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SPN DEC 2012 WorldNews
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk worldnews
FLUIDRA OPENS SUBSIDIARIES IN ROMANIA AND MONTENEGRO
GUIDE CHOOSES GERMANY’S BEST WELLNESS HOTEL
The Relax Guide has named the Wald und Schlosshotel Friedrichsruhe as Germany’s best wellness hotel. The traditional establishment was only fitted out with a new spa facility in 2008. Leading manufacturer KLAFS were responsible for the facility and another hotel in the top four, the Georgshöhe, with a 4,000 m2 wellness area, also had a KLAFS connection.
The latest awards are in good company. Dolder Grand Resort in Zurich, which was also fitted out by KLAFS, had already been recognised this year as the ‘European Hotel Spa of the Year’ with the World Spa Award 2012.
An increasing number of hotels now have wellness areas offering their guests an escape from daily life. But not all are successful and the Relax Guide, now in
its twelfth year, offers guidance with its own list of criteria to those seeking an escape. In the latest edition, testers put over 1,300 establishments under the microscope. Throughout the year the wellness guide anonymously tested all the hotels that operate under the label of ‘wellness’.
The inspections are performed according to a standardised procedure that is easy to monitor. The checks are totally independent and in the final evaluation, quality is given precedence over quantity.
According to Relax Guide, the visionary spa of the Wald und Schlosshotel Friedrichsruhe points the way to tomorrow – stylish relaxation with a steam bath and sanarium in a high-quality exclusive design awaits the bathers.
POOLCORP AND ‘THE BIG 3’ NAMED IN US LAWSUIT
Distributor PoolCorp and the manufacturers known in the industry as ‘The Big Three’ are being accused of anti- competitive activity in a lawsuit that petitioners are hoping will gain class action status. The claim originally was filed solely against the Californian-based distributor. But the claimants amended their suit to include the manufacturers Haywood Pool Products of New Jersey, Pentair Aquatic Systems of North Carolina and Zodiac Pool Systems of California.
All are accused of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act, which prohibits activities that restrain trade or commerce. PoolCorp is also accused of violating the section of US law that prohibs monopolies. The case was spurred by an investigation involving the Federal Trade Commission in November 2011. After a 18 month inquiry, the FTC accused PoolCorp of pressuring manufacturers not to sell to new distributors entering the market. Despite maintaining its innocence, PoolCorp agreed a settlement based on certain conditions.
“They’ve done what the FTC required,” said an attorney representing PoolCorp.
Fluidra, the listed Spanish multinational group devoted to developing applications for the sustainable use of water, has opened new branch offices in Romania and Montenegro. Following these launches, the group now has direct operations in 41 countries and distributes its products in over 170 countries thanks to its extensive sales network. These new branches now join the company’s subsidiaries in the Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria to strengthen operations in a strategic area for Fluidra. Eloi Planes, Fluidra’s CEO, said: “We used to manage our operations in Romania and Montenegro from Bulgaria and Serbia, respectively. By opening these new branches we wish to extend the products sold and improve our customer services in the region.” Fluidra has thus increased its presence in markets with a great potential for tourism and has strengthened its position as a strategic partner for companies in the hospitality sector that operate in the area. Kiril Stefanov, currently Fluidra’s manager in Bulgaria, will be responsible for managing the new subsidiary in Romania. The country’s enormous potential for developing its tourist trade would entail building new infrastructures, which therefore opens exciting prospects for the pool and wellness division. The tourist sector has also been a key factor in opening Fluidra’s branch in Montenegro. The new Fluidra Montenegro subsidiary will be managed by Nino Ganchev, who will combine his newfound responsibilities with his current position as manager of Fluidra Adriatic (Serbia).
Montenegro, which has around 300 kilometres of coastline with a Mediterranean climate on the Adriatic Sea, has opted for quality and sustainability in developing its tourist and hotel infrastructures. The recently built tourist complexes in the coastal towns of Velika Plaza and Ada Bojana reflect this trend, made possible thanks to the large investments the country is receiving from abroad.
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