Szczawnica, located in the mountainous Pieniny region in south-east Poland 120 km from Kraków, right on the Slovak border, is yet to find its place on the world map of well-known resorts, something the Mańkowski family has set out to achieve. The family is the owner and manager of Pieniny Spa resort and the Thermaleo & Uzdrowisko Szczawnica group established after the Uzdrowisko Szczawnica spa town, together with properties and land, was returned to them in 2005, in one of Poland’s largest restitution claims at that time.
Their vision of developing Szczawnica stems from the idea that motivated their great-grandfather, Count Adam Stadnicki – creating a tourist destination with an extensive accommodation, cultural, gastronomic, infrastructural and recreational base as well as a health and spa resort, at the same time promoting regional heritage and taking an active part in the overall revitalisation of the town and its surroundings.
Dedication to succeed
The history of the resort goes back to the mid-19th century, when it was established as a small, remote mineral spring spa. It was later extensively developed by Count Adam Stadnicki who fell in love with the area in 1909.
In 1948 the assets were nationalised and some of the owner’s descendants came back only at the beginning of the 21st century in order to reclaim the family’s former estate and to restore it to its former splendour and glory.
Nicolas Mańkowski, CEO of Thermaleo Plus (the managing company of the group) and one of the three siblings working today in Szczawnica recalls: “First, there was a consortium of 80 heirs but we managed to acquire the majority of the shares to set up a strong management and ownership structure for the estate which unfortunately was at that time dilapidated or in ruins.”
That did not deter the family from reviving their great-grandfather’s dream. The outcome of their plan, to develop one asset each year, be it a hotel, shop, museum or a horse club, has been astonishing – today’s transformed town includes a range of hotels, shops, and many restaurants, as well as a large conference centre, with revitalised parks to be enjoyed by the public.
Where did this commitment and dedication come from? Nicolas Mańkowski explains that his father, who left Poland at the age of 25 to become a highly successful entrepreneur, remained a patriot determined to revive his ancestors’ legacy.
“My father started from nothing and taught us the value of hard work, respect for people and how money should be used as a tool to develop something substantial, something great,” he reflects. “Re-developing Szczawnica was a crazy challenge predicted by many, including the locals, to fail, but here we are today, with a growing company employing 260 people, striving, and succeeding in putting the resort on the European map again.”
Local beauty, local resources
Szczawnica, located in a region which is called by the locals ‘Little Switzerland’ provides ideal conditions for guests to relax or work surrounded by natural beauty and yet in world-class comfort, supported by excellent service. Thermaleo, being a family business, can afford to be highly flexible and accommodating, says Mańkowski.
“Sometimes, the gap between a marketing promise and reality is huge but we have the reputation of a company that can be trusted. Regardless of whether they are private or corporate clients, we are committed to fully meeting and exceeding our guests’ requirements to their greatest satisfaction, with passion, smile, and great energy.”
Nicolas Mańkowski, a multi-lingual speaker, has himself had a rich and varied professional life. Educated at top universities in several countries, he worked for international companies in sales, marketing, and design, until eventually settling in Szczawnica. His wide-ranging experience has, no doubt, helped to make the Szczawnica project successful.
And the development continues, despite the turndown of the hospitality sector during the pandemic, and its continuing consequences. Recent highlights include the completion of the four-star Pieniny Grand Hotel, renovated to the highest standards and offering 119 rooms, 2000 square metres of health spa, a world-class sky bar and other facilities to satisfy the most demanding guest.
The company has also completed in 2012 the Dworek Gościnny (‘Hospitable Manor House’), an architectonic pearl of the spa, erected in 1884. The building burned down in 1962 and Thermaleo initiated the rebuilding of the Dworek according to the original design so as to retain the ambience and atmosphere of the original building, which is to be used as a conference centre.
The next stage
Other successful projects include revitalisation of the municipal parks, a number of the town buildings, shops, and real estate facilities to name just a few. “Our biggest achievement is putting this destination back on the map with the help of our highly committed, hard-working team,” says Mańkowski.
The local element was key from the very beginning and most of the work completed has been performed by Polish companies. “There is a lot of technical expertise and skills available locally which we utilised, at the same time helping local companies to develop and grow with us. Today we have excellent, partnership-like relations with our suppliers, based on trust.”
Now that the first part of the vision has been accomplished, Thermaleo will focus on the next stage – the overall development of the town as well as developing Szczawnica as a recognised health resort. “This stage will involve the reconstruction of the city centre area as well as smaller but multiple investments into the town infrastructure and retail, with support from the local council as well as, hopefully, from EU funds.”
To this end, Thermaleo is integrating new investors to accelerate the pace of the development. “The basis of our endeavour is passion, respect and humanity. In this day and age, we strive to create an ageless yet trendy destination, marked by 200 years of tradition, where people can truly feel good. We already have an amazing number of guests who are coming back, and now feel at home at Szczawnica. This is a great achievement for us, the family, as well as for the local community.”
