Spa Executive - December 2021

Spa Executive
For leaders in the business of wellness
THE TRENDS ISSUE
ISSUE # 33: DECEMBER 2021
RESEARCH
ROUNDUP:
HOW SPAS
BENEFIT
MENTAL
HEALTH
EMPLOYEE
WELLNESS
TRENDS FOR
2022
Forbes Travel Guide’s
AMANDA
FRASIER
On what makes a Five-Star hospitality experience

ISSUE # 33:
DECEMBER 2021
4
7
14
18
23
26
31
Employee wellness trends for 2022
Seven wellness trends for 2022
Research roundup:
How spas benefit mental health
Featured property:
Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane
Spa tech trends for 2022:
Driving simplicity and sustainability
Forbes Travel Guide’s Amanda Frasier on what
makes a Five-Star hospitality experience
Spa and wellness trends for 2022
according to the experts
December 2021 Issue • p. 2

Letter from Publisher
Dear readers,
The holidays are upon us and we’re coming to the end of the year. What a time it’s been.
Recent months have brought struggle and challenges, and have also spurred advancement
and innovation, brought out the best in creative business minds, and driven a surge of
interest in wellness and self care.
Closing out the final quarter of 2021 and heading into 2022, we’re taking the opportunity to
explore trends and developments in this issue of Spa Executive.
For our Spotlight interview we spoke with Forbes Travel Guide’s Executive Vice President
of Standards & Ratings, Amanda Frasier, about what sets a Five-Star hospitality experience
apart from the rest and what’s new for 2022.
Frasier said, “Just before the pandemic hit, a big focus for us was launching sustainability
standards, but we paused releasing them.”
“We did release a set of sustainability standards for hotels in 2021, and these will be made
official in 2022, meaning they’ll be part of the scoring. We have also created a separate set
of sustainability standards for spas and restaurants that will officially become part of the
star award system in 2023.”
Read the rest of the interview here: Forbes Travel Guide’s Amanda Frasier on what makes
a Five-Star hospitality experience.
Among other topics, we know that employee wellness will be top of mind as we work to
overcome the hospitality staffing shortage, so, we spoke to Gallup’s Wellbeing Lead, Ryan
Wolf about the employee wellness trends he’s expecting to see in 2022. We’ve gathered
up some research on how spas benefit mental health, given the renewed focus on mental
wellness we’re seeing these days. And, speaking of Five-Stars, we take a look at the Five-
Star Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane and the Park Lane Spa, an escape where
guests can renew themselves and leave feeling calm, balanced and refreshed.
Finally, we’re giving you our own predictions for the wellness trends we’ll be paying close
attention to in 2022, including sustainability, adaptogens, and catching up on women’s
health, in our hospitality handbook, Seven wellness trends for 2022. We’ve also asked
several industry experts to weigh in with their thoughts. You can read those in the handbook
and also in this separate article: Spa and wellness trends for 2022 according to the experts.
I hope you enjoy reading this month’s articles in Spa Executive and they provide valuable
information to help you achieve success. And I wish you happy holidays and much joy and
success in the coming year.
About
Spa Executive:
Spa Executive is
Book4Time’s magazine
for leaders in the business
of wellness. News, views,
and interviews to help you
attract top talent, increase
customer retention, and
offer the best possible
guest experience.
The Spa
Executive
Team
Publisher
Roger Sholanki
Creative Director
Emily Moxley
Editor
Elizabeth Bromstein
Designer
Andrea Fernández
Hernández
Roger Sholanki,
CEO
Book4Time

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS
TRENDS FOR 2022
Employee wellness and wellbeing should
be top of mind right now for leaders in the
hospitality industry. Nobody should be
ignoring it or putting it off.
Staffing was already an issue before the
start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and,
heading into 2022, hotels, resorts, and spas
are facing an unprecedented worker shortage.
As the hospitality industry works
to fix the staffing crisis, employee
wellness should be top of mind.
Let’s look at some employee
wellness trends for 2022.
So, companies should be looking at any
number of potential changes to their
recruitment and retention strategies.
December 2021 Issue • p. 4

