World spa&wellness

worldspawellness.com 

July/August 2017 

In-store wellbeing 

Combining medical, aesthetic 

and holistic at the Harrods 

Wellness Clinic 

Emotional 

aspects 

Addressing the psychological 

causes of skincare concerns 

Woodland creation 

Nature in focus at Center Parcs’ new Aqua Sana Sherwood Forest spa

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CONTENTS 

This month... 

Cover: Shangri La Hambantota 

Resort & Spa 

Published by 

M Squared Media Ltd 

1.17 The Plaza 

535 Kings Road 

London 

SW10 0SZ 

Editorial enquiries 

020 7351 0536 

info@worldspawellness.com 

Advertising enquiries 

020 7351 0536 

Editor 

Nora Elias 

nora@worldspawellness.com 

Head of editorial 

Eve Oxberry 

Contributors 

Amanda Pauley, Julianna Barnaby 

Sales director 

Steve James 

steve@worldspawellness.com 

Account manager 

Max Laurence-Gutteridge 

max@worldspawellness.com 

Publisher 

Mark Moloney 

Head of global marketing 

Chloe Skilton 

Design and production 

ICD www.imagecreativedesign.co.uk 

Printing 

Stones Ashford 

www.stones-ashford.co.uk 

The publisher accepts no 

responsibility for any advertiser 

whose advertisement is published in 

World Spa & Wellness. Anyone 

dealing with advertisers must make 

their own enquiries. 

@WSpaWellness 

26 

35 

40 

47 

50 

ON THE COVER 

26 Mind-body connection 

Addressing the physiological causes of skin 

problems through “emotional skincare” 

40 Forest escape 

Center Parcs’ new Aqua Sana Sherwood Forest has 

built nature into its spa -structure and concept 

50 Storefront to wellness 

The new Harrods Wellness Clinic offers medical, 

aesthetic and wellbeing treatments under one roof 

FEATURES & REGULARS 

11 News 

Hilton’s new in-room wellness concept; the spa 

opening at Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten 

Trinity Square; and cell therapy and sleep testing 

present growth opportunities for spas 

19 In the know 

Caring for brittle nails, protecting the skin against 

environmental damage and handling client data 

33 The French Connection 

Discovering the concept behind skincare brand 

Decléor’s first UK boutique and day spa in London 

35 How to do offers successfully 

Pure Spa & Beauty founder Becky Woodhouse 

explains why and how offers can boost your business 

47 Brand building 

Anna Bjurstam, partner in consultancy Raison d’Etre, 

shares her blueprint for creating a viable spa brand 

57 The beauty of science 

Scientific innovations is a key theme at this year’s 

Global Wellness Summit in Florida in October 

60 Hidden in plain sight 

Thai Square Spa offers a secluded London space 

with an offering centred around Thai hospitality 

67 Leader of the pack 

Health and Fitness Travel co-founder Paul Joseph 

on what spas and wellness resorts need to do to 

stay on top of trends, and ahead of the competition 

70 Island escape 

Ancient wellness therapies in a lush tropical setting 

at Chi, The Ayurveda Spa at Shangri-La Hambantota 

Resort & Spa in Sri Lanka 

75 Talking point 

Spa consultant Valerie Delforge on why in-depth 

consultations are a must in spas 

79 The shape of things to come 

Gharieni, Lemi, Oakworks, Ellisons and Living Earth 

Crafts give their input on what customers should 

be looking for from spa furniture and couches 

90 Product news 

Launches from Murad, Elemis, Clarins, Comfort 

Zone, Babor and Thalgo in this summer issue 

94 Tried & tested 

Firming the jawline and cheeks with Elemis’s 

anti-ageing Pro-Definition Lift and Contour facial 

96 Final say 

Win a two-product Night & Day Kit from Comfort 

Zone, plus your guide to key industry events 

6 

World Spa & Wellness | July/August 2017

EDITOR’S NOTE 

60 

67 

Welcome... 

Building a successful business is never 

easy, particularly not in a market as 

crowded as spa and wellness where, 

no matter how good you are at what 

you do, there are many others spas and 

resorts vying for the same clientele. Making sure you have a solid 

business model that includes a strong brand is an important first step in 

getting it right and, in her column on page 47, Anna Bjurstam, partner in 

spa consultancy Raison d’Etre and vice president of spas at Six Senses, 

shares tried and tested advice on creating a strong spa industry brand. 

Once the business is up and running it of course needs to make money. 

Although not everyone agrees with deals and offers as a way to attract 

clients and drive revenue, it can be one route to consider. Becky 

Woodhouse, chief executive and founder of Scotland-based day spa 

group Pure Spa & Beauty, explains how to do offers well; putting packages 

together that work for your business financially, without damaging your 

brand and reputation. Read her column on page 35 to find out more. 

Continued innovation is another essential element of business success. 

Two great examples of wellness innovation in this issue are the new 

Forest Spa at Center Parcs’ Aqua Sana Sherwood Forest facility in the UK 

and the Wellness Clinic that opened at department store Harrods in May. 

Aqua Sana group spa manager Kay Pennington tells us more about the 

Forest Spa concept, inspired by nature around the world, on page 40. 

We also speak to Annalise Fard, home and beauty director at Harrods, 

about what motivated the launch of the Wellness Clinic and what’s ahead 

for the department store in the wellbeing field, on page 50. 

Nora Elias 

Editor 

70 

79 

94 

World Spa & Wellness | July/August 2017 

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NEWS 

NEWS 

BRINGING YOU THE LATEST FROM THE 

GLOBAL SPA AND WELLNESS INDUSTRY 

Cell therapy and sleep testing pose 

growth opportunities for spas 

Cell therapy, sleep testing and detoxification treatments 

are among the global wellness trends identified as key 

opportunities for hotel and resort spas and wellness 

centres in a new report carried out by market research 

company Horwath HTL, sister company of spa operator 

Goco Hospitality. 

Part of the report looked at future trends and 

opportunities across the wellness and aesthetic industries 

and ways in which luxury spas can cater to the wellness 

interests of “high net worth individuals”. Advanced antiageing 

treatments are predicted to hone in on cell therapy 

to kick start clients’ regenerative processes by injecting 

active cell extracts and fostering cell rejuvenation. This is 

particularly targeted at spas with a large clientele in the 

40+ segment. 

The wellness industry’s current focus on sleep, thanks to 

emerging research on the links between health, beauty and 

neuroscience, is predicted to inspire more high-end spas to 

house sleep testing centres to assess clients’ physical 

health in terms of their sleep, with the help of doctors and 

sleep therapists. This could then be supported by a 

tailored, holistic programme to rectify sleep issues that 

incorporates the spa’s other facilities. 

Intravenous therapies could see renewed interest in 

terms of detoxification, particularly appealing to those 

aged over 36, said the report. By offering drip cocktails 

with multiple health benefits, such as energy and immune 

boosting as well as detoxifying properties, wellness centres 

could add an attractive and “relatively straightforward” 

additional revenue stream, said the report. 

Major new spa opens at Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square, London 

The much-anticipated Spa at Four Seasons Hotel London 

at Ten Trinity Square has opened its doors. The 1,680 sq 

m spa features eight treatment rooms, including a spa 

suite, and also offers a swimming pool, sauna, steam 

room, hammam and vitality pool, and retail area. 

Other wellness facilities at the hotel include the 

Finishing Touches nail salon and the fitness centre, open 

24 hours. The architecture at the spa draws on London’s 

heritage as an ancient Roman city, with clean lines and 

Roman columns. 

The largely natural colour palette used at the spa is also 

a reference to the minerals and natural materials, such as 

wood, that would have been used in Roman times. The spa 

treatment menu offers a combination of facials, massages 

and other body treatments, hammam rituals, express 

treatments, beauty services and options for men. 

The Spa is working with British skincare brand Espa, 

results-driven Swiss line Dr Burgener Switzerland, natural 

brand Amala and spa and hammam brand Maroc Maroc. 

Spa director Anjana Nicolas said: “We have partnered 

with leading international brands to offer our guests 

bespoke experiences, tailor-made to their needs. 

“In keeping with the unique history of Ten Trinity 

Square, we aim to combine the best techniques and 

remedies from Eastern and Western cultures and we look 

forward to welcoming both Londoners and hotel guests 

for the ultimate experience.” 

Signature treatments include the Harmonising Detoxifying 

Ritual from Amala, incorporating a full-body massage 

and a body mask using body butter and Indian rhassoul 

clay to soothe, detox and lift. Another signature experience 

is the Swiss Age Perfecting Jewel Facial from Dr Burgener. 

The treatment includes cleansing, exfoliation, a facial 

massage and the application of a face mask. 

The five-star Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity 

Square, which opened at the end of May, is located near 

Tower Bridge in the City of London. In addition to 100 

guestrooms and suites, the hotel also comprises 41 private 

residences, three restaurants and meeting and events space. 


11

NEWS 

Switzerland’s Royal Savoy 

Hotel opens large-scale spa 

A new spa, the 1,500sq m Le Spa du 

Royal, has opened at the Royal Savoy 

Hotel and Spa in Switzerland. 

The spa at the five-star Lausanne 

hotel features eight treatment rooms, 

including a private spa suite, and a 

thermal area with an indoor and an 

outdoor swimming pool, hot and cold 

plunge pools, experience showers and 

ice fountains. 

Other features in the thermal area 

include a hammam, sauna, steam 

room and relaxation area. The spa 

also comprises a separate womenonly 

thermal space in the ladies’ 

changing room, with a bio sauna, 

steam room, plunge pool and 

relaxation space. 

Other spa and wellness facilities 

include the gym, open 24/7, a hair 

studio and a spa boutique. The private 

spa suite incorporates its own sauna, 

steam room, whirlpool, experience 

shower and couples’ treatment area. 

Spa du Royal works with British 

skincare brand Aromatherapy 

Associates, French brand Biologique 

Recherche and Swiss brand La Vallée. 

The first Salon & Spa Owners’ 

Convention events are set to launch 

this autumn in Dublin, Ireland, in 

September and Manchester, UK, in 

October. 

Created with independent 

operators in mind, the conferences 

have the theme “The spa of the future: 

futureproof your business by staying 

ahead of the trends in customer 

spending, technology, product 

development, marketing and retail”. 

Topics covered will include how to 

evolve your brand to stay relevant in a 

competitive market, what motivates 

The treatment menu features a 

combination of facials, massages, 

body treatments, grooming services, 

and more. 

The spa also offers a series of 

holistic options, including reiki, sound 

therapy, craniosacral therapy, 

osteopathy and rolfing – involving 

manipulation of fascia tissue and 

designed to improve mobility and 

flexibility. 

The Royal Savoy Hotel is part of the 

Bürgenstock Selection of luxury 

properties, which also comprises the 

Schweizerhof Hotel & Spa in Bern and 

the Bürgenstock Resort by Lake 

Lucerne – opening later this summer. 

Salon & Spa Owners’ Convention to 

launch in Manchester and Dublin 

“millennial” therapists and clients, 

where to cut costs, as well as where to 

invest in this uncertain economic 

climate, and other topics. 

A host of top spa and salon names 

are already confirmed to speak. Key 

panellists from the spa market will 

include Karen Wilkinson, group head 

of spa for Bannatyne Group; Becky 

Woodhouse, chief executive of Pure 

Spas; Davina Hassell, spa director of 

Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall; and 

Melissa Evans, group spa manager, 

Spa Experience by Better (formerly 

Spa London). 

The conference will take place in 

Dublin on September 24 at the RDS 

exhibition centre and in Manchester 

on October 8–9 at EventCity. For full 

details on the conferences including 

new speakers, prices and how to book 

tickets, check the website at: 

profesionalbeauty.co.uk/convention 

News in brief 

One&Only Cape Town. 

The total revenue generated by the 

South African spa industry is estimated 

to have reached R1.54bn (£93m) in 

2016, according to figures from Who 

Owns Whom’s Health and Beauty Spa 

Industry in South Africa 2017 report. 

There are now more than 700 spa 

facilities in the country, employing more 

than 5,500 people. 

Aysun Mut has been appointed spa 

director for Espa Life at Corinthia in 

London, UK. Mut, who was previously 

interim spa director, will be responsible 

for guiding the spa’s operation and 

building its reputation. Mut replaces 

Laura Vallati in the role. 

UK hotel group Macdonald Hotels 

& Resorts has appointed Keith Pickard 

as group director of golf, leisure and 

spa across its 45 hotels and 21 spas. 

Pickard was formerly the director of 

golf at Macdonald and has more than 

15 years’ experience. He will focus on 

enhancing the group’s luxury spa 

services, pushing membership growth 

and adding new recruitment and 

retention initiatives. 

The spa manager at Dormy House in 

the Cotswolds, Zoe Douglas, scooped 

the Black Diamond Award at the Forum 

Hotel & Spa Awards in Paris, which is 

given to outstanding figures in the hotel 

and spa industry. Douglas, who has 

worked for the spa for four years, was 

praised for her dedication to excellence. 

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13

NEWS 

Hilton launches in-room wellness concept 

The Hilton hotels group has launched Five Feet to Fitness, 

a new in-room wellness concept. 

The concept introduces a new Hilton room category 

that offers guests 11 different types of fitness equipment 

and accessories. The global hotel group explained that 

the introduction of Five Feet to Fitness is part of a strategy 

to offer a more modern and inclusive fitness offering. This 

includes catering for those preferring to work out in the 

privacy of their own room or looking for greater workout 

flexibility during their Hilton stay 

Ryan Crabbe, senior director of global wellness at 

Hilton, said: “We know that no matter how determined 

people are to make healthy decisions at home, the ability 

to replicate those choices is often not as accessible as it 

should be while travelling. We’re creating choice and 

control for guests to drive their own fitness experience.” 

The new room category features the fitness kiosk, a 

touchscreen display that provides equipment tutorials 

and workout routines. The kiosk also allows guests to 

access more than 200 fitness videos, covering a wide 

range of workout areas – from cycling, cardio, endurance 

and HIIT (high-intensity interval training), to strength, 

yoga, stretch and recovery fitness routines. 

The fitness kiosk forms part of the Gym Rax functional 

training station, which offers features designed for core, 

strength, suspension and HIIT training. 

Among the other equipment in the rooms is the 

Wattbike for indoor cycling, and a meditation chair for 

mindfulness-focused travellers. The rooms also feature 

blackout shades to aid sleep and a selection of protein 

drinks for guests to choose from. 

Crabbe added: “Five Feet to Fitness has been 

thoughtfully engineered to serve as a guest’s personal 

wellness stage. The room is made to suit the varied and 

evolving wellness habits of our guests.” 

Five Feet to Fitness is currently available at Parc 55 San 

Francisco – a Hilton Hotel, and Hilton McLean Tysons 

Corner in Virginia. 

It will shortly also launch at Hilton properties in a range 

of other US locations, including Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, 

Las Vegas, New York and San Diego. 

Spatec Europe gathers global lineup of buyers and suppliers 

The annual Spatec Europe event brought delegates 

together for three days of meetings, networking and 

education sessions last month. 

Taking place at the Ritz-Carlton Abama resort in Tenerife, 

the event saw two days of 20-minute one-on-one meetings 

between buyers and suppliers. 

This year attracting 140 delegates from Europe and 

beyond, the popular networking event saw a list of buyers 

that included representatives of the Accor, Four Seasons, 

Hilton, Jumeirah, Bulgari and Champneys hotel groups, 

among others. 

Buyers at this year’s event covered skincare, furniture 

and spa supplies, among other sectors. The brands present 

ranged from Elemis, Decléor, Biologique Recherche and 

Cinq Mondes, to Lemi, Gharieni, Florence Roby, Technogym 

and Skinbrands. 

The pre-arranged meetings between buyers and 

suppliers mean all delegates are guaranteed a set 

number or meetings with the companies they most want 

to meet with. 

In addition to this, Spatec also provides plenty of 

networking time over the course of the event, to ensure 

there is also the opportunity to speak to brands and 

companies with whom delegates might not have had a 

meeting scheduled. 

The education session at the event, led by consultant 

Berni Hawkins, saw a panel of industry experts address 

key topics across spa and wellness. 

The panel included Wdson Brum, senior director of spa 

Europe at Four Seasons Hotels and Resort, talking about 

catering for the discerning and experienced traveller; and 

Mike Wallace, group spa director and health spa brand 

consultant at Danubius Hotels Group, outlining the 

function and benefits of balneotherapy. 

