“On a mission to build the biggest resort in Krkonoše”
Text: Martina Hošková and M.Zisso; Photo: Archive
The Krkonoše is a mountain range packed with superlatives. They are the highest, have the only Alpine range in Czechia, and their flora and fauna are unbelievably diverse. It’s no wonder that they are also the most visited mountains in the country – for both the summer AND winter holidays. Many locations here are notoriously known as synonyms for holidaying in nature, such as Špindlerův Mlýn, Pec pod Sněžkou, and Černý Důl. And the latter is the home of Resort Aurum, owned and managed by Czech venture capital holding Neeco Group. Mr. Zdeněk Kuneš is one of the key managers making sure that this resort serves as a perfect year-round wellbeing spot for its guests.
Let’s start our talk about Aurum Resort by going back – why did Neeco Group decide to invest in Krkonoše resort?
I believe that we had been considering the investment into the Krkonoše region for a couple of years, and when the offer to acquire the original Hotel Aurum came, we found it to be a perfect match with our expectations. The hotel is located in the beautiful small mountain town of Černý Důl, in the picturesque part of the Eastern Krkonoše. We saw a great amount of development opportunities here.
How long have you had a presence in these mountains?
The first acquisition of Hotel Aurum was done back in 2019. In a relatively short time, we have projected a future expanded resort on paper, and added other properties and land in order to create a solid foundation for a future systematic and consistent resort development. That includes nearly one million square meters of land in Čistá, where the golf course was originally planned. Now, with the necessary space acquired, we are building a resort focused on holistic visitor experience, under the baton of Resort Aurum brand.
What are your main areas of focus today?
We are currently busy with an extremely exciting project: the reconstruction of the central Resort Aurum buildings. It features guest rooms, a restaurant, a bar, and extensive facilities such as entertainment, wellness, spa, fitness, cosmetic, and indoor pools. At the same time, we are renovating nearby exterior areas and / or building new ones, such as a multipurpose indoor sports hall. This project will be completed in the summer of 2024. With such extensive guest facilities, we are unique in the whole of Krkonoše.
It seems like a lot of focus on sports and fitness.
Yes, this is the direction we have decided to take from the very beginning, as we feel there is a lack of similar offerings in the Czech mountains. Today, our guests want to receive a real, holistic, wellbeing-oriented experience. The main building itself offers a lot of fun, and, together with the mountains around and planned outdoor fitness features, I can say what we offer is exceptional. This is also our competitive advantage for the future, and the way to keep the resort full during both season and off-season periods. Furthermore, we are partnering with a lot of sports organizations to create a place for retreats and training camps, as well as sports events and contests.
Zdeněk Kuneš, Neeco Group with a happy client of Aurum Resort
We started by looking back, now let’s conclude by asking about the future. What is the next big thing for you in Resort Aurum?
Again, I do not want to spoil the work of our marketing folks, however, to uncover a bit, we are finishing the last preparation steps to start the buildouts of some massive ecological projects located in the area, unparalleled within the entire Czech Republic. Use of renewable energy, organic farming, self-sufficiency, and carbon neutrality is the name of the game, so stay tuned for future announcements.