The Spa PR team were at the World Spa & Wellness Convention at Professional Beauty this week. This annual event has once again provided a wealth of insights and inspiration for hotel and spa operators worldwide. From innovative strategies to timeless wisdom, here are some of the key takeaways that can help elevate your spa and wellness offerings.
- Right-sizing Your Spa Experience
Hans-Peter Veit, Director of Spa & Wellbeing at Appenzeller Huus, shared valuable insights into optimising spa space. Remember, bigger isn’t always better. Veit advises against oversizing, suggesting a guideline of 200 square meters per treatment room. By optimising space, you can enhance the guest experience and operational efficiency simultaneously.
- Tailoring Treatments for Success
Veit also emphasised the importance of refining your treatment offerings. Identify top sellers and consider adjusting durations to maximise profitability. By focusing on what resonates with guests, you can elevate their experience while driving revenue.
- Embracing Holistic Profitability
Breaking down departmental silos was a recurring theme. Veit urged operators to consider overall profit rather than focusing solely on individual departmental profit. This holistic approach fosters collaboration and ensures sustainable growth.
- Using Wellness Consultations as a Sales Tool
George Tavelis, Founder and CEO of Sanctum, highlighted the wellness consultation as a powerful sales tool. By engaging guests early in their journey, you can build trust prior to arrival and tailor experiences to their needs, enhancing satisfaction and loyalty. He recommended not including more than three treatments in a programme as this will enable guests to add on more when they arrive.
- Digitising Wellness for Engagement
Tavelis also stressed the importance of digitising wellness experiences. By connecting with guests beyond their stay, you can cultivate brand loyalty and encourage repeat visits. Utilise technology to extend the spa experience into the digital realm, creating lasting connections with your audience.
- Creating Immersive Wellness Spaces
Reyes Guzman, Wellness Sales Director at MELIA Punta Cana Beach, shared insights into crafting immersive wellness environments. By dividing guest spaces into distinct wellness zones such as: Sensorial (treatments, thermal experiences), culinary, social (weekly events), silence (library, meditation and nature areas) and personal (wellness suites), you can cater to diverse needs and preferences, enhancing the overall experience.
We liked the idea of Melia’s monthly evening ‘Spacktail’ which includes access to a range of holistic wellness therapies such as numerology, tarot, chakra, full moon meditation, sound healing, gong baths.
- Elevating Guest Engagement
Suzanne Holbrook, Spa & Wellness Senior Director at Marriott USA, emphasised the importance of proactive engagement. From incentivising front desk staff to upsell to implementing dynamic pricing strategies in your treatment menus, every touchpoint is an opportunity to enhance the guest experience and drive revenue.
- Elevating Retail Experience
Carol Phillips, Founder of Beauteesmarts, shared strategies for enhancing the retail experience. From encouraging guests to linger in the retail section longer before treatments to curating retail spaces by function such as sleep, pain relief etc, these tactics can drive sales and enhance guest satisfaction. Also she recommends giving your product brands space on your website so guests can educate themselves and buy more. And have a goal for ‘1 bum, 2 products’ for every person that touches your seat, you want to aim to send them out of the door with 2 products.
- Cultivating Personal Growth
Keisha Schahaff, Wellness Coach and Astronaut from Antigua, reminded us of the importance of inner work and resilience and how this mindset helped her achieve her dream of going into space! Challenges are opportunities for growth, and by embracing them, we can unlock our full potential both personally and professionally. As she said: “Challenges in life are like medicine for our own growth.”
- Wellness in Times of Turmoil
Anna Seleznoya, Founder of Maharaja Yoga & Spa in the Ukraine, highlighted the role of wellness even in times of war and adversity which moved us all. Amidst challenges, wellness practices become essential tools for managing stress, fostering resilience, and promoting physical stamina. Her image of a soldier practising his breathing techniques before his operation left a lasting impression.