The Spatec portfolio of events also includes Spatec Spring 

North America, Spatec Middle East and Spatec Fall North 

America. The latter event, held in La Jolla, California, is the 

next Spatec coming up, taking place on September 10-13. 

14 


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NEWS 

Department of Calm launches to make 

workplace wellbeing accessible to spas 

Spa industry expert Dr Glenis Wade has created a 

programme of treatments and training to allow spas an 

accessible way to offer workplace wellbeing packages. 

The Department of Calm has made its debut within K 

West Hotel & Spa in Shepherd’s Bush, London. 

Wade, who worked as a therapist in companies including 

Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa and The Green Rooms 

before becoming a coach and trainer for workplace wellbeing 

across a wide range of sectors, said she began 

focusing on individual stress-management training after 

noticing that most people decline to participate in 

corporate wellness programmes available to them, 

preferring to take control of their own wellbeing. 

All the Department of Calm packages blend one-to-one 

coaching with a relaxing spa activity to create a 

personalised resilience programme that fuses psychology 

and workplace wellbeing with spa treatments. 

Wade said the programme helped spas to focus on 

“supporting guests and local residents to cope with the 

chaos of organisational change, business problems and 

difficult management styles”. 

Wade also plans to launch online courses for spa 

practitioners in the Department of Calm method. 

Longevity Wellness Worldwide opens second resort in Portugal 

A new wellbeing property, the Longevity Cegonha 

Country Club, opened in Portugal on July 1. 

Longevity Cegonha Country Club, located near the 

village of Vilamoura on Portugal’s Algarve coast, will have 

14 treatment rooms, and a wide range of spa and wellness 

facilities, services and programmes. 

Features will include an outdoor swimming pool and a 

fitness centre, as well as tennis courts, a body and mind 

activities room, relaxation areas, the Pure spa café and 

the Detox and Relax Wet Area Circuit. 

The circuit comprises a steam room, salt room, infrared 

sauna, shower tunnel experience, ice fountain and heated 

outdoor multijet swimming pool. 

The spa and wellness offering also includes the 

Premium Detox and Wellness Area, where a range of the 

wellness and medical services that form part of the 

Longevity Wellness concept are offered. 

These include detox and weight-loss treatments, 

wellness consultations, stress management, craniosacral 

therapy, osteopathy, nutrition consultations, manual 

lymphatic drainage and guided meditation. Treatments in 

the spa area range from facials and massages to body 

scrubs and longer spa rituals. 

Under the Longevity Plan umbrella, all guests over the 

age of 16 have complimentary access to a selection of 

sport, fitness and other leisure activities. 

These include yoga, pilates, stretching, tai chi, 

meditation, cardio sessions, dance classes and bike tours. 

As part of the health-focused cuisine, the resort will offer 

low-carb, low-calorie, gluten-free and vegetarian options. 

There will also be a mix of spa and wellness 

programmes, including options centred around detoxing, 

slimming, pampering, rebalancing, getting fit, relaxing, 

and combining detox with wellness. 

Longevity Cegonha Country Club will be the second 

location for Longevity Wellness Worldwide, joining the 

existing Vilalara Longevity Thalassa & Medical Spa, also 

in Portugal’s Algarve region. 

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EXPERT ADVICE 

In the know 

Our industry experts answer questions on every aspect of running a successful spa 

What recommendations should I give clients who need help 

strengthening their nails? 

First, you need to be sure that the nails do need strengthening. 

Unfortunately, many therapists misdiagnose nail conditions, which 

can lead to incorrect advice and treatments. One of the most common 

nail types we see are nails that are peeling and flaking, or prone to 

cracking or splitting. In these cases they don’t require strengthening; 

they need conditioning and nourishment. 

Nail strengtheners should only be used on weak and thin natural 

nails. This includes nails that bend easily or have been damaged 

by poor nail enhancements. A good strengthener will provide the nail 

with the extra strength needed to maintain the length and grow out 

any damage. Just remember that strengtheners are a short-term 

treatment and won’t change nails that are naturally weak and thin. 

Clients with naturally weak or thin nails would be more suited to 

having enhancements: acrylics and hard gels can allow the nails to 

grow to the desired length by shielding them from exposure and not 

giving them the opportunity to break. Gel polish is another option as 

it offers slightly more protection for the nail than traditional polish. 

There is very little we can do to make nails grow better or faster. 

The growth is determined by the amount of blood and nutrients 

supplied to the nail matrix and taking supplements or eating certain 

foods aren’t as important as people believe. 

More emphasis should instead be placed 

on how clients care for nails, including 

preventing them from chipping. Regular 

manicures will help care for the nail while it 

grows, as will applying cuticle oil, which 

increases blood flow and improves the 

delivery of nutrients to the nails. 

Rachel Gribble is an educator 

for UK-based Salon System, 

which offers nail treatments 

and products. Not only 

training Salon System nail 

techs but also involved in new 

product development, she’s been with the 

company for 14 years. Starting as a nail tech, 

she worked with a host of leading UK spas and 

salons before becoming an educator. 


19

EXPERT ADVICE 

How should I advise clients on 

environmental skin damage? 

Our skin is faced with the harmful effects of 

UV rays and pollution every day and scientists 

are now also looking at the damage caused by 

blue light from devices such as mobile phones 

and the infrared radiation from laptops and 

tablets. Visible blue light is made up of short, 

high-energy wavelengths that penetrate the 

skin more deeply than UVA and UVB. They 

accelerate the oxidation process, damaging 

the skin barrier, making it more prone to 

ageing and causing hyperpigmentation and 

inflammation. 

A recent study showed that four days in 

front of a laptop is equivalent to 20 minutes 

in direct sunlight at midday and there is 

also evidence to support that an increase 

in soot and particles from traffic drives up 

pigmentation by 20%. The so-called particulate 

matter in the air – a combination of dust, 

particles, pollution and soot – results in an 

overproduction of melanin that can cause 

age spots, skin darkening and inflammation. 

It damages collagen and elastin; thereby 

causing lines and wrinkles. 

It’s vital to recommend that clients use night 

creams that help offset toxins and repair 

environmental damage. Plant stem cell 

technology and next-generation vitamin C 

have opened the door to supercharged 

antixodiants that help neutralise pollution and 

strengthen the skin barrier while you sleep. 

Modern sunscreens not only protect against 

UVA and UVB but also against pollution, 

particulate matter, blue light and infrared 

radiation. Coupled with a good cleansing and 

exfoliation ritual, these tools help ensure 

clients’ skin is clear of contamination. 

Tracey Wilmot is training 

director for skincare brand 

Murad, overseeing the 

professional and retail market 

globally. Wilmot, who has a 

background as a beauty therapist 

and makeup artist, has more than 25 years’ 

experience as training director for multiple beauty 

brands within the professional and retail channels. 

What can I do to highlight brow and 

makeup services more in the spa? 

Brows have come a long way in the last few years, and have become 

big business for spas, so it makes perfect sense to use brow treatments 

to cross-promote your services. Clients often want the complete 

package from a spa – somewhere they can have all of their hair, 

beauty, wellness and makeup needs catered to – making crosspromotion 

a particularly great concept. 

For instance, if you’re renowned for offering luxury spa day 

packages, why not look at how you can add brow services and 

makeovers, to complement your existing menu and bring in additional 

revenue. It also makes sense to look at retailing a makeup range. A 

premium makeup collection, such as the High Definition line of 

products, is a great added source of income. 

It means that after a brow service, clients can enjoy a makeover and 

leave ready for a night out – without any telltale signs of redness 

revealing the recent treatment. Offering a makeup range for retail is 

also a good opportunity to upsell the products you’re using. Education 

is key so ensure your staff are up to date on the latest trends and 

techniques, well-versed when it comes to the product offering and 

able to showcase their expertise. 

This is more important than ever as consumers are now savvier 

than in the past and tend to have done their research. Looking to the 

future, the growing trend for beauty and grooming treatments is set to 

continue. This means that adding brow and makeup services to your 

offering will not only boost income, but also strengthen your spa 

brand – ensuring you stay one step ahead of the competition. 

Karen Betts is co-founder and chief executive of High 

Definition, whose range comprises brow, makeup, lash 

and nail products and services. With several decades’ of 

beauty sector experience, she is an industry authority in 

fields including microblading, permanent makeup and 

medical tattooing. In addition to her role with High 

Definition, Betts also runs eyelash extensions brand Nouveau Lashes and 

permanent makeup brand KB Pro. 

20 World Spa & Wellness | July/August 2017

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on the cutting-edge of medicine. 

A privately owned company, Mary Cohr’s focus 

is entirely centred around its spa and salon 

partners. The brand was founded by Jean- 

Daniel Mondin, a renowned scientist with a 

pharmaceutical background, and Mary Cohr, 

a distinguished professional trainer who worked 

closely with beauty therapists, sharing her 

expertise. Together, they developed innovative 

formulas and created salon treatment methods. 

Mary Cohr is a pioneer in the field, with cutting-edge 

ideas on the vital synergy between manual techniques, 

electrical treatments and the effectiveness of the 

skincare products used for salon treatments. 

Mary Cohr treatments and products are only 

available from accredited beauty salons 

and spas worldwide, and it’s through this that 

Mary Cohr remains firmly in touch with its roots. 

Our Business Development Team is on-hand to 

discuss how Mary Cohr can work with you towards 

a successful partnership. 

TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT, 

CALL 01344 873123 

www.marycohr.com

EXPERT ADVICE 

What are the key things to know about 

handling clients’ personal data? 

Spas usually collect three types of client data: 1) contact information 

2) health conditions and 3) treatment info, including their main 

concerns, skin conditions, treatment and retail purchase history, and 

so on. This data can be extremely valuable, allowing you to really 

personalise the service you offer. 

If you personalise services by using data about clients; suggesting 

treatments that match their concerns and giving recommendations 

based on your knowledge, it helps attract repeat business. There are, 

however, some factors to consider, including the new General Data 

Protection Regulation (GDPR) that will come into effect within the 

European Union on May 25 next year. It will replace national laws in this 

area and introduce new stipulations for how personal data is handled. 

According to the European Commission: “Personal data is any 

information relating to an individual. It can be anything from a name, 

home address, photo, email address, bank details, posts on social 

networking websites, medical information, or a computer’s IP 

address.” The GDPR carries administrative penalties for the failure to 

fulfil data protection regulations, so this is the time for any spas to 

which it applies to assess their data security practices and privacy 

policies, and create or update their documentation regarding the 

handling of customers’ personal information. 

The GDPR gives clients the right to request access and corrections 

to the information you hold on them, and object to further processing 

of their personal data. It also requires businesses to train an individual 

to act as data protection officer, or appoint an external agent to fill 

that function. So if this change in legislation applies to your business, 

then you need to be prepared for it. 

Mare Kuruson is chief executive and co-founder of online 

platform Wellmonde. The company was created to 

connect spas, brands and consumers, providing all parties 

with access to the relevant wellbeing information and 

allowing for the creation of personalised customer service 

solutions. Kuruson has 25 years’ wellness industry 

experience and holds a BA in business management and an 

MA in wellness and spa service design and management. 

What are the key benefits 

of offering multisensory 

experiences in spas? 

You can capture more of the market by 

offering exclusive treatments to your clients. 

For example, the Wellness UK pods combine 

multisensory experiences that include LED 

light therapy, infrared technology, salt air 

therapy, aromatherapy, music and the effects 

of a heated massage bed. 

The different lights used in LED have 

varying effects on the body. Red and yellow 

lights promote cell rejuvenation, increase 

collagen production and contribute to 

tightening the skin; blue light has 

antibacterial properties and promotes 

relaxation; and green light helps reduce 

pigmentation. 

Infrared technology also has some very 

positive effects, including breaking down fat 

cells, increasing the metabolic rate, boosting 

circulation and improving the function of the 

lymphatic system – contributing to 

detoxification and cellulite reduction. Salt 

therapy, meanwhile, has a positive impact on 

respiratory problems, as well as on a range of 

skin conditions. 

The highest level of interest we see in the 

pods is probably from businesses looking at 

the de-stress and relaxation element they 

offer. The pods’ warmth, light, aromatherapy 

and massage function create a perfect 

environment to recharge in, which promotes 

wellbeing and encourages good sleep – key 

benefits given our stressful modern lifestyle. 

Kevin Felton is the founder 

of Wellness UK. The company 

was established in 2016 to 

launch the wellness pods into 

the UK market. Felton’s 

career prior to setting up 

Wellness UK included running his own hot 

tub business. He is currently busy promoting 

the different pods at events around the UK. 


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SKINCARE 

Addressing emotions 

Mind-body 

connection 

With stress, anxiety and sleep 

problems increasingly effecting 

clients’ skin and wellbeing, 

Amanda Pauley looks at 

how spas can treat these 

internal issues 

26 


SKINCARE 


With the pace of modern life accelerating at a faster rate 

than ever before it’s no surprise that stress, anxiety and 

fatigue are all coming to the fore. However, negative 

emotions don’t just rile the brain, they can also manifest 

themselves on the body in the form of breakouts, redness, irritation, 

dryness and even premature ageing. 

“Emotional skincare”, which harnesses ingredients that help 

achieve harmony between mind, body and soul, are the latest 

buzzwords to take the beauty industry by storm and the concept is 

predicted to be big. Tracey Woodward, chief executive of 

Aromatherapy Associates, believes it’s a result of consumer need. 

“Stress, poor sleep and anxiety are a sad reality of our time but people 

are aware of it and want to take control. They’re also realising that 

skin is simply a reflection of what’s going on inside,” she says. 

“A lot can be controlled via nutrition, emotional balance, sleep and 

exercise, but a good skincare regime also has the power to change the 

way we feel, not just the way we look. As a result, emotional skincare 

will no doubt boom in the next few years,” adds Woodward. This idea 

of breaking emotionally destructive patterns and replacing them with 

good behaviours, such as that much sought-after “me-time”, to 

improve both mental wellbeing and skin health, is gaining traction. 

Many leading skincare brands are now releasing products that focus 

on the concept. 

German brand Babor is relaunching its spa line later this year, 

offering scents claiming to relax, energise and calm the senses, while 

British brand Elemis’s Life Elixir collections (which launched in May) 

give clients the option of matching products to how they’re feeling. So, 

with emotional wellbeing becoming ever more important, how can 

spas tap into this trend and go about treating some of the biggest 

internal issues facing clients today? 

Stress busting 

One key area is rising global stress and anxiety levels. Increasing 

demands in the workplace, family commitments and trying to juggle 

too much is not only putting a greater strain on our bodies but is also 

knocking our mental wellbeing out of sync. “As a direct result of an 

increase in technology in our lives, we’re seeing a rise in negative 


27

SKINCARE 


“Stress, poor 

sleep and anxiety 

are a sad reality 

of our time but 

people are 

aware of it and 

want to take 

control” 

stress and conditions such as anxiety and 

sleep deprivation. We’re finding it harder to 

switch off than ever before and it’s impacting 

how we feel,” says Sue Harmsworth, founder 

of Espa. 

The Health and Safety Executive in the UK 

reported that there were 488,000 cases of 

work-related stress in the UK between 2015 

and 2016, a rate of 1,510 per 100,000 workers. 

“Everyone thinks they should be coping and 

there’s this almost embarrassment about 

not being able to, but the more we say to the 

client ‘It’s OK to be stressed’ the better,” 

explains Noella Gabriel, co-founder and 

managing director at Elemis. “The challenge 

for us as therapists is that clients may all 

have the same stress put on them but 

everyone will manifest it differently, whether 

that be broken sleep, acne or premature 

ageing, which makes it complicated to treat.” 

Rapid heartbeat, accelerated breathing 

and an inability to focus on any one thing 

are all common side effects of stress but 

people can hold it differently, so you need to 

create body treatments and packages that 

are bespoke to the client’s needs. As always, 

consultations are crucial to getting it right. 

“A guest who is stressed will have a lot of 

wind and energy within them, so they’re 

usually fast-paced, think quickly and will 

just want to get on with it,” explains Cortny 

McCathie, UK national training manager at 

Comfort Zone. “Ask them to sit, and use 

calming body language when talking to 

them to help them slow down. Only then 

should you dig a little deeper into their 

individual story. If they have tension 

caused by stress, get them to show you 

where and explain how often, while being 

compassionate.” 

