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www.spabusiness.com 2010 1
spa business
COVER: THE SCARLET, CORNWALL, UK ©CHRIS CYPERT
COVER: CHI, THE SPA AT SHANGRI-LA
destination
day
resort
hotel
club
medical
thermal
curative uniting the world of spas
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Meet the team
contributors
READER SERVICES
NEENA DHILLON
Subscriptions Neena Dhillon has contributed features on spa travel to publications
Julie Albone +44 (0)1462 471915 including Viva Espana, Highstyle and International Highflyer. A
Circulation former managing editor of Great Hotels of the World Luxury Spa
Collection, she has also written for Velocity and easyJet magazines.
Michael Emmerson +44 (0)1462 471932
EDITORIAL TEAM EMILIE FILOU
Editor Emilie Filou is a freelance journalist specialising in business, the
Liz Terry +44 (0)1462 431385 environment and development issues. She writes regularly about
water and the carbon market and is the Maghreb correspondent of
Managing editor
water magazine Global Water Intelligence.
Katie Barnes +44 (0)1462 471925
Newsdesk
Sarah Todd +44 (0)1462 471927 RHIANON HOWELLS
Rhianon Howells was launch editor of Spa Business and established
Tom Walker +44 (0)1462 471934
it as a journal of note. As consulting editor she is closely involved
Peter Hayman +44 (0)1462 471938 with its continuing development, while also writing widely on health,
Martin Nash +44 (0)1462 471911 fitness, travel and leisure as a freelance journalist.
North America editor
Peter Sargent +1 239 949 3394
ANDREA JEZOVIT
Andrea Jezovit has written on business, travel and lifestyle for
ADVERTISING TEAM publications including Canadian Business, Toronto Life and national
Publisher/advertising sales newspaper The Globe and Mail. She recently returned to Toronto
Nuzhat Hayat +44 (0)1604 415414 from the UK, where she worked as managing editor of Leisure Media
magazines Leisure Management and Attractions Management.
Advertising sales
Tessa Alexander +44 (0)1462 471903
John Challinor +44 (0)1582 607970 LEONOR STANTON
Jan Williams +44 (0)1462 471909 Leonor Stanton is the founder of LLS Consulting, specialising in
market and commercial assessments and financial planning in
Stephanie Rogers +44 (0)1462 471903
the hospitality and spa sectors. She was previously with Deloitte
Advertising production Consulting and Deloitte Corporate Finance.
Ed Gallagher +44 (0)1905 20198
WEB TEAM CAROLINE WILKINSON
Caroline Wilkinson is a freelance journalist who focuses on writing
spa-kit.net/product search engine
about the fitness, spa and wellness industries. She is also a
Sarah Todd +44 (0)1462 471927 published photographer and is the features writer of UK consumer
spabusiness.com magazine Digital SLR Photography.
Michael Paramore +44 (0)1462 471926
Tim Nash +44 (0)1462 471917
THE LEISURE MEDIA COMPANY PUBLISHES
Dean Fox +44 (0)1462 471900
Emma Harris +44 (0)1462 471921
Katie Eldridge +44 (0)1462 471913
DESIGN
Andy Bundy +44 (0)1462 471924
FINANCE
The views expressed in individual articles are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher,
Sue Davis +44 (0)1395 519398 The Leisure Media Company Ltd. © Cybertrek Ltd 2010. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
Denise Gildea +44 (0)1462 471930 or otherwise, without prior permission of the copyright holder, Cybertrek Ltd. Registered at Stationers’ Hall 30851, Spa
CREDIT CONTROL Business ISSN 1479-912X is available on annual subscription for UK £28, Europe £38, USA/Canada £28, rest of world
£38, from the Leisure Media Company Ltd. Portmill House, Portmill Lane, Hitchin SG5 1DJ, UK. Printed by Mansons.
Rebekah Scott +44 (0)1462 733477 © Cybertrek 2010 ISSN 1479-912X. Digital edition at www.spabusiness.com/digital
©
4 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 cybertrek 2009
lasting longer
I
n this issue we visit The Scarlet, a new eco- ON THE COVER:
hotel which has been built in Cornwall in the The Scarlet eco-hotel in Cornwall, UK,
UK (see p38) and examine how the team see our report on p38.
behind the project developed the hotel’s PHOTO: © CHRIS CYPERT
unique spa facilities and philosophy.
THE LEISURE MEDIA COMPANY
The hotel has been conceived and developed by
three sisters who are second generation hoteliers. Head Office/Europe Office
The new venture sits near to the still thriving original Portmill House, Portmill Lane,
business, the Bedruthan Steps – a family-focused Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1DJ, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385
holiday hotel – and has been designed as an adult-
Fax: +44 (0)1462 433909
only luxury retreat which specialises in healing, lifestyle and wellness breaks.
In line with this approach, the spa menu has broken with the tradition of one
US Office
hour time slots for treatments and offers a range of journeys which last four 22311 Piazza Doria Lane,
hours or longer. Spa manager Steph Crosby explains: “What we genuinely and #201 Estero, Florida, USA
authentically want to offer is the opportunity to truly relax, let go and release Tel: +1 239 949 3394
and that takes more than an hour. When guests book a massage, I explain that
we’ve researched how long it takes to get to relaxation levels which benefit you
in the long-term and they’re generally interested and happy to book a journey.”
This approach holds many attractions. It optimises staff resources, creates
better value as a result of the purchasing of larger tranches of time and – done
well – can give far more effective results. While The Scarlet has lengthened both
treatment and session times, this approach could be extended to many aspects
With many spas half empty at certain times of day, it
makes sense to offer longer and more cost-effective
treatments during these times, so customers seeking deep
healing can put more time by for an effective treatment
of menu design to the benefit of the customer, the therapist and the business.
