More than half a century of professional experience and the commitment to the preservation and further development of the traditions of Hungarian spa culture guarantee a high quality of service to our guests. Magyar Idők welcomes you to the interview with László Cziráki, CEO of Granite Spa Zrt.

- It is said that 2018 was a special year in the history of the spa...

- Indeed, to celebrate the round anniversary of our Spa status, we have launched the „Year of Health”, with a focus on healthy living and rehabilitation. We are working with our health ambassador, the beauty of Europe, Zsuzsa Laky. We joined this year's city programme, set up bike lockers and introduced a discounted go bike pass and go bike massage programme for cyclists. The Zalakaros Spa became the first bicycle-friendly spa in Hungary.

- What were the results of the last year?

- The number of guests reached 650 thousand. This is almost 5 percent more than in 2017. Revenue increased by 10 percent to more than HUF 1.8 billion. Demand was transformed, with 14 percent more complex tickets sold. We attribute the results to improvements in recent years, renewed marketing and the opening of the Park Inn Hotel.

- What are the most exciting attractions of the Spa at the moment?

- We can cater for all ages. In the high summer season we have 33 pools. To give you a complete list, we have indoor thermal and spa pools, and soon we will have saltwater pools. The family sauna is also available for children, and the water world is extremely varied, with a giant slide that allows bathers to slide at speeds of up to 70 km/h.

- What other developments are on the agenda?

- The owner approved our seven-year medium-term strategic vision at the end of 2018. As a first element of this, we started the renovation of the Spa Centre and Spa Garden, which will be completed by this summer, and by the end of the year we will have an exclusive sauna world for our guests, for which we won HUF 100 million under the Kisfaludy Tourism Programme. A major technical challenge is the rehabilitation of the Thermal Lake, which we would like to complete together with the owner municipality before the summer season, as well as the renovation of our thermal water reservoir and the Spa Hotel. Our strategic plans for the next seven years include the expansion of the leisure pool, the construction of a new junior water world and a five-star campsite, as well as the modernisation of the access system. The municipality is constantly developing and expanding the tourist offer of Zalakaros, and we are trying to contribute to this. The town's new slogan, „Draw strength from the wonders of nature”, refers not only to the medicinal waters but also to the gastronomy of Zalakaros, its good wines and its wonderful natural environment.