Innovative medical health resort Lanserhof Sylt will open in 2022 on a German island famous for its healing climate and restorative sea air. Jenny Southan reports
Located in the Frisian archipelago in the North Sea, the island of Sylt has become known as the “Hamptons of Germany”, suggesting that the coastal enclave is emerging as a popular destination for wealthy urbanites escaping from the city much in the way that the Hamptons on New York State’s Long Island has.
Cementing its status in this respect, the forthcoming Lanserhof Sylt, which was designed by Christophe Ingenhoven, will be be Europe’s most expensive resort at €120 million.
Features include 55 rooms and suites that sit beneath thatched roofs, and two interconnected saltwater indoor and outdoor pools, complete with a counter-current system and five-story freestanding spiral staircase.
Constructed using entirely sustainable, “non-emitting” materials, Lanserhof Sylt takes inspiration from local Frisian houses that typically feature glass, wood and thatch.
“Natural, curved shapes mirror the island’s sand dunes, while a pared-back aesthetic featuring wood, earthen tones and organic materials allows the magnificent setting to take centre-stage,” reads a statement.
Lanserhof says that a continuous glass facade will “give the impression that the thatched roof floats above, giving the property a weightless character that blends seamlessly into the rolling dunes and landscape beyond”.
Guest rooms start from 39 sqm in size and come with their own private balconies cut into the thatched roof of the building. Some rooms also feature beds with innovative FreshBed technology “to ensure the perfect night’s sleep”, in addition to a unique, “human-centric” lighting concept to “keep guests in harmony with the natural biorhythm”.
Five years in the making, the property will finally open its doors in spring 2022, adopting the Lanserhof brand’s signature approach that combines “cutting-edge diagnostics with natural healing methods”.
The Sylt programme will be overseen by medical director and cardiologist Dr Jan Stritzke, a specialist in cardiological rehabilitation for acute and chronic illnesses. Services will include medical consultations, individual therapies, MRI and CT scans.
Rates at Lanserhof Sylt will start from €7,120 for a seven-night “Lanserhof Cure Classic”. This includes a medical examination, urine analysis, reflexology massages, detox drainage, electrocardiogram, medical lectures and cultural evenings. 
Dr Jan Stritzke says: “At Lanserhof Sylt, the magic of a new beginning can not only be felt but experienced. Surrounded by the unique and ever-present nature of Sylt, the new health resort awaits guests in a place where modern, flowing and natural architecture radiates tranquillity and at the same time combines modern cutting-edge medicine with the help of state-of-the-art equipment and alternative naturopathy.
“The natural and traditional combined with the new and modern are thus reflected in both the architecture of the resort and at the same time in the medical concept. This is something very unique. For this new Lanserhof experience we have built a great team of physicians, therapists, sports and nutrition scientists and beauticians. I can’t wait to introduce it to our guests.”
Sylt is located northwest of the mainland and is reachable by air via Düsseldorf year-round. With just 15,000 inhabitants, Sylt has 40km of sandy beach and three shifting sand dunes, the only ones left in all of Germany.
Set on UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Wadden Sea, Sylt is home to some of the Europe’s most amazing flora and fauna – whale watching is possible during the summer months, while harbour porpoises can be spotted off the coast year-round.