The body takes time to respond to change – for blood flow to be restored and FIND GREAT STAFF FOR YOUR SPA
for muscles to unbind and lengthen, for example. There will always be a limit to
how much can be achieved in a one hour treatment of any kind and in opting
spa opportunities
Spa Opportunities, the sister publication
for this as a standard time slot, spas are falling in line with the norm, rather than
of Spa Business, focuses on recruitment,
giving treatments which create optimal results in terms of long-term healing. careers and news and is published every
Even the fastest-working therapist can’t deal with all areas of the body in an two weeks. It has a daily website and
hour, meaning there will be areas left untouched, undermining the holistic value weekly ezine, as well as being available as
of the treatment. I find that in most massages, for example, the arms are often a PDF subscription and on digital turning
overlooked. This doesn’t make sense when you consider how much we use pages. To advertise for staff,
them and how tension and adhesions within them can have such a detrimental email sales@spaopportunities.com.
effect on wellbeing and can lead to other problems such as RSI and tension in web: spaopportunities.com
the shoulders, back and neck. However, with all the other big muscle groups to digital edition: spaopportuities.com/digital
deal with first, the arms are often simply passed over through lack of time.
This problem is exacerbated by the fact that many treatments, although
spa business
Spa Business is written for investors
booked for an hour, are often whittled down to 45 or 50 minutes once the
and developers, operators and buyers,
changeover and consultation have been taken care of, leaving the customer in designers and suppliers. Readers work in
danger of feeling hurried and sometimes even short-changed. all areas of the spa market worldwide. Spa
With many spas half empty at certain times of day, it makes sense to offer Business has a daily website, a weekly
longer and more cost-effective treatments during these times, so customers ezine, and print, PDF and digital turning
seeking deep healing can put time by for more effective treatments which give pages editions of the magazine.
longer-lasting results and more profit for the spa – surely a win:win outcome? email: feedback@spabusiness.com
web: spabusiness.com
Liz Terry editor lizterry@spabusiness.com digital edition: spabusiness.com/digital
©
SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 cybertrek 2009 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital 5
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– call 020 7512 0872 for your information pack.
Thalgo is proud to support the Marine Conservation Society
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every step of the way to make Thalgo a success in your spa.
enquiry@thalgo.co.uk www.thalgo.com
Contents » issue 1 2010
in this issue... spa business
uniting the world of spas
PHOTO: CHRIS CYPERT
The Scarlet eco spa, UK p38 The Elysian Chicago p44
Laurence Boulet, Accor, France p26
10 SPA VISION
Space-like spa experiences and a
waterfall painting specialist from Japan
26 INTERVIEW
LAURENCE BOULET
The spa development director for Accor
38 TAKING YOUR TIME
Four-hour ayurvedic journeys
are the mainstay at this new eco-spa in
tells Katie Barnes about the new Sofitel the UK. Kath Hudson pays a visit
14 LETTERS
Industry research is scrutinised
and Pullman spa concepts and how she is
refining the group’s thalassotherapy arm
42 THE WAY I SEE IT
ADAM HORLER
16 NEWS
Paua becomes South China Cosmet-
ics, a mega-development for Egypt and an
32 NEWS REPORT
GREECE LIGHTNING
Magali Robathan reveals more about
An ex L’Oréal and Molton Brown em-
ployee reveals why he’s thrown off the
shackles of corporate life
illuminating launch for Yas Hotel, UAE Greece’s €1bn Costa Navarino project
22 EVERYONE’S
TALKING ABOUT 34 SPA TOURISM
HOT SPOT
44 AIMING HIGH
Neena Dhillon looks at the real-
estate success of the Elysian Chicago
ADVANCE PAYMENTS Uruguay’s thermal spring region is a
Is prepayment the best way to deal with popular and affordable destination, but it
no shows, or does an up-front deposit
deter customers? Katie Barnes reports
could benefit by attracting a more upscale
audience. Leonor Stanton investigates
48 FLOATING IDEAS
The owner of a Venetian hotel chain
shares her spa vision with Andrea Jezovit
©
8 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 cybertrek 2009
Bauer Palladio, Venice p48 Masseria Torre Coccaro, Puglia p62
Trends: fish spa therapy p58 Spa t a g at Co e U ve s ty, US p5
52 TRAINING
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Caroline Wilkinson discovers why the
62 PUGLIAN PARADISE
Charlotte Senior goes under-
ground to visit Aveda’s eco-inspired cave
spa degree modules at Cornell are some spa in Puglia, south Italy
of the most respected in the industry Did you know
54 ASK AN EXPERT
ALTERNATIVE WATER
66 FITNESS
STRIKING A BALANCE
Kathy Carter reports on the benefits of
that you can
now receive
SUPPLIES balance training and how it can be incor- a FREE
Having your own water borehole can cut porated into fitness programmes subscription to
down bills, but what does the installation Spa Business in
process involve and what are the overall
pros and cons? Emilie Filou finds out 70 PRODUCTS
Product and equipment launches
its new, greener,
paper-free, digital format?
58 TRENDS FISHY BUSINESS
Rhianon Howells takes a closer
look at where fish spa therapy originated
74 FINISHING TOUCH
STROKE OF GENIUS
Research shows that swimming can help
Change the way you read
Spa Business magazine
SIGN UP ONLINE:
and how the trend is spreading globally you live longer than walking or jogging www.spabusiness.com/green
©
SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 cybertrek 2009 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital 9
SPA VISION
Innovations, initiatives
and ideas in the world of
wellness and beyond
SARAH TODD » NEWS EDITOR » SPA BUSINESS Ritz-Carlton’s
first eco-friendly
T
he Austria-based ther- The Ritz-Carlton property regenerated plastic
mal spa within Reiter’s has taken its bottles, while there
Burgenland Resort first step into is also an in-house
in Bad Tatzmannsdorf has a eco-conscious design water purification and
unique signature treatment in and operations with its latest container system.
the form of a massage from a hotel opening in Charlotte, The hotel’s 13,000sq ft
Shaolin monk (see right). North Carolina in the US. (1,200sq m) penthouse Wellness
During the treatment, the The contemporary, 146- Center also has an eco-friendly
monk kneads, slaps and rolls room property has been philosophy with its eco-based
acupuncture points on the Shaolin Monk designed to achieve gold certi- treatments, using Omorovicza
body in order to stimulate Massage in fication under the Leadership and Laboratory of Flowers
the body, drawing on the Austrian spa in Energy and Environmental products: which are said to
physical strength for which Design (LEED) benchmark. be 100 per cent organic and
the monks are famous. Monks are allowed to stay in One highlight is a green vegan friendly.
