Spa Executive June 2021

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The main areas traditional hoteliers struggle with when it comes to wellness are: Concept They lack a clearly defined wellness concept, with little to no difference between one hotel’s wellness offering and the other’s next door. Their wellness facilities have grown organically over time and have been squeezed into any available space to maximise revenue per square metre. People They lack the right expertise and people to do wellness properly in their hotels. They struggle to find qualified and experienced talent that their wellness profit and loss can sustain. They promote under-qualified staff to oversee their wellness operations, and as a result, these operations become a constant source of headache. Performance They ambitiously invest large sums in building grand facilities – for example, large hydrothermal areas, fully equipped spa suites, beautiful treatment rooms, state-of-the-art gyms, only to later find they have a heavily subsidised operation with high overheads and no return on investment. People struggle with these areas because they’ve fallen victim to one or more of the myths of the common fallacies around wellness in hospitality: False Perceptions, False Economies and False Profits. Each of these fallacies is the result of a traditional mindset that has led hoteliers down unhelpful paths. Can you elaborate on these “three fallacies”? False perceptions lead traditional hoteliers to mistakenly believe that wellness is not a lucrative option worth fully exploring. They either underinvest in their wellness offering, treat it as an amenity to their core business or stick to what they know best: selling rooms and food and beverage. False economies lead traditional hoteliers to stretch their resources too thin and think they’re saving money. The band-aid solutions of this short-term strategy cost the business much more than the original cost of proper investment, in the process alienating guests and denting the hotel’s image. False profits lead hoteliers to think they’re making more profits when, in reality, the gain in short-term profits comes at an opportunity cost in the long term. As a result, they fail to create a robust asset ecosystem because they focus on swift gains instead of solid and steady profits (the doomed “asset-light” approach). June 2021 Issue • p. 27
How have guest expectations changed? Wellness is the new luxury that today’s consumers are looking to our industry to provide as they pursue a state of wellbeing that allows for a fuller human experience than traditional hospitality typically provides. It has become standard to find a spa and gym in five-star luxury hotels, but the market now demands increasingly more sophisticated, integrated wellness experiences. Guests now crave a sense of connection from a hotel stay. People who are travelling less want to travel better and be nourished, healed, surprised and delighted, whatever their reason for travel – from before they arrive to during their stay and beyond. What is a “hybrid model” and why is this important? The hybrid model is the new buzzword, but it is here to stay – we’re seeing this across all sectors and it’s the product of the great disruption in today’s world. For example, hybrid meetings, hybrid workplaces, etc. A hybrid model mixes two or more different elements. Making your treatment rooms multipurpose, for example. Technology is nearly always associated with a hybrid model, but not all hybrid models necessarily involve technology, and adding technology doesn’t necessarily mean getting rid of human touch or personalised assistance – which most spa and wellness facilities fear losing. I actually look at technology as a powerful tool to help our therapists do remarkable work: more accurate diagnoses, evidence-based consultations, etc. We can’t hyper-personalise without technology, and technology helps us achieve consistent results by removing human error or subjective decision-making. What are forward thinking hoteliers doing? In the course of researching this book I have met some truly inspirational hoteliers. Passionate men and women who are leading the way, seeing wellness as a core part of hospitality. These hoteliers of the future are pivoting, adapting and thriving by building and leveraging their wellness asset to enhance their guests’ overall experience in their hotel. They understand that their guests’ needs have evolved and that today’s business and leisure travellers want more than the standard hotel room, decent breakfast and beautiful facilities. Today’s guests want experiences that are fulfilling, memorable and shareable; they want experiences that transform their overall wellbeing, even if in a simple way. And these passionate men and women know that the only way they can transform their guests’ wellbeing is through the wellbeing of their teams and surrounding community. They attract people who think alike, and they get their teams excited about their vision and the positive impact of their meaningful work. They create a growth environment where wellness is at its core. The hotelier of the future is forward-thinking, audacious and legacy-oriented, with a vision that stretches far beyond short-term profitability. Buy the book at Amazon.com June 2021 Issue • p. 28
Page 1 and 2: Spa Executive The magazine for lead
Page 3 and 4: Letter from Publisher Dear readers,
Page 5 and 6: Red is associated with passion, lov
Page 7 and 8: Colors for your retail space Eisema
Page 9 and 10: Investing in your employees Investi
Page 11 and 12: Talk about your spa at the St. Regi
Page 13 and 14: What industry developments are you
Page 15 and 16: 3. Identify your customers Another
Page 17 and 18: I combined phone systems to a centr
Page 19: Robust reporting capabilities allow
Page 22 and 23: Dunton Hot Springs is a romantic 19
Page 24 and 25: century Bathhouse, in the pool outs
Page 26 and 27: The Wellness Asset by global wellne
Page 30 and 31: Let’s talk about technology in ph
Page 32 and 33: 3 Contactless Experiences We’ve a
Page 34: Spa Executive FOR LEADERS IN THE BU

Spa Executive June 2021

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