Vamed Vitality World is one of the largest thermal resort operators in Austria. Now, with the opening of its latest spa, it’s focusing on consumer demand for quiet reflection. Jane Kitchen finds out more
By Jane Kitchen | Published in Spa Business 2017 issue 1
Guests have said that they want to have space and time for contemplation
ustrian-based Vamed Vitality World has quietly captured the attention of the spa industry with the recent opening of a €14m (US$15m, £12m) stand-alone, silent spa. But the company has been working in the wellness space for more than 20 years, operating resorts that blend thermal waters with health, family fun with quiet contemplation, and luxury VIP treatments with affordable access to all.
It’s a model that’s proven highly successful for Vamed Vitality World, which operates nine facilities – eight in Austria, one in Budapest – and is one of the largest operators of thermal spas and health resorts in Austria, with more than three million people walking through its doors each year – an impressive number in a country that only has eight million inhabitants.
A genesis in medicine The company’s wellness roots run deep: parent company Vamed is a global provider for hospitals, offering project development, planning, construction and management of healthcare facilities and hospitals. Publicly traded Vamed is a healthcare giant with a global reach; it boasts offices in 78 countries, has implemented 760 healthcare projects globally – including hospitals in far-flung corners of the world – and had an annual turnover of €1.118 bn (US$1.170bn, £948m) in 2015.
In addition to hospitals, Vamed also operates elderly care centres and rehabilitation centres, so it was an easy leap, 20 years ago, to get into the prevention side of things by branching out into health and medical spa resorts.
As a result, Vamed Vitality World’s nine facilities all have a strong medical ethos, with each location combining balneological treatments with a specific medical focus. The resorts also offer traditional ‘feel-good’ spa treatments such as massage and facials, which help round out the business model, but it’s the health and wellness aspect that set the resorts apart.
“The medical aspect of our offerings is of high importance to us,” says Tom Bauer, COO of Vamed Vitality World. “[Vamed Vitality World] is founded by our medical company, and therefore, it’s solid.”
Everything from back pain, to psoriasis, to kidney and urinary tract conditions is addressed through treatments at different Vamed Vitality World resorts (see facing page for more).
Each resort’s location helps to dictate what medical issue it will focus on; for instance, at the Aqua Dome in Tirol – which is famed for its Alpine skiing – sports medicine and rehabilitation are a big part of the offering, and the resort works with local clinics.
Local involvement Vamed Vitality World also works with local communities, creating public-private partnerships. At its St Martins location, for example, 13 neighbouring villages are actually part-owners of the resort, along with the Vamed parent company.
With up to 300 people employed at each spa resort and 80 per cent of the food and beverage sourced from the local community, a Vamed Vitality World resort can have a significant economic impact. “It’s beneficial for everyone,” says Bauer. “We’re predominantly purchasing regionally, from the local baker or butcher. And we create facilities which are extremely beneficial for the city and the country in terms of job creation and taxes.”
This local involvement extends to use of the facilities; it’s important that locals have access to the spa and use it. “We have a holistic approach – we want to make sure that the inhabitants working in our property and who live in the villages see our spa as their spa and are proud of it,” says Bauer. “We want to make sure everybody – even a family – can afford to come two to three times a month.”
Continued investment The company also regularly invests in its resorts, committing funding for new projects every five to seven years, “so we can do the latest thing people are asking for,” says Bauer. The latest of these projects is the €14m (US$15m, £12m) stand-alone silent spa, which opened in December at the Therme Laa location in the Weinviertel region of northern Austria. The 3,600sq m (38,750sq ft) silent spa – which has a 160-guest capacity – is in addition to the extensive spa facilities already on offer at Therme Laa, and was created based on what guests were saying they wanted more of: time, space and room for reflection.
“Our body is perfectly taken care of – what we are lacking is for someone to take care of our souls as well,” Bauer explains.
Entrance to the silent spa is offered both in hotel packages or for day rates. Bauer says guests are searching more and more to have the space and time for contemplation that the silent spa offers. And it seems he’s been proven right; within the first week, the silent spa received several thousand bookings. “It really looks like we hit the nail on the head with this product, and we are kind of pleased, by having created a place that it seems like people are really looking for,” says Bauer.
Creating sacred spaces Vamed conceptualised the space and worked with architect Wolfgang Vanek of Holzbauer & Partner to realise the project. Together, they drew on elements of sacred architecture, such as 16th century cathedrals, to create a building that is designed to inspire. “If you go into a church, all of a sudden, something happens to you – you get calmer,” says Bauer. “Architecture has an influence on that. We asked: ‘What would be the right interpretation of that building that would translate into the 21st century?’”