The Shaolin Massage is in- Austria for six months at a time roof – planted with more The bi-level centre has four
tended to promote blood flow, release before returning home to the Shaolin than 18,000 plants – which treatment rooms, two thermal
musculature tension and calm the Monastery in Song Shan in the Henan both insulates the building ‘vitality’ lounges, a fitness
nervous system. It has its foundations province of China explore further... and cools the air through the centre, a movement studio and
in traditional Chinese medicine. reitersburgenlandresort.at evaporation of water from the a large saline-treated swim-
leaves. In addition, selected ming pool and a whirlpool.
employee uniforms are made explore further... ritzcarlton.
A space odyssey from fabric derived from com usgbc.org/leed
The spa at The Wynn Las
Vegas, us, has partnered
with the Zero Gravity Cor-
poration (ZERO-G), to offer
Aristotle
a weekend package where (384bc to 322bc)
guests can soar into luxury. “Nature does nothing uselessly”
Participants receive spa
treatments at The Wynn spa explore further...
before partaking in a ZERO-G oxfordreference.com
experience – floating in com- http://plato.stanford.edu
plete weightlessness on board G FORCE ONE, a modified Boeing 727-200 aircraft at
Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport. explore further... gozerog.com
Courtesy of technology created by Working exclusively with Precor’s
ReRev™, fitness equipment supplier Harnessing retrofitted elliptical machines, the
Precor’s elliptical machines can energy typical amount of energy captured
now deliver human-generated via ReRev’s technology during a
energy back to the electrical grid. 30-minute workout will produce 50
The technology works by capturing watt hours of clean, carbon-free electricity.
the kinetic motion of aerobic exercise and Over the course of 10 hours in a typical gym,
converting this otherwise wasted energy into 15 ellipticals can generate energy equivalent to
productive renewable energy that feeds back 16 central air conditioners running for one hour.
into a building’s electrical system. explore further... rerev.com precor.com
10 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 ©
cybertrek 2009HIROSHI SENJU, WATERFALL, 2009, NATURAL PIGMENTS ON JAPANESE MULBERRY PAPER
Pick your time to
spa at Cucumba
The uk-based ‘urban pit stop’
Cucumba has developed an
on-demand spa model in the
heart of London that offers
a range of treatment times
beginning at 10 minutes.
Located in Soho, the facility
is open seven days a week from
10am to 8pm and apart from
Sunday – when treatments are
by appointment only – clients
can simply visit unannounced
if they find they have free time
and pick the duration of time they’d Cucumba recently celebrated its
like to spend at the facility. fourth birthday and it believes that
Treatments have been designed the fluidity its model, combined with
to suit different time frames. The its prime location have been key to its
10-minute TopUp options include hand success. There are now plans to open
or foot massage or mini facial, all at at a second location in London, as well Chasing waterfalls
£10 (us$17, €111), while the 20-minute as to further extend the company’s
research advances on stroke recovery
One of Japan’s most celebrated contemporary
Vampire bat saliva is responsible for
PitStops consist of a manicure and a corporate services and develop its
back, neck and shoulders massage, all Organic Cosmetics skincare brand. artists, Hiroshi Senju, has captured the
at £20 (us$34, €22). explore further... cucumba.co.uk interest of the hospitality industry with his
enchanting paintings of waterfalls.
His paintings can be found in locations such
Technology that’s used to as the chapel of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo
create giant video billboards and the Daitokuji Temple, where Zen philoso-
can now, courtesy of a new phy was first developed.
technique, be made into flex- Senju began his ongoing series of waterfall
ible or transparent displays. paintings in 1990. His goal is to give the viewer
The method – pioneered the experience of the “sound of the roaring
by Professor John Rogers water, of the cool mist or smell of the air”. He
from the University of Illinois also acknowledges modernism and the role of
at Urbana-Champaign in Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and graffiti art.
the US – is based on Senju divides his time between painting in
manufacturing inor- New York and teaching at Kyoto University.
ganic light-emitting explore further... sundaramtagore.com
A bright
explore further...
http://stroke.ahajournals.org
diodes (LEDs)
which allows them idea
to be attached to in healthcare from the inorganic version. These created a method that can,
materials such as biomedical imaging are brighter and more robust theoretically, enable inorganic
rubber or glass. devices to wearable than organic LEDs but are LEDs to be processed in high
The LEDs could even be health monitors. more complex to manufacture, quantities allowing “you to
made to fit the curves of a car There are two types of which makes them difficult to put lighting sources... where
or wrap around the human LED technology – inorganic process in large volumes. you can’t put them nowadays”.
body. It is believed that this and organic. The majority However, Professor Rog- explore further...
has a myriad of potential uses of consumer electronics use ers and his team have now http://rogers.mse.uiuc.edu
The Gran Hotel La Florida in This follows in the footsteps of
Disneyfication
Barcelona, Spain, has launched Disney which, in June 2008, opened
of children’s spa
a children’s spa menu based on a second Disney salon for children
experiences
Disney characters and themes. (pictured) at the Cinderella Castle
The Fantasia menu includes Sleep- in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney
ing Beauty facials as well as Cinderella World in Florida, US. Called the Bibbidi
pedicures and is being marketed as “the ideal Bobbidi Boutique, the salon offers makeover
way” for six to 12 year-olds to enjoy a junior ver- packages for young girls and boys. The ‘fairytale
sion of the spa treatments “while their mother treatments’ are available to those aged three and
is being pampered in the spa”. above. explore further... hotellaflorida.com
SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 ©
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write to reply
Do you have a strong opinion, or disagree with somebody else’s point of view on
topics related to the spa industry? If so, Spa Business would love to hear from you.
Email your letters, thoughts and suggestions to theteam@spabusiness.com
Segmentation in industry research is crucial for benchmarking
Leonor Stanton, founder, LLS Consulting
PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM/MAKSYM YEMELYNOV
example – more detailed
I
frequently review industry research
for Spa Business and find that while segmentation is vital to
most surveys are interesting, not render the figures useful.
all are useful in practice. In particular, Consider the differ-
some statistical surveys which could be ences in only one of
valuable for benchmarking and guiding the segments such as
operations often cover too wide a range hotels. The variety here
of different spa sectors. is immense: spas in
Many surveys do segment the industry five-star hotels operate
into varying permutations of day spas, significantly differently
club spas, hotels/resorts, medical spas, from even those at the
destination spas, mineral spring spas and four-star level; city-centre
cruise ship spas. And in an industry-wide sites usually with a higher
survey, logistically, that is probably as far proportion of business
as segmentation can go. Further, more clientele will operate dif-
in-depth segmentation is probably not ferently to those in resorts predominantly different types of hotels. The resulting
needed to report on the overall size of the focused on the leisure market; the size of average of all types of hotels/resorts has
whole spa market. hotel may affect the size of the spa... and limited usefulness.
