Alžbětiny lázně want to attract guests for short stays

Karlovy Vary – The Elizabeth Spa in Karlovy Vary wants to target its offer at guests who come for two-day or three-day stays. ČTK was told this by the mayor of Karlovy Vary, Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová (ANO). The city is also seeking grants for the gradual reconstruction of the spa building. According to the opposition, however, the leadership of Karlovy Vary is just stagnating and the condition of the spa is still deteriorating.

"It is clear that if we are focused on becoming part of the UNESCO World Heritage, we will start attracting people who will come for shorter stays. We do not want one-day stays, but we would like two to three nights. And for those hotels, there are usually no places offered; they focus on longer stays," stated Pfeffer Ferklová.

And precisely for tourists who want to try spa care, the services of the Elizabeth Spa would be ideal, according to the mayor. The city-owned company's operations, which the city had to support this month with an amount of 3.8 million, to make payroll, have been chronically loss-making. One reason is that the services for health insurance clients are unprofitable for the Elizabeth Spa. Therefore, the Elizabeth Spa wants to limit them.

The main problem of these spas is their technical condition. Repairs would require 400 to 700 million crowns. The plan of the former city leadership for a concession process that would bring a private investor and operator to the Elizabeth Spa was rejected by the current leadership of Karlovy Vary.

According to the mayor, funds from the government program Restart could be utilized if an agreement could be reached to open a branch of the West Bohemian University in Karlovy Vary. The Elizabeth Spa could then serve as a training location for balneology fields.

"We could have been in the project design phase today, but we are still at square one. A specific model for what will be done with the Elizabeth Spa has not been proposed," said opposition councilor and former mayor Petr Kulhánek (KOA) at the council meeting.