Sustainable practices like any new venture have costs and in some cases costs that a small business operator cannot afford. An argument for pursuing sustainable business practices is to preserve and conserve our resources by having a business be socially responsible and be good for business. This article will examine planning for sustainable practices and sustainable businesses and the tactics and resources that can be used to achieve the goal of creating a sustainable business. READ MORE

Resort and Spa, Resort and Spa, a fitting end to a resorts name, however, what the American spa has morphed into may have now departed from what was the luxury spa experience. As with any functional item, when a boom occurs often the classical original gets diluted in the process. This article will travel back in time when the American spa was first conceived to what we now know as a resort or luxury spa facility and endeavor. READ MORE

Hot! Hot! Hot! Condo hotels are burning hot. Across the country and around the world, the development communities have discovered the concept of the condo hotel. However, it is no longer enough to create a residential development with the standard pool, restaurant and tennis court or a hotel with little of the resort type enticements. Your market now demands much more. READ MORE

The number one issue that is continually overlooked by the architects of record on spa facilities is flow. It seems that if an architect has not experienced numerous spas first hand, and by experienced, I mean actually have been a guest and used the spa services often, they do not possess the necessary experience that will provide them with all the nuances of what makes a health spa facility a success, from both an aesthetic view and an operational view. READ MORE

If you were to look at your mid week business and reflect on your occupancy, meaning treatment room occupancy, you will get an idea of how your spa business can improve. We've all designed those lovely mid-week packages, that are a great deal, but it seems that few often work enough to fill those treatment rooms during the week, unless there are guests already planning to come to your property. Having created such packages for years and tracked their success, they do little to motivate the guest that had no intention of taking a vacation at the time your package is targeted, however, they can be the reason why they chose your spa over another. So, although you may not think that they are worth the marketing efforts, do no dispense with them. They are offered by your competitors and a potential guest will take note and compare. READ MORE