People don’t want to work in hospitality
We can’t gloss over it anymore; people don’t want
to work in hospitality.
According to Forbes, a recent survey of more than
30,000 job seekers, from Joblist, found that 60%
of job seekers would not consider working in a
restaurant, bar, hotel or other hospitality job. Of
those, 70% said nothing would convince them to
work in hospitality. Plus, 38% of former hospitality
workers said they are not even considering a
hospitality job, and only 26% said higher pay would
incentivize them to change their minds.
Fortunately, this can change. As dire as things
sound, it’s not an unsolvable problem. It will,
however, take attention, time, and financial
investment. Hurdles may be bigger in hospitality
than other industries, thanks in part to the amount
of person-to-person contact required in these
industries, but they are not insurmountable. You
only control what you can control, but that may be
a lot more than you think.
You can make employees feel valued
Companies can increase pay and workplace
flexibility. They can listen to their employees
and pay attention to people’s needs. A focus on
employee wellbeing is something everyone can
offer. Making employees feel valued is another
thing that everyone can offer.
Studies show the primary reasons employees
quit their jobs is when workplace health and
sustainability expectations go unmet and they
feel underappreciated and undervalued. And a
2020 survey by Qualtrics found that travel and
hospitality employees are the least likely out of all
industries surveyed to feel valued at work.
Focus on mental health
In a recent SWNS poll of 2,000 Americans, 57%
said they would willingly exchange supposed
perks like “free in-office food” for free mental
health resources, and six in 10 ranked health
benefits as the most important non-salary-related
factor when considering a job. Separate research
found that healthcare, sick and parental leave,
and flexible work schedules were the most valued
workplace benefits. (The specifics of these factors
and their importance depends on where people
live, as some locations, like Canada, already offer
free healthcare).
The Joblist’s report shows that these benefits are
currently a major factor in attracting employees,
with 55% of job seekers saying they would even
consider taking a lower-paying job if it offered
better benefits.
More findings include: 74% of job seekers believe
employers need to re-evaluate their benefits after
the pandemic and 43% of job seekers say benefits
are more important than financial compensation
when considering a new job.
December 2021 Issue • p. 5

Digital outreach
Technology can play a role. There’s suggestion that
tech can help keep people engaged in their own
health and employers in the loop. One example is ​
the Moodbeam, a tech wellness device that links to
a mobile phone app and web interface. The device
has two buttons, one yellow and one blue. Users
press the yellow button when they’re feeling happy,
and the blue one when they’re unhappy. The idea is
to have team members voluntarily wear the device
to increase awareness and communication.
The Moodbeam is said to be “a complete solution,
helping you map happiness across your people
and teams, driving positive change and improved
wellbeing.”
What more should one know about employee
wellbeing going into 2022?
Ryan Wolf
Physical Wellbeing Lead, Gallup
Wellbeing
and wellness
programs
are an
employmentbrand
differentiator
According to Ryan Wolf, Physical Wellbeing Lead
at Gallup, employers are looking to wellbeing “as
a solution for the great resignation.” When we
asked Wolf what employee wellness trends he’s
predicting for 2022, he said, “A continued double
down on mental health – and a greater realization
that the wellbeing and wellness programs are an
employment-brand differentiator.”
Wolf explained, “The pandemic has made mental
wellbeing a subject that doesn’t have to be danced
around anymore. It is a safe subject to discuss
and address – and employees are expecting their
manager, leaders, and employer to genuinely
care about them as a human being. Employers
who demonstrate just how much they care about
their employees will see a trickle-down effect to
customers.”
We also asked Wolf to explain how employee
wellbeing strategies contribute to employee
acquisition and retention, as well as how it affects
a business’ bottom line.
He said, “Employees want to know that all their
needs are being met. Gallup conducted a large
international study in the early 2000’s called
the World Poll to discover the differentiators
between a good life and a great life. Career, social,
financial, physical and community wellbeing were
the common elements of wellbeing identified by
world residents. Employers who can address
these elements (in conversation, through
communication, and via interventions) will boost
employee wellbeing which has downstream
effects on all the significant KPIs that business
leaders are evaluating and managing.”
Particularly in hospitality and wellness, happy
employees are key to the guest experience, upon
which revenue is entirely dependent. Those who
don’t place a premium on employee wellness and
wellbeing will almost certainly pay for it.
Employers who recognize this positive trend
of making employee experience part of their
employer brand, on the other hand, are far more
likely to thrive.
Wolf said, “We are experiencing a purpose crisis,
one fueled by a lack of fulfillment and negative
emotions. Deaths of despair, ranging from obesity
to overdosing, are higher than ever. Employers
who can integrate meaningfulness into jobs and
roles will create a workforce, a workplace, and a
balance sheet that thrives and flourishes.”
December 2021 Issue • p. 6

SEVEN WELLNESS
TRENDS FOR 2022
Consumer interest in wellness continues to grow
as we move forward into 2022, and the hospitality
industry continues to find new and innovative ways
to incorporate wellness into the guest experience.
The 18 months since the onset of the COVID-19
pandemic have been a challenge, to say the least.
But they’ve also been a learning experience and
have shaken up the industry in ways that some
would say were much needed, leading to the
adoption of new technologies, diversification of
revenue streams, and a surge in creative thinking.
From weaving holistic wellness
experiences, to caring for each
other and our planet, the biggest
wellness trends for 2022 will
straddle a line between back to
basics and cutting edge.
Last year, mental and immune health emerged as top priorities, along with sleep management and
interest in psychedelic medicine. These trends continue alongside other new developments. From
weaving holistic wellness experiences, to caring for each other and our planet, we believe the biggest
wellness trends for 2022 will straddle a line between back to basics and cutting edge.
December 2021 Issue • p. 7

