Research shows that guests see spas as nurturing environments to escape, heal and reconnect with their body and spirit. Successful hotel spas are creating spaces that use a holistic approach to wellness to give guests a healing setting for personal transformation. Spas that focus on a true wellness approach will be differentiated from the competition and build a successful business model as well. This article will explore the future of hotel spas and their place in creating deeply healing experiences for guests by taking ancient practices, adding pure ingredients and integrating modern results-driven science. READ MORE

Virtually every time I speak on a hospitality panel or at some other engagement and the subject of wellness comes up, the same four questions come up, What is wellness anyway? Can I increase profitability of my spa by integrating wellness programming? How can wellness (and my spa) increase the value of my property? After all the investment involved in building a spa and integrating a wellness program, can I achieve an acceptable return on my investment? The answers to these questions is the subject we will explore in this article. READ MORE

The 2017 ISPA U.S. Spa Industry Study found that there are already an estimated 32,930 unfilled spa service provider positions in the United States. Massage therapists account for the largest number of unfilled positions with a total of 18,780 representing 57 percent of the openings in 2017. When looking at leadership positions, there were approximately 200 unstaffed full-time spa director positions and 1,030 spa manager positions. A shift in the senior living sector to become more mind-body-spirit-centric will naturally pull skilled workers from the spa and hospitality industries into senior living and healthcare. Conversely, the hospitality industry will begin to draw skilled employees from the healthcare and senior living industries. READ MORE

In the midst of managing the day-to-day operations, hotel and spa owners and managers must constantly look forward and evaluate how to increase efficiency and profitability. As you balance overseeing current business and forecasting for the future, you are faced with the challenge of considering what changes will bring the most benefit to your organization. For spas, keeping watch of the latest trends in the spa industry and making relevant changes to your facility, treatment menu and customer service practices are important for success. But how do you know which trends and latest innovations will bring that success, and which ones may not be worth their return on investment? READ MORE

In all aspects of the hospitality industry is seems we're always seeking the next big thing to move the revenue needle or racing to be the first to market with the hot trend. With so much media attention on unplugging are we just falling for the next buzzworthy spa marketing tactic? Hardly. For destination spas, the magnitude of this movement is undeniable when you consider the global wellness economy now represents a $3.7 trillion dollar industry. Our guests are walking around with fully charged smartphones but completely depleted health batteries. Before investing in the next buzzworthy trend for your destination spa, consider plugging into the simple art of unplugging. READ MORE

Wellness tourism alone amounts to $1.6 trillion worldwide and has grown twice as fast as tourism overall. The business case for delivering a robust wellness proposition to your hotel guests is clear. Yet, is your organization authentically walking its wellbeing talk? This article shares how four organizations from diverse industries are making wellbeing strategic and building work environments to unleash human thriving for greater fulfillment, performance, and impact. The article also offers a vision of the hospitality industry as uniquely positioned to be a force for wellbeing, benefiting your organization, evolving humanity, and uplifting our planet. READ MORE

The rewards of a successful spa retail program are vast. This article provides best practices to launch a robust retail program online and offline. With proper resources and support, hotels and resorts will realize healthy profits, a higher level of guest satisfaction, and recognition as a true wellness brand. Make a commitment to your guest's wellness by offering home care programs that will extend the spa experience long after guests leave your property. Don't underestimate the power of one spa product to carry positive memories that will lead to loyalty and repeat visits. READ MORE

Wellness has gone mainstream in the hospitality industry, but few companies are considering that the largest driver of human wellbeing for the foreseeable future will be our relationship with technology. In favor of our modern devices we are sacrificing sleep, movement, safety, healthy relationships, mental health, productivity and more. Hotels and spas that are serious about wellness will need to educate themselves on the impact of technology on human wellness and consider their role in society as a place to experience the true modern luxuries: mindfulness, silence, meaningful connection, and respite from technology. READ MORE

In this article, we explore wellness tourism and how the hospitality industry as a whole can better leverage wellness to maximize revenue. A new perspective and one that comprehensively addresses the domains of wellness can offer significant insights into maximizing hotel spa revenue by creating better products, experiences, and promotions. Further, research is introduced from Wellness Tourism Worldwide including PEACE, an acronym that frames the wellness traveler experience as both a mental process and as an outcome,. Other hospitality consultants weigh in on the subject. READ MORE

The word deprivation is defined as the state of being kept from possessing, enjoying, or using something – the state of being deprived. The word remains stigmatized by most, especially when referring to taking something away our basic senses. However, Sensory deprivation, or REST (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy) has more benefits than it name portrays – from deep relaxation and improved serotonin levels to relieving chronic pain to promoting healing and energizing your skin and immune system, nothingness is the new everything. Floatation is part therapy, part meditation, part transcendence and all relaxation. Classically known as sensory deprivation, floatation therapy is suitable for everyone. READ MORE

In today's world, we're connected in ways we've never been before. Our smartphones, tablets and laptops are great for building community and promoting businesses, but that constant connection brings high levels of stress - and our bodies are paying the price. Overexposure to environmental toxins exhausts us mentally, drains us physically and throws off our natural frequencies. By harnessing the healing properties of pure Himalayan salt in skillfully designed ways, hotels and spas, epitomized as places of rest and relaxation, can deliver the rebalancing our clients need and the calm they crave. READ MORE

Today's hotel guest is often subject to increasing levels of stress, sometimes brought on by the journey to the hotel itself! Upon arriving at the hotel property, whether for work or leisure, guests are seeking a way to integrate wellness practices into their daily activities. The hotel spa beckons as a traditional oasis of calm and tranquility, offering guests a respite from the daily grind. But today's hotel spas have evolved far beyond the standard menu; cutting-edge hotel brands are providing opportunities for guests to experience deeper and longer-lasting well-being activities and treatments, often extending outside of a spa treatment room, to positively impact their stay in multiple ways, and encourage return visits. READ MORE

Is it still relevant to think of hotel spas as designated spaces within a hotel building? Any hotel owner, developer or manager needs to be reminded that while the term spa refers to a physical space the more compelling well-being refers to a specific value proposition. Guests are looking more for valuable experiences and less for specific spaces. Still, many hospitality projects overdevelop the spa space which then underperforms in terms of financial return. The well-being concept can be applied to any hotel at any location. The application of the well-being concept can provide hotel with added value in the competition for market share. READ MORE

This article reviews important keynotes to protect wellness and hospitality investments after a decade of significant market and industry change. The recent U.S. tax cuts in 2018, have given many households and companies, a sense of relief from taxation with an improved economic outlook and sense of stability. This has ignited a swell in travel, business, and consumer spending. This article reveals how recalibrating investment outlines, management and strategic planning can increase the life-cycle and sustainability of the business, and how to prepare for the increasing speed of change in the years to come. READ MORE

Most hotel spas don't sell a lot of retail product. In fact, neither do hotels. But with a downward trend in bricks and mortar retail and an upward trend in Wellness, there just might be a new opportunity emerging. Instead of retail being an afterthought, how about taking a Retail First approach? In so doing, you will not only increase your revenues but also go a long way to establishing your hotel as a genuine Lifestyle Brand. The future for hotel and spa retail is now. READ MORE

In today's fast-paced digital world, spas have become a respite from the stresses of everyday life. As wellness vacations increase, resort spas have positioned themselves as the perfect place to unwind and disconnect, even if just for a little while. Every part of the spa experience should be seamless and stress-free, but to complete the wish of the savvy traveler, spas must be the ones to connect in order to allow their customers to disconnect. Spas need the latest technologies and operating systems to function at the highest level so their customers can truly have a worry-free experience. READ MORE