Hotel Business Review

Ms. Minton

Spas, Health & Fitness

Tying Your Spa Services into Your Hotel's Lifeblood

By Melinda Minton, Founder, The Spa Association / Spa Secure

Linking your hotel's lifeblood to your spa is not as difficult as you might imagine. In fact, much of what you do for guests in your hotel is naturally interlocked with the services and amenities offered at your spa. Making that connection, however, is imperative to the health of your entire organization.

Becoming a Destination

Given the health of the worldwide economy consumers are looking for affordable excursions that take them out of their everyday lives and into some other realm of daily living. This can mean a weekend away or a week of healthful renewal. Depending on your hotel's facilities arranging for a getaway may be linking with a variety of complimentary businesses to accommodate a comprehensive package for the spa-goer. Popular packages to include in escape offerings include:

Detox and weight loss - Complete with dietary specials a detox package can include a raw foods fasting, juicing, whole foods combining programs and cooking instruction. Inclusion in the spa would involve body wraps, hydrotherapy, deep cleansing facials, lymphatic drainage massage and various forms of dry sauna and plunge pool water therapy. A series of personal training sessions worked in with nutritional counseling is also ideal for this type of package.

Complete Makeover - Taking a weekend or week off to feel and look better is an obvious option when offered at a reasonable price. A visit to the salon for a new do and then some results oriented work at the spa matched with a consultation with a stylist and perhaps a little help in the clothing department makes for a whole new person. Oftentimes this type of a getaway is partially or wholly a business deduction. Furthermore, a makeover stay-over is the type of self help excursion that makes everyone happy.

Couples Getaway - Couples spa treatments have never been more popular. According to The Spa Association (www.thespaassociation.com) 28% of all spas have increased their facility's capacity to accommodate couples treatments in the last year and 67% of all travelers in 2008 reported that they would likely seek out spa services while visiting a destination with a significant other. "Couples" isn't necessarily confined to the typical married female and male pairing either. Good friends, mothers and daughters as well as homosexual couples are flocking to spas too.

Cultural Weekend - Instead of investing in out of town travels many families are choosing to explore a nearby downtown or countryside for a mini vacation. Staying close to home and watching expenses is more popular than ever and can absolutely add to your hotel's bottom line in terms of a package. Whether it be an outing to the galleries or a food tasting scavenger hunt of sorts creating local packages are a great way to include those less likely to visit your hotel for reasons of practicality. Similarly enjoying the countryside and its many pleasures can also comprise an enjoyable weekend retreat for many.

Replace the Evening Room Service Rut

Not only are you losing potential spa goers to restaurants and activities outside of your hotel you are also losing them to the silent death brought on by the endless cycle of working in the room meal service. Women in particular are prone to barricading themselves into their room at the end of each day to avoid the bar or dining alone in the dining room. Offering, instead, an in room turn down and spa service like a one hour massage or a spa treatment with spa fare each evening of the guest's stay is a refreshing way to break the typical business patterns that plague so many corporate traveler's lives. Furthermore, homecare sales are a natural result of added spa services as are gift certificate sales, which would otherwise go unrealized given typical guest activity in the average hotel service cycle.

Scheduled Spa-ing

For those travelers who visit your facility often keeping up with their spa service favorites, their spa needs as well as their friends, family and buying patterns will keep you on top of keeping them returning for more. Particularly scheduling seasonal services that match their travel patterns works nicely to entice them to maintain a regimen of self care and spa visits. For instance, a traveler who stays at your hotel on a 6 week rotation might enjoy a summer time pedicure, a winter 90 minute massage, a spring renewal facial and a fall enzymatic full body exfoliation to keep up with the rigors of the seasons. These quarterly staples can be supplemented with fusion massage to encapsulate their favorite massage modalities; anti-aging aesthetics treatments and routine executive manicures to maintain a professional appearance. Likewise homecare packages can be made up to get the traveler through the weeks at a time that they will be continuing the professional care given at the spa with hydration, cleansing, repair and general aesthetic and body care while away.

Become the Obvious In-House Amenity

Isn't your hotel's spa the obvious amenity to feature second only to (maybe) the restaurant(s)? Providing easy access to the spa is a multi-function option that should be offered to the guest at every turn.

Check In - When the guest makes a reservation are they informed as to the spa services available to them while at your hotel? Does your "on hold" message feature spa services and packages? Is it an option to book services as a combined booking when reserving their room or suite?

In Room - Is your spa marketed within the rooms? Offering a spa menu in the guest information booklet is the very least of considerations when presenting spa options to a guest. Program spa treatments into the general hotel information feature on the television. Offer a spa services order form like a next morning menu to be hung out on the door and immediately processed and booked for the guest's convenience. Feature in room services like massage or seated massage for a pre-dinner pick me up or just before bed wind-down.

Part of the Family - When marketing your hotel always include spa options either as packages or as a part of an all-inclusive option for the duration of the guest's stay. Try to present the spa in a visual manner evoking the many senses that the spa caters to on a service by service basis. Allow for marketing of the spa throughout the property to remind guests that the spa is welcoming, professional and a luxurious treat.

Your spa is not a step child within your organization. To the contrary, your spa should be a brand leader and a draw to your hotel. While other hotels and resorts can only offer the standard fare of a comfortable room and perhaps a standard meal your hotel should create an experience to remember through your spa offerings. Moreover by extending a lifestyle, programming plans and events through your spa your hotel becomes a sought after stand out. Take advantage of the many parallel marketing opportunities that naturally exist within your facility when promoting your spa.

Melinda Minton is a spa consultant and health and beauty expert with offices in Scottsdale, New York City, and Denver. Ms. Minton is a certified massage therapist, esthetician and cosmetologist with an MBA in marketing. Ms. Minton is also a member of the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) and of Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW). Ms. Minton is the founder of The Spa Association (SPAA), a world-class organization dedicated to enriching the professional beauty industry through self-regulation, education and sound business practices. SPAA is the largest spa association in North America. Ms. Minton can be contacted at 970-218-5414 or melinda@spaminton.com

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