Pavlína Filipi is a strong-willed woman who, despite her maternal duties, has dedicated herself to a top management role in the spa industry. As Director, she has raised Darkov Spa to a new level that can attract both Czech and foreign clientele. Since 2020, she has also held the position of Executive Director at Kúpeľy Brusno in Slovakia.
You are one of the oldest iodine baths in Europe. You couldsay that you are steeped in tradition. What is your vision?
You are right. Darkov Spa is the oldest iodine spa in Europe, with a relatively high concentration of iodine. Our vision since the beginning of the spa has been the same – to help people with musculoskeletal diseases. The main idea of Darkov Spa is to implement new treatment methods into traditional rehabilitation. For example, virtual reality, scooter riding rehabilitation, and robotic devices help our physiotherapists and clients. These innovations have been introduced or expanded in the last three years.
Why is the spa so rich in healing and what are its healing eff ects?
It is a strongly mineralised water – “iodine-bromine brine”. We call it the “Gold of Darkov”, not only because of its colour but mainly because of its healing effects. The brine contains a number of valuable minerals and especially iodine, in a concentration higher than in coastal areas. The brine water is used in the form of external baths and wraps, which have an excellent healing, regenerative, and preventive effect. The baths are a daily part of our balneorehabilitation programme. They are prepared as a full-body bath at a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius.
The problem with today’s managers is a lot of work and little movement. What can you off er them as part of their recovery?
Although it may seem like a cliché, I can personally recommend a stay for a sore back. Every manager sits behind a computer or in a car for many hours, which takes a toll on the apparatus. I know what I am talking about. In 2020, we bought a spa in Slovakia called Brusno near Banská Bystrica, and the journey between Karviná and Brusno takes around three hours. If I travel between these two places in one day, I then would let my back recover at Darkov.
In 2022, you received a special award from the European Spas Association for innovative treatment with robotic devices. Please tell us about this treatment method.
The greatest benefi t was the EKSO device, which helps clients who are in wheelchairs to stand. It requires keeping one´s balance at fi rst, but otherwise it looks a bit like a robocop. It walks perfectly normal, though. For many clients, this would be a way to fully walk; they would just have “robotic legs” instead of a wheelchair. At Darkov, we treat, but we also use other devices, such as Luna, Gloreha, and Reoambulator.
The efficiency of the spa and the rehabilitation care you provide is high. What results do you achieve from the treatment?
It is due to the high eff ort of our employees. “Karviná people” have a hardworking nature in their blood and a very positive approach to motivating clients. Suppose you feel that you cannot do something, for example, at the age of 50, after undegoing hip surgery. In that case, they will likely answer you that the lady before you was 80 years old and did it just fi ne. To summarise the three main points: the employees, iodine-bromine brine, and innovative robotics.
What are the plans for 2023?
In 2023, we are completing the opening of a specialised rehabilitation facility for children, where renovation is now beginning. We expect it to be up and running by June 2023, when we should accept our first clients. We will again be using unique robotic and therapeutic interventions. We are now treating children, but only from abroad.
Can you explain why you bought Brusno Spa?
Our spas in Slovakia are focused on different indications than Darkov. The most important thing is the clean air and the peaceful and quiet environment. It has found a large clientele from the Czech Republic in the last year. For example, craftsmen and bus drivers come to us for weeklong convalescent stays, but also families on holidays to the Low Tatras. The surroundings include ski slopes, golf courses, and famous routes for hikers and cyclists. In Brusno, we treat the heart, post cancer patients, the digestive system, etc., precisely what the Darkov Spa does not cover. My impression of Brusno is that you completely clear your mind there. Now, we have many requests for conferences, team building, and so on. We are going back to that after the Covid period.
What do you spend most of your working time on?
At the moment, probably reconstructions in Brusno. In the spa area, the Roman spa Caracalla is now being completed on an area of 6,000 square metres, where there is a sauna world, a 25 m relaxation pool, a relaxation pool with mineral water, and various other water attractions. This will put Brusno in a different league altogether. I am looking forward to it. We should be opening in June 2023.
Thank you for the interview