Whatever treatment you deliver, essential 

oils are great for helping someone de-stress 

because they’re scientifically proven to be 

able to change our mood – “it’s commonly 

known that citrus and peppermint oils are 

good for lifting the spirits while floral and 

woody scents, such as rose, geranium, 

lavender and cedar wood, are best for 

grounding,” adds McCathie. 

Sleep on it 

It’s also worthwhile asking the client which 

oil appeals to them to give them a more 

personalised service, and don’t forget to put 

a greater focus on breathing exercises in 

treatments, as breathing deeply helps slow 

down the heart rate and flush toxins from 

the brain. Deep-tissue massages are good 

28 


SKINCARE 


for relieving muscle tension but long, soft 

strokes from head to toe could be equally 

soporific, so make sure you check which 

treatments is best suited to the client’s 

needs on the day. 

“Enabling the client to choose their 

treatment is a great way to empower them to 

self-care,” says Woodward. “Some may want 

an upper-body treatment that incorporates 

arms, face and scalp, while others would 

prefer a relaxing foot massage. Give them 

the choice in your menu.” When it comes to 

products, offer things for home, such as 

candles and body oils, and for on the go, 

including travel-size mind balms and roller 

balls, so they can continue to tackle stress 

whenever it arises. 

Sleep problems is another growing 

international health concern. Last year, the 

Royal Society for Public Health, a UK-based 

charity, reported that the average person 

under-sleeps by around an hour a night, 

losing the equivalent of an entire night’s 

sleep a week – with the average sleep time 

for adults being 6.8 hours. “Our modern way 

of life does not take our internal clock into 

account. We stay awake long hours and this 

goes against what is programmed in to our 

DNA – to rest at night so we can regenerate,” 

says Andrea Weber, director of research and 

development at Babor. 

Treating those who are sleep deprived 

can be tough, as “the client often expects 

miracles”, says Annette Close, general 

manager at KMS, which distributes skincare 

brand Phytomer in the UK. “In consultation, 

it’s sometimes hard to ascertain why the 

sleep pattern is disturbed as the client is 

quite often agitated, anxious or cautious. 

Making them feel safe and comfortable is 

the first step to getting them to relax and 

open up.” 

The key is to become a better listener as 

the client might already have told you the 

root cause of their sleepless nights without 

you even realising. “Your client may be a 

Work-related stress and 

sleeping problems, the 

latter exacerbated by using 

mobile phones and tablets 

before bed, are some of 

the emotional factors that 

can contribute to skincare 

problems. Breathing 

exercises (below) is one 

of the tools that can help 

calm the mind and have 

a de-stressing effect. 


29

SKINCARE 


young mother with a new baby or a mature 

woman with a sick husband, there’s always 

an underlying reason for the problem,” says 

Gabriel. Once you understand their lifestyle, 

you can help them identify a way to work 

some downtime into their schedule. 

Tips and tools 

Woodward suggests creating packages that 

focus on your spa’s best body treatments 

but with the option of bolt-ons of holistically 

driven treatments such as reflexology, 

aromatherapy or Indian head massages. 

“For example, our Sleep Deeply Treatment 

focuses on traditional aromatherapy 

massage, with carefully performed pressure 

points along the spine, teamed with vetiver, 

camomile and sandalwood oil, which helps 

induce sleep with its sedating properties.” 

Meanwhile, all of Phytomer’s treatments 

start with a short back massage, designed by 

a French osteopath to deeply relax, before 

the application of a heated sea mud to nerve 

endings in the back to help induce sleep. It’s 

also important to emphasise these “me-time” 

treatments by “using words such as sleep, 

relax and dream on the menu, as these will 

strike a chord with those that are sleep 

deprived”, adds Close. 

McCathie says people traditionally book 

themselves in for deep-tissue massage 

because they think that’s what’s going to help 

them “but that’s muscular and just one piece 

of the pie”. She adds: “Treating tired clients 

is about using rhythmic strokes that bring 

comfort – for example, movements that 

resemble the ocean – while combining 

breath, aroma and mindfulness.” 

At the end of treatment, experts 

recommend suggesting a tool for relaxation, 

and give clients advice on how to use it. “If 

you’re recommending an oil, paint them a 

picture of how to use it,” says McCathie. “To 

not only take deep breaths in their palms to 

slow their breathing, but to also massage it 

into their shoulders with five deep rotations 

to relax the muscles.” 

Those suffering from restless nights will 

tend to have poor or non-existent winding 

down rituals, so you need to help them with 

this also. “Advise clients to switch off 

technology two hours before going to sleep 

and use relaxing products for mind and 

body,” says Harmsworth. Lighting candles 

and implementing a “no phone past 9pm” 

rule are just a few nighttime regime changes 

that can help improve quality of sleep 

McCathie says that when we sleep, the time 

known as the “rest and digest state” is when 

our bodies heal. “When clients look at their 

mobile in bed, a chemical is stimulated in the 

brain which wakes up the senses. It’s a bad 

habit,” she comments. WSW 

Emotional aids 

Comfort Zone’s UK national training 

manager Cortny McCathie, shares her 

tops tips for helping clients with 

psychological concerns that manifest 

themselves as physical problems 

“It’s about creating a journey that’s focused on 

a full mind and body re-set and there are many 

paths you can take to do this. When the guests 

arrive, they should have tools in their [hotel] 

room that will help them tap into wellness, such 

as feel-good mantras by the side of the bed 

and products including bath oils and candles. 

The food at spa restaurants should be 

designed in partnership with a nutritionist 

so it’s easy to digest and packed with 

superfoods that will help nourish the skin. 

You should also offer workshops that teach 

people how to meditate, and the benefits of 

doing it. Breathing is such an essential part 

of helping someone slow down and relax 

and it needs to be taught.” 

“Our modern 

way of life doesn’t 

take our internal 

clock into 

account. We stay 

awake long hours 

and this goes 

against what is 

programmed in 

to our DNA, 

to rest at night 

so we can 

regenerate” 

30 


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us on 01782 644900 or visit 

matrixfitness.co.uk

NEW OPENING 

The Decléor boutique 

The French 

Connection 

Skincare brand Decléor has opened its first boutique day spa in the UK. 

Amanda Pauley explores the concept behind the London location 

French skincare brand Decléor opened its first 

boutique and day spa in the Notting Hill area of 

West London in May. The flagship is the latest 

move in the company’s “reawakening”, which 

began last year with a brand relaunch focusing on its 

heritage of aromatherapy and essential oils. 

“We’ve been growing at a really strong pace, with lots 

of new business, so we thought this would be the best 

immersive experience we could give our customers,” 

says Sarah Power, Decléor’s general manager for the UK 

and Ireland. The boutique is also set to become a hub 

where professional treatments are trialled before being 

rolled out to other spas and salons. 

“It’s always good to have a test bed for the different 

concepts we launch. The flagship will be where we focus 

on widening our menu and creating treatments and 

products that are financially viable for us and our 

customers,” explains Power. “It will also allow us to 

increase our connection with consumers and feed that 

back into the brand.” 

Treatments already set to be trialled at the boutique 

include “the superwoman”, “the Portobello walker” and 

the “lunch and glow” client. Power says that if the 

treatments, which have been designed to fit particular 

consumer profiles, are successful, they will be rolled out 

to the company’s wider network. 

chairs where busy customers can experience a pickme-up 

in the form of three new 15-minute treatments on a 

Face Shots menu – the Brow and Eye Lift, Cheek and Jaw 

Contour, and Jaw and Neck Sculpt. 

While the therapist conducts the treatment, showing 

the client how to use the products and perform the 

moves themselves, a smart mirror will record the 

process and email it to the customer once the session is 

over. “We took inspiration from the YouTube generation 

and the explosion of makeup tutorials, using a digital 

mirror to create a home spa tutorial that’s personalised 

to the customer,” says Power. “There’s an art to the 

application of professional skincare products and we 

wanted to share that knowledge.” 

The boutique also comprises three treatment rooms – 

a Recharge Hub on the first floor where clients can 

experience 30-minute “mini skin miracle” treatments and 

two on the ground floor in a quiet spa environment 

which, Power says, “have a complete disconnection from 

the outside world”. 

She hopes the boutique will result in treatment 

innovation and greater awareness of the brand’s 

professional heritage, and if things go well, it could lead 

to further expansion: “If the boutique is successful then 

we would look to roll out more, but that’s all to be 

confirmed,” she says. 

Mirror, mirror 

The 112sq m boutique is split across two floors, with the 

upstairs mainly a large retail space featuring a 

centrepiece that will house the brand’s different 

Aromessences. There will also be express treatment 

Fast Facts 

OPENED: late May 

SPA SIZE: 112sq m 

TREATMENT ROOMS: Three 

STAFF: Four full-time therapists 


33

25-26 FEBRUARY 2018 

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Taking place alongside;

EXPERT VIEW 

Becky Woodhouse 

Effectively managed, offers and promotions can bring 

in new customers and boost revenue, without 

cheapening your brand, says Pure Spa & Beauty 

founder Becky Woodhouse. Read on to find out how 


35

EXPERT VIEW 


“Make sure you 

know exactly 

what you’re 

doing, so 

you’re not 

losing money, 

and never 

agree to a lossmaking 

deal” 

There are many reasons to run 

offers, including filling white 

space in the diary, keeping 

customers coming back, 

attracting new clients, and rewarding loyal 

customers. Every hour that your therapists 

are not booked with clients costs you money 

so if you can keep them busy more often you 

will generally generate a higher profit – even 

if there are times when you are discounting 

to get customers through the door. 

The key to a successful offer is 

understanding why you’re doing it, making 

sure that what you offer is relevant to your 

customers, carefully selecting how you 

communicate it, measuring the success of 

your offer, and building on it. When it 

comes to how to roll the offer out, ways that 

we use at Pure Spa & Beauty include email 

and text strategies. Emails and texts to 

your existing database can be a low cost 

and effective way to communicate an offer, 

particularly as they target clients that 

already know and like your business. 

It is, however, important to make the 

communication as clear, concise and 

relevant as possible and to make sure you 

don’t bombard clients with messages. If you 

do they may get annoyed and unsubscribe. 

You also need to make sure you’re complying 

with any relevant regulations, such as the 

Data Protection Act in the UK. 

Smart offers 

Discount sites such as Groupon and Living 

Social get a lot of bad press but used as 

part of an overall marketing strategy, they 

can be highly effective. There are a few 

guidelines, however. Only use sites that 

cater for your customer base; they should 

be able to provide you with a profile of their 

visitors so you can see if the site will attract 

the right customer base for your spa. 

Make sure you know exactly what you’re 

giving away so you’re not losing money and 

never agree to a loss-making deal, no matter 

how much you come under pressure. Read 

the small print on the contract so you know 

exactly what you’re signing up for and what 

the costs are. Put a cap in place on the 

number that can be sold of an offer, to create 

limited availability and ensure it’s a 

genuinely great deal. Having a loyalty 

programme is a great way to reward regular 

custom and encourage clients to return. 

36 


EXPERT VIEW 


At Pure, we run the Treat programme, 

which allows customers to earn points 

each time they visit, and these points can 

then be redeemed against free treatments. 

We also run special promotions for VIP 

customers throughout the year and have a 

“refer a friend bonus” that gives clients 

extra loyalty scheme points if they refer 

someone, as well as giving the friend bonus 

points on their first treatment. 

This type of reward helps turn clients 

into brand ambassadors for your business 

and create word of mouth – which is the 

best way to attract new customers. 

It’s also a good idea to consider corporate 

discounts. We have Club Pure, which gives 

employees of local businesses a discount at 

our spas, and this has proven great for 

attracting new clients. We also offer courses 

where clients receive six treatments but 

only pay for five, for example. 

Track and communicate 

Regardless of the type of deals and offers 

you create, it’s important to communicate 

them to the right audience, to ensure you get 

the best conceivable results at the lowest 

possible expense for your business. As 

mentioned, there are many different ways to 

communicate your offers, including discount 

and deal sites, emails, text messages, 

advertising, publicity in local press, 

communication on your own website and 

through the social media platforms you use. 

The key is to find the most effective way 

to reach your target audience, so the best 

option is to try a combination of 

communication tools to see what works for 

you. Be inventive. Using different 

communication methods for different 

offers does, for example, mean you can 

have multiple offers running simultaneously 

without cheapening your brand, as each 

of them is focused on a particular set 

of customers. 

With any offer, think about how you’re 

going to measure its success. This may be as 

simple as giving clients a code to quote 

when signing up to the offer, running it for a 

set period of time and tracking how many 

bookings you’ve had from it. You could also 

ask reception to keep a tally of how many 

people are coming in as a result of a 

particular offer. 

No matter which method you choose, you 

should always keep a record of all the offers 

you have, the dates you ran them, how much 

they cost, and how many bookings they 

generated. That way you can build up 

knowledge of what works and what doesn’t 

and use that to run future promotions even 

more successfully. 

Becky Woodhouse is chief executive 

of Pure Spa & Beauty, which offers 

beauty and spa treatments in 

seven locations across Scotland. 

Woodhouse, who set up the 

award-winning business in 2001, 

has a background as a chartered 

accountant and previously worked 

for PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

www.purespauk.com 


37

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SPA PROFILE 

Aqua Sana Forest Spa 

Forest escape 

As the redesigned Aqua Sana Sherwood Forest unveils 

its stunning new Forest Spa, Nora Elias discovers what the 

concept entails, and what lies ahead for the spa 


SPA PROFILE 


“ 

I 

think what we have here defines what spa is. I know spa means 

different things to different people but, to me, this is what put spa 

on the map,” says group spa manager Kay Pennington of the 

revamped Aqua Sana spa at leisure village provider Center 

Parcs’s Sherwood Forest location in Nottinghamshire in the UK. The 

spa, now known as the Forest Spa (as with Center Parcs’ other spas, it 

previously came under the World of Spa umbrella), unveiled the 

results of an investment of more than £3 million at the end of April. 

The investment not only saw a new spa concept, but also a complete 

overhaul of its facilities. 

The 1,500sq m spa, which spans two floors and includes several 

outdoor sections, has not been expanded but was renovated area by 

area over a 10-month period; remaining operational throughout. Still 

drawing on a global spa concept, which also underpins the World of 

Spa, the vast Forest Spa comprises six zones with a total of 26 

experiences. The zones, each featuring a woodland and nature theme, 

are: the Nordic Forest; Volcanic Forest; Hot Springs, Forest Meditation 

Immersion; Treetop Escape; and Treetop Nesting. 


41

SPA PROFILE 


Pennington explains that Center Parcs 

wanted the design of the restructured spa to 

reflect the countryside that surrounds it. “In 

the UK it’s very difficult to resonate with the 

elements and what we have here at Aqua 

Sana is a unique environment where we can 

utilise the forest and the nature around us, 

and that in itself is amazing,” she says. She 

adds that the brief for Sparcstudio, the 

designers Center Parcs worked with on the 

redesign, was “that we wanted to bring the 

outside in. The focus was on nature and 

daylight, and you can see the forest pretty 

much anywhere in the spa.” 

Into the woods 

In keeping with the global spa concept, it 

wasn’t just the immediate nature that Center 

Parcs wanted to bring in to the Forest Spa; 

the net was also cast further afield. The 

entire spa was renovated with the Japanese 

wellness concept of forest bathing in mind, 

while the six zones draw inspiration from 

different parts of the world. The Volcanic 

Forest was, for example, “created to 

replicate a forest in Costa Rica”, with 

facilities including the Lava Sauna and 

Volcanic Steam, while the Nordic Forest 

features a Finnish-style sauna, eucalyptus 

and menthol-infused Alpine Steam and cosy, 

sheepskin-filled Scandinavian Snug 

relaxation area. 

“We did want to connect with our forest 

here in Sherwood but it’s not just about that; 

the theme was forests across the globe and 

how we could reflect that in our new 

concept,” Pennington comments. Center 

Parcs also took customer feedback into 

account, making sure to build some of the 

favoured elements from the spa’s previous 

incarnation in to the updated facility. 

“For example, one of the most popular 

experiences in World of Spa was the 

Japanese Blossom Steam Room, so we 

wanted to maintain a similar feature in 

what’s now been reinvented as the Salt 

Steam, which features Himalayan salt rocks 

that are fantastic for detoxing and 

remineralising the body,” Pennington says. 

