When I travel, it is particularly important to me that I find time for myself and manage to leave everyday life behind me for a few hours. This includes, above all, withdrawing from the digital world as much as possible and trying to be more in the here and now instead of looking at screens. This also means leaving my cell phone in the drawer at breakfast or dinner.
The pandemic has shaped the way we travel and live, with a growing trend leaning towards health, wellness, and a holistic lifestyle. More than ever, individuals are seeking not just getaways, but immersive wellness retreats that help rejuvenate the body, mind, and soul. Destinations that provide a serene environment, unique wellness offerings, and an unparalleled experience are in great demand. In this interview series, we are talking to property owners and hospitality companies who are at the helm of these wellness havens. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Milos Colovic.
Milos has been working in the hotel industry for over 20 years with a focus in luxury properties. Currently serving as Grand Resort Bad Ragaz’s general manager, Milos has been with the resort for over six years working his way up from deputy director. He has a passion for service excellence that shines through with every guest touchpoint.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
Asa child I was quite active, and I played sports every day. For me, it was all about doing everything right the first time. I am quite an ambitious and success-driven person — even from a young age and later on as a student. I think setting high goals keeps you motivated and alive.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.
I have always had a passion for luxury hospitality and service excellence. There is an interesting anecdote that led me to follow this career path. I remember meeting a true hotelier for the first time when I was 21. It was at the gate of an airport. I saw a well-dressed man drop his business card. I picked it up for him, read his title “General Manager,” and we struck up a conversation. This was a lightbulb moment for me. I realized that this was my absolute dream job. After an ambitious career in various positions within Kempinski Hotels, I joined the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz as Executive Assistant Manager in 2018. From 2020, I was responsible for the entire Hotel operation as Hotel Manager and was appointed General Manager in 2023.
What lesson or takeaway did you learn from that?
During my internship, I forgot to take a credit card from hotel guests during check in. The next day, those guests checked out without paying. They left the hotel with an open balance of EUR $4,900 in one night. My Front Office Manager was naturally very concerned, but they taught me a lesson by forcing me to come up with a solution on my own. Fortunately, I had contact with the guests’ assistants, and I was eventually able to secure the payment. I never forgot to take a credit card again.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?
Listen to your intuition. At some point, you will look back on a decision, and you’ll know it was the right thing to do, even though you couldn’t have known it at the time. I have experienced this a few times in my life.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
Medical wellness is an exciting field that’s continuously evolving, and the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is at the forefront of these new developments. We have a few projects in motion that cannot be disclosed as of now, but I can tell you that:
We’re always looking for the latest medical and therapeutic advancements that will complement the robust wellness program at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. I’m particularly excited about a new treatment we introduced this summer, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). This treatment can have incredible benefits for the immune system, reduce inflammation, and increase the body’s ability to heal and produce energy.
In addition to the hotel`s Thermal Spa, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz facilitates the public thermal baths “Tamina Therme,” which are adjacent to the resort and can also be used by hotel guests. We are investing over USD $5 million in renovations to preserve this architectural masterpiece. Our thermal spa is one of the best-known wellness oases in Switzerland. The warm thermal water from the Tamina Gorge has been used since 1872 to give guests a sense of well-being and alleviate ailments. Eight pools totaling over 78,000 square feet await our guests for a first-class relaxation experience.
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview about wellness destinations. Let’s dive deeper into this together. Based on your research or personal experience, why do you think travel can lead to better wellness? Can you share a story?
Travel can be incredibly fulfilling for some people. The experiences you have while you travel, and the people you meet, can influence your outlook on life. From a wellness perspective, I think travel in nature has the potential to be the most transformative. There is something very powerful about being present and connecting to the land.
What are a few things that distinguish your property from thousands of wellness properties around the world?
I think you must see and feel Grand Resort Bad Ragaz to fully understand why people from all over the world come back to Bad Ragaz time and again. The healing powers of this region can be traced to around 800 years ago with the discovery of the Tamina Gorge thermal spring. Today, these healing waters are the foundation of every wellness experience at Bad Ragaz, including the source for 14 different plunge and swimming pools across the resort. Each pool ranges in temperature and function to help our guests achieve specific health benefits.
We’ve also taken the traditional “thermal bath” experience a few steps further by bringing together a team of top medical professionals and superior chefs to provide our guests with a truly holistic experience while they are here. No two guest wellness programs are alike. They are tailored to each guest’s preferences and needs, just as every individual has unique health needs throughout their lives.
Most of all, we pride ourselves on sustainability. When our guests go through a treatment or one of our more intricate wellness plans, we give them the tools to implement what they’ve learned and experienced at the resort in their daily lives.
