Frank van den Bruele on the success of Spa Zuiver

The tenth anniversary was celebrated extensively last summer, including the release of its own magazine. However, Zuiver did not only experience glory years in that decade. The company fell on hard times during the crisis, but owner Frank van den Bruele helped Zuiver grow again. 'Because we went through bad times, we became closer as a team. The company belongs to everyone who works here, at least that's how it feels.'

At the complex where Zuiver is housed, it all once started with tennis club Amstelpark, and those tennis courts are still there. 'We are the fastest growing tennis club in the Netherlands, but also offer the possibility of squash and padel.' There is also a high-quality fitness facility offering a wide range of group classes including yoga, spinning and bodypump. Injuries sustained from sports can be treated by one of the physiotherapists from Fysioconcept on hand. 'As a result, many athletes also come to us. Soccer players from Ajax, for example, but also the Dutch men's hockey team was here recently. Those guys then go into the spa together in the evening. And don't blame them.

Van den Bruele always strives for continued development. 'I can't stand sitting still. I always want to undertake something new.' Now those are the thirty-nine new hotel rooms that should be finished in a year and a half. This brings the total to seventy. In the future, that may be a new downtown location. 'Never say never. And who knows, if Zuiver is standing like a house in five years, we might expand. But I want to be able to focus fully on that, and right now my focus is still really here.'

Van den Bruele is closer to his business than you might expect from a director. After all, he is originally a physical therapist by profession. For twelve years he ran two rehabilitation centers in Munich. 'In Germany, physiotherapy and wellness are really connected. There you can use all kinds of wellness facilities after your treatment. It really is a complete picture.' Upon returning to Amsterdam, he went to work at Sento Spa and Health Club on Marnixplein. 'I actually rolled into wellness from physical therapy, but because of that I know what's going on.'

Need to relax?
At Spa Sport Hotel Zuiver you can escape the hectic city life. Unwind by working out in the gym, hitting a ball on the tennis court or enjoy a massage, sauna or steam bath in the luxurious spa. From out of town? You can also spend a night here

The spa is also keeping up with wellness developments. 'For six months we have had a Japanese sauna, with cherry blossom scents and Japanese music. Guests come here to relax, but entertainment is also important. That makes all the difference.' Zuiver's goal, then, is to give people that rest. 'The world is getting faster and faster, we are always on our phones. Here there is calmness. You're in the woods, without a phone, and that pulls you out of the hectic world around you for a while.'

So for Amsterdam residents, it is the ideal escape from the grind of everyday life. 'We are the only major spa in the Amsterdam area, and so we want to give our guests time for themselves.' For Van den Bruele, therein lies Zuiver's strength:

You may have lost a game of tennis, or had a busy day, but here you have some time just for yourself. You have to allow yourself that relaxation.