The Silent Spa is linked to Therme Laa, but located in a separate building with its own entrance. The interior layout is formed by four symmetrical main rooms, each in the shape of an ellipse. These gravitate around a central tower, within which sits a three-storey cascade fountain. Natural thermal water flows into several pools throughout the space, creating a 500sq m (5,382sq ft) walk-in water landscape. Each of the four rooms provides a different function. Facilities include a saltwater pool, a salt chamber, spa suites, a steam bath and treatment facilities. There is also an exercise room, a bar and restaurant, and a 400sq m (4,306sq ft) sauna area for infusion ceremonies.
The construction is based on the principle of the Golden Ratio – a mathematical ratio found in nature that has been used in architecture for thousands of years – and the geometrically pleasing format continues through the interior details. “There are no golden chandeliers – just marble, stone, wood, glass and water – it’s very minimalistic,” says Bauer. “We don’t want to force contemplation, we only want to create a platform where you can experience it.”
The spa features king-sized relaxation beds with rolls and pillows, giving guests space and privacy. Windows are carefully placed to encourage the reflection of sunlight on the water, which then reflects onto the stone walls, creating an atmosphere of tranquility.
On-trend for the future Guests can also pre-book a fast check-in, along with personalised butler service, a special lounger and spa robe (in their choice of sizes), iPads supplied with a classical music selection and more than 250 newspapers, all through the Very Relaxed Person, or VRP, Check In – “so you can dive into contemplation,” says Bauer. For guests preferring to stay offline, real games and a library are also available.
Vamed Vitality World appears to be right on trend at the moment; in the Global Wellness Summit’s wellness trends for 2017, and both silence and sauna events are featured. Bauer says the secret is in listening to what customers are asking for, and looking at the world we’re living in – both now, and in the future.
“We have to make sure we are going to take the next step with our products,” says Bauer. “We have to ask the tough questions of, ‘How do we want to balance our life? How are our children going to master theirs in ten, fifteen years?’”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2017 issue 1
Interview: Jeremy McCarthy
Mandarin Oriental’s group director
of spa and wellness discusses mental
wellness, spas and technology
Promotional feature: Beautyworld Middle East
Set to take place May 14-16, 2017 in Dubai, Beautyworld Middle East is billed as “three days to rediscover wellness and shake up the industry.”
Promotional feature: ESPA
ESPA has been a leader in the field of therapeutic skincare and luxury spa design and management for 25 years. Founder Susan Harmsworth explains how the company’s recent brand evolution will make ESPA even more relevant to the future of wellness
Promotional feature: Riceforce
Rice Force is set to make further inroads into the spa market in 2017 with the
launch of its new aromatic oils and treatment protocol
Promotional feature: Oakworks
Oakworks’ new Masters’ Collection range, which will consist of over 15 models by the end of 2017, has been designed to offer spa operators the ultimate in modern styling, with solutions and functionality that address each spa’s practical needs
Vamed Vitality World locations Aqua Dome Tirol Therme Längenfeld, Austria Features curative spa waters from 1,865ft below ground, 12 indoor and outdoor pools, equipment specially designed for back therapy, and seven saunas spread over 20,000sq ft.
Aqua Dome Tiro
Vamed Vitality World locations Spa Resort Therme Geinberg, Austria Supplied by one of Europe’s hottest thermal springs, with five thermal, freshwater and saltwater pools.
Spa Resort Therme Geinberg,
Vamed Vitality World locations Therme Laa - Hotel & Silent Spa, Austria Health centre with holistic approach targets back and neck problems, digestive issues, poor posture and restricted mobility, supplemented by PH-balanced GourMED Cuisine and fasting programmes based on FX Mayr approach. Thermal waters rich in sodium, chloride and iodine. New 3,600sq m silent spa.
Therme Laa - Hotel & Silent Spa
Vamed Vitality World locations Aquaworld Resort, Budapest Three-level Oriental spa and fitness centre, indoor and outdoor pools, waterslides. Includes immersion cures for psoriasis, eczema, rheumatism and joint degeneration.
Aquaworld Resort
Vamed Vitality World locations La pura women’s health resort Kamptal, Gars Am Kamp, Austria Focus on the specific needs of female spa visitors, including FX Mayr cure especially for women and back-strengthening programme.
