Jiří Dědek: Pre-sale of FIRST MINUTE stays for 2023 is at its peak, a new feature will be the Spa on Trial stay

You can read the first part of our interview with Jiří Dědek here.

Covid seemingly banished, where do you stand with post-covid patients?

The first patients for postcovid treatment started coming to Spa Luhačovice, Inc. in January 2021. Since then, more than two thousand adult postcovid patients have been treated at our facilities through health insurance companies, and hundreds more have come for special self-pay stays in Rehabilitation after covid-19. The number of children has been significantly less. These were in the dozens of patients. We still have post-covid patients today, but the numbers are still declining.

Which of the familiar faces were there to see you this year?

Among others were singer Václav Neckář, Czech Ambassador to Slovakia Tomáš Tuhý, moderator Marie Retková, Slovak actress Zdena Studenkova, her Czech colleague Miloslav Mejzlík, or the coach of the Czech national football team Jaroslav Šilhavý.

Letošek was also marked by interesting and unmissable anniversaries...

Throughout the year, during a number of events and meetings, we commemorated the 120th anniversary of the founding of the first Luhačovice Spa and the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Luhačovice Spa. We also published a special retro Lázeňské listy to mark the occasion.

It is interesting that one meets the same, proven faces in many professions in Luhačovice for many years, which is for example evidenced by you, but not only you. Is that true, but do you have an example of some turnover?

From January our company will have a new chief physician. Chief. MUDr. Petr Pšenica will replace prim. MUDr. Jiří Hnátek, who has connected almost his entire professional life with our company. MUDr. Hnátek will remain the Chief Medical Officer of the Palace Hotel.

The Spa has been, is and will surely be a place of rich cultural scope. After two difficult years, has that been evident this year?

We are delighted to have been able to provide a full range of services to our patients and guests throughout this year. Personally, I am also very happy that cultural life has returned to Luhačovice with all the popular festivals. I will like to remember especially the first evening of the Festival Janáček a Luhačovice, when Mozart's most famous opera The Marriage of Figaro was performed in mid-July right on the Spa Square. On the positive side, all the professional conferences were also held in Luhačovice this year.

What is your main workload these days?

The pre-sale of discounted stays for 2023 - FIRST MINUTE - is just reaching its peak. By purchasing a stay early before December 20, guests can save up to 20% off the price. New for 2023 is the Spa on Trial stay. We would like to invite spa newcomers or those who think that spas are only for the sick to our spa. This year we have introduced another original spa cup called Blue Swan, which is a continuation of the spa cups from the workshop of the famous Czech designer Daniel Pirsche. The first of the Swan family was a cup in white and was introduced to the public in 2018. It was followed in 2019 by the Swan Black.

What do you think, Mr. CEO, do people appreciate working for you?

I believe so, after three years we also held an employee meeting called the Director's Wrap at the end of November. It was unique in that it was held outdoors at the Spa Colonnade and Vincent Hall instead of in the theatre or Community Centre. We were delighted that the vast majority of our six hundred colleagues turned out.

That's the finish of the conversation. With your well-known and proverbial diligence, how did you manage to relax? What about free time?

In the year just ending, I had even less free time than in previous years. There were fewer tennis matches with friends and I only got to watch my favorite floorball game a few times. Mostly, though, I relax early in the morning by the water with my rods cast. In addition to the carp, I brought home a nice pike.

Would there be any fish other than carp at the Grandfathers for Christmas?

That's not a possibility, but I take this opportunity to wish all of our clients and good people a wonderful Christmas and we will do our best to deliver the most important thing in the New Year: health!