Germany’s social security system has a long history and its efficiency is legend. In 1998, total expenditure for social security was about DM 1,272 billion. Just under one third of this was accounted for by pension insurance and one fifth by statutory health insurance. The system is financed both by employees and employers. Both sides pay about 20% of the employees income into the social security system.

Health insurance (Krankenversicherung). Nearly everyone in the Federal Republic of Germany has health insurance, whether as compulsory or voluntary members of the statutory health insurance scheme (90 percent of the population) or through private insurance. Under the statutory scheme, insurance is compulsory for all employees up to a certain income level. Voluntary insurance is possible under certain circumstances. The statutory system also covers pensioners, the unemployed, trainees and students, subject to certain conditions. Employees are insured through their respective local, company or guild health insurance fund or through one of the substitute health insurance funds. They are free to choose their health insurance fund regardless of their occupation. In the case of company and guild funds, however, outsiders may only be insured if the respective fund’s by-laws provide for this. There are also special health insurance funds for certain occupational groups, such as the seamen’s, miners’ or farmers’ funds. All insured persons have a free choice of panel doctors and dentists. They pay half of the health insurance contributions, and their employers pay the other half. In 1999, the average contribution rate was 13.6 percent for Germany as a whole.

The health insurance fund pays the cost of medical and dental treatment, drugs and medicines, etc. as well as hospitalization and preventive health care. It pays all or part of the cost of necessary curative treatment at a spa. In the event of sickness, employees receive their full wages from their employer for up to six weeks. Some collective agreements provide for a longer period. After that, the statutory health insurance fund provides sickness benefits for up to 78 weeks.Being a member of either of the insurances mentioned above, everybody has the choice to go to a certain doctor.

Accident insurance (Unfallversicherung). Protection and assistance after accidents at work and in the case of occupational diseases is provided by the statutory accident insurance scheme. In Germany, all employees and farmers are insured by law against accidents. Other self-employed people can join the insurance scheme voluntarily. Students, schoolchildren and children in day-care establishments are also covered.

“Follow theses steps and you prevent disappointment”
Since years the Wellness Industry experiences an upswing. The Baby-boomer wants to stay young, healthy and happy. A Wellness vacation is for this often a step into the right direction. Why not just take the time of a two week ease and escape the everyday life? Clearly, it is very pleasant to be able to be spoiled and refuelled with new energy.

But what if the Secret Resorts, also considered as Wellness Hotels, do not obtain the desired effect? What if you get a lousy bathtub instead of a Wellness Park? Nothing deceives more than brochures, intelligently selected words and empty promises.

Smart is who goes here safe and ensures whether the focused hotel offers really everything you expect. Finally you want to refuel new energy not new stress, right?

This four part checklist is a step-by-step guidance of how you select and find the best Secret Resorts in Germany and experience the highest possible relaxation.

Step 1 - Environment

Some of those so called ‘Top Secret Resorts’ are located at main streets - with tons of traffic of cars and trucks. If so, it doesn’t matter how beautiful the 'paradise' within the hotel is. The silence, fresh air and thus the relaxation is ruined. Day in and day out you are annoyed that you pay lots of money for noise and dirt.

Naturally you do not see that in most brochures. In the brochures you find the most beautiful pictures of the respective hotel. If the hotel is located at a main street with lots of traffic, it will show you photos of the rear garden, in order to divert you from their disadvantage.

It is understandably heavy to carry and place the hotel on another place in the village or just around the corner. It was built on that place. Period. Therefore you get to see the best possible pictures, because they want to attract as many customers as possible.

The real TOP placed Secret Resorts don’t have to stand for that.

But for heavens sake how now do you find out whether the hotel is positioned at a strongly frequented road or not?

Ask for the layout plan!

Exactly, ask the tour operator (or the travel agent) for a layout plan. The Travel agent may look funny or even angry at you, but it doesn’t concern his but your own vacation and your own deep relaxation! Thus you have the right to go surely that the hotel was built on a quiet place/area.

What if the travel agent stays stubborn and doesn’t want to show or procure you a layout plan of the hotel area?

Then ask for the local map. If he does not have one (which is probable), it is definitely possible to get one from the prospective Secret Resorts. At least by fax!

Yes, in my whole career I have never seen it happen that a good visited wellness hotel has NOT a map for travel directions to itself.

Anyway, this city plan finally gives you detailed information on where exactly the hotel is located. You make sure however that the plan does not only show a mini cut-out, but also the large environment.

What if you just get a mini cut-out?

Frankly, every day I experience our 'service desert' on earth and I am very annoyed about it. Do you know our service desert? By that I mean that only few understand something about customer service. Sometimes you see humans who react badly and disappointing, when you want something from them. Here I use gladly the quotation 'attention, customer threatens with order!' : -) And sometimes you must settle something on your own fist.

Anyway, ask for the entire address (street, city, URL) and do a research on the Internet by yourself! With the URL of the Secret Resorts you look with *impartial* eyes throughout the sites of the hotels to find the information you are looking for.

With street and city in your hand you go to an online route planner or city map. On the Internet there are free route planners. Some of them work international. When you selected yourself a few Secret Resorts in which you want to dip more deeply, go to these route planners and examine where exactly the hotels are. Make sure that you have the correct address and find the exact layout plan of the respective Secret Resorts.

It should not be directly at a through road. It is better, if it is at or in the proximity of a forest or at the outskirts of a town.

If you however have problems to find those maps and directions with your favourite route planner, go to Samrt Travel Germany and sign up for my free Special Report. I show you step-by-step how you can use our German route planners and our travel information portal of German Rail (without any German language skill). You will have a quite comfortable way to find your most wanted Secret Resorts. And I am telling you, you will LOVE my videos :-)