When the German Pension Insurance rehabilitation clinic in Bad Kissingen was acquired by the Bremen-based "Cup Vitalis" hotel and operating company in 2012, the old clinic building was completely converted into a four-star hotel. Further construction work followed, including the expansion of room capacity and the addition of a restaurant, wellness, and sports areas – designed by the local Richter Architektur firm. Most recently, investments were made in the expansion of the swimming pool and the construction of a saltwater pool, with a spacious terrace installed on the roofs. A total of 700 square meters were covered with the barefoot-friendly WPC decking Natureline in chestnut brown.

Bad Kissingen, located on the Franconian Saale River, has been attracting spa guests since the 16th century. This has always been due not only to its traditional spa facilities but also to the picturesque landscape at the foothills of the Rhön Mountains.

In 2021, eleven world-famous spa towns in seven European countries were added to the "Great Spa Towns of Europe" World Heritage list, including Bad Kissingen. With historic facilities for brine extraction and utilization, the popular spa town was the only one among the other spa towns to be recognized. The operators of the Parkhotel "Cup Vitalis" also recognized the value of brine use as a healing agent and built a 34-degree saltwater pool in 2022, which perfectly complements the two swimming pools and other wellness offerings.

In keeping with Bad Kissingen's tradition, the hotel boasts its own graduation tower – the largest of its kind in Germany –, a salt mill, a dry salt oasis, a salt sauna, and a brine bath.

Sun terrace with a view of the green Rhön forests

During the expansion of the swimming pool a few years ago, the approximately 300-square-meter flat roof was already used as an outdoor terrace. When the new saltwater pool was planned in 2021, the terrace area was more than doubled by combining the two roof areas. Since the completion of the construction work, guests of the "Cup Vitalis" can now sunbathe and relax from morning to night on a total of approximately 700 square meters. Numerous deck chairs, beach chairs, outdoor beds, and parasols, as well as first-class on-site catering, have since ensured the greatest possible feel-good atmosphere.

Existing and new floorboards carefully laid

Not only was the combination of the terrace areas cleverly utilized, but the installation of the old and new decking was also a clever move. It was decided that the NaturinForm WPC decking Natureline in chestnut brown would continue to be used as the flooring, as the owner was completely satisfied with its ease of use and maintenance.

However, the previously installed planks were already weathered due to the natural visual maturation of the wood, making them somewhat duller and lighter than the newly delivered planks. To avoid color differences disrupting the spacious terrace, the Parkett Hofmann installation team solved this problem by laying the planks in stripes. The planks from the different deliveries were alternated to create an interesting, intentional striped pattern.

Special lengths convey a seemingly endless surface

With his company "Parkett Hofmann," Klaus Hofmann focuses on parquet flooring installation. However, he has also been tackling terrace projects since 2011. When constructing the terrace area for the Hotel Cup Vitalis, he used WPC decking from NaturinForm. With his seven employees and numerous prestigious references, he has earned an excellent reputation – even far beyond Bad Kissingen.

For the terrace of the "Cup Vitalis," it wasn't the length of the driveway that posed a challenge for the professional installer and his team, but rather the access to the construction site: "The requested special lengths of 13 meters were very difficult to deliver, as the access to the Parkhotel is very narrow," reports Hofmann. "So each plank had to be carried onto the site individually by three people." Certainly not an everyday sight for residents and hotel guests. But it was precisely these special lengths of 13 meters that made it possible to minimize the number of longitudinal joints. By laying the extra-long planks without visible joints, butt-to-butt, and in a bond, a seemingly endless terrace area was achieved. The effort was worth it; the result is a fantastic eye-catcher!

Barefoot-friendly and easy to care for

WPC decking from NaturinForm has also been used in other areas of the Parkhotel in the past. Installer Klaus Hofmann knows the advantages of these products. "For wooden roof terraces, long-term durability cannot be guaranteed due to the strong sunlight. Due to large temperature fluctuations, the wood will eventually begin to crack, and splinters can form." On a surface frequently walked on barefoot, this poses a risk of injury that can only be avoided through regular maintenance and, if necessary, replacement.

The WPC decking Natureline was installed on the sun deck of the 4-star Park Hotel. Depending on the product line, customers can choose from up to 31 colors. Chestnut brown was again chosen for the new outdoor terrace of the "Cup Vitalis" – matching the previously installed decking above the existing swimming pool. Inspired by nature, the full beauty of wood is evident in this solid decking with its natural look and feel. It offers a distinctive and natural-looking, multi-colored wood grain and a pleasant surface texture. Each decking board is unique and of absolute premium quality. Another advantage of the solid-colored wood composite decking is that it retains its color consistently after the color maturation process – a process to which WPC products are subject due to their wood content. Wood, on the other hand, continues to fade, requiring more maintenance through oiling and painting. WPC decking from NaturinForm, on the other hand, requires no maintenance; cleaning is sufficient. As shown here in a large-scale, commercial hotel terrace, they can be quickly cleaned with daily use of a pressure washer. None of the microplastics are washed away.

Hotel operator pays attention to sustainability and regionality

The hotel operator places great emphasis on regionality in the selection of products and the craftsmen involved in the projects. NaturinForm floorboards are produced in Redwitz ad Rodach in northern Bavaria, not far from Bad Kissingen. Only PEFC-certified wood fibers from sustainable, local forestry, which are generated by the wood processing industry, are used. The addition of an environmentally friendly polymer makes the WPC products robust and durable. This combination also enables them to be recycled up to 25 times and made into new products. This corresponds to a product cycle of over 600 years. In order to recycle the products after demolition or as offcuts from construction sites and to reintroduce them into the manufacturing process, the company provides its own free take-back system for retailers and craftsmen. Fungicides and pesticides are also avoided during production.

NaturinForm offers products for DGNB-certified construction. All NaturinForm decking and facade profiles are provided with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) prepared in accordance with international standards. All products are continuously subjected to quality controls and stress tests to ensure consistently flawless and first-class wood-based material quality.