Vera-Anna Becattini is the spa manager at Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa, Switzerland. In her role, she combines a strong background in business and management with a deep passion for health, movement, spa, beauty, and holistic wellbeing. After completing her training as an industrial management assistant, she pursued numerous qualifications in the fields of health and movement, including certifications as a fitness trainer, yoga and Pilates instructor, as well as in rehabilitation and orthopedics.
For the past seven years, she has been working in Switzerland’s five-star luxury hotel industry, consistently bringing her passion for holistic wellbeing into the world of luxury hospitality. For her, a spa is no longer simply a place for treatments and relaxation, but a holistic experience that brings together movement, regeneration, nutrition, nature, mental balance, and beauty.
This philosophy also shapes her work in the further development and expansion of the holistic “Moving Mountains” concept, which focuses on sustainable wellbeing and individually tailored health experiences. Her work and commitment to creating exceptional spa experiences have received several awards, including the DACH Spa Award 2023, the SPA Star Special Award 2026, as well as a Vogue Top 100 recommendation worldwide.
For Becattini, these awards are above all a confirmation of a personal philosophy: to give a little more every day than what is simply expected. With curiosity, passion, and a strong sensitivity to people, she creates experiences that go beyond traditional luxury and bring health, beauty, and wellbeing together in a lasting and meaningful way.
What does wellness mean to you?
For me, wellness means much more than a visit to a spa for a treatment. Wellness is a way of life connected to taking conscious responsibility for our own health and understanding that sustainable wellbeing begins with ourselves. It is about continually bringing body, mind, and soul back into balance and being mindful of what truly makes us feel good and what we need. For me, this includes regular exercise, fresh air and spending time in nature, a modern and balanced approach to nutrition, restorative sleep, conscious breathing, and also the ability to consciously allow ourselves time to pause and recharge.
What are your favorite things to do to maintain your personal wellbeing?
Movement and nature are essential parts of my life. I love being outdoors, hiking, practicing Pilates or yoga, and using conscious breathing to reconnect with myself and truly be present in the moment.
Equally important to me are small beauty and self-care rituals, good food, and moments when I consciously allow myself to do nothing and simply recharge. I believe that wellbeing does not come from a few big measures, but rather from many small, positive choices we make in our everyday lives.
Is there a specific fitness activity that you love and why?
Definitely Pilates and yoga. For me, both are much more than just forms of physical exercise. They combine strength, flexibility, body awareness, and breath, creating a special balance between the outer and inner self.
I see Pilates almost as a reorganization of the body. Through precise and mindful movements, posture, stability, and movement patterns are realigned. Combined with conscious breathing, it also creates a pathway from the outside in, moving away from simply functioning and towards being more aware, present, and connected to the body. Yoga complements this beautifully for me. It creates space, connects movement and breath, and brings body and mind back into harmony.
What I love about both disciplines is that you can continually rediscover and get to know your own body. It’s not just about building strength or becoming more flexible. It’s about posture, presence, inner strength, and ultimately developing a deeper awareness of your body—and that connection is what I find particularly valuable.
What is your favorite healthy food, and do you have a favorite way of preparing it?
I love fresh, Mediterranean, uncomplicated, and above all, honest food. I particularly enjoy colorful bowls or simple plates featuring a variety of vegetables, fresh herbs, avocado, nuts, and seeds—freshly prepared, full of flavor, and without unnecessary complexity.
For me, healthy nutrition starts with the quality and origin of the food. I want to know what is on my plate and where it comes from. For me, that means choosing seasonal and preferably natural, minimally processed ingredients, with the occasional fresh fish or a good piece of organic meat from our favorite local farmer.
Healthy eating should never mean deprivation. Quite the opposite: food is pleasure, joy, and energy. I love the Mediterranean philosophy of “La vita è bella,” taking the time to enjoy food together and, every now and then, simply letting go of all the rules.
What is your favorite healthy beverage (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), and do you have any insider tips for preparing it?
