traumHaff: Kirami outdoor saunas & hot tubs as a unique selling point

 

23 years ago, Marco Dorka and his partner Dirk Bartelt started renting out high-quality holiday homes on the Szczecin Lagoon, near the island of Usedom, under the brand name traumHaff. Thanks to the very quick installation by Kirami reseller FrankenSpa, guests of the houses there can now relax in private, wood-fired outdoor saunas and hot tubs. traumHaff is delighted about the new unique selling point and the extension of the season.

 

Holiday homes on the Szczecin Lagoon with that special something

Marco Dork a stands in front of one of his holiday homes in Riether Winkel with a smile on his face and looks at the ensemble of Kirami garden sauna and hot tub.

A gentle breeze blows in his face as he once again looks back on what has happened here in the last few months. But let's rewind a little and tell the story from the beginning.
160 kilometres north of Berlin, the quiet landscapes at the Szczecin Lagoon invite you to relax. Marco and his partner have been renting out holiday homes here since the year 2000. In addition to 20 holiday homes, traumHaff also rents out two houseboats. Since both of them always wanted to offer their guests something special, it was obvious that one day they came across Kirami products.

 

From the initial idea to implementation

- We already had some saunas at the holiday homes, but the residents of different houses had to share them. We didn't consider that ideal ourselves, so we were looking for a solution that would also give us a special added value," says Marco, who comes from the region.

- For the first time, Marco contacted us directly in the summer of 2018. Unfortunately, Covid then stopped everything and the realisation of such a project became impossible. Last spring, Marco contacted us again and we suggested him to handle the project through one of our most experienced resellers in Germany.  FrankenSpa is very familiar with our hot tubs and saunas, remembers Taina Hujo-Oittinen, sales employee and key account manager for Germany at Kirami.

 

In no time, Bernhard Selig from Schönbrunn in the Steigerwald region near Bamberg was involved with his company FrankenSpa.

- Taina told traumHaff they could come by my place and look at the products directly on the exhibition grounds. In April 2022, Marco and Dirk came by with their team, took a look at everything and were directly interested. We immediately realised that we were thinking the same way. So we made a concrete offer and then it started, says Bernhard, who started renting out hot tubs in 2011 and is now one of the largest Kirami resellers and partners in Germany with a huge exhibition area.

 

Such a major project requires accurate processes 

Now everything started to happen quickly with the project. In August, Bernhard and his colleague Alexander from FrankenSpa travelled to the north, inspected the grounds of the holiday homes, looked at where problems might arise and gave helpful tips on preparing the ground and what else there was to consider in terms of installation. 

The managing directors of traumHaff GmbH decided to take ten FinVision Original -saunas, two of them with a changing room, and twelve Comfort Family M hot tubs, which were ordered directly in Finland and manufactured by Kirami. A total of three trucks fully loaded with the products and parts made their way to Germany.

- The installation process was carried out entirely by our partner FrankenSpa. They have many years of experience with the installation of our products. The arrival of the trucks was planned by us together with the transport company. The unloading and the installation work itself were well prepared and planned in advance. The FrankenSpa staff are real professionals and everything went quickly and according to plan, Taina explains happily.

Bernhard Selig also has fond memories of the large-scale project on the Baltic Sea.

- At the beginning of December, four of us were on site in Rieth and set everything up within a week. On Monday, three trucks arrived from Finland with the products, and I had arranged unloading equipment. We then unloaded the products and brought them to the right places. On Tuesday we installed the first hot tubs. On Wednesday we used a big crane to put the saunas in the different places. On Thursday and Friday, we installed the heaters and handed over the NordicSpas to traumHaff.

 

Kirami, FrankenSpa & traumHaff: a perfect example of teamwork

Holiday home owner Marco Dorka is still enthusiastic today about how quickly and smoothly everything went. 