However, when such surveys go on to the differences go on. Researchers should be aware that more
cover varying issues such as the percent- So, in this example, the percentage specific segmentation would increase the
age of revenues from different areas in a of revenue from different areas in a spa usefulness of a survey when it comes to
spa – treatment rooms or a spa café, for will clearly vary enormously in all these actually running a spa.
Surveys with less than a 5 per cent response are not ‘research’
Julie Garrow, managing director, Intelligent Spas
or the study may not have succeeded
I
’m increasingly concerned about the professional market research principles.
volume of content circulating within This includes creating clear objectives, due to a lack of responses. Such content
the spa industry which is labelled as quantifying the population, qualifying is not reliable research and, consequently,
‘research’. Many such articles are promo- participants and implementing a sound should not be released, circulated, pro-
tional vehicles used to sell consulting or methodology. Each time research findings moted or used.
other services. Spa operators and other are released, this information should be Professional market research is too ex-
businesses need to be careful they are not made available and the description of pensive to conduct for results to be simply
misled by content tagged as research and the methodology, survey response rates given away for free to non-participants.
should confirm the reliability of any infor- achieved and the related sample size as Any ‘research’ which is free is most likely
mation they use to make business decisions. a proportion of the survey population a marketing campaign. Conversely, just
Two key guidelines to help operators should be disclosed so the readers may because you pay more does not mean the
identify the difference between profes- accurately interpret the results. research is of higher quality.
sional research versus promotional Five per cent is typically considered a
content include disclosure and price. reliable sample size in industry research To initiate standards for industry research
Market research is a science, therefore, terms. If this information is not provided, practices, Intelligent Spas has developed a
industry studies and benchmarking the content was probably not produced by guide for accurately reading and reporting
statistics should be developed based on conducting professional market research, spa statistics. Details www.intelligentspas.com.
14 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 ©
cybertrek 2009The Largest International Trade Fair for Beauty Products, Cosmetics and Perfumery in the Middle East June 1 – 3, 2010 Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, UAE Book your stand now! Epoc Messe Frankfurt GmbH PO Box 26761, Dubai UAE Beautyworld@uae.messefrankfurt.com Sales representative UK Tara O’Brien Tel: +44 (0) 1784 415950 www.beautyworldme.com
News update SARAH TODD » NEWS EDITOR » SPA BUSINESS
news update
Paua becomes South
China Cosmetics
The Hong Kong-based Paua Group –
formed in 2004 by Lucy Whittaker and
Frederique Deleage – has been placed
into voluntary liquidation as a conse-
quence of being adversely impacted
by the recent global downturn.
New investors acquired certain
parts of the distribution and spa op-
erating business of Paua Group and
have relaunched the business as
South China Cosmetics ( SCC ).
SCC will distribute the Elemis and
Murad skincare brands in Hong Kong
and Macau, as well as operating three
spas in Hong Kong. There are also
plans to expand into mainland China.
Villa Milocer was built in 1934 and its front faces the pink sand of the Milocer beach Spa consultants form
strategic partnership
Montenegro resort nears completion
Spa and wellness consultants Anni
Amanresorts has revealed further details opment of a luxury spa offering on the Hood and Nancy Nemer have joined
about an ongoing restoration project on resort’s Queen’s Beach. The spa will be forces to collaborate on new spa de-
the Adriatic coastline of Montenegro. next to Villa Milocer, which also boasts a velopments around the world.
Called Aman Sveti Stefan, the resort front facing a pink sand beach. Hood served as group director of
will incorporate both the historic 15th When complete, the Aman Sveti Stefan spas for the Jumeirah Group in Dubai,
century island of Sveti Stefan and Villa site will feature 55 guest bedrooms and UAE, while Nemer is the founder of the
Milocer, a summer residence built in 1934 suites – 47 of which are located on the US-based consultancy Red Cashew.
surrounded by more than 800 olive trees island of Sveti Stefan – six suites within The partnership is designed to offer
on 32 hectares (79 acres) of woodland. Villa Milocer and two one-bedroom a comprehensive, high-level menu of
The first development phase of Aman Queen Marija Suites. services to the global market. These
Sveti Stefan, which opened in December Amanresorts’ latest offering, Aman- will include creative brand develop-
2008, included six suites of the Villa Mi- giri, opened in October 2009 in Utah, in ment, strategic planning and fiscal
locer. The second, and final, phase, will the. This property boasts the group’s sig- responsibility – all helping to stream-
open in mid-2010, followed by the devel- nature Aman Spa brand. line a project’s cost and delivery.
Mega-development for Red Sea coastline
A large, private mixed-use development A range of Egyptian-themed treat-
is to be built on the Egyptian coast in the ments will be available at the spa,
Red Sea destination of El Gouna. including massages, body wraps and
Called Ancient Sands, the residential hydrotherapy. In addition to this will be
and golf resort will consist of a large spa steamrooms and a whirlpool.
and a fitness centre, swimming pools, an Located very near to the coastline and
estate house, restaurants and bars. marina, Ancient Sands will be built by
The spa will be focused on ancient a subsidiary of the Swiss-based com-
Egyptian traditions of balance and har- pany Orascom Development Holding
mony. It will feature stone walls and is to in conjunction with golf and real-estate
be designed around an open light well, specialists IFB Resort Developers. The
which is intended to bring natural light first phase of the property is scheduled to
Ancient
c e t Sands
Sa ds w
will be located
ocated in El Gou
Gounaa into the facility. open in December 2011.
©
16 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 cybertrek 2009Senior management
changes at Six Senses
Alasdair Junor has been appointed as
chief operating officer ( COO ) for Six
Senses Resorts & Spas, in Bangkok,
replacing outgoing COO Jamie Waring.
Junor will relocate from his previ-
ous role as managing director for Six
Senses in Europe, Middle East and
Africa, based in Dubai, UAE.
His duties will include overseeing all
operational aspects of resorts man-
aged within the Six Senses portfolio.
