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Mc Wellness, Dortmund (D)

Home of DaySpa

Do you urgently need some R&R, but don't have time for a week-long wellness holiday? McWellness, based in Dortmund, offers an alternative to an expensive spa hotel, and a place to take a time-out from the everyday. The best thing about it is that McWellness will give you your own personal wellness oasis for just one hour or several, without costing the earth.

McWellness is a successful start-up that wants to establish a new type of relaxation and revolutionise the wellness industry. Personal privacy is a key principle in the concept. No-one should need to spend time in loud saunas crammed with people, deal with long waiting times or feel stressed by sound intensity. The motto is "Simple. Convenient. Relax." The concept was thought up by Managing Director Thomas Kanitz. Together with his brother and father, he founded McWellness and opened up the first branch in southern Dortmund. Customers easily navigate the online booking system to reserve a private wellness suite to enjoy with their partner, best friend or family – at a location that's open 365 days a year.

The equipment is at its best, the materials are high-value and sustainable. A luxury suite offers a sauna, massage whirlpool, experience shower, rest and relaxation area, plus televisions for entertainment. Guests can use the tablet in the wellness suite to read, extend their booking time, order drinks and snacks from the gastro area, and browse the web. A whole selection of packages is available to book, such as mother and daughter wellness, sauna heroes or candlelight. Hygiene is hugely important to McWellness, and the suites are fully cleaned after each visit.

Wellness drives sales

McWellness has found a gap in the market with its private day spa philosophy. It's no surprise that the schedule is busy at the Dortmund location. and that is hardly surprising. According to the Consumer and Media Analysis (VuMa) from 2015, around 80% of people in Germany don't have time for wellness. People want to go to spas, but it has to be uncomplicated, local and fairly priced. It is precisely this gap in the market that McWellness targets. "Hotels, thermal baths and gyms are submarkets with potential for optimisation – that's where McWellness comes in," says Thomas Kanitz. There's no such thing as an average customer. The most frequent bookings at McWellness are for two people, and are mostly made by couples or mothers and daughters. The McWellness idea is striking a cord, and Thomas Kanitz has already won the founders' prize from the Dortmund Chamber of Industry and Commerce.