Biography
Robert Hanea is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Therme Group, a Vienna-headquartered developer and operator of large-scale wellbeing destinations that combine water-based experiences, art, culture and wellness programmes within cities. Founded in 2011, the group owns and operates two of Europe's most frequented wellbeing destinations, welcoming more than 3.5 million visitors a year, and is advancing an international portfolio of projects across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, designed to serve more than 20 million guests annually within the next decade.
Born in Transylvania, Robert Hanea began his professional career in law before moving into the wellbeing sector, where he partnered with Josef Wund to advance urban wellbeing and modernise the thermal bathing industry. He drove the transformation of A-HEAT Allied Heat Exchange Technology AG, the Vienna-based heat-exchange engineering group affiliated with Therme, and conceptualised and oversaw the construction of Therme Bucharest, the group's flagship destination on the outskirts of the Romanian capital, which opened in 2016 and holds LEED Platinum certification for sustainable design.
Under his leadership, Therme Group has expanded well beyond its Romanian flagship, acquiring Therme Erding in Germany in 2024 and developing new destinations including Therme Manchester in the United Kingdom, a major project at Ontario Place in Toronto, Therme Bad Vilbel near Frankfurt, and schemes in Dallas, Washington DC, Incheon and Singapore, where the group was awarded a development tender in 2025. Therme has also established research partnerships with the University of Glasgow, on the psychological effects of thermal environments, and with the University of Surrey, on carbon-footprint measurement.
Robert Hanea holds a doctorate in laws from Comenius University in Bratislava. Beyond Therme Group, he serves on the boards of several investment companies and of architecture and law practices, and holds co-chair positions on the boards of foundations dedicated to education and medical support programmes. He is an active supporter of initiatives in the arts, culture, environmental sustainability and education, in support of Therme Group's stated vision of wellbeing for all.