Although there is tough competition for 

the title of standout feature in the spa, the 

treetop sauna probably has a slight edge 

over other experiences. The only one of its 

kind in the UK, it’s a wood structure elevated 

10 metres above ground, offering stunning 

forest views through its panoramic glass 

window. “The treetop sauna is so unique 

and what I personally love about that 

experience is that you can’t capture the 


SPA PROFILE 


The new Forest Spa features 

26 different facilities across 

six zones, including saunas, 

steam rooms, relaxation 

areas, a swimming pool, an 

outside whirlpool, and more 

scene from that window anywhere else in 

the village; you can only get that if you’re 

elevated in the trees,” Pennington says of 

the Finnish sauna, heated to 80-100 °C. 

Brand consistency 

The Forest Spa concept is set to be carried 

through to the new Longford Forest 

property, the first Center Parcs to open in 

Ireland, which is scheduled for completion 

in 2019. While it’s logical to think it will in 

time also be rolled out to the other Aqua 

Sanas, no such plans are confirmed at this 

point, with Pennington commenting: “What I 

can say is that we know we want to take the 

Forest Spa to Ireland. We know we want to 

evolve with it but at this stage we’re not in a 

position to say that ‘oh yes, it’s on to this 

village next, and then that village’.” 

It’s key for Center Parcs that there is 

consistency between the Forest Spa and the 

other spas in the group’s portfolio (at the 

Whinfell Forest, Elveden Forest, Woburn 

Forest and Longleat Forest properties), 

which are all still branded as World of Spa. 

“My role as group spa manager is to act as the 

brand lead so I’ve made sure that we pull the 

Aqua Sana brand through, so that when 

clients come to the Forest Spa, they still know 

it’s an Aqua Sana spa,” Pennington explains. 

“We want them to recognise that, through 

our business model, experiences, 

treatments, therapists, Vitalé Café Bar and 

so on. All of that is the brand.” The Aqua 

Sana concept also incorporates an in-house 

line of products and treatments, with 

product options ranging from body lotions, 

hand washes and body scrubs, to shampoos, 

conditioners and diffusers. 

“I think what 

we have here 

defines what spa 

is. To me, this is 

what put spa 

on the map” 


43

SPA PROFILE 


The treetop sauna (above 

and below right) is the only 

one of its kind in the UK. 

Situated 10 metres above 

ground, the sauna offers 

panoramic views of the 

surrounding nature 

This is a side of the business Pennington is 

keen to focus on going forward. “The Aqua 

Sana own brand of treatments is something 

we want to evolve over the next 12 months 

and I’m currently looking at new products 

and ingredients, and at creating new spa 

packages,” she says. Just as at the other 

Center Parcs spas, Forest Spa also continues 

to work with skincare brands Elemis and 

Decléor and nail specialists CND. 

The accessible spa 

Part of the Aqua Sana brand identity is also a 

public perception as an approachable and 

unpretentious spa, a fact that no doubt 

partly derives from Center Parcs’ positioning 

as a family-friendly destination. 

“We have a very down-to-earth approach. 

It’s not just for the elite; it’s somewhere 

people from all walks of life can come,” 

Pennington says. The fact that the Forest 

Spa, with its expansive area and multitude 

of facilities, offers something for nearly 

every conceivable client group means it 

is, Pennington adds, difficult to pinpoint a 

typical spa-goer. “We have lots of couples 

but we equally have lots of groups, and 

mums and daughters, for example, and I 

think that’s because of the choices we have 

compared to other spas.” 

She does, however, comment that she’s 

recently noted an increase in millennial 

couples booking in to the spa. “The dynamic 

has started to change and we see a lot of 

younger couples coming through our 

doors,” she says. “They’re conscious of their 

health and having time away from stress, 

and really focused on personal wellness.” 

The fact that Center Parcs offers a wide 

range of activities to keep kids entertained 

while parents enjoy the spa helps bring in a 

mixed clientele. “It’s another tick in the box 

for us, that we have that facility,” Pennington 

says. Children from the age of 11 can have 

treatments in the Express Beauty area if 

accompanied by an adult. However, the spa 

proper is off limits to anyone under 14, and 

even then children need to be accompanied 

by someone over 18. 

Aside from the group-wide focus on the 

Aqua Sana products and treatments, the 

plan for the Forest Spa over the next year is 

chiefly, Pennington says, to “stabilise our 

offering, allow the spa to flourish and get 

guests’ feedback on what we’ve created. The 

staff have worked really hard over the 40 

weeks [that the renovation work took] and 

there has been lots of anticipation about 

what we were going to unveil. Now it’s here, 

it’s the real deal and people can come and 

enjoy it.” WSW 

www.aquasana.co.uk/sherwood-forest 

“We wanted to 

connect with our 

forest here in 

Sherwood but it’s 

not just about 

that; the theme 

was forests across 

the globe” 

Fast Facts 

REOPENED: Though the spa remained open 

throughout the 10-month renovation, it officially 

relaunched in April this year 

SPA SIZE: 1,500sq m 

BRANDS: Elemis, Decléor, CND 

TREATMENT ROOMS: 21: including 18 singles, two 

doubles and a dry flotation room 

FACILITIES: Six spa zones with 26 different 

experiences, including saunas, steam rooms, 

experience showers, relaxation areas, outdoor 

hot tubs, an ice cave, a swimming pool, the Sole 

Therapy footbath area, a covered balcony, 

heated loungers, heated waterbeds, the treetop 

sauna, and more 

TEAM: 114 people: comprising 70 therapists; 14 spa 

assistants; a five-strong management team; and 25 

other members of staff – including receptionists 

and staff in the retail area. 


25 February 2018 • Tobacco Dock, London 

COMPETE AND RAISE 

YOUR INDUSTRY PROFILE 

ENTRIES CLOSE 10 TH JULY 

2018 CATEGORIES: 

• Hotel Spa of the Year – 

Asia & Australasia 


Eastern Europe 


Middle East & Africa 


North & South America 


Western Europe & Scandinavia 

• Resort Spa of the Year – 

Asia & Australasia 


Eastern Europe 


Middle East & Africa 


North & South America 


Western Europe & Scandinavia 

• Worldwide Health & 

Wellness Destination 

The winners will be announced at a black-tie 

ceremony on Sunday February 25, 2018 

at Tobacco Dock, London. 

Enter for free at www.worldspawellness.com/awards 

For more information visit: 

www.professionalbeauty.co.uk/awards 

SPONSORED BY:

EXPERT VIEW 

Anna Bjurstam 

Brand building 

Anna Bjurstam, partner in spa consultancy Raison d’Etre and vice president of 

spas at Six Senses, outlines the pillars of successful brand creation 


47

EXPERT VIEW 

Anna Bjurstam 

“The goal is to 

build such a 

strong 

connection 

that the 

consumer 

takes on your 

brand identity 

as their own” 

Abrand is much more than a logo 

with products and services 

attached: it’s an emotional 

connection between sender 

and receiver, and one of the most 

important factors for a brand’s success is 

trust. Interestingly, trust more and more 

comes up as a crucial factor in today’s 

ever-changing world. People’s lack of trust 

in governments has been a theme in 

several elections and referendums lately 

and we have seen brands fall off the face of 

the earth due to an absence of trust. 

Back in the 2009, when the financial 

crisis hit, Raison d’Etre was affected and 

we had to decide whether to lay off staff, or 

find new business opportunities. At the 

time, we had already built several spa 

brands from scratch for other operators, 

including Jiva for Taj Hotels, Resense and 

Kempinski the Spa for the Kempinski 

group, and Auriga Spa for Capella Hotels 

and Resorts. With this experience of 

creating successful spa brands we 

thought, why not build our own? 

The result was Liv Nordic, a new spa and 

hotel brand capturing the essence of Nordic 

wellness – and we didn’t have to let any staff 

go. Fast forward to 2017 and we now have 

five spas that are operational and another 

six in the making. Our goal is to have 15 spas 

and five hotels either up-and-running or in 

the making by the end of 2018. 

Concept creation 

We took a number of key steps in creating 

Liv Nordic, including defining the brand. 

We knew we wanted to build on Nordic 

wellness so we established the brand 

pillars, pinpointing what Nordic wellness 

really is, and the services connected with 

that. And we crafted our tagline “we are not 

trying to be different, we are just trying to 

be Nordic”. We also looked at our target 

audience and realised that the Middle East, 

China and the US would be our core 

markets, followed by Europe. 

It took us months to come up with a brand 

name that was fitting and not already 

trademarked. One day, I had my daughter 

Liv with me at work, and voilà. In a flash, we 

decided that the name should be Liv Nordic. 

There are many ways to come up with a 

name, but creativity and research is key. 

We then filled Liv Nordic with personality, 

creating brand guidelines and supporting 

collateral that included a brochure defining 

the voice of the brand. This is not an easy 

process and it’s important not to have too 

many cooks. You should allow for a lot of 

discussion when it comes to deciding what 

the brand represents, but in the end there 

needs to be one key decision maker, or you 

could end up getting stuck. 

Making a connection 

Once we had determined the parameters of 

the brand, we needed to go to market, 

selling it to hotels and owners. With a bit of 

luck, as well as determination, we signed 

five deals fairly quickly, including three 

with Viking Cruises. If you are an existing 

spa, or group of spas, and want to create 

a brand you would, however, skip this 

step and go straight to implementation – as 

48 


EXPERT VIEW 

Anna Bjurstam 

you won’t need to sell the concept. 

Implementation is the tricky bit, and it 

comes back to trust. 

My most essential piece of advice would 

be to test the idea before going big. You’ll 

find that there are many things you need to 

tweak and if you go big from the start, 

making changes will a) become much more 

costly and cumbersome and b) dilute the 

trust in your brand. So, no matter how eager 

you are to roll out the brand, test it out 

first, going back to the drawing board a 

couple of times. 

Add things little by little, including 

standard operating procedures and 

templates. Stay true to your brand pillars, 

voice and vision. They are there to define 

what to do, but also what not to do. Former 

Nike & Starbucks executive Scott Bedbury 

said: “A brand is a story that is always being 

told”. Branding is the process of forming 

memories, emotions and a relationship 

around your brand in the consumer’s brain. 

The goal is to build such a strong connection 

that the consumer takes on your identity as 

their own, using your brand to help define who 

they are. Look at Apple, Nike and Google; they 

have diehard followers because they have 

been successful in establishing a connection 

with us and consumers purchase Apple and 

Nike products because their brand identities 

fit with their own persona. 

With Liv Nordic, we have found that 

our authentic Swedish massage; genuinely 

caring staff; Nordic bathing ritual with its 

hot sauna and ice cold dips; Scandinavian 

design; and Swedish tradition of “fika” 

resonates with our guests in a meaningful 

way. Our brand pillars of Nordic stillness, 

creativity and a connection to nature 

directs us in how we live and, therefore, in 

what we do and how we serve our guests. 

Which generates the trust necessary to 

build a successful brand. 

Anna Bjurstam has 25 years’ industry 

experience and is a partner in spa 

consultancy and management 

company Raison d’Etre, whose 

business includes in-house spa brand 

Liv Nordic and whose clients comprise 

more than 120 spas in 65 countries. 

She is also vice president of spas 

for Six Senses hotels and resorts. 

raisondetrespas.com 


49

WELLBEING PROFILE 

Harrods Wellness Clinic 

Storefront 

to wellness 

Department store Harrods has expanded its wellbeing offering with 

the opening of the ambitious new Wellness Clinic. Nora Elias finds 

out what motivated the move and what lies ahead 




When iconic London 

department store Harrods 

opened the doors to its 

Wellness Clinic in mid-May, it 

created a buzz, even in a city where getting 

noticed takes some doing. While already 

home to an extensive beauty offering, 

including the popular Urban Retreat day 

spa, the aesthetic and medically focused 

Wellness Clinic signalled a new chapter for 

Harrods. “This is a very new, very innovative 

and dynamic concept for Harrods and one 

that we’re all extremely excited about,” says 

Annalise Fard, home and beauty director at 

Harrods, of the 975sq m clinic, located on 

the fourth floor of the department store. 

“There has been an evolving trend 

towards wellness in many different aspects 

of the business and I think our managing 

director Michael Ward has always had a 

vision of Harrods as being the destination 

for wellness, certainly in the UK,” she 

explains. The 14-treatment room clinic, on 

which Harrods has partnered with some of 

the leading health, aesthetic, medical and 

wellness practitioners in the world, is a 

concept that’s been discussed within the 

business for the past two to 

three years. 

“About 18 months ago Michael delivered a 

potential space to me and said, 

‘I think we have an opportunity here’, and I 

would say we’ve been full speed ahead, 

planning and developing it for the last 12 

months,” Fard says when we speak around 

the time of the clinic’s opening in May. The 

launch of the clinic is also, as she puts it, 

“our response to the big trends we were 

seeing globally, which were about a move 

towards integrative beauty. I often describe 

that as beauty for mind, body and soul.” It is, 

she adds, “about bringing the best of 

medical, aesthetic and holistic treatments 

together in a unique combination”. 

Home and beauty director 

Annalise Fard describes the 

design aesthetic as “elegant 

and luxurious” and says it 

was important for the 

Wellness Clinic not to be 

cold and unwelcoming 


51



The clinic is working with 

a wide range of brand 

partners and practitioners. 

Some will be based on the 

premises on a daily basis, 

while others will come in 

as guest practitioners 

Cream of the crop 

Harrods carried out extensive research 

before launching the clinic, which Fard 

comments is “an evolution of” the hair, spa 

and beauty offering that Urban Retreat 

provides. The wide-ranging wellness offering 

includes nutrition and personal training 

services, aesthetic treatments such as 

facial rejuvenation, body contouring and 

injectables, chiropractor appointments, 

cryotherapy and The Elixir Clinic, which 

provides IV drip vitamin infusions. Some 

partners were research discoveries or word 

of mouth finds, while others are brands and 

businesses Harrods was already working or 

in conversation with. 

“The cryotherapy that’s being delivered 

to us is by Dr Yannis Alexandrides. We 

launched his skincare range 111 Skin in a 

worldwide exclusive many years ago and it 

does extremely well with us,” says Fard. 

“And then there’s the New York Dermatology 

Group (NYDG), which we were already in 

discussions with, about bringing their 

products to Harrods, and we are going to be 

doing that within the Wellness Clinic, as well 

as having guest practitioners from their 

clinic join us.” 

Guest practitioners, whether from London 

or elsewhere in the world, are key to the 

clinic concept, but there is also a selection 

of what Fard describes as “lead partners” 

who will have a permanent base at the 

Wellness Clinic. “There are some that are, I 

suppose, our core partners who are going to 

be with us in the clinic all the time, seven 

days a week. That includes the PHI Clinic 

and doctor Tapan Patel [offering aesthetic 

face and body treatment]; Louse Parker and 

her team [providing nutrition and personal 

training programmes]; Gen Identity, which 

is a personalised skincare using DNA 

technology; The Elixir Clinic; and 111 Cryo.” 

Global and diverse 

The guest practitioners include acupuncturist 

Ross Barr; chiropractor and posture 

specialist Dr Ben Carraway; Dr David Jack 

offering what is known as “the Egyptian 

facial” – which combines the technique 

of dermaplaning with a peel and the 

application of vitamin serums; and NYDG, 

among others. While they and the other 

guest practitioners will not be available 

at the clinic daily, Fard says they “are 

joining us regularly. Not every single day, 

but regularly enough throughout the year 

for our clients to be able to enjoy their 

bespoke services.” 




Although it’s too early to make a definite 

call on the client composition, Fard says 

Harrods has always expected the customer 

base to be diverse. “There wasn’t one 

particular customer in our minds when we 

were creating the concept,” she explains. 

“We’re absolutely expecting both male and 

female customers and because of the 

innovative and dynamic nature of all the 

treatments we have under one roof, I think 

our expectation is that we’ll have clients 

running through all the way from their 20s, 

right up to their 70s and 80s. I think we’re 

offering something for every client who 

wants to experience true wellness.” 

The prediction has always been that the 

clientele will be a mixture of local and 

international. This is a consequence both of 

the clinic’s location in Harrods, famous 

around the world, and Harrods’ position in 

Knightsbridge, a part of London that’s 

popular with a global visitor base. “Both our 

international and local clients are extremely 

important to us in the store and that was 

definitely at the forefront of our minds when 

we devised the menu and chose the 

practitioners we work with,” Fard comments. 

