Speaking of 'Spa', what's the first picture that comes to your mind? A relaxed, airy space next to the gym with an insignificant number of visitors mostly referred to as ladies walking in and out with white robes? This might have been true, a long, long time ago, but no longer applicable in today's luxury travel business. The truth is, spas are now playing an increasingly important role in securing more leads for luxury hotels and resorts. This is truly creating amazing new opportunities and exciting challenges for management in the business. READ MORE
HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW
July FOCUS: Hotel Spa
Hotel Spa: The Biggest Challenges
This month's feature articles...
Each year, the spa industry is inundated with what's hot and what's not. Maintaining awareness of the growing spa and wellness concerns of your guests will help continue to shape and evolve your spa over time, but it's easy to get caught up in trends. As leaders in the spa industry, we need to examine which initiatives work with our particular needs, assets and, most importantly, our guests. This article looks to shed more light on how to make trends work for you and your spa. READ MORE
As the spa industry continues to grow, so do the spa trends and offerings which, given how spas have become an integral part of the hotel industry's customer experience, also translate into the hotel and hospitality scene. The challenge for the spa industry is to identify the shifts and opportunities available for business growth. For instance, spas are responding to the growing “mind, body and spirit connection” trend by incorporating more results-oriented treatments and experimenting with inspirational programming. As this shift toward healthy living is increasingly important to all types of guests and travelers, spas are beginning to shed their reputation as “pamper palaces.” READ MORE
Having you recently directed the Spa Department to increase the spa's bottom line revenue? Would you like to have the spa's experience and reminders of the experience continue when your guests leave the spa and your property? The bottom line for spa retail is that it will increase the overall business and the spa's bottom line with careful attention to development, planning and operations. Following are brief points on the art of successful spa retail. READ MORE
As The Spa Association (SPAA)fully kicks off its Green Certification Program for facilities and products as it seemed fitting to review the history of green and the objective determinants of green building, interior, operations and product design. While it seems a daunting task to take the leap from conventional to alternative, sustainable and efficient, the transition isn't as difficult as it may seem and the returns are immediate and significant. Furthermore, there is a significant difference between making a guest room more energy efficient as opposed to making a treatment room and spa facility efficient. It is a beautiful thing to go green throughout the facility including the spa READ MORE
In the world of the spa industry it goes without saying that how you execute your service is just as if not more important than the service itself. Being a 5 star property comes with its own rewards; however it also comes with an enormous amount of expectation. As my leaders always say, it's not the chandelier or the expensive furniture that our guests are going to remember, it's our people. The question always gets asked, what is the difference really between 5 stars, 4 stars or even 3 star properties. And the golden answer is not tangible. It is not something you can put your finger on. READ MORE
Want to improve your spa market share? Want to create more exposure for your spa with no or low expenditure? Want some new ideas for your spa team to action to build revenue? Inspire your spa team with creative ideas shared from an industry veteran, spa branding expert and spa consultant in the new economy. There are always ways to market your services, build your spa retail sales and motivate your team to sell themselves and we share many ideas with you to drive your revenue and profit. READ MORE
From “pampering” to “wellness-promoting” and a “necessity,” spas have had to update their message, purpose, consumer benefits and value in order to appeal to the growing and ever-evolving consumer markets. In an age of economic uncertainty and in a marketplace where increasingly savvy customers have access to immediate and abundant information, spa professionals have shifted their positioning message to remain relevant, accessible and engaging. READ MORE
The perception of the role of a salesperson is often inaccurate. This article explores why people will avoid poor salespeople who seem out for their own personal gain at every opportunity. But true salespeople who actually add value to the client interaction are priceless. Do your spa employees have the right tools to help them increase your revenues? Read how a few key questions can add to your top line. READ MORE
When a guest walks over the threshold from a hotel or resort to a spa, an additional layer of responsibility kicks in - or so it should. For nowhere is the guest's wellbeing more at stake than in the spa environment. This article outlines ethical best practices for spa owners and operators, addressing the need for conscious leadership and a commitment to promoting healthy wellness in a transparent way when presenting spa services, treatments and products to guests. READ MORE
There are a few guidelines that keep any society, household, company and team together in order to achieve a common goal. These are rarely talked about, or even written down, for the purpose of reference. But they are expected be known by everyone. These traits are also considered to be common sense behavior patterns for every human being. Under normal circumstances they are unspoken of and taken for granted, until some major upheaval shakes the foundations of these traits READ MORE
As the public's interest in local foods and social equity continue to rise in response to experiencing the Great Recession, many hospitality service providers are now facing the decision ( and in some cases confusion) as to where they can start addressing these issues through the they services provide at their facilities. In this article, I highlight some of the opportunities that hospitality service providers have to provide health and community oriented services to their guests. I also touch upon how these issues of healthy living and recreation are being experienced differently amongst older and younger segments of the population. READ MORE
The freestanding spa continues to pose challenges to the hotel spa, whose business is further tarnished by a troubled economy. The article outlines these challenges, providing three core strategies for remaining competitive: adding evermore value to transactions and experiences, outlining the spa's special distinctive qualities to the guest and marketing products & services more divergently. The hotel spa is well-placed to provide strong staffs support, pursue worldwide spa trends and innovations, move into dimensions of measurable preventive & holistic spa services and reposition the spa to appeal to new market segments in order to remain competitive against the freestanding spa. READ MORE
A part of Glenwood Hot Springs, the world's largest hot mineral springs pool, Spa of the Rockies is an award-winning spa for good reason. Customers keep coming back for treatments they have a hand in creating. Guided by their own preferences, guests can choose ingredients and aromas for a customized treatment that is unique to each individual. Offering many options keeps spa guests engaged in their treatment, satisfied with the results and returning for the same treatment or to try something new. Either way, it's a win for both guests and the bottom line. READ MORE
Cupping, tarot card reading, glamour day, Thai massage, clinical sports massage, Chakra balancing, caviar facial and hypnotherapy… All wonderful spa treatments, but all on the same spa menu. Is this good business? Or is this a perfect example of a hotel spa trying to be all things to all people? The challenge hotel spas face is how to identify and then adapt to the needs and tastes of their guests without compromising the hotel's brand and the spa's identity within that brand. If this balance is not achieved, then the spa's product and services will be diluted, guests will be disappointed and ultimately revenue will decrease. READ MORE
As the leading luxury chain hotels continue to create amazing spa concepts to complement their beautiful properties throughout the untouched splendor of Africa, I suspect that they will be faced with serious challenges in finding suitable local spa therapists, if they wish to avoid the complications of hiring from abroad. But at the same time, this is a moment laced with great opportunity, should they decide to hire and - more importantly -- train the most motivated local applicants. READ MORE
Recent Features ...
June 2013
New Trends in Hotel Architecture and Design
May 2013
Green Hotels: Eco-Friendly Principles and Best Practices
April 2013
Best Practices in Guest Service & Customer Experience Management
March 2013
Hotel Human Resources: The Biggest Challenges
February 2013