The wellness trend definitely continues 

'Business guests on the move also need wellness in a hotel,' says Peter Rietveld, director of KLAFS Netherlands. "Our thesis is therefore: as a hotel, it's hard to do without it anymore. As a hotelier, it is a good idea to think about how to integrate wellness into your establishment.'

During a visit to the KLAFS showroom in Tilburg, Rietveld explains how a hotel can properly address wellness. "Wellness is an extra selling point for a hotel. Nowadays, what a hotel offers is more transparent than ever. Guests partly base their choice on this. In addition, it is an extra source of income for a hotel. With new buildings, it is important to take into account a sauna or wellness environment right from the start. This requires certain adjustments in the design. Unfortunately, this is often thought of too late and then the right conversion is no longer possible, or extra expensive." 

Rietveld continues: "So include the wellness environment early on. With the right partners, you can make a successful plan for the long term. Wellness can contribute to people spending their money in the hotel. This happens in Austria, for instance, where hotels use wellness to extend the seasons. Of course, it is important to make this recognisable in the hotel and actively promote it." Any hotel can help KLAFS with a wellness plan. "Several things are important: What service do you want to offer? Do you do this yourself, or do you rent space to external specialists? Are you a wellness hotel, or a hotel with wellness? The more luxurious the hotel, the greater the number of sqm to be reserved for wellness."

All the things that matter to hotels, Rietveld and colleagues described in a detailed handbook. "Wet square metres are the most demanding of a hotel, so they deserve a lot of attention. Of course, using the right moisture-resistant materials is very important. As is installing underfloor heating and controlling ventilation. Meanwhile, hot and humid air can be reused, for example by using a heat exchanger. For specialists like KLAFS this is our daily bread and we are happy to offer our expertise. We think along about safety, perception and daily maintenance. Hoteliers can enter into a 'design and build' contract with us to work with one partner from start to finish."

KLAFS saunas contribute to a high-quality, sustainable and successful wellness space. "Thanks to our many years of experience, we can unburden hotels and help them save energy. Think for example of our insulated glass facades, with interesting K-values and double-insulated ceilings. This is how we realise saunas that not only consume less energy but also improve the guest experience. We also take safety very seriously, e.g. switching a sauna on or off must always be checked manually. Our heaters and steam generators have all kinds of safety systems." Hygiene is another important issue. "At many competitors, sauna benches are bolted down and the floor is impossible to clean. At KLAFS, benches are easy to turn, to clean below as well."

It is also possible to create a wellness environment during a renovation. "We are currently working on the renovation of the Badhotel in Scheveningen. Here, the hotelier is betting on a new experience, with an extensive wellness area. We notice that the wellness trend is definitely continuing, in hotels, but also in holiday parks. Here, they opt for quality and sustainability. For example, 150 farmhouses in the Resort Hof van Saksen are getting a beautiful sauna in the bathroom." Van der Valk Kasteelhotel Bloemendal in Vaals is also working on a renovation to create wellness. "In the old, vaulted cellar there will be separate cabins. This will be a very special and luxurious project."

"The energy cost of a sauna is much lower than that of a whirlpool. This is partly because of the filtration rate of the water and because a whirlpool is on 24 hours a day. A sauna can be turned off when not in use. In addition, the sauna fits well with the trend of dealing with health in a preventive way."