What type of experience do you want your visitors to have when they visit?
We want our guests to feel completely at peace from the moment they arrive on our beautiful grounds. For some of our guests, this means indulging in hours of quiet relaxation while soaking in the thermal baths and detoxing in the saunas. Other guests come for an enriching culinary experience and to sample the bounty of the Buendner Herrschaft wine region. Still, other guests prefer a more active retreat that includes hiking, bicycle tours, or winter sports such as skiing. This is their personal sanctuary, and our goal is to help them depart feeling completely rejuvenated.
What makes your property a beautiful escape for a body and mind recharge?
Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is nestled amidst the foothills of the Alps in a charming small town surrounded by natural wonders in every direction. The mountain scenery is breathtaking, and it also provides additional privacy for the estimated 77-acre resort. Our guests can really disconnect and slow down. It’s total serenity no matter the season.
Can you share any transformative stories or testimonials from guests who visited your property?
There are too many stories to choose one. I have heard time and again that the resort feels like a second home to our guests. We try to make them feel like they are an extension of the resort’s family too, and I enjoy taking the time to chat with each visitor — even if it’s just for five minutes.
Why do you think the experience you offer is so needed nowadays?
As a society, we are growing more aware of our health and open to different wellness philosophies, such as prevention. People want to take care of themselves, but they want it to be easy. At Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, wellness is woven so seamlessly into the guest experience that it sometimes goes unnoticed.
It’s also rare to find the access to medical professionals and treatments that we offer in a comfortable resort environment. Sometimes we have a guest undergoing treatments or rehabilitation, and they must stay with us for an extended period of time. We have created a haven for these guests and their families amidst the foothills of the Alps.
Do you think travel enhances our mindfulness, optimism, or sense of gratitude? How? Can you please explain with an example or story?
Absolutely, travel gives us the opportunity to learn about different cultures and immerse ourselves in different parts of the world. Even through my interactions with our guests, I find that I’m learning with each new meeting. I also have gratitude for the people working behind the scenes in the travel industry — at hotels, restaurants, tour operators — they are making the real magic happen.
What are your “5 Habits You Should Develop In Order Make Travel Into An Opportunity For Wellness & Personal Growth?”
1 . When I travel, it is particularly important to me that I find time for myself and manage to leave everyday life behind me for a few hours. This includes, above all, withdrawing from the digital world as much as possible and trying to be more in the here and now instead of looking at screens. This also means leaving my cell phone in the drawer at breakfast or dinner.
2 . I also pay particular attention to the subject of sleep. We are often too little aware that around a third of our lives consist of sleep. I need around 8 hours of sleep to feel healthy and rested in the morning. I also always try to keep my rhythm as consistent as possible. Taking a break from the digital world before bed has helped wonders.
3 . I love it when I can fully immerse myself in the culture of the destination when traveling. For me, traveling is not about finding a culture I know, but rather about broadening my horizons and meeting people who have a completely different perspective on their lives. Traveling is the time to remember that you don’t have to and can’t answer all the questions of life alone. In today’s world, we have the incredible privilege of connecting with more people than has ever been the case in history. We should use this privilege to make the world a better place.
4 . As a hotelier, the environment and the careful use of resources are important to me. I fear we have let the voice of nature go unheard for too long. While there have been some positive developments in our industry to adopt greener practices, it will still be a major challenge for current and future generations to keep the planet in balance. I like to travel to destinations that consciously emphasize sustainability, and I can experience this as a guest in a special way. It makes a difference when I know, for example, that the vegetables come from local farmers instead of being imported from a far-off place.
5 . The last decisive factor, I think, is the point of personalized wellness and individual selfcare. At the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, we also dedicate ourselves to this topic in a special way. The wellness guest of tomorrow does not want to have to choose from a variety of options, but they expect a program tailored to their needs so that their individual health can be addressed. It’s great that with the technology we have available today, we can make a decisive contribution to ensuring that our guests have a unique wellness experience.
Based on your experience, where do you see the future of wellness travel heading in the next 5–10 years?
In the future, it will no doubt become easier to carry out genetic tests. This will enable us to create an even more targeted wellness offer. At the same time, however, this also means that global competition will increase. Exclusive and personal selfcare will therefore remain a decisive factor in wellness tourism.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why?
If the opportunity arises, I would like to meet Brad Pitt for breakfast in my hotel. I would love to know how he stays so youthful looking, and I want to learn his health regimen so I can copy it for myself. He must be living a very healthy and nutritionally conscious lifestyle.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
The Grand Resort Bad Ragaz website, www.resortragaz.ch, and our social media channels are the best way for readers to see what exciting events and guest experiences are coming up.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com .