As simple as it sounds: water. I love it enhanced with fresh mint, lemon, cucumber, berries, or herbs—refreshing, natural, and uncomplicated. Tea in all its varieties is also an essential part of a perfect wellness day for me. Depending on the time of day and my mood, it can energize, warm, calm, or simply create a small moment to pause and be mindful.
And despite all the focus on health and wellbeing, there should always be room for enjoyment. I would definitely never say no to a well-chilled matcha latte on a hot summer day. For me, that is also what wellness is about: consciously choosing what makes you feel good and then enjoying it with all your senses.
What person in wellness do you most admire and why?
I am particularly inspired by people who take a holistic approach to wellness, remain curious about new scientific findings, and at the same time never lose sight of people and nature.
I find it especially fascinating to see personalities who connect movement, nutrition, mental health, regeneration, beauty, and longevity. Wellness can and should be scientifically grounded, but for me, it should always feel human, authentic, and intuitive as well.
One person who impresses me in this context is Margot Esser from PHARMOS NATUR. In one of her talks, she summed up an idea that really resonates with me in a very simple way: “No compromises, 100 percent pure nature.”
I find this kind of consistency inspiring. Rather than following every new trend, it is about standing by a clear philosophy and trusting in the power and intelligence of nature. For me, this is where it becomes truly fascinating: combining ancient knowledge with modern insights, nature with science, effectiveness with mindfulness. And ultimately, it always comes back to the individual and their personal sense of wellbeing.
What is the best piece of wellness advice you have ever received and from whom?
Two sentences have stayed with me for many years: “Listen to your body” and “The cell needs to swim.” The latter was shared with me by a doctor friend from Zurich, and precisely because it is so simple and visual, it has stayed with me to this day.
Our body is constantly communicating with us. It tells us when we need movement and when we need rest, when we need sleep, nourishing food, enough fluids, fresh air, or simply a moment to pause and take a conscious breath.
“The cell needs to swim” always reminds me of something very fundamental: staying well hydrated and making sure our body gets enough fluids. Something so simple is surprisingly easy to forget in everyday life.
For me, the real art lies in becoming aware of the signals our body sends us, taking them seriously, and not constantly overriding them. Because very often, we intuitively know exactly what is good for us. We simply have to learn to listen again.
What do you think is the most exciting wellness innovation you have recently discovered?
I find the development towards personalized wellness and longevity particularly exciting.
Modern diagnostics enable us to tailor movement, recovery, nutrition, and beauty much more individually to each person. What excites me most is the combination of high-tech and high-touch. Technology provides us with valuable insights, but the individual, their needs, and personalized care remain at the center. I believe this is also the future of luxury wellness.
What is your idea of balanced healthy happiness?
Being active without constantly trying to optimize yourself. Eating healthily without losing the joy of good food. Working with passion while also knowing when it is time to switch off. For me, balance also means being able to enjoy a beautiful evening or a good meal without feeling guilty. Health should enrich our lives, not control them.
What do you think is the most overused word or words in wellness?
Detox. Our body has fascinating natural mechanisms for regulating and balancing itself. Rather than constantly talking about needing to “detox” the body, I prefer the idea of supporting it in the best possible way. With high-quality nutrition, sufficient water, regular movement, restorative sleep, fresh air, and enough time for recovery, we already create an excellent foundation for our body to function at its best.
Do you have a secret health or wellness tip you would like to share?
Breathe and drink tea.
It sounds almost too simple, but it is incredibly underrated. A few conscious, deep breaths can change how we feel within just a few minutes. They bring us out of the constant flow of thoughts and back into the present moment. And sometimes, that is exactly the break we need.
My personal tip: go outside, consciously leave your smartphone behind, take a 10-minute walk, breathe deeply, and then enjoy a good cup of tea.
Sometimes you do not need a complicated wellness program or even an hour of free time. Fresh air, a little movement, conscious breathing, and a warm cup of tea can already make a surprisingly big difference.
