Spas in style

Knowing your customers' lifestyle preferences is the first step to running a successful spa.

It is now widely acknowledged by operators and consumers alike that spas offer far more than the opportunity to pamper oneself or act as the venue for a once-a-year treat.

The lifestyle element to spas and the idea of a whole 'spa experience' is something that is becoming less alien to consumers - and therefore something that operators should be focused on.

President of the International Spa Association (ISPA) Lynne McNees says that the concept of spa as a lifestyle is a trend that is here to stay.

"Spa is a lifestyle and that's definitely not a passing fad," she says.

"As more people embrace the spa experience, the concept is increasingly being linked to lifestyle decisions based on health and wellness."

This is not to say that operators should dissuade those people who simply want to look and feel better for a day from using their facilities.

Instead, they should also be marketing their facilities to whole groups of people they had not considered targeting before.

"The number one reason people go to spas is to reduce/relieve stress. Spas are a one-stop-shop for wellness with lifestyle offerings including healthy cooking classes, seminars on achieving balance and managing stress and treatments that allow guests to customise their own at-home spa experience," says McNees.

There is a limit to how much of a lifestyle experience some spas can offer, dependant on location, size and facilities, but showing an awareness of lifestyle issues will go some way to satisfying consumer demand.

Leisure Manager reports on the latest consumer spa trends as recently revealed by ISPA and industry resource SpaFinder.

ISPA 2008 Trend Watch

ISPA has released its 2008 Spa Industry Trend Watch, which highlights the leading issues that should impact your spa approach. They are:

1. Nutritional focus

Spas are responding to reports from the restaurant industry that the gastro-travel phenomenon has taken off with more families organising vacations around food.

McNees says that 51% of US spas offer educational programmes and nutritional consultations.

2. Healthy lifestyles

Eating nutritious food, exercising and relieving stress are critical in leading a healthy lifestyle and spas are championing this effort by teaching these basic principles.

In fact, 40% of US spas offer healthy-eating classes and 26% have educational offerings on obesity or weight gain issues.

3. Teen time

In the US, 16% of spas offer teen programmes, 34% offer teen packages and 17% offer packages for children. In Dubai, this trend has already been adopted by SensAsia Urban Spa.

4. Corporate wellness

"A spa experience is the perfect way for employers to show that they care about their team's health and well-being," says McNees.

According to the American Journal of Health Promotions, for every US $1 spent on wellness programmes, employers can expect a return of up to $10 through lower medical claims, reduced absenteeism, improved productivity and other factors.

5. New technology

"In our constantly-connected society, in order for some people to take a time out, they still need to be plugged in," says McNees.

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