colour. This time also brings with it the motivation for a little more fitness and exercise. Perhaps it is also the first weeks of fasting that help us to prepare for the warmer months of the year and to feel fit and healthy all round. A new spring that brings fresh energy into our lives!

At Eden's Park Restaurant, our guests can choose between Pleasure and Detox. The menus are developed by Marcello in close collaboration with our longevity specialists, based on the latest findings in nutritional medicine.

The focus is on anti-inflammatory ingredients, superfoods and fermented foods and clever protein combinations. Where possible from our own garden or from regional sources. Sustainable enjoyment without sacrificing pleasure!

The 'new gourmet cuisine' can do so much more than many people think. I am convinced that there will be a radical rethink in the area of nutrition in the coming years - and we are proud to play a real pioneering role here.

Our Schloss Rametz vineyard is just a few steps away from Villa Eden. Thanks to the unique climate of South Tyrol, especially the Merano valley basin, we are able to grow a variety of 10 different grape varieties here. This may seem unusual at first, but we love experimenting with nature - and this is exactly what drives us to ever new heights in the wine cellar.

We are particularly proud of our Burgundy wines, which are internationally recognised. They have a very special significance for us, because in 1853 a Burgundy vine was planted for the first time in South Tyrol at Rametz - a true pioneering achievement in the region.

We offer our guests an exclusive wine tour through the castle's historic cellar. Here you can not only learn more about the history of the winery, but also savour our fine wines in a unique atmosphere.

The result is an ambience that is unrivalled in the Southern Alps: timeless luxury, no ostentation, but refined style, exclusive craftsmanship and uncompromising quality of materials.

The microclimate of Merano is indeed unique - and even emperors, kings and tsars knew that. I particularly enjoy visiting the gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle, just a few minutes' walk from Villa Eden. These beautifully manicured gardens have rightly been honoured several times as the 'most beautiful garden in Europe'. Here you will find both tranquillity and inspiration - a perfect place to unwind.

In the warmer summer months, we particularly enjoy taking the cable cars up the nearby local mountains. The fresh air, the natural paradise of the mountains and the breathtaking panorama of the spa town of Merano - all this fills both our guests and me with happiness and joy time and time again. A true experience for all the senses!

Under the motto 'Pleasure doesn't have to be a vice', our star chefs prove in two restaurants that healthy cuisine can be light and sophisticated at the same time.

Today, Villa Eden is one of the most exclusive retreat hotels in the world, awarded 2 Michelin Keys as well as Best Destination Spa by Condé Nast Traveller.

I am particularly happy to answer this question. We are here, surrounded by the impressive South Tyrolean mountains, in the elegant villa district of the historic spa town of Merano. If we were to opt for a typical Tyrolean style, our guests might get the impression that we are on a mountain - but that wouldn't be quite right.