Luhačovice is one of the most beautiful spas, says Jiří Dědek, General Director of the spa

We are coming to the end of our second "covid year", even in a specific sector like the spa industry. Can you compare 2020 and 2021?

The first covid year, 2020, was a shock for us at first, with sharply declining attendance, large revenue shortfalls, and even several weeks of spa closures. With this came fear of the unknown and uncertainty. State support programmes were only gradually starting to take off. After a brief summer recovery came the next wave and a series of restrictions that impacted spa operations. Earlier this year, our spas found a natural role in fighting the pandemic. It became a place for the rehabilitation and treatment of post-covid patients, and later exhausted health workers began to come to us for convalescent stays. In both years we had a significant decline in foreign guests, but on the other hand, the interest of Czechs in health and prevention increased. New guests started to use the spa as an ideal place to spend their domestic holidays. Luhačovice became for many a starting point for discovering the beauty of our region. It is currently the most visible trend. At the same time, we are also pleased with the interest in stays next year, the presale of which is now reaching its peak.

Can we already talk about how Luhačovice Spa has fared this year in difficult economic times?

It was definitely not an easy year. At the time of the lockdowns, i.e. winter and spring, occupancy was significantly lower than in previous years due to government restrictions on providing almost exclusively spa treatment paid for by health insurance companies. Our hotels and guesthouses were only 20 to 30% full. After the measures were relaxed, the situation improved. Occupancy rates were high, reaching over 80%, which was in line with 2020 and the previous years before the covid. This year, more than two thousand patients were treated by us after having undergone covid-19 through health insurance companies, and hundreds more guests came for the special self-pay Rehabilitation after covid-19. Our company, like most businesses, felt the shortage of manpower this year. Providing a quality service is not just about the amenities of a hotel or treatment facility, but depends primarily on qualified colleagues. This year, retaining and recruiting new colleagues has been difficult. Therefore, we have invested more resources in wages, in improving working conditions, but also in offering permanent and temporary accommodation to employees or in other benefits.

You have become the General Manager, what, if anything, does this change mean to you as someone who has been closely associated with "your" spa for years?

I see this change as an appreciation of my past work at the spa, which I have indeed known in great detail over the past 25 years, and as a great commitment to build on the work of my predecessors. And, of course, as a great responsibility to my more than 600 colleagues at the spa, for whom the last few years have been hectic and the next few will not be easy either. However, I believe that we will overcome them together.

What has been happening this year in terms of investment, what have you focused on the most?

The main investment project is the restoration of Jurkovič's most valuable buildings, the Water and Spa and the River and Sun Baths. The Leoš Janáček and Dušan Jurkovič Museum is being built here, and the first visitors could enter it in mid-2023. We had to consider very carefully whether to embark on the reconstruction in the current situation. The measures associated with the pandemic threatened the actual implementation and delayed the construction. Nevertheless, at the end of January this year we decided to start the reconstruction. The poor technical condition of the buildings, coupled with the risk of losing the subsidy, was the decisive factor. We embarked on the construction at a critical time of financial uncertainty, but we believe that at the time of the greatest financial burden the situation will be more stable. The main goal is to save the exceptional architectural work of Dušan Jurkovič. Our spa town will thus gain a museum exhibition that will serve as a unique document of the spa and cultural atmosphere of the early 20th century. I would also like to remind you that we have built experiential carbonic baths for two in the original golden bathtubs from the beginning of the last century at the Jurkovič House Hotel.

If you had to - and it's not easy - find a place, a location, a building that is closest to you personally in Luhačovice, which one would it be and why?

It's really not easy. There would be a lot of places, buildings and locations. Luhacovice in particular appeals to me as a whole. My favourite places are therefore the surrounding hillsides and the beautiful views of the Luhačovice valley. Besides the buildings of Dušan Jurkovič, I like the pleasant atmosphere of the spa theatre, the illuminated fountain on the square and the Art Nouveau House B. Smetana or Popper Hotel, where Chetniks from Luhačovice was filmed. I must also not forget our tennis courts. Playing on the same courts where the Davis Cup was played in the 1930s is an amazing experience. I also like to get to know other domestic and foreign spas. It's inspiration and relaxation at the same time. When I come back, I realize again that our Luhačovice is the most beautiful spa...

What made you happy in the almost ending year humanly...and what annoys you?

A lot of my joy this year has come from all the good people who are trying to make a positive impact even in these difficult times, trying to deal with everyday worries and woes, and trying to help those around them. I am also very happy for our daughters who are doing well in their studies, even though distance learning was not easy for them. And what annoys me? The irritability, aggressiveness and negativity of people at this time. And to make it a little lighter, I also feel sorry for the performance of the Zlín hockey players, but I certainly, like most fans, do not break a stick over them and I believe that it will be like in life - that after something difficult must come something positive, so let them do well!

What do you wish your guests for the New Year?

I wish all our guests, and not only them, but all the people around us, health and personal well-being, because without that, it won't work. May everyone succeed in fulfilling their goals and resolutions, even though the next year will not be easy.

Categories: Spa, Luhačovice, Spa Luhačovice, Interview