Man magnet

Tapping into the male market has the potential to significantly increase your profits. Louise Birchall looks at how to tailor design, treatments and marketing in order to attract your man and keep him.

With traffic jams, longer working hours and high stress levels being common issues for both genders, it's not surprising   that the Middle East male population is catching on to the appeal of spa and wellbeing.

"I've been in the spa industry for more than 15 years and over the past few I've seen a major increase in the male market; I'd say around a 100% growth," says Schletterer Wellness and Spa Design senior consultant Sarah Louise Lumley.

Spa manager at the Kempinski Hotel, Dubai, Leenoe Varghese says that almost half of his clients are male, a steadily-increasing figure. And spa manager Chandarella Luzon claims to have an even higher proportion of male guests coming to the Alexandria at San Stefano Spa at the Four Seasons Hotel, Egypt.

"It's a normal trend here at the Alexandria," she says. "Around 55% of guests we have are men, so it's a male-dominated spa. The majority of these are local, only 15% are expats or foreigners from the hotel."

Luzon says that while male spa treatments are becoming more popular, spa design, therapies, products and marketing still tend to be largely targeted towards the traditional female guest.

Getting to know him

Lumley, who specialises in spa design in the GCC, says that to effectively cater for your man, first you must find out who he is.

"The major difficulty you get in this region is being able to cater for all different expectations of clients, you have locals, westerners, and it's such a cosmopolitan environment," she says.

"Everything depends on your market research, based on the demographics of people going to the spa. In a business hotel there's going to be more male travellers and businessmen occupying it, you've also got to think about where the clients are coming from, their age and spending power.

"With so many things to take into consideration you really have to be clever in your designs and get a good mix of treatments for the growing number of male clientele, as well as women," adds Lumley.

Managing director of Sharanis Wellness Spa Sharon Moore says: "The regional male grooming and spa market is one of the fastest growing in the world so you need to identify how the spa can be suited to both men and women. We've got a huge database of female clients, and one of the best ways of conducting the research is by asking their husbands."

Making him and her feel at home

Lumley continues: "We're in a market here that dictates that spas have to be gender separated - two separate sides-one for female and one for male. However, the design has to be seamless throughout."

She suggests that you can create a more masculine feel, by subtly adapting colours, textures and aromas.

"The use of wood, leather and cooler shades, as well as browns, creams and beige tones can create an attractive cross-gender environment," explains Lumley.

"With male treatments in mind you should also think about aromas, making them more herbal than floral.

"I believe that you can also create an attractive environment for both men and women through a minimalist approach," adds Lumley.

Encouraging more men into spas also means that greater care has to be taken in protecting women's privacy.

"You've really got to make sure the two areas don't intertwine," says Lumley, "taking into account all aspects of operations, including customer flow in corridors and having female concierge staff. If a man wanders into a lady-only area there's trouble; you have to be extremely careful."

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