The hammam
a a aarea
ea features
eatu es diff
d usions
us o s of
o marine
a e salts,
sa ts, negative
egat ve ions
o s aand
d iodine
od e fragrances
ag a ces
Greg Payne leaves
Villa Thalgo opens in prime location InterContinental
Skincare brand Thalgo has unveiled its There are three main parts to the spa: Greg Payne has left the InterConti-
global flagship spa in the heart of the an Energising Area, with a fitness centre nental Hotels Group ( IHG ) after the
16th arrondissement in Paris, France. and aqua gym; a Recreation Area, cen- company undertook a major restruc-
The €3m (us$4.4m, £2.7m) Villa Thalgo tred around a pool lounge and terrace; ture of its management and operations
has been built within a space that was and a Recreation and Treatment Area, team in the Asia-Pacific region.
originally a bank vault. which hosts a hammam, 12 treatment Commenting on his five-year ten-
Water is the key design thread of this rooms and a rest room. ure at IHG, Payne said: “We have
8,600sq ft (800sq m) ‘marine haven’, Completely supplied by Thalgo, equip- gone from operating five to 35 spas in
which was created by sister company ment includes the Thalgoskin Expert Asia-Pacific. It’s been an outstanding
Thalgo Spa Management and THPS Glo- micro-dermabrasion machine and the journey, I am very proud of our ac-
bal Design, an independent architect. iPulse anti-cellulite machine. complishments and I wish them well.”
Other materials used include wood Signature therapies include marine Payne will be taking a short break
and stone and the overall effect is a luxu- hammam treatments, a restorative mas- to travel before he launches a new in-
rious, holistic atmosphere. sage and an energising bamboo massage. dependent chain of spas in early 2010
that will feature in tropical resort desti-
nations around the world.
2010 board members
announced at ISPA
The International Spa Association
( ISPA ) has revealed its 2010 board of
directors, including four fresh faces.
For the second year, chair Jean Kolb
will lead the board. The four newly
The mountainous region of Bernese Oberland will provide a backdrop to the spa elected members are: Dr Kathryn
Dundas, the CEO of Sublime Energy
Construction begins at Adelboden Baths Medical Spa; the group director of spa
for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group,
Work on a spa resort in the Bernese 11,850sq ft (1,100sq m) will be water fa- Andrew Gibson; Ella Stimpson, spa
Oberland region of Switzerland is to cilities. The Alpine Bath will include director at The Broadmoor, Colorado;
begin in early 2010, with the facility 15 treatment rooms, 21 mineral water and Paul Schmidt, the owner of design
opening by 2013. swimming pools and a medical wellness company Living Energy Design.
The Adelboden Alpine Bath will centre, as well as a restaurant. Each member volunteers their time
combine a health spa and a hotel with There will also be a 91-bedroom hotel, to help to lead the association and
panoramic Alpine views. The spa will continuing the development’s core develop plans for enhancing member-
cover 61,350sq ft (5,700sq m), of which themes of water, health and meditation. ship and boosting the spa industry.
©
SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 cybertrek 2009 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital 17Marketing
News update
Goldeneye Jamaica
to open in late 2010
The Island Outpost Group is to open
and manage a number of luxury villas,
beach cottages and a spa at Ian Flem-
ing’s former residence, Goldeneye, in
the village of Oracabessa in Jamaica.
Launching in September 2010,
Goldeneye also includes the origi-
nal three-bedroom Fleming House
– where the author wrote 17 of his fa-
mous James Bond adventures.
Island Outpost is run by music
industry mogul and Island Records
founder, Chris Blackwell. Other Jamai-
can properties in the group’s portfolio
include The Caves Hotel in Negrill.
e eso t a d spa w be a teg a pa t o a a ge c $ 00 deve op e t
Indigenous Spa at
Sparkling Hill spa property for Vermont La Selva Jungle Lodge
Further details have been revealed about Focusing on whole body wellness, spa A wellness facility has opened at an
the development of the Sparkling Hill therapies will comprise mud wraps, hot eco-boutique, La Selva Jungle Lodge,
Resort and Wellness Hotel, which is stone massages, reflexology and aro- in the Amazon jungle of Ecuador.
scheduled to open in March 2010 in the matherapy as well as a range of medical Built in a renovated building, The In-
city of Vernon, BC , Canada. treatments. On top of this, resort guests digenous Spa features two treatment
The 152-bedroom Wellness Hotel will will we able to have consultations with rooms and shower facilities, includ-
be an integral part of a larger ca$100m doctors and nutritionists. ing a large stone tub where guests are
(us$94.5m, €63.5m, £56.3m) resort devel- Speaking about the new property, the doused in tepid water, infused with
opment being built on the pinnacle of a president and CEO of Sparkling Hill Amazonian herbs as part of the signa-
rock overlooking Lake Okanagan. Resort, Hans-Peter Mayr, said: “Our phi- ture Rainforest Shower experience.
The 35,000sq ft (3,250sq m) spa facility losophy is to focus on our guest and what Other natural rainforest ingredients
has taken its inspiration from European they need to do to relax and rejuvenate. are used in the spa’s washes and oils,
traditions and will feature a menu with We will be dedicated to helping them which the owners eventually hope to
more than 100 treatments. achieve their vision of wellness.” develop as a commercial product line.
La Selva Jungle Lodge was founded
in 1984 by eco-explorer Eric Schwartz.
2010 debut for ESPA facility at Yas Hotel
South African reserve
A 15,050sq ft (1,400sq m) spa is to open
in January 2010 at the Yas Hotel in Abu
to gain luxury new spa
Dhabi. The ESPA at the Yas Hotel will A spa will open at the Gondowana
cover two floors with 10 treatment rooms Game Reserve on the Garden Route in
on the upper level and a hammam below. South Africa in March 2010.
Designed by Heidar Sadeki of Ri- It will be built in a style reminiscent
chardson Sadeki architects, the spa is to the homes of the Khoisan – the re-
intended to offer a modern and minimal- gion’s indigenous inhabitants – and
ist feel. The hammam, for example, will will have two treatment rooms as well
be housed in a cylindrical room called as an outdoor treatment space.
