Terme Preistoriche Resort & Spa: A Wellness Retreat in Montegrotto Terme

Interview with Angela Stoppato, CEO of Terme Preistoriche Resort & Spa

Just a few kilometres from Padua and Venice, in the heart of the Euganean Hills, Terme Preistoriche Resort & Spa has for decades stood as a benchmark of excellence within the international thermal hospitality sector. A hotel deeply rooted in a strong family tradition, the property has, in recent years, embarked on an ambitious programme of redevelopment and repositioning under the entrepreneurial vision of Angela Stoppato.

As part of this transformation, the Resort began a successful design collaboration with Apostoli Wellness Creators in 2017, resulting in the creation of the holistic Neró Spa, where art, wellness and local culture converge; the sustainable Green Lodges, zero-emission suites immersed in nature; and, most recently, the new Therapy Department.

It is a journey rooted in the traditions of thermal hospitality while looking firmly towards the future of the sector. Together with Angela Stoppato, CEO of Terme Preistoriche Resort & Spa, we retrace the key stages of this profound transformation.

 

1) Angela, Terme Preistoriche Resort & Spa is considered an institution within the thermal spa landscape of the Euganean Hills. Could you briefly tell us the story behind this remarkable destination?

Terme Preistoriche was founded in the early twentieth century through the initiative of Agostino Braggion. Since then, the property has remained within the family: today, my brother and I represent the fourth generation at its helm. For us, this continuity is not merely a matter of lineage, but the expression of a deep-rooted connection with this land, its thermal waters and its healing mud. Over the decades, the resort has grown and evolved, yet the guiding principle has always remained the same: thermal therapy as a heritage to preserve while continually reinterpreting it for contemporary practice

2) Today, the concept of wellness carries a far deeper meaning than it once did, embracing a holistic vision that involves not only the body, but also the mind and spirit. How has Terme Preistoriche Resort & Spa translated this evolution into an experience that responds to guests’ new wellness expectations?

We believe that today’s guest is no longer simply seeking a treatment, but rather an experience that allows them to reconnect with themselves. For this reason, we have worked across every dimension of the stay: water as the central element, thermal mud as an ancient ritual, but also light, spatial design, and the relationship with the surrounding parkland and nature.

The transformation we initiated in 2019 – the transition from hotel to resort – was precisely about this: reimagining our offering as a journey that brings together care, rest, beauty and a meaningful connection with the local territory. Mind, body and spirit cannot be treated as separate dimensions, and our aim today is to speak to all three simultaneously.

3) The Neró Spa project expresses a profound connection with the local territory, embodying the principle of genius loci. How do you translate the synergy between the Euganean Hills’ thermal tradition and the innovation of contemporary wellness experiences?

Neró, in modern Greek, means “drinking water” – life-giving water. That was our starting point: we wanted to create a spa that celebrated the thermal waters of the Euganean Hills as a primordial and life-giving element. The project’s DNA is built upon three words which, for us, are far more than slogans: water, art and territory.

Art has been physically integrated into the space through the inclusion of an art gallery within the spa itself. The territory, meanwhile, has been interpreted architecturally through materiality: finishes were selected in the tones and textures of thermal mud, elevating an element that here has always represented healing, craftsmanship and identity. This is how the Euganean thermal tradition becomes part of innovation without losing its identity: it forms the foundation upon which innovation is built.

4) Within the evolution of Terme Preistoriche Resort & Spa, what role has the strategic partnership with Apostoli Wellness Creators played?

As I mentioned, our partnership proved strategic from the very beginning, from the first time I met Alberto. Since 2019, the studio has designed all of our major innovation and redevelopment projects: Neró Spa, the Green Lodges and the new Therapy Department. Although very different in nature, the three projects are united by a shared design vision and a strong sensitivity to the spirit of the place.

Having a single creative partner – one that has come to understand our property and values in depth – has enabled us to build a coherent architectural identity throughout the resort.

5) The Green Lodges at Terme Preistoriche Resort & Spa were conceived as a manifesto for zero-emission wellness hospitality, encapsulated in the slogan “make room for nature”. In what ways have the Green Lodges redefined the concept of hospitality at the resort?