- The team did a great job with the installation. My personal highlight was the use of the crane to place the saunas and hot tubs even in hidden corners, just as we had imagined. We are still delighted about the quality of the products and the fun the guests have with them, he praises.

- Realising this kind of project requires really good cooperation between the parties. Information must be passed on promptly, accurately and continuously. Everything has to be planned and scheduled in advance by mutual agreement. We are really happy and proud of the cooperation between us and FrankenSpa and how it went. It was a project that we did together. We believe that this project has taken our cooperation to a new level, adds Taina from Kirami.
And Bernhard Selig remembers that punctual implementation was particularly important in this case.

- There were already bookings for the holiday homes with the NordicSpas for Christmas. Therefore, it was important that everything was finished on time, which worked out well. It turned out that such a project can be realised very quickly and easily in the end, he says. 
He is still in touch with Marco. They write each other Easter and Christmas greetings. Bernhard also supplies the traumHaff holiday homes with his own high-quality Odoro essences for the infusions in the saunas.

- We also supply consumables such as ecological wood wool firelighters from the Steigerwald region. We also helped to prepare instructions for the saunas and hot tubs so that the guests know how to properly heat up the heater, for example, explains Bernhard, who is already planning his next visit to the Szczecin Lagoon.

 

Extending the season and upgrading the houses with saunas and hot tubs

After considering the matter carefully, the traumHaff team decided to go for the wood-fired version of the saunas and hot tubs. This not only has the advantage of being particularly original and traditional, but also helps to save electricity.

- Especially in these times, I would like to point out that the saunas and hot tubs are heated with the renewable raw material wood from the region and not with fossil fuels, underlines Marco Dorka, who is proud of the new unique selling point of his holiday homes.

- We are now the only ones in the region to have hot tubs. Wood-fired saunas are also rather rare here. The customers think it's great to heat up with wood because it also brings the effect of more cosiness. We provide our guests with bathrobes, towels and infusion products, so it's a perfect all-round experience. The Kirami products fit perfectly with our houses, which also have many wooden elements. 

 

With the saunas and hot tubs, traumHaff also plans to extend the season. Guests can now relax in the warm water of the hot tub even in winter. In summer, on the other hand, it can be used to cool down after the sauna and invites children to splash around.

- We believe that hot tubs and saunas are an interesting addition to the leisure opportunities offered at the holiday homes. This is a great example of how to expand and rethink your business. Kirami hot tubs and FinVision -saunas will certainly bring new customers to Rieth am See to enjoy the outdoor life, Taina is sure.

Holidays almost like in Finland between beaches and forests

The holiday homes of traumHaff are located in three picturesque villages on the Szczecin Lagoon. The region offers everything that can be found on the outer coast of the Baltic Sea. Small sandy beaches, beach chairs, forests, intact nature, which can be experienced for example in the Szczecin Lagoon Nature Park. 

 

It is a tranquil region that is not as touristy as the island of Usedom, which lies just around the corner. Here, even in summer, you can enjoy peace and quiet on the beaches and on the small promenades that the villages have built. So you can enjoy a holiday close to nature between forests and water.

- Our guests are mainly nature-loving people who want to go hiking or cycling. The Oder-Neisse Cycle Route, which ends on Usedom, passes directly by the houses. The Szczecin Lagoon, which is several times larger than Lake Constance, also offers ideal conditions for water sports activities. If you like, you can go on a boat trip to Usedom or Szczecin. Dogs are very welcome at our holiday homes. The amount of forest here is almost like in Finland, Marco laughs and adds: What could be more obvious than to also purchase saunas and hot tubs from Finland?

 

Learn more about the installation of the hot tubs and saunas in this article on the FrankenSpa website.

Click here for the detailed retailer story about Bernhard Selig and his company.

Book pure recreation and relaxation in one of traumHaff's holiday homes with private NordicSpa.

Bookings are also possible by e-mail info@ostseeferienhaus.de and by telephone (+49(0)39775 26848).