The Rotunda, with stone furnishings sur- Products will include extracts of
rounding a central column. Exterior of the new Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi fynbos, vegetation which is found in
The hotel, one of 20 opening on the abundance on the reserve, as well as
us36bn (€24bn, £21.5bn) Yas Island de- It also showcases some of the world’s a other local ingredients.
velopment, launched this November and most advanced architecture including The reserve is set to further expand
is the first site operated by Abu Dhabi’s a 5,000 LED-panel gridshell. The panel its wellness offering in the future to
Aldar Properties. It consists of two build- features different shades of light, which include a range of health packages
ings, connected by a bridge overlooking illuminate the hotel to make it the largest comprising hiking, yoga, spa treat-
Yas Marina Circuit, an F1 racing track. colour LED displays ever. ments, and indigenous spa cuisine.
©
18 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 cybertrek 2009Dusit International
to expand into India
Thailand-based hospitality group,
Dusit International, has announced its
expansion into India with the opening
of five hotels and resorts by 2013.
The plan is to pilot the company’s
first-ever Dusit Devarana hotel – the
most luxurious of the brands in the
Dusit portfolio – outside Thailand.
The first hotel, Dusit Devarana New
Delhi, will feature a Devarana Spa and
is expected to open in May 2010.
The historic
sto c ddistillery
st e y was bu
builtt at tthee eend
doof tthee 19th
9t ce
century
tu y aand
d has
as a cast
castle-like
e ke façade
açade
Debut for spa at
Garrigae begins former distillery revamp La Résidence d’Angkor
French developer Garrigae Investisse- Treatments will be performed using A luxury spa offering has launched
ments has revealed plans for a mixed-use organic products including extracts from at La Résidence d’Angkor hotel in
redevelopment of a 19th century distill- geranium, sage, calendula, grapes, laven- Siem Reap, Cambodia.
ery in the medieval town of Pézenas. der and olive oil. The Kong Kea Spa, meaning ‘water
Garrigae’s original plans underwent There will be three areas to the proper- for the god’, is located in a brand new
optimisation in response to the current ty. The first will comprise 38 apartments wing of the boutique city resort, in the
market conditions, and now include 49 and will become the heart of the resort quietest area of the property.
freehold apartments, as well as a resort and the hub for the Garrigae services The 5,100sq ft (500sq m), two-sto-
and spa, which will open in 2011. – including the reception, a bar, a wine rey spa has six treatment rooms on
The 1,400sq ft (130sq m) Mediterranean cellar and a Mediterranean garden. the ground floor and eight spa suites
Spa will be built around a courtyard with The second area will feature a further on the first floor.
olive trees and a fountain. It will boast 11 luxury apartments, converted from Its design focuses on water ele-
three treatment rooms and an outdoor period houses while the third area, The ments throughout, from bridges at the
swimming pool. Mansion house, will consist of 11 suites. main entrance to oversized aquariums
in the reception and illuminated water
walls in each of the treatment rooms.
Plans unveiled for
Yorkshire property
Plans for a £100m (US$168.1m,
%113.1m) hotel and spa at Flaxby Park
Golf and Country Club in Yorkshire,
UK, have been revealed by developer,
The Skelwith Group.
The property on the Tetiaroa atoll is encircled by coral reef The proposals for the club – which
first opened in 2004 and is hoping to
Work begins on The Brando eco-resort submit a bid to host the 2022 Ryder
Cup – include a 303-bedroom hotel
An eco-resort encircled by a coral reef is the 13 islands in 1965 – will feature 47 and a 27-hole golf course.
being built on the Tetiaroa atoll, located bungalow villas with plunge pools, a On top of this, there will be a large
35 miles from Tahiti in French Polynesia. swimming pool and a large wellness area. spa built in partnership with Elemis,
Construction of the retreat is now The resort is being developed by Rich- with at least 16 treatment rooms. The
under way following official authorisa- ard Bailey, a friend and business partner spa will also feature a heat experi-
tion of the development by the Tahitian of Brando. Bailey, the chief executive of ence area, which we be designed and
government. The Brando – named after Tahiti Beachcomber sa, already owns entirely fitted out by hydrothermal
the late Marlon Brando who purchased four resorts in the region. specialist Dalesauna.
©
SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 cybertrek 2009 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital 19Marketing
News update
DIARY DATES
25-28 February 2010
SPATEC NA Spring 2010
A three-day forum of one-to-one meet-
ings and networking opportunities
between operators of US-based spas
and suppliers. Taking place in Key Bis-
cayne, Florida, US.
T: +1 603 529 0077
www.mcleaneventsinternational.com
1-3 March 2010
Professional Spa
A strategic and practical focus on the key
areas of the international spa market. To The resort and spa will represent Emirates’ largest international investment to date
be held at London’s ExCeL venue in the
Docklands, UK. 2012 opening for Emirates Cap Ternay
T: +44 20 7728 4218
www.professionalbeauty.co.uk Emirates Hotels and Resorts group is to The resort will comprise a Timeless
open a conservation-focused property in Spa with eight rooms for beauty treat-
the Seychelles in late 2012. ments and hydrotherapy, as well as a
13-15 March 2010 Featuring two areas and representing a gym. Accommodation will include 13 wa-
Mondial Spa & Beauté us$253m (€170.2m, £150.6m, ) investment, ter-bungalows as well as 27 two-bedroom
A spa and beauty exhibition held in the the Cap Ternay Resort will be situated in villas. There will also be one of the larg-
Palais des Congrès in Paris. The event a protected area on the island of Mahé. est swimming pools in the Indian Ocean,
also includes free bilingual spa confer- The first area will be a private resort covering nearly six acres (two hectares)
ence sessions, chaired by experts. located on the forested slopes of the of cascading pools, lap pools and private
T: +33 4 93 06 26 26 Matoopa peninsula, overlooking the inlets as well as a lazy river.
www.msbparis.com marine reserve of Baie Ternay. It will The second area, a development, on
have 110 acres (45 hectares) of protected Anse Souillac beach, will focus on water-
nature reserve, with 1,312ft (400m) of based activities, and include a small
18-20 May 2010 private beach nearby. marina and a yacht bay.
The Hotel Show
Hospitality and spa-orientated trade show
– focused on interior, design and security
products and services – taking place at
the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai,
UAE. There will also be a Hotel Spa event
geared towards generating sales oppor-
tunities for spa suppliers and buyers.
T: + 971 4 438 0355
www.thehotelshow.com
16-19 May 2010
The Global Spa Summit
The 2010 GSS will be held at the Çıragan
Palace Kempinski Hotel in Istanbul, coup e s su te at t e augu a So S o do , u
Turkey. It will attract top-level business
executives, who have an interest in the Third So SPA debuts at Sofitel Morocco
sap industry, from all over the world.
