Teja Lele
21-Aug-2026
At Chenot Espace in Montenegro's One&Only Portonovi, wellness begins not with a massage, but with a diagnosis.
No matter how many times you see it, you can’t look away from Boka Bay. Mountains ring the water, medieval towns cling to the shoreline, and the colour of the sea shifts from silver grey to deep blue as the sun rises in the sky.
At One&Only Portonovi, that landscape isn't just a backdrop; it’s what sets the pace.
Opened in 2021 as the brand's first European resort, the property occupies 60 acres at the entrance to the UNESCO-protected bay. Apart from the quietly luxurious property, the biggest draw is Chenot Espace, the first Chenot facility within a One&Only resort and one that challenges almost everything you expect from a luxury spa.
Most spa stays begin with a treatment. Here, they begin with questions.
Before anyone reaches for massage oils, there's a detailed series of assessments designed to understand how your body is functioning. The Chenot Method®, developed over five decades by French wellness pioneer Henri Chenot, combines modern diagnostics with principles inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine. The aim? To help guests unwind, sure, but also to identify where the body needs support and build a programme around those findings.
“From the very first moment, our focus is on understanding the person in front of us,” says Katarina Roso, Spa Director at One&Only Portonovi. “Not from a medical or reactive perspective, but through prevention and optimisation. We look at how the body can function better, and feel lighter, energised, and aligned.”
The process begins with Chenot Lifestyle Biomarkers®, a series of assessments that measure metabolic efficiency, body composition, stress levels, recovery capacity, and biological ageing indicators.
“These assessments are the foundation of everything we do,” Roso says. “They show us where the body needs support and where we can make the biggest difference. Treatments, nutrition, movement and lifestyle advice are then adapted to the individual.”
For all its medical precision, Chenot Espace doesn't feel clinical. Spread across 4,000 square metres, the spa is calm without being austere. Instead of the sterile minimalism associated with high-end wellness centres, it showcases natural stone, warm timber, and soft lighting. There are 28 treatment rooms, hydrotherapy facilities, saunas, a hammam, an indoor pool and a well-equipped fitness space, while yoga sessions, outdoor pools, and tennis courts make the most of the stunning bay.
My first encounter with the Chenot Method came through one of its signature lymphatic drainage treatments. The therapist's movements were slow and feather-light; the pressure seemed barely there. But by the end of the session, I felt noticeably lighter.
That treatment is only one part of a much broader approach. Hydrotherapy is used to stimulate circulation, cryotherapy supports recovery, IV therapies deliver nutrients directly into the bloodstream, while ozone therapy, acupuncture, neuro-acoustic relaxation and bioenergetic treatments each play a different role within the programme.
“Each treatment has its role, but the real magic happens in how they work together,” Roso says. “The Chenot Diet®, hydrotherapy, manual treatments and bioenergetic therapies are interconnected. As the days go by, guests begin to feel the difference: energy becomes steadier, the mind feels clearer, and recovery improves. There's a sense that the body is finally working with you, not against you.”
Food is also part of the treatment. The Chenot Diet® is designed to create a fasting-like physiological state that supports the body's natural detoxification and cellular renewal. Meals aren't an optional wellness extra but an integral part of the programme, and doctors, nutritionists and therapists work together to ensure every recommendation augments the results of individual assessments.
Longevity sits at the heart of the Chenot philosophy. Rather than treating ageing as inevitable, the programme looks at the biological processes behind it and where lifestyle changes or targeted therapies might slow them down.
“First, we show guests the data,” Roso says. “We look at markers such as oxidative stress or vascular health and explain what they mean in a simple, human way. It helps people understand where they are today.”
The numbers matter, but they're rarely what guests remember.
“What convinces them is how they feel,” she says. “When someone tells me they're sleeping deeply again, that their mind feels clearer or they have energy they haven't had in years, that's when it all makes sense.”
That, perhaps, is what sets Chenot apart from many destination spas. The goal isn't to send guests home feeling pampered; it's to send them home with a better understanding of their own health.
“What I always emphasise is that this doesn't end when guests leave,” Roso says. “During their stay, we help the body reconnect with its natural intelligence. Just as importantly, we give people the tools to continue taking care of themselves once they're back home.”
The philosophy extends beyond the treatment rooms. While Chenot Espace is the reason many guests come to Portonovi, the resort encourages a slower pace that complements the programme.
The 113 rooms, suites and villas are designed to draw the eye towards the bay. Restaurants range from Riviera-inspired Italian cuisine to contemporary Japanese dishes, and local produce is the star of all menus.
The setting also invites exploration. Medieval towns such as Perast and Kotor are within easy reach, boats criss-cross Boka Bay, and Montenegro's mountains and national parks are not far.
There is no shortage of luxury spas promising transformation; in fact, many promise quick fixes and instant results. Chenot takes a quieter approach. It starts by asking questions, measures what it finds, then builds a programme around the answers.
But what I took back wasn't one treatment or a single diagnostic test. It was the feeling that, for a few days, someone had looked at my health as a whole rather than as a collection of symptoms.
I left with more than a sense of being pampered while on vacation. I left understanding myself a little better—and with the tools to carry that feeling home.
All Image credits: One&Only Portonovi
