The first guests will return to Thermal on March 15, the reconstruction continues

Karlovy Vary – The first guests will be able to stay at the Karlovy Vary hotel Thermal in 60 renovated rooms starting March 15. The hotel, built in the 1970s and owned by the state, is currently closed and undergoing extensive modernization. Finance Minister Alena Schillerová (for ANO) told reporters in Karlovy Vary yesterday that the repairs will not interrupt the July film festival. The hotel is the main venue for the festival. The repair costs are 580 million CZK.

So far, 280 million crowns have been spent. "It concerns the technological part, the rooms and their furnishings, air conditioning for the rooms and halls, new fire safety measures, new data distributions; these are now the main points that are set," said Thermal's General Director Vladimír Novák to ČTK. According to him, original sinks, hallway lighting, and original chairs will be preserved during the renovations.

Significant concerns about the form of the hotel's reconstruction were expressed last year by the grandchildren of architects Věra and Vladimír Machonin, Maria and Jan Kordovský. According to the design of the Machonins, the building in the Brutalist style was constructed in the 1970s. The descendants of the Machonins stated today that the hotel management has still not consulted them about the reconstruction and that the hotel part still lacks an architect. However, the director said there is no room for discussion about changing the rooms, as they are already under repair. "From what I understood, they were particularly interested in the solutions for public spaces, which are not essentially finished or designed, so I think we will talk to them more about that," Novák said.

Floors from the tenth to the 15th are out of operation due to construction work since last fall. A total of 126 rooms are being completely renovated on these floors, which will be finished before the film festival. Since January 6, the hotel has been completely without guests. In another 147 rooms on the third to ninth floors, only partial adjustments are being made, such as air conditioning and ventilation systems. "We are trying to make adjustments with maximum sensitivity and to preserve its original appearance as much as possible," said Novák. According to him, however, the price for accommodation in some rooms will subsequently increase.

So far, the reconstruction pertains to the internal part of the hotel. In the next phase, the pool will be renovated. Its reconstruction is expected to start in early October and should open in June next year. The projected costs for the pool reconstruction, including the adjacent space, amount to 120 to 130 million crowns. According to the director, the dimensions of the pool will be preserved, and only its depth will be reduced. Thermal is also expecting a complete window replacement next year. Documentation for the tender is currently being prepared, and a contractor will be selected by the end of the year, the director stated.

He added that around 100 employees are currently at home, taking vacations, while 30 employees, such as technicians, are participating in the repairs. They will return on March 2 to prepare the hotel for regular operations, and they will also undergo various training.

Minister Schillerová told Czech Television today that the hotel management regularly collaborates with representatives of the Machonin family. In response, however, Maria Kordovská told ČTK that her family learns about the hotel's modifications from the media and that they are not being continuously informed by its management. She also points out the copyright law. "We wish for our grandmother to be informed of what is happening through our lawyer. According to copyright law, all changes that occur there must be consulted, and that is not the case so far. Only changes that are absolutely necessary and do not disrupt the original value of the work can be made," Kordovská said.

According to her, the fundamental problem is that the reconstruction of Thermal does not have a single architect overseeing the preservation of all individual elements. "The original idea of the hotel is being lost. I saw the visualization from the media, and elements that were not there before, like different materials, are being added. It does not correspond to the original spirit," she added. "We are still waiting for contact from the hotel management for further consultation," Kordovská stated.