T: +1 212 716 1199 Following the launch of its social spa-ing across its Sofitel portfolio with open-
www.globalspasummit.org wellness concept in London, UK, and ings scheduled for Vienna, Bahrain, Abu
Marseille in France, the third So SPA by Dhabi, Mumbai, Mauritius and Bangkok.
Sofitel (see p26) has launched in Morocco. The first £2.3m (us$3.9m, €2.6m) So
1-3 June 2010 The 800sq m (8,600sq ft) facility at SPA had its soft opening in July 2009
Beautyworld Middle East Rabat Jardins des Roses opened this at the Sofitel London St James. Cover-
A trade show for cosmetics, beauty prod- October and includes a fitness centre, a ing 4,200sq ft (400sq m), the spa was
ucts, fragrances and the wellness and hammam, a whirlpool, an outdoor heat- designed by Sparc Studio with input
spas industry in the Middle East region. ed swimming pool and a sauna. from consultants Spatality. Products and
T: +971 4 3380 102 Sofitel Luxury Hotels will continue to equipment were supplied by Carita, Cinq
www.beautyworldme.com roll out the So SPA concept worldwide Mondes and Dalesauna.
©
20 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 cybertrek 2009Can you afford
to miss it?
Hotel Spa at The Hotel Show
brings the region’s spa community
together to discover the latest
equipment, suppliers and trends
in this fast-growing, profitable industry.
Sharon Barcock
Spa Director, Mandara Spa, The Monarch Dubai
Vice President, Middle East Spa Association
18-20 MAY 2010 Book now!
DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTREEveryone’s talking about...
advance payments
PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM/SERGEY TUMANOV
KATIE BARNES » MANAGING EDITOR » SPA BUSINESS
I
recently booked a spray tan at to expect a customer to put down a
my local beauty salon and was Many operators are payment in advance? After all, someone
shocked, and immediately defen- introducing prepayment booking a table at a restaurant wouldn’t
sive, when asked to pay for half expect to pay for a portion of their meal
policies for treatments
of the service on the spot. ‘Why would before they’ve eaten it.
they not trust me?’ I wondered. to deal with ‘no show’ In some cases, operators – such as
The owner explained that she’s been customers. But how are Spa Montage in California – even ask
forced to take this precaution as there they doing this without guests to give their tip/gratuity on arrival,
are days when she thinks the salon has before having a treatment. Spa Montage
alienating clients?
back-to-back appointments – so she declined to comment in this feature, but
turns clients away – only to have cus- previously told Spa Business (SB05/3
tomers not turn up. In light of the global or not this is enforced is a moot point. p105) that asking customers to sign for
downturn, she said, people become Research for this feature revealed that a a bill (which includes a service charge)
even more unreliable as they make an deposit (usually around 50 per cent of at the very start of an experience allows
appointment and then decide nearer the the total cost) for group spa bookings them to fully relax during the treatment.
time that they can’t justify the expense. or week-long packages is becoming the Is this taking things a step too far?
This experience throws up a question. norm. Richard Carlson, owner of the Is charging customers for all or part
How much of a problem are ‘no shows’ Birdwing destination spa in the US says of a treatment up-front an effective
for a spa business? What percentage of charging up front is something that all way of dealing with no shows? Do
customers miss appointments and how destination spas do, due to complexity people still miss appointments anyway?
do operators handle this? of packages (see opposite). And, how do operators introduce such a
It’s standard practise for spas to Yet when it comes to individuals or policy without alienating clients?
have a cancellation policy and whether a one-off service, is it really acceptable We investigate the issue.
22 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 ©
cybertrek 2009advance payments
W
e’re a destina- practice – it’s never been
tion spa and we RICHARD CARLSON a problem in my 25 years
offer complete here and I’ve never heard
Owner, Birdwing Spa,
packages that comprise spa a criticism from staff of
services, fitness activities, Minnesota, US guests not turning up.
lectures and workshops, It’s different for a day spa
spa cuisine meals and operator because they only
lodging. Ninety-nine per cent of our the visit. We could never be secure in the offer individual services, so can be much
guests stay overnight on property. commitment of a reservation otherwise. more flexible: they have the ability to fill in
We charge a us$100 (€67, £60) advance There are many components to our offer- a cancellation at the last minute.
payment for day spa packages or an ings – including food, rooms and various Although I can see why a day spa might
overnight stay. This goes up to us$150 services and classes – and if a guest didn’t introduce a prepayment policy, asking for
(€101, £89) for a weekend spa break and show up it would impact on all of these, a tip before service isn’t a good idea. We
us$300 (€202, £179) for anything that is our overall scheduling and ultimately our have a no tipping rule and guests seem to
longer than that. entire staff force. Plus there is a direct cost appreciate that, but consequently we pay
Charging a deposit is something we’ve for everything that is pre-booked. For our therapists more to compensate.
done from day one. I’ve been an officer example, our therapists are booked in ad- Day spas should also be wary of offend-
for the Destination Spa Group and was vance and are paid per treatment. If there’s ing regular customers when introducing
also a board member of ISPA and from a cancellation, we still pay our therapists a prepayment policy. There’s a certain
my experience all destination spas ask for half of the treatment price and the deposit amount of discretion here, for example,
a prepayment. Most of them charge up we charge doesn’t even cover that. we might consider waiving the deposit for
to half of the total beforehand and some- In our particular facet of the spa a repeat guest if we know it will make a
times take the full balance a week prior to business, paying in advance is accepted difference between them booking or not.
Birdwing Spa, set within a 300-acre
“There’s a certain amount of discretion. We might consider wildlife preserve, opened in 1984. It has 15
guestrooms and six treatment rooms. It
waiving a deposit for a repeat guest if we know it will makes its prepayment policy clear in its
make a difference between them booking or not.” brochure, registration forms and online.