Here are seven wellness trends for 2022:
Weaving wellness into the fabric of the hospitality experience
Wellness tourism will be hugely popular in the
coming year and beyond. As we know, interest
in wellness, an already booming industry, has
intensified during the pandemic, and people are
itching to travel.
In a recent survey of 2,500 people by the Wellness
Tourism Association, 84% of respondents said
they participate in wellness activities when they
travel, and 61% reported that they’re currently
planning a wellness vacation.
Industry veterans often note that when they started
in the hospitality sector, spa was an amenity or an
adjunct service offered not as an integrated part of
the hotel experience but as an add on to it. Those
days are gone.
Today, the best hospitality companies weave
wellness into the fabric of the entire guest
experience and have a true understanding
of its revenue generating power. This means
incorporating wellness into the design of buildings
and the atmosphere of guest rooms. It means
optimizing guest sleep experiences, offering
food and beverage options designed to enhance
wellbeing, and creating programs to do the same
in unique and exciting ways.
For example, Emlyn Brown, Vice President,
Wellbeing for Accor Luxury & Premium brands,
has said his goal is “to surpass the expectations
of our guests and to infuse their entire experience
with opportunities for transformative, innovative
and extraordinary moments of wellbeing.”
And, in an interview with Spa Executive about
her book, The Wellness Asset, How wellness
can transform and futureproof your hotel, global
wellness expert, Sonal Uberoi said, “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.”
Uberoi writes, “Wellness is no longer confined to a
specific activity or a physical space; real wellness
is more than a spa, a gym or a studio. The definition
of wellness is broad and involves anything that
enhances overall wellbeing. Therefore, a lot
of activities – such as horse riding, hiking in
the mountains, cooking classes and coaching
sessions, or wine tasting – that many hoteliers
are already offering their guests are essentially
wellness-related activities. Once you accept that
you can’t keep away from wellness – whether you
have an urban hotel or a resort, whether you are
budget, mid-scale or luxury – you start seeing the
immense revenue-generating opportunity in front
of you that wellness adds to your hotel offering.”
Wellness is now an integral part of the holistic,
hospitality experience. This will become even
more the case in the coming year as travel picks
up again and hotels and resorts regain their
momentum.
December 2021 Issue • p. 8

Sustainability
Sustainability is not a new trend. It has been
a major focus of conscious companies and
consumers for several years. People care deeply
about the future of the planet they’re leaving to
their children and their children’s children. The
focus on sustainability, however, shifted to more
immediate concerns during the pandemic, and
will now swing back. Case in point: Forbes Travel
Guide is implementing sustainability standards as
part of its rating system.
Amanda Frasier, Executive Vice President of
Standards & Ratings, told us in this month’s
Spotlight interview, “Just before the pandemic
hit, a big focus for us was launching sustainability
standards. We paused releasing them because it
wasn’t the right time to start evaluating people’s
performance against reduction of single use
plastics when, suddenly, everything had to be
individually wrapped because of hygiene concerns
and there were millions of masks and miniature
bottles of hand sanitizer in circulation.” She added,
“We did release a set of sustainability standards
just for hotels in 2021, and these will be made
official in 2022, meaning they’ll be part of the
scoring for Recommended and Star ratings.”
It’s what travelers want. In a poll from Virtuoso,
a global network of agencies specializing in
luxury travel, half of travelers surveyed said it’s
important to choose a hotel, cruise line, or travel
company with a strong sustainability policy, 70%
said traveling sustainably enhances their vacation
experience, and 82% said the pandemic has made
them want to travel more sustainably in future.
Also, according to a recent report from ADM,
global consumers see sustainability as a “moral
imperative,” with 47% reporting that they are
more attentive to sustainability claims now than
in the past. “This has sparked demand for ethical
production and sustainable sourcing practices
– such as regenerative agriculture and carbon
negative production to protect the food supply of
the future,” says the report.
Sustainable products, packaging, and more will
become industry standards. While recycling
programs continue, we’ll be seeing more
thoughtfully designed alternatives like bioplastics
and refillable options.
December 2021 Issue • p. 9

Adaptogens
Adaptogens have been used to treat a variety
of ailments, mostly in the Eastern world, for
thousands of years, and are sitting in the spotlight
right about now.
These edible plant substances are said to help
the body adapt to all kinds of stressors, including
physical, chemical, and biological. So, after a very
stressful and anxious couple of years, it makes
sense that they would be of great interest.
Proponents believe that “by strengthening our
internal systems, adaptogens can promote
vitality, stabilize mood and improve performance
and focus (source, Forbes).”There are dozens of
different adaptogens, including plants, herbs, and
mushrooms (mushrooms were tagged as a trend
to watch not too long ago by the Global Wellness
Institute) like, ashwagandha, holy basil, rhodiola,
reishi mushrooms, cordyceps mushrooms,
ginseng, and more. All of these have different,
specific functions, such as reduction of stress and
anxiety, and improving immune health. They can
be consumed as pills, powders, teas, or tinctures.
They are being marketed as beverages and infused
into skincare products.
According to reports, stressed consumers
seeking help for tired, irritated skin are turning to
adaptogens and therapeutic blends have found
their way into “everything from chakra-balancing
body mists to stress-relieving moisturizers for
inducing a state of zen for your skin.”
Consumer interest in adaptogens reportedly grew
55% in 2020, with online conversations around
adaptogens increasing eightfold. The market is
expected to grow significantly between now
and 2025.
Self-acceptance
In 2019 we tapped the death of “weight loss”
and body neutrality as trends to watch. We noted
the backlash against a “vicious cultural weight
stigma,” and that the weight loss and diet industries
were feeling the pressure. The body neutrality
movement, meanwhile, took things in a different
direction from the “body positivity” movement,
away from the idea that “every body is beautiful,”
and introduced the radical concept that “you don’t
need to be beautiful, and physical appearance isn’t
the most important thing in life.”
Sure enough, it’s since become more common to
see top brands using models with a range of body
types and physical appearances in marketing
campaigns, without defeating the purpose by
drawing attention to it. Then, in 2020, came the
TikTok trend of users embracing elements of their
appearance that fall outside of cultural beauty
standards like hooked noses and perpetually
flushed cheeks. Also over the past few years,
December 2021 Issue • p. 10

