Karlovy Vary want to sell the Elizabeth Spa

Karlovy Vary - Karlovy Vary will likely rent out or sell the Alžbětiny lázně, which is managed by a joint-stock company of the same name owned by the city. The spa operations, which once served numerous entities, are losing clients because hotels and sanatoria in Karlovy Vary are building their own spa facilities. In recent years, Alžbětiny lázně have reported losses, and the city no longer wants to subsidize them, said Deputy Mayor Petr Keřka to CTK today.
    The fate of the city spa must be decided by the end of this year, also because the city is beginning construction of a large swimming complex. This means that Alžbětiny lázně and their pool will lose more visitors. According to preliminary calculations, it is already clear that admission to the new pool at the multifunctional arena will be up to half lower than at Alžbětiny lázně, Keřka noted. "The cheaper operation will allow the use of waste heat from the adjacent arena," he stated.
    The city does not want to subsidize Alžbětiny lázně also because it is concerned about a possible negative reaction from private spa service providers in Karlovy Vary, who do not receive subsidies from the municipality. According to Keřka, the antimonopoly office could challenge the town hall for illegal business support. "The sale of the spa is the last solution. However, it is necessary to realize that the building in its current form is outdated," he observed.
    The company Alžbětiny lázně has been operating at a loss since 2006, when it recorded a loss of about 2.7 million crowns. In 2007, the loss was 915,000 crowns and in 2008 around 946,000 crowns. They also anticipate a loss for the past year. In addition to the crisis, the opening of the spa facility in the Thermal hotel will impact this. Consequently, the company’s revenues have dropped by about 40 percent. According to Keřka, Alžbětiny lázně are unable to invest in necessary repairs and renovations.
    In Karlovy Vary, there is still a purely functional building with spa facilities, Lázně III, which has been leased by the company Veso from the city for several years. They recently obtained a preemptive right for it. Other mono-functional buildings of this type in Karlovy Vary have ceased to serve their original purposes. Lázně I (Imperial) has been empty for years, Lázně VI has been demolished and replaced by a residential building, and from Lázně IV a shopping center has emerged.