From healing springs and panoramic pools to film festival glamour, Spa Hotel Thermal remains one of the Czech Republic’s most iconic stays. Markéta Strádalová, Director of Sales & Marketing, Spa Hotel Thermal shares more about the brand.
By Naina Nath
Located in the UNESCO-listed spa town of Karlovy Vary, Spa Hotel Thermal has spent nearly five decades establishing itself as one of the Czech Republic’s most recognisable hospitality landmarks. Rising above the Teplá River with its unmistakable Brutalist silhouette, the hotel combines wellness, architecture, gastronomy, and culture under one roof.
An architectural icon
Opened in 1977 and designed by celebrated architects Věra and Vladimír Machonin, Thermal remains one of the country’s most important examples of Brutalist architecture. Recent renovations have modernised the property while preserving its distinctive character. Markéta says, “The hotel has a very strong identity. Guests appreciate that they are staying somewhere truly unique. Today, the hotel offers 273 rooms and suites while continuing to serve as a landmark for visitors arriving in Karlovy Vary.”
The best outlook
Few hotel rooms in Karlovy Vary offer views quite like these. From the upper floors, guests can look across the spa town’s colourful rooftops and surrounding hills. Recently renovated rooms and suites pair contemporary comfort with elements of the hotel’s original design. “Our guests are looking for comfort, but they also want to experience the destination. The views from the rooms help create that connection,” says Markéta.
Wellness at heart
While Thermal may be known for its architecture, wellness remains at the core of the experience. The hotel operates its own balneotherapy centre, offering more than 80 treatments rooted in Karlovy Vary’s centuries-old spa traditions. Guests can enjoy hydrotherapy, massages, thermal baths, rehabilitation programmes, and wellness treatments, alongside heated outdoor pools, a sauna world, indoor wellness facilities, and a mineral pool filled with 100 per cent mineral water. Markéta explains, ”We offer both traditional spa treatment and modern wellness stays. Some guests come for medical reasons, while others simply want to relax and recharge.”
Everything under one roof
Beyond its wellness facilities, the hotel offers beauty treatments, fitness services, bike rentals, and extensive meeting spaces. It is also one of the Czech Republic’s leading MICE venues, with facilities ranging from intimate salons to the Grand Hall, which accommodates more than 1,000 guests.
Lights, camera, thermal!
Thermal’s connection to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is impossible to ignore. Since opening in 1977, the hotel has served as the festival’s central venue, hosting screenings, press conferences, and headline events. Over the years, stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Helen Mirren, Richard Gere, and Scarlett Johansson have walked the red carpet outside its doors.
A destination in itself
Thermal’s greatest strength is not any one facility, but the way everything comes together. A morning exploring Karlovy Vary can be followed by a thermal pool, a wellness treatment, and an evening meal without ever feeling rushed. It is an experience perfectly suited to a destination built around rest and rejuvenation. You may come for the spa, but leave understanding why travellers have been returning to Karlovy Vary for generations.