we’ve seen more and more women embracing
aging, rejecting hair dye and allowing their hair to
go naturally grey, and allowing wrinkles and lines
to show on their faces.
While the obsession with physical appearance
and perpetual youth will probably never go away,
user generated content is wresting control of the
narrative from the hands of the mainstream media
and more people are shutting down the voices
telling them they’re not good enough as they are.
This is good news. Low self-acceptance can
negatively impact psychological wellbeing,
disrupt emotional control, and increase stress and
anxiety. So, this move towards self-acceptance
could potentially have profoundly positive effects
on mental health and wellness.
Catching up on women’s health
“By 2025, 1.1 billion women are expected to
be postmenopausal. The space represents
$600 billion of spending opportunity but is still
largely untapped by startups and brands that
could be creating new products and services
for these women, according to data from earlystage
investing firm Female Founders Fund.” The
opportunity is huge, and investors are starting to
take note.
Support and advocacy groups have grown up all
over the world and on all kinds of platforms and
women are finally beginning to talk about the
real and sometimes very serious symptoms that
accompany these monumental milestones.
Those in the wellness industry would be smart to
pay attention to this potentially massive market.
The cohort has immense spending power and is
going to become more self-aware and assured.
It’s only recently that women’s health has gotten
the attention it deserves. For far too long women
were told that their real, physical ailments were
psychological or psychosomatic. Reproductive
health was swept under the carpet, menstruation
was fine, as long as you could do it while
horseback riding on a beach and wearing white,
and miscarriages, infertility and pregnancy loss
were among the worst of conversational taboos.
Meanwhile, perimenopause, which can cause
debilitating symptoms like memory loss, verbal
aphasia, insomnia, joint pain, anxiety attacks, hair
loss, migraines, headaches, night sweats, weight
gain, and mood swings, didn’t even exist.
Recently, the pearl clutching around reproductive
health has loosened, market interest has grown
substantially. Femtech startups and venture
capitalists have focused mainly on these areas,
but more recently, even perimenopause and
menopause have earned a place at the health
and wellness table, and companies are looking to
these are areas ripe for innovation.
December 2021 Issue • p. 11

Employee wellness
Hospitality is in a staffing crisis right now, and
employee wellness and wellbeing should be top
of mind. Nobody should be ignoring it or putting
it off.
Staffing was an issue before 2020, and now,
thanks to the pandemic, hotels, resorts, and spas
are facing an unprecedented worker shortage as
we head into 2022.
People don’t want to work in hospitality, and we
can’t gloss over that fact any longer. A recent
survey of more than 30,000 job seekers found that
60% of job seekers would not consider working in
a restaurant, bar, hotel or other hospitality job. Of
those, 70% said nothing would convince them to
work in hospitality. Plus, 38% of former hospitality
workers said they are not even considering a
hospitality job, and only 26% said higher pay would
incentivize them to change their minds.
As dire as this sounds, it’s not too late to change.
If hospitality companies sit up and pay attention
to their employee needs, the problem may still be
solved. Pay increases, better benefits, increased
worker flexibility, and attention to employee
wellness are all potential pieces of the puzzle. In
a recent SWNS poll of 2,000 Americans, 57% said
they would willingly exchange supposed perks
like “free in-office food” for free mental health
resources.
Studies show the primary reasons employees
quit their jobs are workplace health and
sustainability expectations going unmet and
feeling underappreciated and undervalued. And
a 2020 survey by Qualtrics found that travel and
hospitality employees are the least likely out of
all industries surveyed to feel valued at work.
Hospitality workers in customer-facing positions,
or who work in close contact with others, are at
greater risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus,
while short-staffed employers are putting them at
risk of burnout.
In 2022, hospitality leaders will be putting more
thought and effort into employee wellbeing, which
will go a long way towards improving worker
acquisition and retention.
Financial wellness programs can also help team
members feel in control of their finances and
their lives. And technology, like stress and mood
tracking wearables, can play a role in keeping
people engaged in their own health and employers
in the loop.
Wellbeing and wellness programs will become
important employment-brand differentiators as
hospitality leaders work towards ramping back up
to full operational capacity in 2022.
Beyond the massage
Recent events have inspired people in the hospitality
and wellness industries to think beyond the typical
wellness offerings -- like massages, saunas, steam
baths, body scrubs, and facial treatments - and
into a broader realm of possibilities. While the spa
and wellness world has always offered adjunct
and experimental treatments, it looks like now
is the time for these innovative and sometimes
experimental offerings to shine.
From touchless therapies and experiences, like
meditation pods, isolation tanks, and sound baths,
to treatment add-ons, and beyond.
December 2021 Issue • p. 12