Catering for both client groups in different 

capacities, she says that Louise Parker and 

her nutritionist and personal training team 

are, for example, “incredible for our local 

clients who can come and work out with 

them several times a week if they like. But, 

equally, they run a very successful service 

where they Skype clients anywhere in the 

world so they can still stay on track with the 

Louise Parker Method. We’ve really looked 

at it from every angle, to support people 

even if they are not based in London.” 

We’ve only just begun 

The design concept was integral to shaping 

the identity of the Wellness Clinic. The 

research the Harrods team carried out 

included visiting leading wellbeing resorts 

and facilities around the world and Fard 

comments: “We definitely came across some 

Facilities at the clinic 

include 14 treatment 

rooms, a consultation 

room, two personal 

training studios, the 

reception and retail 

area, and much more 

“It’s about 

bringing the 

best of medical, 

aesthetic and 

holistic 

treatments 

together in 

a unique 

combination” 


53



“It’s a sign of things to come, we definitely 

have commitments to invest significantly more 

in beauty and wellness across the store” 

incredible clinics offering a very strong 

portfolio of treatments but in terms of how 

they looked, they were often a bit cold, 

certainly not approachable in style.” This 

type of atmosphere is something the 

Harrods team was keen to avoid in the clinic. 

“It was essential for the aesthetic to be 

approachable,” she says. 

“The clinic has clean lines and is very 

elegant and luxurious, in a simple way, but 

the space is also there to enjoy. The 

treatments are very results-driven so we 

don’t necessarily expect people to come in 

to relax but that doesn’t mean you can’t [feel 

at home].” While Fard is reluctant to say how 

much money Harrods invested in the clinic, 

she does confirm that it’s “a significant 

investment and really speaks to the 

direction of our growing beauty and 

wellness offer within the store”. She adds 

that it was “a massive team effort to bring it 

to fruition”. 

And the Wellness Clinic is not the endpoint 

for Harrods’ expansion into beauty and 

wellness, quite the opposite. “It’s a sign of 

things to come, we’re not going to stop here,” 

Fard says. “I can’t share any details yet, but 

we definitely have commitments to invest 

significantly more in beauty and wellness 

across the store and to continue expanding 

what is already a very diverse portfolio.” It 

is, in other words, a case of ‘watch this 

space’. “It’s a future plan that we’re working 

on and that I think really speaks to our 

strategy to be innovative and lead in beauty 

on a worldwide stage,” Fard concludes. 

Fast Facts 

OPENED: May 2017 

CLINIC SIZE: 975sq m 

BRANDS & PARTNERS: Dr Tapan Patel and the 

PHI Clinic; Louise Parker and team; Dr Yannis 

Alexandrides and 111 Cryo/ 111 Skin; The Elixir 

Clinic; Dr Ben Carraway; Gen Identity; the New 

York Dermatology Group; Dr Barbara Sturm; 

Dr Maryam Zamani; Dr David Jack; and others 

TREATMENT ROOMS: 14 

FACILITIES: Two personal training studios, 

a consultation room, a photography studio 

for the Vectra 3D imaging system, 

TEAM: Around 50 people 


worldspawellness.com 

May/June 2017 

WORLD SPA & WELLNESS | May/June 2017 THE NEW LANESBOROUGH SPA | TREATING ACNE WITH MACHINES | FOCUSING ON GUT HEALTH 

WORLDSPAWELLNESS.COM 

Machine mission 

Using light-based technologies 

to effectively treat clients’ acne 

Customised 

wellness 

Health platform IamYiam 

takes a personalised and 

high-tech approach 

Restful elegance 

Luxury meets relaxation at the new Lanesborough Club & Spa 

Subscribe to 6 printed issues for just £24.50 

Subscribe to the digital edition for free 

www.worldspawellness.com/subscribe 

OFC PSW MAY-JUN17.indd All Pages 13/04/2017 11:57 

KEEP UPDATED 

@WorldSpaWellness 

@WSpaWellness

2017 GLOBAL WELLNESS SUMMIT 

October 9-11, Florida, USA 

The beauty 

of science 

Technology and science meet beauty and wellbeing 

at the 2017 Global Wellness Summit, as chairman 

and chief executive Susie Ellis explains 


57



“As our theme 

this year is 

Living a Well 

Life, we’re 

offering more 

experiences to 

our delegates, 

to underscore 

wellness on a 

personal level” 

What motivated the selection 

of Living a Well Life as the theme? 

This theme gives us the opportunity to craft 

an agenda that covers every aspect of 

wellness and its impact on each of us 

personally. Wellness is becoming less an 

external amenity and more something that 

affects every aspect of an individual’s life. 

With this theme, we are empowered to look 

inward and focus on how new wellness 

concepts will increasingly transform every 

aspect of human life. Because the theme 

places the individual at the centre of the 

wellness conversation, attendees’ will not 

only hear about the latest breakthroughs, 

they will be able to participate in them. 

How did you choose The Breakers 

Palm Beach Resort in Florida as 

the location for the 2017 summit? 

This is the first time in the Global Wellness 

Summit’s (GWS) 11-year history that the 

host is a private business, rather than a 

tourism organisation or governmental 

department at national or regional level, and 

The Breakers Palm Beach is the perfect 

venue. Not only because it’s a beautiful 

historic resort with a beachfront location 

and convenient airport access but also 

because they are a powerful example of a 

deeply wellness-driven business. They put 

social responsibility and the wellbeing of 

their 2,000 employees above all else and 

have an award-winning workplace wellness 

programme that spans physical, mental, 

financial, environmental, family and 

community health initiatives. 

What can we expect from this 

year’s GWS agenda? 

Each year’s agenda focuses on innovation 

and the future and takes into consideration 

the expertise and resources at the host 

location. This year we’re in the US and we 

wanted to tap into the country’s 

technological expertise, so there will be 

quite a few glimpses into how wellness 

and technology will intersect in the future. 

One topic that will be front and centre is the 

new personal biomarker and DNA testing 

springing up all over the globe. 

Another topic will be the opportunities 

for wellness and integrative medicine to 

contribute to solving the global problem 

of rising healthcare costs. Workplace 

wellbeing will also be a major trend, as will 

wellness communities and lifestyle real 

estate: we have a study into this underway, 

the findings of which will be presented at the 

summit. We’ll also be tackling mental 

wellness, which has emerged as a topic of 

strong consumer interest, from a variety of 




vantage points where our industry can 

contribute; including mindfulness, meditation, 

music, dance, art and beauty. 

We’re not only going to address beauty in 

terms of mental wellness (as in the increased 

confidence and wellbeing that comes with 

beauty) but also by shining a light on the 

emerging area of research that is the 

scientific basis of beauty and the emotional 

effect it has on individuals. 

What can you tell us about the 

summit co-chairs? 

Together they have powerful expertise in 

science, technology, mental wellness, workplace 

wellness and wellness communities. 

Dr Gerry Bodeker researches and advises 

on integrative medicine and wellness. He 

has taught medical science at the University 

of Oxford, is adjunct professor at Columbia 

University and works with the private 

sector, governments and UN organisations, 

advising on wellness strategies. 

Maggie Hsu is an advisor for leading 

online retailer Zappos and a member of 

Global Shapers Community, an initiative of 

the World Economic Forum. She previously 

worked with Hilton Worldwide, and as a 

consultant at McKinsey & Company. Clare 

Martorana is a digital media executive, who 

recently served as president of Everyday 

Health’s consumer business after a career 

as senior vice president, general manager 

and editor-at-large for WebMD. She is 

currently a member of the United States 

Digital Service. 

Is there anything that is different 

about this year’s summit? 

As our theme this year is Living a Well Life, 

we’re offering more experiences to delegates, 

to underscore wellness on a personal level. 

We’re collaborating with several companies 

on this, including Life Nome, which offers 

DNA testing and personal wellness 

assessments. This will help us understand 

more about ourselves and how we might 

adjust the lifestyle choices we make. 

Thanks to the Res Med sleep systems, 

delegates will also come to better 

understand how to achieve a good night’s 

sleep. However, we will not only look at 

high-tech innovations, we’ll also have hightouch 

experiences, reminding us of the 

necessity of balance in life. 

Are there any sessions you think 

will really stand out? 

We have some surprises planned and, 

without giving too much away, I can 

say that our second evening’s surprise 

entertainment is likely to be a standout 

moment. And I suspect that the presentation 

by Mo Gawdat, chief business officer for X 

(the “dream factory” that is Google’s elite 

team of engineers); Dr Alia Crum, head 

of the Mind & Body Lab at Standford 

University, speaking about the placebo 

effect; and Melisse Gelula and Alexia Brue, 

co-founders of lifestyle publication Well + 

Good, will all create quite a buzz. 

Fore more information on the 2017 

Global Wellness Summit, taking place 

at The Breakers Palm Beach Resort in 

Florida, USA on October 9-11, see 

globalwellnesssummit.com 


59

SPA PROFILE 

Thai Square Spa 

Hidden in 

plain sight 

Thai Square Spa offers a tucked-away escape in 

one of London’s busiest areas. Nora Elias discovers 

what sets this central but secluded spa apart 

60 


SPA PROFILE 


“ 

It’s like a little Thailand in the middle of Trafalgar Square. You 

don’t have to pay for a ticket to Thailand, you just come here,” 

says Thai Square Spa’s marketing manager Sara Lee of the quiet 

and peaceful spa, hidden away in the hustle and bustle of 

central London. The xx sq m day spa, spread out across two floors 

with the reception and retail area at ground floor level and treatment 

rooms and spa facilities on the lower ground floor, has been located 

down the road from Trafalgar Square since 2015. 

Previously found in Covent Garden, the Thai spa’s relocation saw an 

expansion of its facilities and what you now find is a cavernous space 

decorated in shades of taupe, white, black and gold and incorporating 

the frequent use of stone. Calming and serene, you hear nothing from 

the busy streets above when you’re at basement level (where there 

are no windows) and if you didn’t already know it, you’d never guess 

you’re in the middle of a city that’s home to nearly nine million people. 

“My boss [businessman Haim Danous] found this building and had 

an idea to build a Thai spa with an element of a Roman bath and an 

infusion of a Turkish bath,” Lee explains. Thai Square Spa now 

comprises facilities including 14 treatment rooms, a sauna, steam 

room, whirlpool, Thai and Roman relaxation areas, and an ‘oriental 

rain shower’, among other features. 

The Thai experience 

Key to the spa concept is the warm and welcoming approach for which 

Thailand and its people are known. “This spa has got Thai hospitality; 

we’re known for being happy people who smile a lot and we want people 

to feel good when they come here,” Lee says. Thailand is of course 

famous for its outstanding massages but Lee says the businesses, in 

London and elsewhere, that refer to themselves as Thai spas when they 

are in fact very far from being that creates issues for those who are the 

genuine article. 

“The problem is that when you search for ‘Thai spas’ in London, 

you’ll find many places that label themselves as that but are in fact 


61

SPA PROFILE 


“This spa has got 

Thai hospitality; 

we’re known for 

being happy 

people who smile 

a lot and we 

want people to 

feel good when 

they come here” 

Right: The spa’s retail and 

reception area is visible 

from the street, while the 

treatment rooms and 

thermal area are tucked 

away on the lower ground 

floor, offering complete 

privacy 

just small, dingy, narrow little places,” she 

says. And in some cases, it goes further than 

that. “Some of them even have bad 

connotations, the concept of Thai massage 

is also linked to something else,” she 

continues, adding that this is one of the 

reasons the owner (who also owns the Thai 

Square group of restaurants) wanted to 

create something that would show what a 

real Thai spa is. 

“He wanted to build a proper spa 

experience, to create a Thai world for 

clients,” she says. The Thai theme is carried 

through to every element of the business, 

not only the treatments but also the 

products used and the ingredients they 

contain. Lee says the spa’s most popular 

treatments include the Thai Herbal Healer 

Body treatment, which incorporates a fullbody 

massage with heated poultices 

containing Thai herbs and spices, designed 

to soothe aching muscles. 

Another popular option on the extensive 

spa menu – which features everything from 

massages, body scrubs and wraps, facials 

and beauty, hair and maternity treatments, 

to longer rituals and ‘royal treatments’ – 

is the Traditional Thai Facial, also 

incorporating the use of herbal compresses. 

Herbal essence 

Lee describes Thailand as “a treasure land 

of herbs”, commenting that “it’s in a tropical 

zone; we have a lot of forests and a lot of 

herbs, so it makes sense to use them.” 

Thai herbs are consequently a key theme 

across Thai Square Spa’s own brand product 

range, iMantara, which launched in 2015. 

The range, which includes massage oils, 

body products such as lotions, polishes and 

washes, room sprays, essential oils, hand 

and foot products and more, draws heavily 

on what Thai nature has to offer. 

“We use jasmine a lot, making different 

interpretations of it: we blend it with citrus 

for the hand lotion and with peppermint for 

the body wash,” Lee says. The range does 

not yet offer a huge selection but although 

there are plans to add to it, Lee says the spa 

is in no rush. “A lot of people say ‘why don’t 

you do candles, why don’t you do this and 

62 


SPA PROFILE 


Themes of white and stone 

blend with striking gold, 

black and purple in the 

atmospheric spa 

that’ but we don’t just want to do what other 

people are doing. We know what we do best, 

so we’ll focus on that first, and then we’ll 

expand, instead of doing too much and not 

doing it well.” 

Lee says the move from Covent Garden to 

Trafalgar Square has changed the client 

base slightly; they now see more office 

workers, for example, and fewer shoppers, 

while the Covent Garden location also 

brought in more of a celebrity clientele. 

However, she adds that they “still have our 

fan club, they followed us here from Covent 

Garden”. The spa’s popularity with an 

international clientele also remains, with 

American, Chinese and Japanese customers 

being key groups. 

Treatments that specifically cater for this 

international clientele include the Post Flight 

Serenity Massage, designed to alleviate the 


63

SPA PROFILE 


Thai treatments (right), 

products and design 

touches are core to the spa 

concept, with the Thai 

theme infused into every 

element of the business 

swelling of feet and legs that can result from 

long-haul travel, and reduce the tension 

brought on by lengthy periods crammed 

into an airplane seat. The Jetlag Recovery 

package similarly aims to reduce travelinduced 

tension, through a mother-of-pearl 

body scrub, a full-body massage using 

the Renewed Energy aromatherapy oil, 

and the serving of a tea said to promote 

good sleep. 

Add and expand 

Thai Square Spa’s plans for the future 

include closing the salon currently 

contained within the spa, not because the 

business plans to stop offering beauty 

services, but due to a change of focus. 

“Sooner or later we’ll promote the manicure 

and pedicure services into the centre stage 

because the fabulous hand and foot massage 

we do is one of the things that differentiates 

us,” Lee says. “When you come here you get 

beautiful standout nails but you also get a 

fabulous hand and foot massage.” 

The spa is also thinking of introducing a 

meditation and mindfulness element, with 

Lee explaining: “I would love for people to 

learn mindfulness here and to help them 

focus on the breathing; it’s so powerful, if 

you learn to do it right.” The spa is also 

looking to add a Thai Sports Massage to its 

menu in the not too distant future, a 

treatment Lee describes as: “a combination 

of Thai traditional massage techniques and 

a standard sports massage”. 

The long-term vision includes opening a 

second branch, though nothing has been 

confirmed as of yet. For the time being it is, 

Lee says, “just an idea” the owner has. What 

will remain a constant is the aim to, as she 

puts it, “make people happy and reduce 

their tension. Especially in a city like 

London: it’s a tense, competitive life.” 

thaisquarespa.com 

Fast Facts 

OPENED: Thai Square spa opened in its new 

location near Trafalgar Square in 2015 

BRANDS: In-house spa brand iMantara, plus 

skincare brand Panpuri 

TREATMENT ROOMS: 14, including a VIP suite 

FACILITIES: sauna, steam room, ice fountain, 

Thai and Roman relaxation rooms, ‘oriental rain 

shower’ and more 

64 


The leading event for spa 

executives across the globe 

The World Spa & Wellness Convention returns 

on 25-26 February 2018 to ExCeL London 

Find out more information at 

www.worldspawellness.com/convention 

Taking place at:

SALON & SPA OWNERS 

CONVENTION 

8–9 October, 2017 

EventCity, Manchester 

Sessions will focus on: 

The growing importance of branding 

The changing face of your salon team 

How clients will spend in the future 

The new wave of social media 

Futureproof your finances 

The Salon 

of the Future 

Futureproof your business by staying ahead of 

the trends in customer spending, technology, 

product development, marketing and retail 

Aimed at beauty and hair salon owners, as well as 

spa owners and managers, this top-level convention 

delivers real-life experiences, advice, concrete figures 

and benchmarking information to help identify and 

overcome the challenges of running a small business. 

