Ms. Segerberg

Spas, Health & Fitness

Spa Consultants - Who Needs Them?

By Jane Segerberg, Founder & President, Segerberg Spa Consulting, LLC

The Consulting Business, in general, is a much maligned profession and probably for good reason. It is too easy, for one thing, to enter the business. Many a spa consultant has been "born" just with the cost of printing business cards and stationary. The term "consultant" is used to cover a wide range of situations. Consulting can be a temporary stop gap while out of work spa directors are between jobs or a cover for vendors of spa equipment and spa products to sell their products. The basic problem facing the consulting business as a whole, is one simple virtue - - integrity.

For the hotelier who is exploring the advantages of hiring a consultant or is already convinced that a spa consultant is a necessity for the project and wants to make a good choice, this article is intended to be helpful in understanding the role of the full service spa consultant and how to sort through the maize to find the right consulting firm for your property.

Resort and Hotel Spas have shifted their positioning in the hospitality industry.

Spas in resort and hotel properties are no longer an amenity that sets the property apart from its competitors - - spas are now a necessity and as a necessity, require more than build-it-and-they-will-will come planning. It is the ambience, creativity, level of service and signature pieces of the spa that position spas as a distinguishing factor for the resort/hotel property. A mediocre spa is no longer acceptable. Benchmarks and ratings are now being set that include guest comfort, cleanliness, a sense of luxury, level of service and staff courtesy along with distinctive and convenient physical facilities. As Mobil states, "Spas should relieve stress, not create it". For all of the glamorous environments and exotic treatments, the relaxing spa experience is achieved only when the guest is comfortable during the entire stay at the spa. A completely calm ambience that includes a well-planned facility and well-managed staff, offers an extraordinary guest experience.

With the new emergence of savvy spa goers, only those spas that offer the best of the best will maintain their level of notoriety and lend a distinctive element to the property. The challenge for the Spa Industry, as noted by the International Spa Association, will be to "keep service levels up while keeping operating costs down".

An appropriately chosen spa consultant brings sound expertise and perspective to the spa project, creating an opportunity to "win" in an increasingly competitive spa market place.

Spas are the most intricate of any department on a hotel/resort property. There are at least 12 touch points of service for each one hour spa guest visit. Planning and developing a spa that creates an extraordinary experience through quality facility, programming and staffing requires more than years as a seasoned hotelier or multiple visits to a variety of spa properties. It necessitates years of experience in successful spa management, planning and openings. A good spa consultant can use their expertise to help you focus on your vision and bring it into reality. Interview your spa consultant candidates for values and "wavelengths" that are similar to yours and your property. Look beyond expertise to the abilities that you will require to work with your property and also for fresh perspectives to help you see your spa possibilities in new ways. A good partnership with a spa consultant will bring experience, skills, knowledge and a shared vision to guide the day-to-day decisions.

Services to seek in a spa consulting company involve the total picture of spa development. Even if you feel that you are not in need of the entire gamut of offerings, an accomplished firm that is capable in all aspects of consulting is invaluable for the depth of understanding the relationships of each aspect of creating a spa. A brief listing of consultant offerings includes several phases. Conceptual Development is the foundation for spa design and should involve the refinement of owner vision, image and positioning for the spa, signature features, overview of physical space requirements, preliminary operating proforma and input to the project budget. Design Development is comprised of the critical path, program design, facility planning, FF&E, and ongoing architectural and design input and assistance. Operations and Systems Development includes SOP's, job descriptions and staff training manuals. Finally, Staffing Training and Opening involves selecting and training key management positions, spa specific hospitality training and on-site assistance during pre-opening and launch.

The bottom line is that a well chosen Spa Consultant can save time, money and headache during the creation of the spa and head off future expensive "corrections" and problems down the road.

With the intricacies of spas, it takes a seasoned eye to head off possible problems that have to be corrected later. Difficulties such as cramped treatment rooms that don't offer a luxurious ambience, linen moving through guest spaces, lack of support space, poorly placed support space, poorly prepared and trained staff, and a hodge podge of treatments without focus can all be avoided. Moving walls and plumbing, adding support space after the spa is in operation and losing, hiring and retraining staff are costly expenditures and an interruption of business and revenue. Planning for a smooth operation in the program offerings, facility flow, staffing and service levels appropriately positions the spa within your property and enables the spa to be a compelling amenity that generates a sense of connection and lasting feelings for your hotel/resort guests and contributes to your hotel's profitability.

Jane Segerberg is founder and president of Segerberg Spa Consulting, LLC., a multi-faceted spa consulting and management company with an industry reputation for creating spas that work –they are compelling for the property’s market, attain recognition, engage guests in memorable experiences and achieve bottom line success. Over Jane’s thirty-year history in the wellness, hospitality and spa industry, she has become recognized for providing outstanding service and keen attention to detail. For company information please view http://www.segerbergspa.com. Ms. Segerberg can be contacted at 912-222-1518 or janesegerberg@yahoo.com Extended Bio...

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