Wellness Company Therme Teaming Up With DC for US Flagship Resort
By Keith Loria May 11, 2023 1:48 pm
reprints
Therme Group, a Vienna, Austria-based wellness company, will be opening its first U.S. facility in Washington, D.C.
The company, which was started more than two decades ago, creates modern urban resorts that draw on traditions of thermal bathing and wellness, and is currently exploring sites in the District.
“As the Nation’s capital, D.C., is often where people of many different backgrounds — culturally, ethnically, economically, and politically — come together to further the nation’s interests,” Omar Toro-Vaca, Therme Group’s chief development officer, told Commercial Observer. “We believe that aligns well with our goal of furthering our collective understanding of wellness as it relates to cities, parks and infrastructure at scale.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced an exclusive one-year agreement with Therme Group on Thursday under which the company would look for spaces within only the D.C. region for its flagship facility in the states.
Bowser said her office will support Therme’s efforts by helping to identify potential locations in the District and collaborate on efforts to engage with council members, business leaders, community partners and D.C. residents.
“When we create destinations that not only bring more visitors to our city, but also create new experiences for our residents — that is a win-win,” Bowser said in a statement. “We know that people are the key to our city’s comeback, and people want experiences that are fun, that support health and wellness, and that are different than what we already have in the region — that is what Therme will bring to D.C.”
Therme currently operates four locations in Germany and Romania, which collectively attract many millions of visitors per year, per the company. Additionally, it is developing new sites in the U.K., Canada, mainland Europe and Asia, including South Korea.
For its U.S. home, the company has specific parameters in mind for the ideal space.
“The ability to be in direct dialogue and collaboration with our neighbors, access to nature where our investment is a force for social good, and a place that is accessible to many people, by walking, biking or riding transit are just a few of our site-selection criteria,” Toro-Vaca said.
Update: This story originally misattributed source material. This has been corrected. We apologize for the error.
Keith Loria can be reached at Kloria@commercialobserver.com.