La pura women’s health resort Kamptal
Vamed Vitality World locations Therme Wien, Vienna Everything from non-residential spa cures and physical medicine to rheumatism therapies and outpatient physio. Curative thermal springs with high sulphur content to treat musculoskeletal disorders and respiratory and pulmonary conditions.
Therme Wien
Vamed Vitality World locations St Martins Therme & Lodge Frauenkirchen, Austria Qualified kinesiology practitioners, preventative healthcare therapists and personal trainers, with treatments based on the five-pillars principle. Thermal mineral water containing sodium hydrogen carbonate and chloride, recommended for the treatment of chronic inflammatory rheumatic disorders and degenerative spinal and joint complaints.
St Martins Therme & Lodge
Vamed Vitality World locations Gesundheitszentrum, Bad Sauerbrunn, Austria Three healing spas with curative spring waters. Focus on convalescent therapies for musculoskeletal disorders, metabolic conditions, cardiovascular disease, and kidney and urinary tract problems.
Gesundheitszentrum
Vamed Vitality World locations Tauern Spa Zell am See, Kaprun, Austria Located in the Hohe Tauern National Park in the Austrian province of Salzburg. Offering healthy back programme with the Feldenkrais method, sporting activities with views of Kitzsteinhorn Mountain, and mineral waters rich in calcium, sodium, magnesium and sulfate used in both bathing and drinking cures.
Tauern Spa Zell am See
The new silent spa at Therme Laa uses the Golden Ratio principle in its design
Tom Bauer is COO of Vamed Vitality World and its nine thermal resorts
The Aqua Dome in Tirol, Austria, features outdoor thermal pools in a dramatic Alpine setting
Therme Laa is designed with four symmetrical rooms, each in the shape of an ellipse
The spa is centred around a central tower housing a three-storey cascade fountain
COMPANY PROFILES
Simworx Ltd
The company was initially established
in 1997. Terry Monkton and Andrew
Roberts are the key stakeh [more...]
Polin Waterparks
Polin was founded in Istanbul in 1976. Polin
has since grown into a leading company in
the waterpa [more...]
TechnoAlpin Indoor
TechnoAlpin is the world leader for snowmaking systems. With the Indoor snow division, TechnoAlpin c [more...]
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
Vamed Vitality World is one of the largest thermal resort operators in Austria. Now, with the opening of its latest spa, it’s focusing on consumer demand for quiet reflection. Jane Kitchen finds out more
By Jane Kitchen | Published in Spa Business 2017 issue 1
Guests have said that they want to have space and time for contemplation
ustrian-based Vamed Vitality World has quietly captured the attention of the spa industry with the recent opening of a €14m (US$15m, £12m) stand-alone, silent spa. But the company has been working in the wellness space for more than 20 years, operating resorts that blend thermal waters with health, family fun with quiet contemplation, and luxury VIP treatments with affordable access to all.
It’s a model that’s proven highly successful for Vamed Vitality World, which operates nine facilities – eight in Austria, one in Budapest – and is one of the largest operators of thermal spas and health resorts in Austria, with more than three million people walking through its doors each year – an impressive number in a country that only has eight million inhabitants.
A genesis in medicine The company’s wellness roots run deep: parent company Vamed is a global provider for hospitals, offering project development, planning, construction and management of healthcare facilities and hospitals. Publicly traded Vamed is a healthcare giant with a global reach; it boasts offices in 78 countries, has implemented 760 healthcare projects globally – including hospitals in far-flung corners of the world – and had an annual turnover of €1.118 bn (US$1.170bn, £948m) in 2015.
In addition to hospitals, Vamed also operates elderly care centres and rehabilitation centres, so it was an easy leap, 20 years ago, to get into the prevention side of things by branching out into health and medical spa resorts.
As a result, Vamed Vitality World’s nine facilities all have a strong medical ethos, with each location combining balneological treatments with a specific medical focus. The resorts also offer traditional ‘feel-good’ spa treatments such as massage and facials, which help round out the business model, but it’s the health and wellness aspect that set the resorts apart.
“The medical aspect of our offerings is of high importance to us,” says Tom Bauer, COO of Vamed Vitality World. “[Vamed Vitality World] is founded by our medical company, and therefore, it’s solid.”
Everything from back pain, to psoriasis, to kidney and urinary tract conditions is addressed through treatments at different Vamed Vitality World resorts (see facing page for more).
