Babiš: The pools in Thermals should be opened after the repair on Thursday

Karlovy Vary – The reconstructed pools of the state-owned Thermal hotel, which were supposed to open to the public today during Prime Minister Andrej Babiš's (ANO) pre-election visit to Karlovy Vary, should be operational by Thursday ahead of the Friday start of the international film festival. Today, Babiš spoke with the hotel's director, who promised him this. He added that he would not attend the Thursday event. The Prime Minister's opponents criticized him today while signing his book, stating that ANO had promised the opening on social media already today.

"Yes, but the situation in the construction market is such that a certain material did not arrive. So it is supposed to be open on Thursday. They are making a tragedy out of it. But it is not a tragedy," he stated. According to the Prime Minister, the state has already invested 600 million CZK into the hotel. He sees it as an iconic landmark for the city. The government decided that Thermal would not be privatized and that the state would keep it in the long term. Now it will start to generate revenue, he stated.

"The entire reconstruction is taking place under very strict conditions and time pressure to finish it. And we can be glad that Thermal is being repaired after so many years. No one has taken care of it for decades," said Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová (ANO), the mayor of Karlovy Vary, who is on the hotel’s board and managed the most prestigious Karlovy Vary hotel, Pupp, for 17 years. In addition to the pool, the rooms on the 10th to 15th floors are also being renovated, and according to her, the hotel will gain a higher standard to offer a combination of conference spaces with options for therapy and wellness.

According to the mayor, the saunas near the pool center will open in the fall, and next year, renovations of halls and conference rooms will continue. "The renovation will last until the end of 2022," she added. Pfeffer Ferklová emphasized that it is important for the building to remain state-owned. "The city collaborates very closely with the hotel. We want the large space in front of Thermal to be renovated as well. The locals see it as very important," she said.

According to former governor and MP Jana Mračková Vildumetzová (ANO), the pool, closed for at least six years, is an icon for both the city and the region. "This is the best view of Karlovy Vary," she said. The region or the city should definitely not pay for the renovation. "And mainly, operating the outdoor pool is not a wholly profitable venture. The state found a company, Saunia, which will operate it and pay rent of one million crowns per month, which is not insignificant," she stated. The contract is for 15 years with an option for another 15 years. The region, the city, and the Prime Minister are now working to ensure that locals, seniors, and families with children have discounted admission to the unique pool with thermal water.

Babiš's visit to Karlovy Vary angered the mayor of neighboring Františkovy Lázně, Jan Kučer (STAN), who called for protests on social media. He was supported by local representatives of the Million Moments movement. "Today we decided to go to Thermal. Both Mrs. (Finance Minister Alena) Schillerová and the former governor announced that it is finished and ready. But just to be sure, we brought a bucket of water and spray guns," said Ondřej Bednář from Million Moments humorously. "If I see the roughly 200 policemen around us and if the campaign is financed like his business, I really don't like it," Kučer told ČTK. According to him, people should not forget how the Prime Minister treated the Karlovy Vary region throughout the pandemic. "We were the worst, he blocked us here with the army and police," he said.