Spa Business issue 2 2012 - Leisure Opportunities

RESORT SPA
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The renown spa at the Dolder
Grand in Zurich is one of the best
in the industry and is serving
as a destination spa for hotel
guests and an urban spa
for local city visitors
KATIE BARNES » MANAGING EDITOR » SPA BUSINESS
There aren’t many hotel general
mangers who ‘get’ spas. It’s a
common challenge convincing
the head of the hotel about the
value a spa brings. Not so at the
Dolder Grand in Zurich, Switzerland. Managing
director Th omas Schmid says: “Th e
spa’s an important revenue stream, but, it’s
more than that, it’s a PR tool and people are
drawn to us because of the it.” He’s also a fan
of treatments, albeit the less fussy ones, he
says: “It’s the touch that’s important but I’m
not so keen when it gets complicated.”
It’s fi tting then that Schmid should head
up a resort which has one of the most
renowned spas in the industry – one that’s
had spa professionals and spa-goers fl ocking
to it since its opening in April 2008 following
a chf440m (us$481m, €366m, £297m) transformation
of the entire property (see p60).
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Schmid has had a career in spa resorts, having
previously worked as assistant general
manager at the Bad Ragaz mineral and healing
spa in Switzerland. He started at the old
Grand Hotel Dolder in 2003 and was keenly
involved in its four-year overhaul, he says: “it
was a once in a lifetime job to be involved in
the closing of a hotel and the planning and
reopening of a new one.”
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Th e resort dates back to 1899 and was a ‘curhaus’ focusing on health and relaxation
Added in 2008, the spa was inspired by Japanese (above) and European cultures
Originally opened in 1899 on a hill overlooking
the city, Grand Hotel Dolder was
a ‘curhaus’ where locals escaped for rest,
active leisure and the feeling of being close to
nature. “Th is history of health and wellness
was the reason for adding a spa,” says Schmid.
“With fresh air and trees, the destination was
made for this and people expect it.”
With the idea that a spa would be a
major feature – not just an aft erthought or
squashed into a basement – Schmid began
extensive travels to research spas from Japan,
Brazil and New York to those in major Euro-
pean cities. Careful thought was also put
into choosing US-based spa specialist Sylvia
Sepielli, who owns the SPAd consultancy and
has created leading spas worldwide including
the Pangkor Laut Spa Village in Malaysia
(see sb05/2 p108). “It was important to have
someone who would be prepared to compromise,
but who could also bring something
unique and new,” says Schmid.
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Situated in one of two new wings, the beautiful
4,000sq m (43,055sq ft ) Dolder Grand Spa
SPA BUSINESS 2 2012 © Cybertrek 2012