There are eight Green Lodges, all constructed entirely from timber, located within the area of the parkland that we have always referred to as “the woods”. To build them, we adopted a system of 160 micropiles – a solution designed to avoid disturbing the roots of the existing trees. The lodges are woven carefully among the trees, embracing them, and three of the lodges quite literally have a tree growing within the structure itself.

It is a delicate balance in which people and nature genuinely coexist – not as a metaphor, but as a conscious architectural and construction choice. “Make room for nature” means precisely that: creating space for the trees before ourselves. It is a philosophy of hospitality that has fundamentally reshaped how we operate, and the way guests experience their stay.

6) At the end of 2025, you inaugurated a new department dedicated to thermal therapies, physiotherapy and rehabilitation. How does this project fit within your vision of the medical wellness segment in spas?

The new Therapy Department stems from the same principle as the Green Lodges: bringing thermal care back into direct contact with nature. For too long, treatment departments have been conceived as purely clinical spaces; we wanted instead to transform them into spaces centred on holistic wellbeing. Large windows, natural light and fresh air all play a central role.

The relaxation area overlooks the mud cultivation pools directly, because the artisanal preparation of thermal mud is a tradition we want to celebrate and make visible, rather than conceal behind the scenes. It is a space where science and nature coexist – and where we remind both ourselves and our guests of something important: thermal therapy is the only natural treatment officially recognised by the Italian National Health Service.

7) The benefits of your treatments are scientifically certified. How important, then, are architecture and design in enhancing the effectiveness of therapies and promoting the wellbeing of those who inhabit these spaces, whether patients or staff?

The benefits of our therapies are certified, and science has already been clear on this. However, anyone who works daily within a structure like ours understands that the environment in which care takes place becomes part of the therapy itself. A room filled with natural light, views onto greenery, materials that feel warm to the touch – all these elements help to reduce physical and mental tension, creating a more receptive state for treatment.

This applies to patients, but equally to those who inhabit these spaces every day – our staff. Working well, in environments designed with care and consideration, has a direct impact on the quality of the service provided. For this reason, our investment in architecture is never purely aesthetic in the strict sense; it is fundamentally connected to wellbeing in its broadest sense.

8) Looking towards the future, could you share any insights into your upcoming design visions and projects?

Ahead of us lies an ambitious masterplan. We are fully aware that we possess assets of exceptional value that deserve to be further developed: our location and our thermal resources place us in a uniquely privileged position. Our direction is twofold: on the one hand, the enhancement of services and the expansion of the resort’s offering; on the other, a stronger and more outward-looking connection with the surrounding territory.

We deeply believe in the Euganean Hills – a landscape rich in natural beauty, culture and gastronomy that remains relatively undiscovered in major international markets, despite its outstanding quality. Our vision is encapsulated in a simple claim: Wellness Your Way. Because there is no single way to experience wellbeing, and we are convinced that the longevity of tomorrow begins with the balance and wellbeing we cultivate today. We want to be the place where every guest can discover their own path to wellbeing.

9) Finally, what has been the most rewarding feedback you have received from guests who have chosen your resort?

Guests greatly appreciate our spaces and the design approach, but – and this is perhaps what pleases us most – they especially value the way we have enabled the historic and the contemporary to coexist, reinterpreting the architectural language of the historic building without betraying its identity. That, for us, is confirmation that we chose the right direction.

Yet the feedback we hear most often, and the one that moves us the most, concerns our staff: their courtesy, attentiveness and the warmth with which they welcome every guest. And in many ways, that brings everything full circle – because every transformation, every project and every stage of growth we have described today ultimately bears the imprint of the people who have chosen to evolve alongside us.

 

 

Angela Stoppato

Initially in the role of Hotel Manager and today as Chief Executive Officer, Angela Stoppato has led the evolution of the family business, Terme Preistoriche Resort & Spa, transforming it from a small enterprise into a medium-sized company. She has overseen this transformation by introducing new processes and innovative strategies, optimising operational efficiency and enhancing the overall guest offering.

As a result of this sustained growth trajectory, between 2019 and 2024, Terme Preistoriche Resort & Spa achieved a 50% increase in revenue, further consolidating its position within the Wellness and Hospitality sector.