Each resort’s location helps to dictate what medical issue it will focus on; for instance, at the Aqua Dome in Tirol – which is famed for its Alpine skiing – sports medicine and rehabilitation are a big part of the offering, and the resort works with local clinics.
Local involvement Vamed Vitality World also works with local communities, creating public-private partnerships. At its St Martins location, for example, 13 neighbouring villages are actually part-owners of the resort, along with the Vamed parent company.
With up to 300 people employed at each spa resort and 80 per cent of the food and beverage sourced from the local community, a Vamed Vitality World resort can have a significant economic impact. “It’s beneficial for everyone,” says Bauer. “We’re predominantly purchasing regionally, from the local baker or butcher. And we create facilities which are extremely beneficial for the city and the country in terms of job creation and taxes.”
This local involvement extends to use of the facilities; it’s important that locals have access to the spa and use it. “We have a holistic approach – we want to make sure that the inhabitants working in our property and who live in the villages see our spa as their spa and are proud of it,” says Bauer. “We want to make sure everybody – even a family – can afford to come two to three times a month.”
Continued investment The company also regularly invests in its resorts, committing funding for new projects every five to seven years, “so we can do the latest thing people are asking for,” says Bauer. The latest of these projects is the €14m (US$15m, £12m) stand-alone silent spa, which opened in December at the Therme Laa location in the Weinviertel region of northern Austria. The 3,600sq m (38,750sq ft) silent spa – which has a 160-guest capacity – is in addition to the extensive spa facilities already on offer at Therme Laa, and was created based on what guests were saying they wanted more of: time, space and room for reflection.
“Our body is perfectly taken care of – what we are lacking is for someone to take care of our souls as well,” Bauer explains.
Entrance to the silent spa is offered both in hotel packages or for day rates. Bauer says guests are searching more and more to have the space and time for contemplation that the silent spa offers. And it seems he’s been proven right; within the first week, the silent spa received several thousand bookings. “It really looks like we hit the nail on the head with this product, and we are kind of pleased, by having created a place that it seems like people are really looking for,” says Bauer.
Creating sacred spaces Vamed conceptualised the space and worked with architect Wolfgang Vanek of Holzbauer & Partner to realise the project. Together, they drew on elements of sacred architecture, such as 16th century cathedrals, to create a building that is designed to inspire. “If you go into a church, all of a sudden, something happens to you – you get calmer,” says Bauer. “Architecture has an influence on that. We asked: ‘What would be the right interpretation of that building that would translate into the 21st century?’”
The Silent Spa is linked to Therme Laa, but located in a separate building with its own entrance. The interior layout is formed by four symmetrical main rooms, each in the shape of an ellipse. These gravitate around a central tower, within which sits a three-storey cascade fountain. Natural thermal water flows into several pools throughout the space, creating a 500sq m (5,382sq ft) walk-in water landscape. Each of the four rooms provides a different function. Facilities include a saltwater pool, a salt chamber, spa suites, a steam bath and treatment facilities. There is also an exercise room, a bar and restaurant, and a 400sq m (4,306sq ft) sauna area for infusion ceremonies.
The construction is based on the principle of the Golden Ratio – a mathematical ratio found in nature that has been used in architecture for thousands of years – and the geometrically pleasing format continues through the interior details. “There are no golden chandeliers – just marble, stone, wood, glass and water – it’s very minimalistic,” says Bauer. “We don’t want to force contemplation, we only want to create a platform where you can experience it.”
The spa features king-sized relaxation beds with rolls and pillows, giving guests space and privacy. Windows are carefully placed to encourage the reflection of sunlight on the water, which then reflects onto the stone walls, creating an atmosphere of tranquility.
On-trend for the future Guests can also pre-book a fast check-in, along with personalised butler service, a special lounger and spa robe (in their choice of sizes), iPads supplied with a classical music selection and more than 250 newspapers, all through the Very Relaxed Person, or VRP, Check In – “so you can dive into contemplation,” says Bauer. For guests preferring to stay offline, real games and a library are also available.
Vamed Vitality World appears to be right on trend at the moment; in the Global Wellness Summit’s wellness trends for 2017, and both silence and sauna events are featured. Bauer says the secret is in listening to what customers are asking for, and looking at the world we’re living in – both now, and in the future.
“We have to make sure we are going to take the next step with our products,” says Bauer. “We have to ask the tough questions of, ‘How do we want to balance our life? How are our children going to master theirs in ten, fifteen years?’”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2017 issue 1
Interview: Jeremy McCarthy
Mandarin Oriental’s group director
of spa and wellness discusses mental
wellness, spas and technology
Promotional feature: Beautyworld Middle East
Set to take place May 14-16, 2017 in Dubai, Beautyworld Middle East is billed as “three days to rediscover wellness and shake up the industry.”
