The Karlovy Vary City Hall will convene a discussion on the future of Elizabeth's Baths

Karlovy Vary – The city of Karlovy Vary will call for a public discussion on the future of the Elizabeth Spa. Two potential buyers are interested in the loss-making city spa. The Hilton hotel chain would like to build a hotel there. The second interested party, Grandhotel Pupp, would maintain the spa services and offer them to surrounding hotels. On the other hand, there are also opponents of the sale of the Elizabeth Spa in the city. According to Mayor Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová (ANO), it is appropriate for everyone to hear the widest possible range of arguments before the councilors decide on the final option, she told reporters today. The debate is expected to take place at the beginning of October.

"On October 8, we would like to convene an extraordinary council meeting with public participation. We anticipate it will take place at the National House from 4:00 PM, allowing the general public the opportunity to attend the council meeting and primarily listen to all possible options regarding the Elizabeth Spa. Because this is not just a proposal for sale or lease, but there is still the intention to keep the Elizabeth Spa. It just needs to be considered that the Elizabeth Spa is really not financially viable," Pfeffer Ferklová stated.

The city leadership wants to invite representatives of employees, doctors who have practices at the Elizabeth Spa, and representatives of potential investors. The town hall would also like representatives from the Croatian city of Opatija, where the Hilton chain has also entered, to attend.

At the September council meeting, both interested parties, Hilton and Pupp, presented their proposals for utilizing the Elizabeth Spa. Both plans involve the need for massive investments of around one billion crowns. And both proposals also involve the purchase of the historic spa. They differ in that Hilton plans to complete the rear wing, where a new, modern hotel would be created, while Pupp is banking on the idea that in the future, several smaller hotels will stop offering spa services on their premises and will need to offer these services elsewhere, perhaps at the Elizabeth Spa.

The Elizabeth Spa is a joint-stock company fully owned by the city. However, the city annually allocates 20 million crowns just to maintain operations, primarily for the salaries of about forty employees. There is no money left for necessary repairs or modernization investments. As a result, the Elizabeth Spa has accumulated losses of over 100 million crowns.

According to the mayor, it is therefore necessary to decide as soon as possible what to do with the spa. As she said today in response to a question from ČTK, it would be good if a decision could be reached by the beginning of next year at the latest.