Taking place as part of: 

In association with: 

BOOK TICKETS 

Visit www.profesionalbeauty.co.uk/convention 

Tickets include lunch and refreshments 

Free parking available on site

EXPERT VIEW 

Paul Joseph 

Leader of the pack 

Paul Joseph, co-founder of Health and Fitness Travel, on how 

spas and wellbeing resorts can keep on top of market trends 

and stay ahead of the competition 


67

EXPERT VIEW 

Paul Joseph 

With the wellness industry 

moving faster than ever 

before, it’s important to 

stay ahead of the curve 

and keep up with the 

market. Over 690 million wellness-focused 

trips were taken around the world in 2015 

alone, according to figures from the Global 

Wellness Institute (GWI). This demand is 

fuelled by the growing cost an ageing 

population and today’s many lifestylerelated 

illnesses are placing on societies, 

developments that are contributing to 

wellness becoming an increasingly 

established global industry. 

they have little time to focus on their 

wellness, so seek holidays that allow them 

to rejuvenate and get back into shape. 

They see these types of holidays as a 

necessary part of their lives: an investment 

in their health and wellbeing. Like any 

machine used on a daily basis, our bodies 

need care and attention to stay in good 

working order and this kind of holiday is a 

great way to look after yourself. Leading 

wellness hotels are now helping individuals 

focus on personal wellbeing goals, whether 

it’s a case of making overall changes for a 

healthier lifestyle or addressing a specific 

health concern. 

“Busy 

30-something 

professionals 

see wellness 

holidays as a 

necessary part 

of their lives: 

an investment 

in their 

wellbeing” 

Ten years ago, the term “wellness travel” 

did not even exist; now it is a US$563 billion 

(£437bn) global industry, as GWI data 

shows. One of the fastest-growing tourism 

markets in the world, it expanded 14% 

between 2013 and 2015, compared to an 

overall tourism growth of 6.9% in the same 

period. And, with everyone from ageing 

baby boomers to millennials embracing a 

healthier lifestyle, there are no signs that 

the wellness travel growth will slow down 

any time soon. 

The surge in people travelling to improve 

their health and prevent future problems is 

the reason we have seen a growth in the 

number of wellness spas and hotels. At 

Health and Fitness Travel, our bookings 

have grown significantly in the last two 

years, with our wellness holidays proving 

particularly popular among busy 

30-something professionals. Working hard, 

Wellness evolving 

More people are now exploring holistic and 

transformational experiences away from 

home: wearing athleisure garments and 

checking in to bootcamps and detox retreats, 

for example. In response, businesses ranging 

from major hotel groups to airports are 

developing more appealing wellness 

offerings, featuring healthier menus and 

partnering with welbeing influencers in a bid 

to reposition themselves successfully in this 

age of the wellness tourist. 

Wellness is core to the needs of the 

modern tourist and as the tourism industry 

comes to understand this, many hoteliers 

are investing in wellness programmes and 

services to stay ahead in the market. By 

creating innovative wellness programmes 

that address health issues ranging from 

weight management and stress recovery to 

ones developed to support individuals 


EXPERT VIEW 

Paul Joseph 

recovering from cancer, teams of expert 

medical, fitness, nutrition and other 

professionals are taking wellness in hotels 

and resorts to the next level. 

With four million people recently taking a 

career break due to stress and burnout 

(according to Santander reserach of the UK 

market), more and more businesses are 

beginning to support employees through 

workplace wellness initiatives, including spa 

visits and ‘bleisure’ getaways (trips blending 

business with leisure). Bleisure trips, on 

which employees can, for example, make the 

most of spa retreats offering business 

facilities, allow for a better work-life balance, 

care of themselves. In the past, spas were 

largely viewed as just a luxury but a sizeable 

percentage of the population now see 

treatments and spa visits as a necessary 

part of relaxing, switching off and dealing 

with the stress of everyday life. 

As work and life becomes increasingly 

stressful, people will more and more want to 

be looked after. At Health and Fitness Travel 

we have a very robust criteria that we use to 

ensure hotels and resorts meet our clients’ 

expectations. They must run or be able to 

develop excellent wellness retreats and 

programmes that are accessible to all, from 

cancer patients to the disabled. 

thereby contributing to a more productive 

and more loyal team. There has also been a 

rise in spa retreats offering tailored wellbeing 

programmes of longer durations for those 

looking to completely disconnect and reset 

their lifestyle. 

A growing sector 

Another growing market is fertility wellness, 

with more couples turning to wellbeing 

retreats and getaways as a way to increase 

their chances of conceiving naturally. Through 

personalised wellness programmes that 

incorporate healthy nutrition, healing spa 

therapies and mindfulness practices such as 

yoga and meditation, couples are helped to 

release stress and focus on the present. 

Looking to the future, there are huge 

opportunities for the spa and wellness 

sector, driven by a growing interest from 

people wanting to change the way they take 

In a quickly evolving industry where there 

is lots of competition, innovation and being 

ahead of the competition are key to business 

survival. Spas and wellness resorts will 

therefore need to learn to adapt and move 

with the market – delivering a strong 

wellness offering. 

Wellness travel specialist Paul Joseph 

is co-founder of UK-based Health and 

Fitness Travel, which was established 

in 2010 and offers healthy holidays to 

destinations around the world. He has 

a background in marketing, PR and 

sales within the health and tourism 

industries and consults on wellness 

strategy for a number of leading hotels. 

www.healthandfitnesstravel.com 


69

SPA PROFILE 

Shangri-La Hambantota Resort & Spa 

Island escape 

Shangri La Hambantota Resort & Spa offers a 

high-end spa experience centred around ayurvedic 

philosophy and natural products. Julianna Barnaby visits 

Sri Lanka’s Chi, The Ayurveda spa to find out more 


SPA PROFILE 


The Shangri La Hambantota Resort & Spa in Sri Lanka 

opened in June last year, with facilities including Chi, The 

Ayurveda Spa. Nestled away in the idyllic setting of the 

resort grounds, the spa has been attracting both national 

and international spa-lovers ever since it opened on June 11, 2016. 

The 53-hectare resort features seemingly endless beaches with 

soaring king coconut palm trees and fine, white sand, and it would be 

easy for the spa to rest on its laurels and use the picturesque location 

as their sole selling point. After all, when you’re set in Sri Lanka’s 

largest resort, in a property managed by such a prestigious brand, 

most of the hard work is done for you right? Wrong. Rather than trade 

on the hotel brand’s excellent reputation, Chi, The Ayurveda Spa 

seeks to create a unique and location-rich experience for each guest 

that comes through its doors. 

How exactly is it doing that? “The spa draws on Sri Lanka’s rich spa 

heritage,” explains spa manager Dolnapa Promyim. It took ayurveda, 

the 5,000-year old system of healing, as the core value around which 

the overall experience was based: “You could say that ayurveda 

[shaped] our sense of the place,” Promyim continues. 

The spa is spread out over a generous amount of space and 

features 12 treatment rooms, five of which are located in outdoor 

cabanas – three couples’ and two single cabanas. Of the remaining 

seven indoor rooms, three are dedicated to ayurveda treatments 

while the others can be used for the spa’s non-ayurvedic options. 

The decor is a combination of calming natural materials and 

Hambantota’s own colours. 


71

SPA PROFILE 


“Our priority 

is to make 

guests happy 

and make their 

spa experience 

really 

memorable. 

It’s not just 

about the 

treatments, 

it’s everything” 

“We wanted to differentiate between the 

spa here in Hambantota and the other Chi 

spas [in the Shangri-La portfolio], but at the 

same time we wanted to make sure that it 

was a place that guests would find relaxing 

and be able to unwind in,” says Promyim. 

“Our colours in Hambantota are blue, green, 

red and yellow, and you’ll find touches of 

each (except for the blue, which was deemed 

too bright to go into the spa) incorporated 

into the spa’s design.” 

Harmony and diversity 

Chi, The Spa, Shangri-La’s in-house spa 

brand, is based on the traditional Chinese 

philosophy of Ch’i, the universal life force 

that governs personal wellbeing and energy 

and where optimal health is viewed as 

achieved through the free flow of ch’i 

through the body. The spa at Hambantota 

acknowledges this by incorporating 

movement into its signature therapies. 

The spa prides itself on its low-tech, hightouch 

approach to treatments and this move 

away from technology allows them to focus 

on using the best quality products and 

therapists to carry out the treatments. The 

spa’s range of ayurveda treatments 

incorporate herbs and other natural 

ingredients, with each guest first undergoing 

a personal consultation with the in-house 

ayurvedic doctor. 

The consultation serves to establish what 

guests are looking to achieve from their 

experience and how the spa can best fulfil 

this, and the doctor also recommends which 

products are most suited to each client. One 

of the ayurveda treatments on offer is the 

udwarthanam massage, a therapeutic deeptissue 

massage carried out with medicated 

herbal powders designed to improve 

digestion and alleviate sluggishness. 

In addition to the ayurvedic options, the 

spa’s menu ranges from Swedish, hot stone 

and Thai massages, to facials and body 

wraps. Although there are many treatments 

on offer, Promyim has no problem naming 

the most popular one. “Definitely the 

Swedish massage,” she answers. 

“We have a lot of local guests who like to 

try something a bit different to what they’re 

used to during their stay here, so they often 

go for the Swedish massage.” Guests who 

want to experience a cohesive spa and 

wellness package can opt for the six or 

10-day Journey to Hambantota package. The 

package encompasses a range of treatments, 

including massages, body scrubs and more; 

a series of consultations; a specially tailored 

dietary menu; and an exercise programme. 

Journey to Hambantota guests fill in a 

comprehensive dietary questionnaire and 

72 


SPA PROFILE 


the whole experience is geared towards 

kick-starting long-lasting lifestyle changes, 

rather than taking a short-term approach. 

The idea is to help clients create better 

habits that they will then stick to when they 

return home. Chi also offers guests the 

opportunity to create their own spa 

packages, either when they arrive at 

Hambantota or as they go along. 

Local and organic 

The spa has created a range of essential oil 

blends as the basis for the non-ayurvedic 

massages, providing a USP for the business. 

“We choose the essential oils from local 

flowers, fruits and herbs and pass them on 

to a local supplier who produces them for 

us,” Promyim says. Organic and local 

materials are very much in focus at Chi, as 

exemplified by the fact that the body 

treatments are carried out using natural 

ingredients from the surrounding area. 

“We use fresh products such as carrot, 

ginger, milk, cucumber, tamarind and corn 

in the treatments,” Promyim explains. “Not 

only does this mean that we’re using the 

island’s bounty of produce but it’s also less 

abrasive and causes less irritation to guests 

with sensitive skin.” 

The Chi clientele is split between those 

who have come to the hotel for a specific, 

spa-oriented getaway and those who only 

discover the spa when they arrive. “Many 

people see the spa as integral to their break, 

so they make spa reservations at the same 

as booking their trip. However, we often also 

give guests a mini treatment on the beach 

and many of them like it so much that they 

come to the spa afterwards,” says Promyim. 

She adds that while many clients visit the 

spa as part of a couple they frequently prefer 

to have their treatments separately. Going to 

the spa is the ultimate in relaxation and 

indulgence, and many feel that experience is 

enhanced when they have it on their own. 

When it comes to differentiating 

themselves from other spas on the island, 

Promyim emphasises their service as 

something else that sets them apart. “Our 

priority is to make the guests happy and to 

make their overall spa experience really 

memorable. It’s not just about the 

treatments, it’s about the little touches; from 

how we welcome them to what they do posttreatment 

– it’s everything.” 

Fast Facts 

OPENED: June 2016 

SPA SIZE: 557sq m 

TREATMENT ROOMS: 12, including seven indoor 

rooms and five outdoor treatment cabanas 

FACILITIES: sauna, whirlpool, yoga pavilion 

TEAM: nine spa therapists; three ayurveda 

therapists; one ayruvedic doctor; one yoga 

instructor 

BRANDS: Zents; Siddhalepa for ayurveda 

treatments; essential oils blended in-house 


73

SPATEC 17 

Middle East 

28-31 October 2017 

Ritz-Carlton 

Abu Dhabi, 

Grand Canal, 

Abu Dhabi 

Your best marketing 

spend this year! 

What do you get at SPATEC? 

• Guaranteed pre-qualified 

audience of key decision makers 

• Pre-set appointments with 

buyers of your choice 

• Limited competition 

• 2 full days of exceptional 

networking 

• Unparalleled value for money 

• High Quality Seminar 

Program 

For more information contact: 

Stephen Pace-Bonello, Event Director 

spacebonello@questex.com 

Tel: +356 99458305 

www.spatecme.com

EXPERT VIEW 

Valerie Delforge 

Talking 

point 

Business coach and spa consultant Valerie Delforge 

explains why in-depth spa consultations are key, for 

your business and your clients 


75

EXPERT VIEW 


“The 

information 

consultations 

generate allow 

you to more 

successfully 

cater to the 

individual” 

I’ve done a lot of mystery shopping on 

behalf of clients over the years and I’m 

rarely given a proper consultation in a 

spa. There are many factors that 

prevent in-depth consultations from taking 

place, with some of the most common 

excuses from a therapist point of view being: 

“I don’t have time,” “I’m the therapist, I just 

do the treatment,” and “it’s just a massage.” 

As managers, you might have heard these 

excuses before. Perhaps you even believe 

that consultations are not essential to the 

treatment experience. 

Consultations are often seen as a waste of 

time. Every minute counts when it comes to 

the takings for the day and it’s easy to feel 

that you can’t afford to let therapists dedicate 

10 minutes before every treatment to 

consultations when you can’t necessarily see 

a direct revenue increase from this. 

Consultations are, however, essential to your 

business. Let’s look at a few reasons why. 

The consultation raison d’etre 

Ensuring the safety and welfare of your 

clients: This is the most important reason 

to carry out a consultation: to make sure 

every client is cared for. Tailor-making the 

treatment to the client’s needs will also 

produce better results, which is more likely 

to lead them to view your spa as a business 

that is concerned with the health and 

wellbeing of its clients, and to see your staff 

as experts in their field. 

Protecting your business against 

complaints: Having your client’s signature 

on the consultation form before a treatment 

means your business is covered in the 

extreme case of legal action. Because even 

if you saw your client just a month ago, 

their circumstances might have changed: 

they could have become pregnant, 

developed a skin condition or injured 

themselves playing sports, for example. 

I’m often told that clients are not happy 

that they have to sign a consultation form 

every time they come in. However, in many 

countries it’s a legal requirement and they 

shouldn’t be given a choice. And if you make 

the consultation a policy in your business, 

you will train clients to think that this is the 

way things should be done when you have a 

spa treatment (which of course it is). 

Strengthening your marketing and 

driving sales: It’s simple really: the more 

you know about your clients, their lifestyle, 

wellbeing needs and concerns, the more 

effectively you’re able to target your 

marketing, and the more likely you are to 

keep them coming back. Knowledge is 

power and the client information that 

consultations generate allows you to more 

successfully cater to the individual. 

There is no point trying to sell someone a 

treatment or package that doesn’t suit their 

lifestyle, so make sure the therapist finds 

out as much as possible about the client’s 

life at the consultation stage. And 

remember that the consultation also offers 

a great opportunity to upsell, cross-sell and 

drive retail. 

Building loyalty: Consultations have a 

huge impact on rebooking rates. Just think 

of how you feel as a client when there is no 

76 


EXPERT VIEW 


consultation. Does it fill you with 

confidence about the treatment you’re 

about to have? Does it make you feel that 

the therapist is an expert? Probably not. If 

you carry out a thorough consultation you 

show clients that you’re taking their 

wellness seriously, which is why they’re at 

the spa in the first place. 

The how and when 

Consultations can be done in different ways 

and to ensure they happen in your spa, you 

need to analyse your customer journey to 

determine when it works best for your 

business to carry them out. It’s a great idea 

to get the reception team to distribute the 

consultation forms, but make sure the 

client comes in 10 minutes early and that 

they fill in the form correctly. 

If you can’t read their handwriting, if 

they didn’t fill out the back of the form or if 

there is no signature, you will have wasted 

those 10 minutes. Make sure you train your 

team throughout the year, implementing 

quarterly consultation training. Get a senior 

therapist to train the other staff members, 

and also reinforce this by bringing in an 

external expert from time to time. 