Promotional feature: ESPA
ESPA has been a leader in the field of therapeutic skincare and luxury spa design and management for 25 years. Founder Susan Harmsworth explains how the company’s recent brand evolution will make ESPA even more relevant to the future of wellness
Promotional feature: Riceforce
Rice Force is set to make further inroads into the spa market in 2017 with the
launch of its new aromatic oils and treatment protocol
Promotional feature: Oakworks
Oakworks’ new Masters’ Collection range, which will consist of over 15 models by the end of 2017, has been designed to offer spa operators the ultimate in modern styling, with solutions and functionality that address each spa’s practical needs
Vamed Vitality World locations Aqua Dome Tirol Therme Längenfeld, Austria Features curative spa waters from 1,865ft below ground, 12 indoor and outdoor pools, equipment specially designed for back therapy, and seven saunas spread over 20,000sq ft.
Aqua Dome Tiro
Vamed Vitality World locations Spa Resort Therme Geinberg, Austria Supplied by one of Europe’s hottest thermal springs, with five thermal, freshwater and saltwater pools.
Spa Resort Therme Geinberg,
Vamed Vitality World locations Therme Laa - Hotel & Silent Spa, Austria Health centre with holistic approach targets back and neck problems, digestive issues, poor posture and restricted mobility, supplemented by PH-balanced GourMED Cuisine and fasting programmes based on FX Mayr approach. Thermal waters rich in sodium, chloride and iodine. New 3,600sq m silent spa.
Therme Laa - Hotel & Silent Spa
Vamed Vitality World locations Aquaworld Resort, Budapest Three-level Oriental spa and fitness centre, indoor and outdoor pools, waterslides. Includes immersion cures for psoriasis, eczema, rheumatism and joint degeneration.
Aquaworld Resort
Vamed Vitality World locations La pura women’s health resort Kamptal, Gars Am Kamp, Austria Focus on the specific needs of female spa visitors, including FX Mayr cure especially for women and back-strengthening programme.
La pura women’s health resort Kamptal
Vamed Vitality World locations Therme Wien, Vienna Everything from non-residential spa cures and physical medicine to rheumatism therapies and outpatient physio. Curative thermal springs with high sulphur content to treat musculoskeletal disorders and respiratory and pulmonary conditions.
Therme Wien
Vamed Vitality World locations St Martins Therme & Lodge Frauenkirchen, Austria Qualified kinesiology practitioners, preventative healthcare therapists and personal trainers, with treatments based on the five-pillars principle. Thermal mineral water containing sodium hydrogen carbonate and chloride, recommended for the treatment of chronic inflammatory rheumatic disorders and degenerative spinal and joint complaints.
St Martins Therme & Lodge
Vamed Vitality World locations Gesundheitszentrum, Bad Sauerbrunn, Austria Three healing spas with curative spring waters. Focus on convalescent therapies for musculoskeletal disorders, metabolic conditions, cardiovascular disease, and kidney and urinary tract problems.
Gesundheitszentrum
Vamed Vitality World locations Tauern Spa Zell am See, Kaprun, Austria Located in the Hohe Tauern National Park in the Austrian province of Salzburg. Offering healthy back programme with the Feldenkrais method, sporting activities with views of Kitzsteinhorn Mountain, and mineral waters rich in calcium, sodium, magnesium and sulfate used in both bathing and drinking cures.
Tauern Spa Zell am See
The new silent spa at Therme Laa uses the Golden Ratio principle in its design
Tom Bauer is COO of Vamed Vitality World and its nine thermal resorts
The Aqua Dome in Tirol, Austria, features outdoor thermal pools in a dramatic Alpine setting
Therme Laa is designed with four symmetrical rooms, each in the shape of an ellipse
The spa is centred around a central tower housing a three-storey cascade fountain
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
economic development strategy.
+ More news
COMPANY PROFILES
Simworx Ltd The company was initially established
in 1997. Terry Monkton and Andrew
Roberts are the key stakeh [more...]
Polin Waterparks Polin was founded in Istanbul in 1976. Polin
has since grown into a leading company in
the waterpa [more...]
TechnoAlpin Indoor TechnoAlpin is the world leader for snowmaking systems. With the Indoor snow division, TechnoAlpin c [more...]
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
