Spas Toskanaworld, Germany
Clockwise from left: A spacious sauna at Toskana Therme Bad Orb; water-based wellness therapies combining massage, stretching and joint release are led by trained therapists; spa-goers enjoy the immersive Liquid Sound experience as seen from within the pool
“People are much more lonely now, they need a kind touch and connections with a heart. Young people need a little more activity. We need wellness areas and treatments where people can do things together. We do this with yoga and water gymnastics.” Franzisca Klotz, spa director, Toskanaworld
bespoke musical score in this setting, and Liquid Sound has become the defining factor of the Toskanaworld business. “The core of our survival was Liquid Sound,” she admits. “That transformed us from a mere conventional medical clinic operator into a wellness business. We could see how Liquid Sound made people so happy.” Building on the success of Liquid Sound, a water-based body treatment has been developed specifically for use in this environment. Drawing influence from underwater body massage and Hawaiian massage, Aqua Wellness pioneer Musia Heike Bus designed Liquid Bodywork, an underwater body therapy that combines massage, stretching and intuitive joint release. Formerly a manager at Toskana Therme Bad Orb, Heike Bus now trains therapists at Bad Sulza in the art of performing the company’s signature treatment. “Aqua Wellness Liquid Bodywork is a unique experience,” she elaborates. “It’s different to a Watsu treatment, which has a certain structure, and it really resonates with the person who is being guided through the session.” In addition to water treatments, Remann and the team at Toskanaworld have established a series of regular live events based around the Liquid Sound concept. Each month they hold a Full Moon concert, featuring musicians playing live in the spa, with their music piped through the underwater
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sound system. In contrast, Liquid Sound Club appeals to a younger audience when on the first Saturday of each month, a DJ team presents a mixture of electronic and aquatic sounds that is streamed live to all three Thermae locations. Both are special offerings that bring wellness experiences to different audiences in formats they can relate to. “Without Liquid Sound we wouldn’t have grown in the way we have. We had a message to bring to the people,” says Schneider. Both Schneider and the group’s spa director, Franzisca Klotz, believe that people need to be more active and that spa operators have a role to play in creating a social aspect to their guests’ lives. “I think that people are much more lonely now, they need a kind touch and connections with a heart,” says Klotz. “Young people need a little more activity. We need wellness areas and treatments where people can do things together. We do this with yoga and water gymnastics. In the sauna, for example, we can offer social mud and exfoliating treatments.”
Resonating with spa guests With unique signature treatments and multi-media platforms that distinguish its wellness offering from other operators, Toskanaworld has expanded rapidly over the years. One such development came when Schneider and Böhm stepped in at
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