Scheduling can be tricky as spas often 

don’t have time allocated for consultations. 

As a trial you could, however, give therapists 

10 extra minutes per treatment to carry out 

a consultation, monitoring the results for 

three months to see if there is an increase in 

retail sales, upselling and cross-selling. If 

you notice no such increases, you can take 

those 10 minutes back. In all my years I have 

never seen that happen, however, which is 

why I know that consultations have a 

powerful impact on the bottom line. 

Mystery shopping can also be a good way to 

make sure your therapists really are carrying 

out consultations, giving you an idea of where 

each member of staff is at with this and 

enabling you to create individual plans of 

action. Regardless of the particular strategy 

you choose, remember that consultations 

are key and that, when conducted well, they 

produce great results both for your 

customers and your business. 

Valerie Delforge is founder and chief 

executive of Delforge + Co which 

offers business mentoring, coaching 

and education to spas and salons. 

Past roles include head of the 

Academy at Treatwell (then 

Wahanda), head of spa operations 

in the UK for Steiner Leisure, and 

general manager of Bliss for Steiner. 

delforge.co 


77

REGIONAL AWARDS 

Recognising the best spas and salons in every region of the UK 

8 October 2017, 

EventCity, Manchester 

Categories include: 

BOUTIQUE SALON OF THE YEAR: 

Northern Ireland • Scotland 

North East • North West 

Midlands • South East 

South West & Wales 

LARGE SALON OF THE YEAR: 


North East • North West 

Midlands • South East 

South West & Wales 

SPA OF THE YEAR: 


London • North East 

North West • Midlands 

South East • South West & Wales 

ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED! 

The list of finalists will be available in July 

www.professionalbeauty.co.uk/regionalawards 

SPONSORED BY: 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: In order to enter the Professional Beauty Awards 2018 (to be held in London on 25 February) in the following 

categories: Beauty Salon of the Year: Three Rooms or Fewer, Beauty Salon of the Year: Four Rooms or More, Residential Spa of the Year: 10 

Rooms or Fewer, Residential Spa of the Year: 11 Rooms or More or Day Spa of the Year you MUST enter and win the Professional Beauty Regional 

Awards 2017. For any queries please contact info@professionalbeauty.co.uk

INDUSTRY FOCUS 

Spa furniture 

The shape of 

things to come 

Multifunctionality, ergonomics and quality are key to today’s 

spa furniture market. We speak to five leading brands to find 

out more about the innovations driving the sector 


79


Spa furniture 

LEMI 

Matteo Brusaferi, general manager of Lemi, on what spa clients are looking for 

at the moment, and future spa furniture trends 

What are the latest innovations in furniture and 

couches for the spa market? 

Nowadays, there are lots of innovations to create a wow 

effect for the customer. All our spa tables are designed to 

involve all the guest’s senses during the treatment and we 

have just presented a table incorporating a new 

aromatherapy concept that can be customised to the 

client’s needs. Developed in partnership with [scent 

developer] Camylle, it involves five different essences, to 

create a unique experience for the guest. 

Which are the most popular colours and fabrics at 

the moment? 

Lighter colours are always the most popular: natural and 

milky shades for the wood, beige and cream for the fabrics. 

In the last two years, I’ve also seen grey come on more and 

more. For example, we have a grey pine finishing available 

on our bases and that’s proven to be a great success. 

In which direction do you expect the market to 

move in the next few years? 

Customers are increasingly looking for customised and 

unique experiences and I think spa tables will become even 

more [cleverly] designed to provide unique comfort and 

give the guest a multisensorial experience. Our equipment 

incorporates lots of interesting functions to not only provide 

customers with the best possible experience but also help 

improve the therapists’ ability to do their job well. 

What are clients’ key priorities when selecting spa 

furniture? 

Multifunctionality is probably the most common priority, 

along with the ability to offer something unique and 

customised that will help them distinguish themselves. 

Spas are always looking for something new to attract 

guests, and treatment room flexibility is essential as a 

good treatment room with great flexibility can help you 

provide a big variety of different treatments and keep the 

occupancy high. 

What should spas be focusing on when choosing 

treatment couches? 

The reliability of equipment should be the priority for all 

spas. The treatment room is the main working space, the 

area where spas generate their profit. If the treatment 

table is not working, that room is not working. Spas should 

not lose the focus on the guest experience. 

Which are your best-selling pieces at the moment? 

We mainly have two best sellers right now, the Lemi 4 and 

Florence couches. Lemi 4 was one of our first models and 

we introduced the Florence two years ago. Thanks to the 

memory foam mattress, it’s probably the most comfortable 

table in our line and the wide range of customisations and 

other options available makes it a perfect choice for many 

of our customers. 

How would you describe the typical Lemi customer? 

Lemi now operates in more than 100 countries worldwide, 

serving a big variety of spas – from the smallest to the 

largest. We cooperate with the bigger hotel chains and spa 

operators, as well as boutique spas. I think the common 

denominator for all our customers is the need for high 

quality products with a unique level of design. 

Lemi is an Italian company that offers high-end furniture 

and equipment for the spa, beauty, medical and chiropody 

sectors. Established in 1989, the company now has a presence 

in more than 100 countries around the world and has sold 

more than 60,000 treatment beds. 

lemigroup.com 

80 



Spa furniture 

LIVING EARTH CRAFTS 

Chief executive Jim Chenevey outlines what spas should look for when 

purchasing spa furniture, and discusses new innovations in the market 



We have been seeing more therapists with repetitive 

strain injuries from improper ergonomics and low height 

treatment tables help alleviate these issues. Client 

comfort also continues to be an area of innovation. Living 

Earth Crafts (LEC) recently added a line of GT mattresses 

with a layer of elastomeric honeycombed gel for added 

responsiveness. 


the moment? 

I would say white and grey are the most popular colours. 



At LEC we have created a new line of ultra-low treatment 

tables, as well as the Geltech cushioning systems. Our 

new therapist-friendly Infinity and Century City ranges of 

low treatment tables offer plush 14cm and 18cm Geltech 

mattresses and are between 53-60cm at their respective 

lowest setting. The Infinity features an ergonomically 

shaped tapered top that provides therapists with better 

access to the clients, allowing them to stand 12cm closer 

to the guest. This improves posture and reduces back 

strain, particularly during massages. 


furniture? 

We believe our clients are looking for comfort for the 

guests, style for the spa and functionality for the staff. 

The latter is something that’s been more and more in 

focus the last few years, with improved ergonomics. So 

we have added features such as treatment beds with 

integrated warming drawers, and rolling cabinets to 

make supplies more easily available. 



Exceptional client comfort with great cushioning systems 

and technically advanced face cradles. They should also 

look for versatile couches that can be used for a variety 

of treatments and that are sturdy, quiet and reliable. 

Which are your bestselling pieces at the moment? 

The ZG Dream Lounger. It’s a zero gravity relaxation 

chair that’s designed for use in relaxation areas and 

express treatment pods and can also be configured for 

manicure, pedicure and reflexology treatments. It also 

features infrared heat, massage, music and sound 

therapy, providing an enhanced experience. It’s very 

versatile and, as such, is very much in demand. 

How would you describe the typical Living Earth 

Crafts customer? 

Our typical customer is an educated consumer who 

wants the finest equipment in the spa industry. Most of 

our clients are repeat customers who have been using 

LEC products for years. We serve four and five-star hotel 

groups around the world. 

Headquartered in California, Living Earth Crafts (LEC) was 

established in 1973. The company provides treatment tables 

and other spa equipment to high-end spas around the world, 

specialising in sleek, well-designed products. LEC is part of 

the Earthlite family of companies, which also includes the 

Stronglite and Earthlite brands. 

livingearthcrafts.com 



Spa furniture 

GHARIENI 

Gharieni founder Sammy Gharieni explains what spas should be focusing on when 

purchasing spa furniture, and highlights the latest advances in the sector 



Couches are no longer simple beds but contribute to the 

treatment and at Gharieni we have, for example, developed 

the Spa Wave system. This is a built-in add-on to our MLW 

Amphibia and MLW Classic for which you don’t even need 

a therapist. 

The system features special music that is applied 

through gentle acoustic waves with binaural sounds, to 

create a completely new anti-stress sound therapy 

experience. Based on quantum-harmonic-sound therapy, 

it sees precise audio frequencies matched to the body’s 

different chakras (energy centres). The Spa Wave system 

can be experienced via noise-cancelling headphones or 

through the speakers that are integrated into the headrest. 

The system also offers a highly efficient massage feature, 

built in to the treatment bed. 


the moment? 

The most popular colours are natural shades like brown, 

cream and beige. However, our clients mostly ask for 

darker colours, as they create a more relaxing ambience. 

Since we offer a wide range of colours, many customers 

order our products to fit the interior of their spa. 



In my opinion, multifunctionality is the keyword for 

the next few years. Multifuncational couches are 

fundamental for spas in creating innovative and signature 

treatments, with built-in technology that makes the couch 

an active part of the treatment. 


furniture? 

Customers ask for treatment beds that are multifunctional 

and fully electric. Design is of course a very important 

factor too. 



How much space do you have? Who are your customers? 

What type of treatments do you want to offer? And so on. If 

you run a smaller spa with fewer treatment rooms, you 

might need multifunctional equipment, so you can offer a 

wider range of treatments. If you want to provide certain, 

specific treatments, such as the quartz therapy from 

Gharieni, then you’ll need a special couch. A treatment 

couch with very low access height, like our MO1 Evo, is 

helpful for customers with limited mobility. 


Our classic treatment couches are always popular, and 

we’re also seeing a rise in the sale of products in our 

concept section. More and more, our customers are 

interested in beds with built-in comprehensive wellness 

concepts and the ability to create signature treatments. 

How would you describe the typical Gharieni 

customer? 

Our core clientele is luxury hotels and spas around the 

world. However, we also have many customers that run 

smaller beauty spaces but have high requirements when it 

comes to quality, design and functionality. 

With more than 25 years’ experience, the Gharieni group 

offers exclusive treatment tables, furniture and equipment for 

luxury spa, wellness and beauty businesses. The company, 

which exports to more than 70 countries worldwide, is 

focused on providing elegant, high-quality products with a 

modern design, great functionality and top-end materials. 

gharieni.com 


High-end spa, wellness and medical equipment. 

Made in Germany. 

PediSpa Series 

Libra Horizontal 

Choreographic Shower Series 

Quartz Table Series 

First Transform Sofa To Massage Table 

Patented Universal Spa Table 

MLW Series Spa Table 

Gharieni Group Germany • +49 28 41 - 88 300-50 • info@gharieni.com • www.gharieni.com


Spa furniture 

The Nuage from 

Living Earth Crafts 

ELLISONS 

Geoff Morris, managing director of UK supplier Ellisons, on why therapist and 

client comfort should always come first 



Treatment table innovation from leading manufacturers 

has started to tap into clients’ emotional wellbeing and 

mindfulness. Some of the latest Living Earth Crafts 

products offer mood-enhancing acoustic waves and 

binaural sounds via speakers integrated into the headrest, 

stimulating visual and aural senses during treatment. 

Innovation is also taking us towards smart couches that 

interface between client and therapist – there is a 

wonderful couch from Gharieni (the WellMassage 4D) that 

moves automatically during the treatment to ensure the 

client is positioned is in a stress-free position. 


the moment? 

Overall, we’re seeing a trend away from the dark Asian 

look to lighter and fresher colours such as light oak and 

natural maple. For medi-spas, white is always predominant. 



At the top end of the market, treatment-specific couches 

will become more popular, driven by collaborations 

between leading couch manufacturers and skincare/ 

treatment brands and designed to deliver differentiated 

treatment techniques. Client and therapist comfort will 

always be a key theme and new features such as zerogravity 

couches that reduce stress on clients’ joints and 

require less effort from the therapist will diffuse towards 

the mass market. 


furniture? 

Therapist comfort is paramount – once this has been 

addressed, the need to understand the client and what 

they expect from the spa is a must. From our perspective, 

we see that operators are dialling in to the client journey 

and becoming more willing to spend on a couch that helps 

deliver the right client experience. Elsewhere, our sales of 

poolside and relaxation furniture have grown enormously 

in the last few years, in line with the growth of wet areas 

within spas. 



A couch needs to be able to deliver the treatments listed 

on the spa menu. When working on a project, we always 

return to the themes of client and therapist comfort, along 

with questions about space, budget and deadline. 


Operators are realising the importance of the couch as a 

client touch point and are moving to higher specifications 

and comfort levels to offer a memorable experience that 

will encourage them to return. Our best seller is a twopiece 

electric couch with adjustable height from Esthetix; 

it’s the workhorse for the small, single operator market – 

versatile, reliable and really great value. 

How would you describe the typical Ellisons 

customer? 

We honestly don’t have a typical customer. Each customer 

has a unique set of needs, from a therapist just setting up 

their own business to some of the leading spa hotel 

operators in the world. 

Based in the UK, with regional offices in Shanghai and Hong 

Kong, Ellisons works on spa and wellness projects across 

Europe, the EMEA region and Asia. The company offers an 

extensive selection of luxurious spa and wellness supplies 

and as been awarded the Guild Award of Excellence for Best 

Equipment and Furniture Supplier. 

ellisons.co.uk 


We deliver, just 

tell us where. 

With offices in the UK and mainland China, we are uniquely placed to source, 

manage and deliver the widest selection of furniture, fixtures, equipment and 

on going consumables wherever you need across the world. 

To explore how we can add value to your next spa project please email 

spapartner@ellisons.co.uk or call us on +44 (0)24 7636 9114. 

ellisons.co.uk


Spa furniture 

OAKWORKS 

Dafne Berlanga, vice president of international business development, discusses 

ergonomics, innovation and sustainability in spa furniture and equipment 



The industry is innovating by looking for a holistic approach 

to wellbeing. Furniture is part of the overall experience and 

manufacturers need to pay attention to the demands of 

clients, which are no longer focused only on the therapies. 

Now we need to go back to basics, which includes innovating 

with new technologies that make a path to zero carbon 

footprint possible. Examples of such solutions are: online 

design of equipment, using responsibly and locally sourced 

materials, manufacturing and distributing from a single 

location and certifying equipment rather than parts. 


the moment? 

For a company as international as Oakworks, which 

manufactures equipment for spas all over the world, it’s 

difficult to single out a specific colour or material For years, 

colours were limited to the stains available per company; 

today you can design a table in metal, laminate, wood and 

resin, for example. The trend is to customise, allowing the 

designer to be as bold and creative as he or she wants. 



Furniture will continue to develop to deliver the best 

experience to the client while taking the needs of the 

therapists into consideration. Clients will be asking for more 

detail about where materials come from, if the electronics in 

the tables release dangerous emissions, and so on. Things 

will continue to develop towards holistic wellness. 


furniture? 

We have noticed that therapists are playing a more 

important role when it comes to selecting treatment tables. 

Spa directors are worried about retention and need to make 

sure the therapists’ needs are taken into consideration. In 

one of our latest projects it was the therapists that had the 

last word when selecting the tables. This is great news for 

the industry. 



There are two very important elements to look at: what will 

provide the best surface for a great client experience, and 

what will offer the right ergonomics for good working 

conditions for the therapist. After that is all about the spa’s 

specific needs. 


The new Performalift with the ABC system have been our 

most successful piece of equipment. The look of the table 

and the comfort it provides for the chest area when lying 

flat has been key to this success. We predict that our new 

bestseller will be the Talise model with ABC. 

How would you describe the typical Oakworks 

customer? 

Hotel spas are big in our portfolio but we’re also very well 

positioned in day spas, massage schools, franchise 

businesses and the medical aesthetic industry. 

Oakworks Spa is used in hundreds of locations worldwide, in 

businesses ranging from day spas to destination resorts. The 

brand’s design philosophy is centred around building beautiful 

products that support therapists’ ergonomic health and clients’ 

comfort, while ensuring good value through high-quality 

construction. The company’s collections include the Signature and 

Masters’ ranges of treatment couches and other spa equipment 

spatables.com 


PRODUCT NEWS 

COMFORT ZONE 

Comfort Zone is adding two new products to its Sun 

Soul range: Milk SPF 10 and Extra Cream SPF 50+. 

