Evaluating the Spatial and Functional Characteristics of Existing Spa Hotels - Case Study of Serbian Spas

Until recently, the capacities of spa hotels were primarily used for curative treatment and rehabilitation of the sick and injured. Such spa hotels do not meet the needs of today's extremely diverse customers. The continuous rise in the number and type of guests has conditioned their transformation, turning them into destinations adapted to the different groups of tourists they serve. Unlike buildings built during previous eras, contemporary spa hotels no longer represent simple accommodation facilities in the close proximity of public baths, but rather complex structures that offer a whole range of different contents under one roof. As a result of the previously described changes in tourism the majority of existing spa hotels built in the middle of the last century do not meet modern standards. The goal of this research is to determine the level of compliance of the spatial and functional characteristics of the existing spa hotels with the current planning and design regulations related to hotel buildings. Based on the analysis of current domestic regulations, a universally applicable system for evaluation of spatial and functional characteristics of spa hotels is defined and used for comparative analysis of the existing hotels and current regulations.