For example:
Benjamin Donat
Spa Director at Fairmont Austin
Benjamin Donat, Spa Director at Fairmont Austin, says,
“The run on massages is still high but we have more
questions from guests about how they can enhance the
service. Percussion therapy is in high demand as it will
enhance the experience in a short amount of time. So,
we can have results and relaxation at the same time.”
And, in a recent Spotlight Interview, when asked what trends or
developments she’s excited about, Marriott International’s Senior
Corporate Director of Spa Operations, Suzanne Holbrook, told us:
“I’m excited about the future of wellness. The pandemic has highlighted
the need to live a healthier life, physically and mentally. Awareness on the
benefits of sleep, mental health, meditation, breath work and physical
activity will continue to grow. Wellness Technology is exploding, health
tracking wearable devices, mattresses that sense your health patterns,
meditation chairs, skin mapping. Touchless therapy such as float tanks,
LED treatments, even IV therapy will allow offerings as staffing issues
become more challenging.
“Touch therapy (massage, facials, etc.) will always be important to the
consumer, and will remain a high percentage of the business, but there
are many other offerings we are starting to see.”
Suzanne Holbrook
Senior Corporate Director of
Spa Operations at Marriott
International
Four Seasons Maui at Wailea, meanwhile, is an example of integrating next
gen wellness into the spa experience.
Spa Director, Pat Makozak, told us in her Spotlight Interview, “We recently
partnered with a revolutionary health optimization center called Next|Health
to create a program of exclusive, tailor-made offerings for travellers seeking
an upgraded spa experience.
Pat Makozak
Spa Director at Four Seasons
Resort Maui at Wailea
Guests now have access to amazing, cutting edge options like Next-Level
NAD+ IV, customized IV therapy treatments, vitamin shots, and biomarker
testing. They can give you all kinds of information about what’s going on
with your health. They do stem cell therapy, ozone therapy, cryotherapy. It’s
amazing that we found them. What they offer makes it possible for people to
take our health back into our own hands.”
December 2021 Issue • p. 13

RESEARCH ROUNDUP:
HOW SPAS BENEFIT
MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health has been a hot topic
for some time now. Where do spas
fit in? Let’s take a look at how spas
benefit mental health.
People have been talking about mental health and
wellbeing as a wellness trend for a few years now.
And in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s
become more important than ever to recognize
and promote spa treatments as a means of
addressing issues associated with mental health.
Chronic pain, stress, and mental health disorders
are common, and there are cross relationships
between these conditions.
Many studies suggest a considerable association
between chronic pain and depression. “In addition
to depression, anxiety, and substance use
disorders, individuals with chronic pain are at risk
of other mental health problems.”
December 2021 Issue • p. 14

Stress, meanwhile, is also linked to mental health
disorders, as well as to negative physiological
health outcomes, including heart disease, diabetes,
and infectious diseases. Research conducted
at Carnegie Mellon University found that chronic
psychological stress is connected to loss of ability
to regulate the inflammatory response, which may
promote the development and progression of
disease.
It stands to reason that if one can find relief from
any one condition, there’s a good chance this will
positively impact related conditions.
We know that spa treatments, including massage,
thermal bathing, and sauna can have significant
positive impacts on stress and pain. Let’s take a
look at the research related to their direct impact
on mental health and wellbeing.
Massage
Massage dates back to at least 3000 BCE in India,
where it is said to have been used as an Ayurvedic
treatment and believed to restore the body’s
natural and physical balance, allowing for natural
healing. And the American Massage Therapy
Association (AMTA) states that massage therapy
as an occupation dates back to the 1700s, where
forerunners of today’s massage therapists were
called “rubbers”.
“Rubbers were experts in treating orthopedic
problems with manual rubbing and friction.”
Also according to the AMTA, massage therapy
has multiple mental health benefits. Research has
found that massage therapy can reduce anxiety
associated with a number of conditions, including
cancer, chronic pain and psychiatric disorders.
Massage therapy is also correlated with reduced
anxiety before and after surgery.
More findings include:
• Massage therapy can reduce symptoms of
depression for individuals with HIV.
• Back massage given during chemotherapy was
associated with significantly reduced anxiety
and acute fatigue.
• Military veterans reported significant
reductions in anxiety, worry, depression and
physical pain after massage, as well as lower
levels of tension and irritability.
• Massage for nurses during work hours is
associated with reduced stress and related
symptoms, including headaches, shoulder
tension, insomnia, fatigue and muscle and
joint pain.
A review of studies also found that massage was
associated with significant decreases in levels of
the stress hormone cortisol, averaging 31%, and
with increases of the neurotransmitters serotonin
(28%) and dopamine (31%), both of which
contribute to feelings of happiness and wellbeing.
The authors wrote, “These studies combined
suggest the stress-alleviating effects (decreased
cortisol) and the activating effects (increased
serotonin and dopamine) of massage therapy
on a variety of medical conditions and stressful
experiences.”
Finally, study subjects who underwent Swedish
massage twice a week experienced decreases
in cortisol levels and increases in oxytocin
levels. Researchers also found slight evidence of
increased white blood cell counts.
December 2021 Issue • p. 15