For me, this is perhaps the simplest form of wellness: step away for a moment, breathe, reconnect, and drink tea.
What is your favorite place for a healthy vacation or escape?
Ideally, somewhere where water, mountains, and plenty of greenery come together.
Water has an incredibly calming effect on me, and at the same time, it symbolizes the flow of life: movement, change, and the ability to simply let things flow.
The mountains, on the other hand, have a very special energy for me. The clear air, the sense of space, and the silence, combined with the physical movement of hiking, create a feeling of freedom and grounding that is almost impossible to recreate artificially.
And then there is the green of nature: forests, meadows, and plants. For me, these are places where you almost automatically breathe more deeply, slow down, and reconnect with yourself.
I think we sometimes underestimate how beneficial these natural elements are for us. Nature is one of the most beautiful and powerful wellness spaces of all, and probably one of the most luxurious, too.
Is there a particular wellness company or brand that truly impresses you with their efforts and why?
I am inspired by brands that do not view beauty and wellbeing superficially, but instead understand the person as a whole. A wonderful example of this for me is PHARMOS NATUR. I am particularly fascinated by concepts that combine the power of nature with scientific knowledge, high-quality active ingredients, sustainability, and meaningful rituals. For me, it is not only about what we put on our skin, but also about what a treatment awakens within us and how we feel afterwards.
A high-quality product alone does not create an exceptional wellness experience. What really matters is the philosophy, the values, and the ritual behind it—the conscious touch, the fragrance, the textures, the sense of calm, and the feeling of being able to focus completely on yourself for a moment.
When a treatment not only cares for the skin, but also touches you emotionally, helps you slow down, and creates a lasting sense of wellbeing, that is what true holistic beauty and wellness means to me.
What is your favorite self-care routine?
My evening beauty ritual. Consciously cleansing my skin, applying high-quality skincare, and taking a few minutes to do so is much more than just skincare for me. It is also a small transition ritual from an active day into a state of calm. Especially in the evening, I think it is important not to see beauty as a chore, but as a gentle and mindful way of taking care of yourself.
What is your go-to for de-stressing?
Movement in nature. Hiking, fresh mountain air, conscious breathing, and the vastness of the landscape help me quickly switch off and gain perspective. Pilates and yoga are also wonderful ways for me to get out of my head and reconnect with my body.
What aspect of your wellbeing do you struggle with the most, or would most like to improve?
Protecting intentional time to pause and recharge more consistently. When you work with passion and carry responsibility, it can sometimes be harder to truly switch off than to simply take on one more task. That is why I am becoming increasingly conscious of not seeing recovery as a reward for having finished all my work but as an essential part of a healthy and high-performing life. For me, this is also an important aspect of modern longevity.
What wellness-related books or authors do you recommend, and why?
I am particularly interested in authors and books that explore the connection between movement, breathing, sleep, nutrition, mental health, and longevity. I value scientifically grounded content that can also be easily integrated into everyday life. Because even the best wellness insight is of little value if it cannot be put into practice in daily life.
What brings you joy?
Nature. Water, whether it is the sea or a lake, it does not really matter. Plenty of sunshine. The mountains. Movement and fresh air. A good Pilates or yoga session, wonderful and healthy food, beauty and little rituals, inspiring conversations, and above all, time with the people who matter to me. All of these are things that bring me joy and energy.
But what I love most are the small, often completely unspectacular moments when there is nothing to improve, organize, or achieve.
A mountain panorama. Walking barefoot along the water. Taking a deep breath. Feeling the sun on your face. Enjoying a good meal in great company. A moment of silence. Simply sitting, looking around, and enjoying the moment.
Perhaps that is one of the most beautiful forms of quality of life for me: not always looking for the next special moment, but recognizing it when it is already there. For me, that is what modern luxury is all about: time, freedom, and the ability to be fully present in the moment and truly enjoy it.
Read here for more on the Moving Mountains concept.
