In Thermal, reconstruction has begun, and it will close for ten weeks in January

Karlovy Vary - The main part of the reconstruction has started these days at the Thermal hotel in Karlovy Vary. The hotel from the 1970s, owned by the state, is undergoing a significant modernization, but the goal is to preserve as much as possible of the original design elements. From January to mid-March, the hotel will be completely out of operation due to reconstruction, said its general director Vladimír Novák to ČTK. The cost of repairs is 580 million CZK.

The builders have been working on the first part of the modernization since the beginning of November. "It is primarily about technical aspects, risers, measurement and regulation, fire safety and signaling, wiring, and similar," described the hotel director. Another part of the work is taking place in the background, focusing on air conditioning and ventilation.

In the upper floors of the hotel, workers are currently dismantling entire rooms. "We are keeping, for example, sinks, light fixtures in the corridors, a navigation system that will undergo refurbishment. We are also keeping room numbers, which are done in a special font created specifically for these purposes. We have offered cooperation to the local secondary industrial school, which could help us restore these items," Novák stated. According to him, there is an emphasis on preserving everything that could still be usable, if possible in a form corresponding to the original design. The builders are negotiating intensively with conservationists, he said.

However, the original appearance of the rooms has long been lost. In the past, the furnishings have been changed to meet current requirements. Some elements the hotel wants to keep, such as armchairs or furniture. "We want it to serve its purpose, but at the same time bring a bit of retro style," the hotel director told ČTK. After the reconstruction, all floors and rooms will have air conditioning, so the rooms will be upgraded to the standard of a four-star hotel. "The hotel rooms were designed for short-term accommodation during the film festival, perhaps for two days. But the festival lasts only 14 days a year. Fifty percent of our income comes from therapeutic stays, which last not two or three days, but two or three weeks," Novák explained.

The hotel will also gain better fire protection through the reconstruction, including escape routes. The staircase, which was not previously a protected escape route, will become such a route due to technical adjustments. There will also be an evacuation elevator placed in the shaft of one of the original elevators.

Currently, Thermal operates only in the lower floors. Floors 10 to 15 are already out of service due to construction work. From January 6, the hotel will be completely without guests until March 14.

Employees will participate in the work to a certain extent; they will conduct inventories and similar tasks. They will partially take vacations or attend various training. Starting from March 2, they will return and prepare the hotel for regular operation. According to Novák, most of the 147 employees will spend minimal time at home on paid leave.

By mid-March, the first three floors should be operational, and additional floors will be gradually opened every two weeks. Full operation of the hotel is expected to begin at the start of the spa season in early May.

The reconstruction currently concerns the internal part of the hotel. The repair of the external facade is the subject of a tender. No one applied for the competition at the first attempt. Therefore, the hotel will reissue the contract for about 54 million CZK. According to Novák, the repair of the external facade will begin later, probably at the end of next year. There are also plans to repair the hotel pool, with the project expected to be available in the spring.

Last year, the Thermal hotel operated at a loss of nearly ten million crowns. This year, it hoped that its finances would turn positive, but the delay in reconstruction has disrupted those plans. Originally, it was expected that in the second half of this year, some rooms would be upgraded and offered for higher prices. However, reconstruction only began now, and throughout the year, travel agencies have been cautious due to the long discussions about operational limitations. According to financial director Michal Košarek, it is likely that the hotel will again end the year with a loss of around ten million crowns.