Sauna
Saunas have been around for thousands of years.
The exact origin is unknown, but today these hot
houses are generally associated with Northern
Europe, particularly Finland, where there are an
estimated 2 million saunas for a population of 5.3
million people.
The act of just sitting in the sauna may also
contribute to mental health benefits due to its
potential to be used as time for meditation
and relaxation.
According to the US News & World Report, an
Alternative Medicine Review found that sauna
therapy can help ease mild depression and fatigue
and has been linked to improved emotional
balance in those with anorexia nervosa.
Another study noted that sauna bathing has
numerous health benefits including the promotion
of mental well-being and relaxation, and also
found that sauna bathing was strongly associated
with a reduced risk of psychotic disorders.
The authors wrote, “These new findings add to
emerging evidence that frequent sauna therapy
could reduce the risk of several acute and chronic
health conditions.”
More findings:
• Frequent sauna bathing can reduce the risk of
dementia in men. Men who went to the sauna
four to seven times a week were 66% less likely
to be diagnosed with dementia, and 65% less
likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease,
than those taking a sauna once a week.
• Sauna use elicits a multitude of beneficial
health effects, including improved sleep and
mood-boosting benefits. “Researchers treated
patients with major depressive disorder with
heat so that their core body temperature
reached temperatures equivalent to those
experienced with sauna use. Following just
one treatment session, subjects experienced
elevations in mood that lasted for several
weeks.”
December 2021 Issue • p. 16

Thermal bathing
People have been taking the spring and sea waters for healing purposes for millennia. The practice
is said to date back to at least the times of the ancient Greeks, who considered bathing a treatment
against diseases. The Romans, influenced by the Greeks, built thermal baths at mineral and thermal
springs where wounded soldiers – and everyone else – would go for rest and recuperation.
Taking the warm waters in a spring or spa bath may have a range of mental health benefits. These have
been shown to include decreases in self-reported levels of depression and anxiety, and improved sleep.
More findings:
• Balneotherapy (BT) (bathing in mineral springs) is beneficial for stress and
fatigue reduction in comparison with music therapy or no therapy. Study
authors concluded that geothermal water baths have a potential as an
efficient approach to diminish stress caused by working or living conditions.
• Spa bathing is associated with reduced levels of salivary stress markers,
cortisol and chromogranin, an effect that was more pronounced in people
with higher levels of stress.
• Immersion bathing was associated with better outcomes for fatigue, stress,
and pain, as well as significantly better general health, and mental health
scores compared with showering.
• Hot springs bathing has a positive impact on chronic pain and musculoskeletal
conditions, which will have a positive impact on mood and stress levels.
• Bathing in geothermal mineral water was associated with improvements
in anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and stress. Review authors stated that
this has implications for the use of BT as a valid complementary therapy for
people with mental health conditions.
• Hot baths may improve depression as much as physical exercise. Afternoon
baths just twice a week produced a moderate but persistent lift to mood,
the size of which was similar to that seen with physical exercise, which is a
recommended therapy for mild or moderate depression.
• As the conversation around mental health continues, knowing how we can
contribute will help us move it forward.
December 2021 Issue • p. 17

FEATURED PROPERTY:
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL
LONDON AT PARK LANE
Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane sits
in London’s exclusive Mayfair Neighborhood,
surrounded by the UK capital’s greenery and
most coveted shopping streets. Just steps
away from the famous sights of London,
the hotel is a sophisticated combination of
award-winning design, luxury, and comfort.
Just steps away from the famous
sights of London, the Four Seasons
Hotel London at Park Lane is a
sophisticated combination of
award-winning design, luxury,
and comfort.
Both the art-deco hotel, which reopened in
August, 2020, after an extensive renovation,
and the spa at Four Seasons Hotel London at
Park Lane have been awarded Five-Stars by
Forbes Travel Guide (FTG). According to FTG,
“Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane
offers a glamorous setting and some of the
city’s most polished service.”
December 2021 Issue • p. 18

Guest rooms offer sophisticated neutral palettes and updated technology, and many have private
balconies overlooking Green Park, while the lobby features glittering chandeliers and a coral red piano.
The posh tenth floor arrival lounge offers gorgeous views of Big Ben and the London Eye, showers (for
those who arrive before check-in), and refreshments.
The hotel is renowned for excellent service, and the primary goal is to ensure the comfort of guests.
The Park Lane Spa
The rooftop Park Lane Spa is a place to leave
the stress of daily life, and the bustle of the
big city, behind. Bathed in natural light, with
floor-to-ceiling windows, the spa is an escape
where guests can renew themselves and leave
feeling calm, balanced and refreshed.
December 2021 Issue • p. 19

