A spa in the Hungarian town of Szerencs will temporarily close from 1 September as the municipality looks to cut costs and save almost HUF 25 million (around EUR 69,000) by the end of the year.

The Szerencsi Fürdő & Wellnessház will remain closed to visitors until at least 17 December, according to an announcement by Szerencsi Hírek and Mayor Attila Kiss. The decision comes as the town seeks to reduce spending across its municipal operations.

Low visitor numbers make spa costly to operate

Szerencs operates two water facilities: the Szerencsi Fürdő & Wellnessház and a municipal swimming pool. While the swimming pool benefits from state support and energy-efficiency improvements, the spa has to be financed from the town’s own resources.

Visitor numbers at the spa have remained relatively low despite efforts to attract more guests, including free entry vouchers provided by the municipality.

The town had previously ordered the Szerencsi Városüzemeltető Nonprofit Kft., which operates the spa, to cut its costs by around 10 per cent because of the municipality’s financial situation. After examining the available options, the company concluded that temporarily closing the spa would deliver the largest savings.

Nearly HUF 25 million in savings expected

Mayor Attila Kiss said the closure between 1 September and 17 December could generate substantial savings across several areas.

The municipality expects to save approximately:

  • HUF 9.8 million on wages and related contributions
  • HUF 5.2 million on natural gas
  • HUF 6.8 million on electricity
  • HUF 2.2 million on water and sewage charges
  • HUF 570,000 on water testing and monitoring
  • HUF 340,000 on chemicals

Together, these measures could save the town close to HUF 25 million by the end of the year.

The closure will not mean that the entire building becomes unused. Tenants operating businesses there will continue to have access to their premises, while a smaller and more economical heating system will be introduced to heat the necessary parts of the building. Staff working at the spa will, where possible, be reassigned to other duties.

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Spa could reopen around Christmas

The municipality says it does not want residents to be left without access to swimming facilities for an extended period. The town’s swimming pool is normally scheduled to close temporarily after 19 December for maintenance and a water change. If Szerencs’ financial position improves and the planned savings are achieved, the municipality may therefore reopen the spa from 18 December until around mid-January.

The aim is to ensure that one of the town’s two water facilities remains available to residents whenever possible. Residents who still have free vouchers for the spa can use them until 31 August. After the temporary closure begins, unused vouchers will be accepted at the municipal swimming pool instead.

The Szerencsi Fürdő & Wellnessház was previously closed in autumn 2022 due to soaring electricity and gas prices and did not reopen until June 2023, according to Borsod24.

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