The first written references of the thermal spring being used date back to the 17th century. The first chemical investigation of the water (1826) was carried out by a Chur apothecary, G.W. Capeller; the doctor J.A. Kaiser extended the analyses with a "historical-topographical and therapeutic description of the mineral springs". The "sour source" was compared to other similar places and qualified for therapeutic indication: "It is a light, clear water, soft, as if one has touched lukewarm water mixed with fine soap, with a very bland, barely perceptible, salty taste, its fixed components are primarily a fine clay and limestone... Its softening, soothing power which counteracts high irritability, cramp and stiffness of the limbs, damaged skin, an itch, eczema and ulcers of the same sort, rheumatic and gouty afflictions, has been proven by long years of experience."

At the Viennese world exhibition in 1873, the Valser mineral spring was introduced by the Grison natural sciences society as the only thermal mineral spring in Grisons, along with the other mineral springs in the country.

With the construction of the road from Ilanz to Vals in 1880, the time to create new and bigger bathing facilities had come. A limited company, founded in 1891, acquired the spring and the baths property and commissioned a deep bore hole and a new tapping of a spring. In the summer of 1893, the first spa hotel Therme, with 60 beds and a bath house, was opened. At that time, the spa hotel was only open during the summer, from 15th June to 1st October. The public baths and hotel was a popular meeting place for the European elite from when they opened, up until the First World War. The newly founded enterprise not only promoted the beautiful mountain landscape and the hikes in the region, but also celebrated the benefits of the water for tuberculosis, anaemia, chronic inflammation, muscle wastage, joint pain and rheumatism. The guests were picked up in Ilanz by horse and cart and were taken into the popular high mountain valley to the spa.

After several changes of ownership and direction, the health spa and baths business was abandoned in 1956 and was put up for sale. However, nobody came forward to purchase it until 1960, when an expert in mineral water acquired the spring and the property, created a new filling plant for the mineral water and commissioned the construction of an ambitious new aparthotel together with a medical spa area. The modern Hotel Therme was born.

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