The Spa has been using Book4Time software
since 2018. It was implemented by Spa
Director, Taffryn Ellis, to replace a legacy
system that wasn’t meeting the spa’s needs
and was slow and difficult to use. She said in a
case study interview, “Even if they love being in
the center of the action, our guests come here
to step out of the fast lane, however briefly.
That means we have a constant influx of
people who we want to make as comfortable
as possible as quickly as possible, so our
staff needs to have a fast and easy system to
enable that.”
Today, she says, “Book4Time is the foundation
for most of what we do at the spa,” and is
used for checking in and checking out guests,
booking treatments, quickly determining
occupancy rates at any given point in time,
managing gift cards, verifying inventory, and
more. Among the capabilities Ellis praises are
Book4Time’s reports, customer support, and
performance management capabilities.
She said, “One of the most exciting features is
customer notes. It can be difficult to provide
personal touches that make a guest feel
special in such a fast-paced environment.
Any staff member can leave notes in
Book4Time, allowing therapists to create a
more personalized experience for guests.
For example, if someone prefers a particular
scent or tea, we can note that preference
and immediately offer what they like during
their next visit. This attention goes a long
way to making people comfortable, and no
one has to remember a thing. Personalized
attention goes a long way to making people
comfortable in a busy environment.”
The Spa at Park Lane features nine treatment
rooms, centralized wet areas, vitality pool,
rain shower, herbal steam room, a sauna with
a window overlooking the city, and a fireplace
area.
Led by Ellis, The Spa at Park Lane will curate your
wellness experience, taking you through the doors
of their Five-Star Spa and continuing your health
journey at home with a tailor-made lifestyle plan.
Packages include personal virtual consultations
and a new range of solution-driven treatments
in collaboration with British brand The Organic
Pharmacy. Each experience targets one of three
key wellness elements: immunity, sleep and detox.
December 2021 Issue • p. 20

Stand out items on the incredible menu of massages, facial treatments, body treatments, and
packages, include:
BLACK PEARL 24K GOLDEN SPLENDOUR
“The ultimate luxury experience for both the face and body. Following a full body exfoliation,
you are cocooned in a 24 carat gold wrap, massaged with gold body oil, body butter, and given a
pectin face mask. Within this treatment, rejuvenating minerals, hyaluronic acid, vitamins and 24
carat gold are utilized to minimize signs of aging for the face and body.”
SPA AND CHAMPAGNE AFTERNOON TEA
“Enjoy a welcome drink on arrival followed by a one-hour relaxation session as you flow between
the vitality pool, salt-wall sauna, steam room and fireplace area, where you will be picked up by
your spa therapist for an indulgent two-hour treatment with a personalized combination of facial,
massage and exfoliation. Follow with Champagne Tea at Amaranto [the hotel restaurant].”
December 2021 Issue • p. 21

SPA TECH TRENDS FOR 2022:
DRIVING SIMPLICITY
AND SUSTAINABILITY
Now that we’ve been living with
the changes we’ve had to make
for some time, we’re adapting to
a new way of being and realizing
that some of them will be
permanent, or at least long lived.
By Roger Sholanki,
CEO, Book4Time
December 2021 Issue • p. 23

As we look into the new year, I see good
developments on the horizon. There will be a trend
towards adopting more digital technologies to
simplify processes, enhance the guest experience,
save time and money, and facilitate sustainability
initiatives.
Sustainability is one of the biggest trends we’ll see
in 2022. A lot of efforts related to sustainability
were put on hold over the past two years because
of the pandemic and the sudden ubiquity of
disposable masks, hand sanitizer bottles, and
individually packaged items. Now that we’ve been
living with the changes we’ve had to make for
some time, we’re adapting to a new way of being
and realizing that some of them will be permanent,
or at least long lived.
This means reinstating some of the elements
that were put on hold. In her Spotlight interview
this month, Amanda Frasier, Forbes Travel Guide’s
(FTG) Executive Vice President of Standards &
Ratings, talked about the fact that FTG removed
the requirement for a hotel or spa to offer a buffet
service during the pandemic as a concession to
health and safety concerns. Now, she says, FTG
is bringing that requirement back because it’s
an enhancement to the guest experience, but is
rewriting it with some modifications that better suit
how people now think about communal buffets.
Similarly, sustainability initiatives may look
different in a year or two than they do now, and
we don’t yet know what this might mean. We do
know, however, that some of the practices that
were introduced out of necessity will remain in
place, and that these serve to enhance both health
and safety and sustainability. Virtual intake forms,
online booking, and contactless check-in, checkout,
and payments, for example, help reduce
shared touchpoints and paper waste.
December 2021 Issue • p. 24