The former is a lightweight and water-resistant spray 

said to offer low-level protection against UVA and 

UVB damage, while the latter uses biomimetic 

peptides to reduce existing and prevent future 

hyperpigmentation and offer a high level of sun 

protection. New additions to the Hydramemory range 

are Essence, a hydrating lotion for all skin types, and 

Eye Gel, designed to revive and de-puff. 

Trade prices: £10.50-£20 | comfortzone.it 

New 

horizons 

This issue brings makeup launches, nail 

collections and skincare news that range 

from pollution shields to body products 

MURAD 

Murad is introducing the City Skin range to protect against 

environmental damage. Age Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 

is a mineral sunscreen comprising the antioxidant lutein to shield 

against blue light; zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to combat 

UVA and UVB damage; iron oxides to defend against infrared 

radiation; and polymer matrix to block pollution. The Overnight 

Detox Moisturizer aims to neutralise pollutants, using vitamin C, 

marrubium plant stem cells and barley, cucumber and sunflower 

to support the moisture barrier, brighten and tone. 

Trade prices: £24.38 (Age Defense Broad 

Spectrum Moisturiser SPF 50) 

£35.21 (Overnight Detox Moisturizer) 

murad.com 

MORGAN TAYLOR 

Morgan Taylor is launching a summer Selfie collection centred 

around bold, vibrant shades designed to stand out in a seasonal 

selfie. The six-colour collection includes the bubblegum pink All 

about the Pout; coral Me, Myself-ie, and I; and neon Pretty as a 

Pink-ture. There are also the fuchsia Woke up this Way; bright 

blue No Filter Needed; and rich purple Best Face Forward. 

Trade price: £4.95 

louellabelle.co.uk | morgantaylorlacquer.com 

ELEMIS 

Elemis’ Dynamic Resurfacing Day Cream has been 

reformulated to feature SPF 30 – drawing on a patented 

tri-enzyme technology to bolster cell renewal and 

smooth skin, and raspberry seed oil to retain moisture 

and preserve the protective barrier. Elemis is also 

introducing the Peptide4 Night Recovery Cream-Oil this 

month. Designed to repair skin overnight, it features 

peptide4 – comprised of four amino acids and said to 

refresh the skin. It also contains perilla seed oil to nurture, 

tone and smooth and night scented stock, rich in vitamin 

E and omega-3, to hydrate and improve elasticity. 

RRP: £82 (Dynamic Resurfacing Day Cream 

SPF 30) 

£49 (Peptide4 Night Recovery Cream-Oil) 

elemis.com 


PRODUCT NEWS 

DECLÉOR 

The new Hydra Floral White Petal collection was developed to combat the 

effects of external stressors on the skin, and to add luminosity and refine 

skin tone. Key ingredients include vitamin B3 and pea extract to brighten; 

encapsulated vitamin E for its antioxidant properties; and roman 

chamomile, neroli and sweet orange essential oils for their antiinflammatory, 

hydrating and brightening effects. The range contains Skin 

Perfecting Hydrating Sleeping Mask to revive and plump skin overnight, 

and Skin Perfecting Concentrate to combat pollution and add glow. There 

is also Skin Perfecting Hydrating Milky Lotion to moisturise, and Dark Spot 

Targeter to reduce the appearance of dark spots. 

RRP: £34-£47 | decleor.com 

MII 

Mii’s holiday-themed Tropical Daydream collection 

aims to, as the brand puts it, “create a dreamy 

summertime look” through its three products. 

The Celestial Skin Shimmer blush palette contains 

six shades designed to give a warm glow, while the 

Passionate Lip Lover lipsticks, available in pink 

Sunblush and coral Sunburst, are said to nourish 

and moisturise. The range also includes the creamy 

Wide Eyed Liner in nude. 

Trade prices: £6.50-£13.75 

miicosmetics.com | gerrardinternational.com 

BABOR 

Babor is adding 10 products to its Cleansing range, including the 

Gentle Cleansing Milk, light Cleansing Foam, Sugar Oil Peeling and 

powder-to-foam Enzyme Cleanser. A key ingredient is the 

proprietary anti-ox complex, drawing on lemon bioflavonoids and 

aloe vera to detox and protect against environmental stressors. 

Also new are the three Cellulose Masks. The sheet masks offer an 

intensive treatment with a moisture boost and include the 

Hydrating Face Mask with coconut and hyaluronic acid, the 

Hydrating Eye Mask, and the Revitalizing Face Mask with lime and 

chinensis extract. 

RRPs: £7.50-£12 (Cleansing range) 

£10 (Cellulose Face Masks) | babor.com 

CLARINS 

Clarins is launching three new clay masks. SOS Hydra, which is 

suitable for all skin types, aims to deeply moisturise skin and restore 

lustre, drawing on leaf of life extract and hyaluronic acid. SOS Pure 

is a rebalancing mask designed to detox and balance combination to 

oily skin. Ingredients include alpine willow herb extract to reduce 

shine, and white and green clay to smooth and draw out impurities. 

Targeting dry skin, SOS Comfort uses mango oil and wild mango 

butter to nourish, hydrate and restore elasticity. 

RRP: £30 | int.clarins.com 


91

PRODUCT NEWS 

JESSICA 

Jessica is launching two new lines. Dancing Queens, a 

Phenom collection, comprises three colourful shades 

drawing inspiration from the disco era: the papaya She’s 

Got Moves, glittering pink Last Dance and shimmering 

purple Do the Hustle. The Prime summer collection 

celebrates the primary colours with five polish shades. 

Options range from bright yellow, rich orange and bold 

fuchsia, to creamy purple and cobalt blue. 

Trade prices: £6.75 (Dancing Queens) £5.50 (Prime) 

jessicacosmetics.com | gerrardinternational.com 

THALGO 

Thalgo’s new Silicium Marin range aims to combat skin ageing, 

targeting clients over 40. The line uses a marine silicium complex 

to plump, contour and help smooth fine lines and wrinkles. It also 

draws on helichrysum stoechas trace elements to reduce skin 

slackening and improve elasticity. Products include the Lifting 

Correcting Day Cream to defend against environmental 

aggressors; Lifting Correcting Night Cream to firm skin and reduce 

wrinkles overnight; and Wrinkle Lifting Serum to boost radiance. 

Trade prices: £24-£37 | thalgo.com 

HIGH DEFINITION 

The new Brow Highlighter from 

High Definition is said to have lightdiffusing 

properties that give brows 

lift and definition. The product, 

which incorporates jojoba oil for 

antioxidant effect, is also said to be 

long lasting, smudge resistant and 

waterproof. The brand recommends 

applying the highlighter, which 

comes in one colour and works for 

all skin and brow tones, under the 

brow for a softer finish, or around 

the whole brow for a stronger look. 

RRP: £16.50 | 

beautyinhighdefinition.com 

KOKOLOKAHI 

Kokolokahi is the new brand from Shared Beauty Secrets, 

consisting of five bath and body oils. The vitamin E-rich 

Balance oil, designed to have a soothing and grounding 

effect, is made from pure coconut oil, while the other four 

are a blend of argan, coconut and shea oils. Strength oil 

draws on frangipani, patchouli and sandalwood to detox and 

relax, while Revive features germanium, grapefruit and 

lavender to energise and calm. Serenity uses rosewood, 

bergamot and lavender to de-stress and ease tension, and 

Harmony comprises neroli, jasmine and juniper for their 

uplifting and energising benefits. 

Trade prices: £16.50- £29.50 | sharedbeautysecrets.com 


PRODUCT NEWS 

SISLEY 

The Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream is the most recent 

addition to Sisley’s popular Black Rose line. Designed to 

plump, add glow and deeply hydrate the skin, it also 

draws on May rose for softening effect, and Alpine 

rose for its antioxidant and radiance-boosting 

properties. Other ingredients in the cream, said to 

revive, smooth and restore suppleness, include hibiscus 

flower extract to tone and exfoliate and padina 

pavonica to strengthen the dermis. 

RRP: £128 | sisley-paris.com 

ASQUITH 

Activewear brand Asquith’s autumn/winter collection is 

designed to not only be worn during yoga and pilates 

but as part of an everyday wardrobe. Fabrics across the 

collection, centred on style, comfort and softness, 

include sustainable bamboo and organic cotton, with 

items ranging from tights and loose trousers, to long 

and short-sleeve tops and sports bras. Colours include 

charcoal grey, cobolt blue, bright pink and deep plum, 

as well as options with stars and checked patterns. 

Trade prices: £17-£49 | asquithlondon.com

TRIED & TESTED 

Turn the 

other cheek 

Elemis’s Pro-Definition Lift and Contour is a targeted anti-ageing 

facial that combats sagging skin around the jawline 

The story: Pro-Definition Lift and Contour is a one-hour 

Elemis facial designed to tone and sculpt the skin 

around the chin, check and jowls. The anti-ageing 

treatment, which targets slackening skin, combines 

relaxing massage techniques with a results-focused 

approach to give the face a younger, smoother and 

firmer appearance. 

The treatment: My treatment began with Paisley, my 

therapist at The House of Elemis in London, removing 

my makeup and cleansing my face with the melt-intothe-skin 

Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, before toning 

and exfoliating it. Once my skin had been prepped, 

Paisley applied the professional-only Amber Massage 

Balm, drawing on amber and sweet almond oil to 

energise the skin and boost cell communication. 

The balm was applied using the Elemis jowl and cheek 

massage technique, developed to decrease fluid 

retention and puffiness and involving the therapist 

using firm (though not hard or painful) pressure 

through fingers and thumbs. The massage was followed 

by the Pro-Definition Lift Effect Jowl and Chin Mask, 

with the mask placed under my jawline. 

Tightly holding and lifting my jowl and cheeks, it was 

hooked behind my ears to stay in place and left on for 20 

minutes to allow the Amber Massage Balm and arjuna 

with which it was infused to soak into my skin – to 

further speed up communication between the cells and 

have lifting and firming effects. 

While the chin and jowl mask was in place, Paisley 

applied a moisturising Hydra-Active Soothing Gel Eye 

Mask and carried out a relaxing and circulationboosting 

scalp massage, during which a Lavender Eye 

Pillow was placed over my eyes. 

The treatment concluded with a de-knotting massage 

of my tense neck and shoulders, followed by a multistep 

moisturisation process that included the 

application of the Pro-Collagen Lifting Treatment Neck 

and Bust, Pro-Definition Facial Oil and Pro-Definition 

Day Cream. When I left, my skin not only looked lifted, 

but also brighter and much healthier. 

Business boost: The sagging of the skin around the 

jawline is a key ageing concern for many mature clients 

so offering a treatment that directly targets this area is 

a great concept. With the treatment also being relaxing, 

it’s a win-win. WSW 

The Essentials 

The 60-minute Pro-Definition Lift and Contour facial is £115 at 

The House of Elemis in London. 

elemis.com 

elemis.com/house-of-elemis-london 


FIND THE PERFECT MARKET 

FOR YOUR BUSINESS 

INDIA 

Mumbai 18 - 19 September 2017 

Chennai 5 - 6 March 2018 

Kolkata 9 - 10 April 2018 

Delhi 4 - 5 June 2018 

IRELAND 

Dublin 24 - 25 September 2017 

SOUTH AFRICA 

Johannesburg 2 - 3 September 2017 

Cape Town 4 - 5 March 2018 

Durban 20 - 21 May 2018 

UAE 

Dubai 5 - 6 February 2018 

UK 

Manchester 8 - 9 October 2017 

London 25 - 26 February 2018 

Belfast 17 June 2018 

Leading exhibitions in key destinations. 

Our management will introduce 

you to local distributors. 

Contact: Steve James 

T: + 44 (0) 20 7351 0536 

E: steve@professionalbeauty.co.uk 

www.professionalbeauty.co.uk 

Find us on 

@pro_beauty 

ProfessionalBeautyUK

FINAL SAY 

Dates for the diary 

SPAFEST 

SEPTEMBER 21-22, CORNWALL, UK 

A new addition to the UK spa calendar, Spafest 

incorporates an education agenda and workshops, 

among other elements. Topics and speakers include 

John Bevan, general manager of SpaFinder 

Wellness, discussing wellness trends, and Tim 

Westwell, founder of Pukka teas, covering business 

and ethics. Among the sponsors are skincare brands 

Voya, Elemental Herbology and Ishga. 

spafest.co.uk 

PROFESSIONAL BEAUTY IRELAND 

SEPTEMBER 24-25, DUBLIN 

Professional Beauty Ireland will bring two days 

of exhibition, product launches, seminars and 

workshop, live stages and more. Brands exhibiting 

will include Dermalogica, Caci, CND, Elemis, NSI, 

Phorest and many more. The education offering 

includes the inaugural Spa & Salon Owners 

Convention, and the show also comprises the 

HJ Live Ireland and Barber Pro events, both new 

for this year. 

professionalbeauty.co.uk/ireland 

ISPA CONFERENCE & EXPO 

OCTOBER 16-18, LAS VEGAS, USA 

The Ispa Conference & Expo comprises a convention 

and expo floor, with the event annually attracting 

spa industry delegates from the US and beyond. 

Among this year’s speakers are social psychologist 

Amy Cuddy, motivational author Daniel H Pink, 

and former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning. 

The event also includes a supplier showcase and 

networking lunches. 

attendispa.com 

SPATEC MIDDLE EAST 

28-31 OCTOBER, ABU DHABI, UAE 

True to the Spatec formula, the Abu Dhabi event 

features two days of pre-scheduled one-on-one 

meetings between buyers and suppliers. Attendees 

are expected to comprise senior spa professionals 

from the destination, resort, hotel, medical and day 

spa sectors, and include spa directors and owners. 

There will also be networking breaks, lunches and 

dinners, as well as a supplier showcase. 

spatecevents.com/middleeast 

COSMOPROF ASIA 

NOVEMBER 15-17, HONG KONG 

Cosmoprof’s Asia edition stretches across a 98,000 

sq m exhibition area. Last year’s event attracted 

2,700 exhibitors and 70,000 visitors, comprising 

24 national and group pavilions, with similar number 

expected this year. Sections include the Wellness 

& Spa, Natural & Organic, Ingredients & Lab, and 

Discover Trends areas. There is also the International 

Buyer Programme, facilitating contact between 

exhibitors and importers/distributors. 

cosmoprof-asia.com 

CALENDAR DATES 

Send details of your event to: 

info@professionalspawellness.com 

A TWO-PRODUCT NIGHT & DAY 

KIT FROM COMFORT ZONE 

World Spa & Wellness has teamed up with skincare brand 

Comfort Zone to give 10 readers the opportunity to win 

one of its Night & Day Kits. The kits contain a Renight 

Cream and a Hydramemory Cream. Retailing at £65, 

they have an actual value of £88. 

The nurturing and repairing Renight Cream draws on a blend of 

ingredients that include antioxidant lycopene and goji berry oil, 

moisturising hyaluronic acid, nourishing macadamia oil, trace 

elements and hydrolyzed tomato extract. 

The cream, which is an overnight treatment, is designed to restore 

skin balance and counteract any damage caused by free radical 

attacks. The Renight collection was developed to provide an 

antioxidant support system that helps skin defend itself against and 

repair the damage caused by oxidation. 

Said to offer 24 hours of hydration, the Hydramemory Cream 

comprises active ingredients that include macro hyaluronic acid to 

keep skin hydrated and improve softness and elasticity. It also 

features moringa oil and a fusion of natural ingredients such as lentil, 

apple and watermelon peel to deeply hydrate. The Hydramemory 

range aims to plump and firm the skin, offering long-lasting 

hydration and ensuring water is distributed 

throughout the epidermis. 

Comfort Zone takes a holistic 

approach to skin health, not 

only treating the complexion 

but also taking nutrition 

and other lifestyle factors 

into account. 

Need to know 

For a chance to win one of the 10 Comfort Zone Night & Day Kits, 

featuring a Renight Cream and a Hydramemory Cream, that we’re 

giving away this month, email your name, address, company name 

and job title to joanna@professionalbeauty.co.uk by Friday, August 11. 

*Open to entrants in the UK only 


Make 

Every 

Interaction 

Count 

▪ Online booking for all amenities 

▪ Built-in inventory & revenue management features 

▪ Modern tablet apps for Room/Spa Check-In & POS 

▪ Targeted e-marketing campaigns with RS Connect 

▪ HTNG Integration with other leading PMS software 

PMS SPA F&B CATERING CLUB GOLF SKI RETAIL WEB MOBILE CONNECT DASHBOARD SOCIAL OPS 

Integrated Hospitality Management Software www.resortsuite.com

World spa&wellness

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