Details: www.birdwingspa.com
I
don’t understand how ber that if they’re going to
day spas can run a KEELEE LAMB stick to their appointment
business without ask- then asking for an up-front
Managing director and co-owner,
ing for advance payments. charge shouldn’t be a
We introduced our Heaven Beauty, Hitchin, UK problem! You have the odd
policy soon after opening person who needs a bit
because we had so many more talking around, but
clients – about 30 to 40 per cent – that We normally ask for 50 per cent of the on the whole people do understand.
weren’t turning up. At one point we even treatment price in advance. This applies to If someone doesn’t want to pay in
thought it might have been a rival business all treatments, even something as small as advance, they would either have to phone
playing a prank. an eyebrow tint. The customer loses that up on the day or come in on the off chance
All of our therapists work on com- deposit if they cancel less than 24 hours that there might be a free slot at the time
mission, so if their clients miss an before the appointment time, or if they they want, which is unlikely. If someone
appointment they don’t get paid. miss it altogether. refuses to pay, I’d rather not have their
Some people think ‘oh it’s only a 15- Our prepayment policy is detailed on business because they’re more likely to let
minute eyebrow shape’, but that 15 minutes our treatment menu and our website. We you down anyway.
can cut into an hour so we can’t then book also try to explain our policy in person: Although we still have a couple of
a facial for that time slot. If the person either face-to-face if a customer comes people who may miss their appointment,
having the eyebrow shape then doesn’t into the salon, or over the phone. despite paying a deposit, we usually find
show up we’ve effectively lost two appoint- We take the payment upon booking and that if a customer makes a payment in
ments in one go. make a note of this on our system. Some advance, then they’re more likely to stick
At the end of the day, if you’re running of our regular clients have a £20 (us$34, to the arrangement. Introducing the policy
a business you can’t have customers not €23) running deposit to save them having made a huge difference to our business.
turning up. In the UK, if someone misses to pay each time they re-book. If we know
a dentist’s or doctor’s appointment, they the customer well and know that missing Heaven Beauty Salon & Laser Clinic in
still get billed. I used to work in day spas an appointment was a genuine emergency, Hertfordshire, UK, launched five years
in London, where we always asked for then we would not take that money. ago. It features six treatment rooms and
payment up front, so I didn’t see a big Most clients are absolutely fine when we specialises in cosmetics, lasers and skincare.
problem introducing it here. explain our policy – you’ve got to remem- Details: www.heaven-beauty.com
SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 ©
cybertrek 2009 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital 23Everyone’s talking about... advance payments
T
he majority of our includes about 20 per cent
clients are happy SRI IDA MULYANI of the services we offer.
to pay in advance This policy is clearly
Spa manager, Bimasena Spa,
once we’ve explained the stated on our website and
situation to them. First, we Jakarta, Indonesia we also tell customers
emphasise how important about it when they come
their custom is and then in to make a reservation or
go into detail about how a special time has customers comprise Bimasena members when they phone up to book.
been allocated for their treatment. and guests of The Dharmawangsa, a I think it’s reasonable to expect custom-
I think that an up-front charge may hotel in the same compound. We enforce ers to pay if you’re a busy spa like us – not
deter some people as they find the proce- a standard cancellation policy for both only were we losing revenue when clients
dure too complicated. If clients are put off members and hotel guests. missed a booking, we were also turning
by this, then they probably aren’t really in We introduced our advance payment down other people because we thought all
need of a spa treatment. We feel that those policy seven years after opening because of our therapists were busy. Some guests
clients who just don’t want to pay aren’t no shows were becoming a problem: up to still miss appointments despite paying, yet
serious about having a treatment at all. 40 per cent of day spa customers were not it’s really a very minimal number.
The prepayment policy applies to day turning up for bookings.
spa guests, who account for 30 per cent Under the policy, day spa guests are Bimasena Spa opened in 1997 and has 13
of our business. As our spa is located in required to pay a deposit of 20 per cent treatment rooms. It’s located in the pres-
the compound of Bimasena – the mines on any treatment which costs more than tigious residential area of Kebayoran Baru.
and energy society in Jakarta – our other idr500,000 (us$53, €36, £32), which Details: www.bimasena.co.id
PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM/WEBPHOTOGRAPHEER
SIMON WINTERS
Senior reservations executive,
Utopia Spa, Rowhill Grange, UK
O
ur spa is very popular. We’re to advance payment], however, I could
nearly always fully booked at the imagine that customers who didn’t show
weekend and have a waiting list up would argue that they weren’t aware of
of people who haven’t been able to get in. charges for missed appointment. There’s
Paying up-front confirms a treatment no mistaking that on our system.
on our computer system and ensures that Under our policy, a £100 (us$168, €113)
those who have booked are guaranteed a deposit per person is required for our
time slot. Plus, if we didn’t have an ad- Leisure Escape or Spa Escape packages
vance payment policy our weekends which start at one night. In addition, we
could go terribly wrong: appointments take the full balance – from hotel and
could be missed at the last minute and day spa guests alike – for any individual
we might not be able to fill them despite spa treatment which are booked, even for
having a waiting list. something like a manicure.
What I would also say is that prepay- This has been the policy at Rowhill
ment saves customers having to worry Grange for 15 years now, ever since the charge in writing, so we send out a copy of
about bringing money with them – they current owners came on board. our terms and conditions in our confirma-
can relax in their swim suits and bath The prepayment details are clearly out- tion letters. We don’t lose any business due
robes all day with the knowledge that they lined on our website and treatment menus. to our advance payment policy as we have
won’t be inconvenienced again because We also inform people verbally over the such a loyal following.
everything is already paid for, although we phone when we take a booking. If guests give us 24 hours or seven
wouldn’t considering introducing a pre- I would say about 80 per cent of people days notice, when cancelling individual
service tip because we don’t feel that that have their cards out, ready to pay. A lot services and packages, respectively, they
should be compulsory. of our business is generated by word of can transfer their treatments to another
Of course the policy does also stop mouth, so clients expect to pay in advance. suitable time. In this case their money
people missing appointments: we don’t The rest may query why we have the goes into a holding account until some-
have a problem with no shows at all. If we policy, but are usually fine once we’ve thing is re-booked. Or they can cancel the
only had a cancellation policy [as opposed explained. Yet they do like to have the treatment altogether.
Utopia Spa is the wellness brand for
“If we didn’t have an advance payment policy our weekends Alexander Hotels, which has three boutique
properties in the south of England. The spa
could go terribly wrong: appointments could be missed and at Rowhill Grange has 14 treatment rooms
we might not be able to fill them despite having a waiting list.” and was refurbished in 2007.
Details: www.alexanderhotels.com
24 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital SPA BUSINESS 1 2010 ©
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