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?’”