Going paperless will soon be considered a
standard best practice, and this will also include QR
codes and digital menus. The entire contactless
experience that we’ve been talking about will
have a life of its own and new meaning in terms
of consumer experience. Guests will choose their
services, book online, and fill out forms before they
even set foot in the spa, and when they physically
arrive, they will check in on their devices and the
devices will advise them where to go and what
procedures to follow.
Digital technology will continue to drive more
efficiencies, and the way that spas interact
with customers will evolve. This has the added
bonus of alleviating some of the stress spas are
experiencing these days from being limited on
staff. Existing staff will be more able to focus
more on high value services and less on tasks that
require being behind the computer.
Digital tech will also facilitate cancellation policies
and allow spas to collect customer credit card
information in a secure fashion online, without
having to provide this over the phone, which can
have an element of risk.
It’s exciting that we have these technologies
available to help us create life changing guest
experiences and ease the pressure on our teams
and ourselves. People taking full advantage of the
things that can make life easier and better is one
trend I hope to see a lot more of.
December 2021 Issue • p. 25

FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE’S
AMANDA FRASIER ON
WHAT MAKES A FIVE-STAR
HOSPITALITY EXPERIENCE
Forbes Travel Guide’s Executive Vice
President of Standards & Ratings,
Amanda Frasier, talks about
what sets a Five-Star hospitality
experience apart from the rest.
Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) is the global
authority on luxury hospitality. Since
its beginnings as Mobil Travel Guide
in 1958, FTG has grown to operate in
72 countries, and its coveted annual
Star Rating system has become the
gold standard against which all luxury
travel is measured. FTG’s professional
inspectors travel incognito to assess
hotels, restaurants, and spas based
on 900 objective standards that
determine the ratings.
December 2021 Issue • p. 26

As Forbes Travel Guide’s Executive Vice President of Standards & Ratings, Amanda Frasier oversees all
global expansion plans and is in charge of maintaining the overall integrity of the evaluation process.
Ms. Frasier serves as chairman of the Forbes Travel Guide Standards Advisory Committee and directs
the continual refinement of Forbes Travel Guide’s service and facility standards. She also spearheads
the production of the For bes Travel Guide Luxury Summit, which serves as the official annual celebration
of the Star Award winners.
Earning FTG’s Five-Star award is probably the dream of every hospitality leader. So, we spoke with Ms.
Frasier about what sets a Five-Star hospitality experience apart from the rest, and how Forbes Travel
Guide’s standards and ratings have changed over the past couple of years.
Tell us about your career and how you came to be in this role.
I was bitten by the travel bug as a teenager, while
on a family holiday to Greece. I fell in love with the
experience and thought to myself that somehow,
some way, I wanted to work in the travel industry.
I did a travel and tourism course in school, but
I realized quickly that college was not for me.
I wanted to get out there. So, I got a job as a
housekeeper in a small country house hotel in
England. And, once I was in, there was no going
back. I didn’t want to do anything else. I worked
in several hotels and held various different jobs,
moving up through the front office.
Then, in 2005, Mobil Travel Guide, (what Forbes
Travel Guide was called at the time) was embarking
on its consulting business, which we’re well known
for today. The hotel where I was working received
this literature, and I thought it was phenomenal
that this business, which was well known for star
rating properties, and that had been very opaque
about their system, was becoming transparent to
help support hotels, restaurants, and spas through
their journey of service improvement. I wanted to
be a part of that. So, I wrote in asking for a job and
was fortunate to be offered a position. I started
as an incognito inspector, worked my way through
the company, and now I oversee standards and
ratings. I’ve been with Forbes Travel Guide for
nearly 16 years.
December 2021 Issue • p. 27

What does your job entail?
My key responsibility is to uphold the integrity
of our business, to make sure that the way the
standards are written and applied, and the whole
process from A through Z, is executed with the
highest level of integrity.
Can you talk about the elements
necessary for attaining Forbes Travel
Guide stars?
levels from trip to trip, whether you go every year
or every five years, but also that, over the course of
a few days, when our inspectors visit, everything
is consistent within itself.The act of just sitting in
the sauna may also contribute to mental health
benefits due to its potential to be used as time for
meditation and relaxation.
How have things changed
since 2020?
I think there are three key elements for a hotel
to earn a star award or to rise to the top. One is
hiring practices. If you are committed to delivering
a particular experience and you want your staff to
embody that, you have to look for those qualities
when you’re hiring.
Seventy-five percent of our award is focused on
service and how the staff make the guest feel;
what they say, what they do, how they make things
feel personal and unique, if they are gracious and
intuitive. Unlike processes and procedures, those
are qualities you can’t necessarily teach. They are
kind of in you or they’re not. So, looking for the
qualities that you want in the experience when
hiring is a really important part.
The second key differentiator in properties that
rise to the top is that everyone is on the same page,
communicating, and working together, including
the staff, the owners, and the managers.
The third element is consistency. The best hotels
in the world have very little difference in all the data
points that we assess. It’s not just that a guest can
stay at a particular hotel and the experience feels
similar and very equivalent in terms of service
In 2020, we actually declared that we were going
to stop our star rating process, but we didn’t stop
100% because there were still destinations open
and thriving in 2020. They’d been working hard,
they were busy, they were ready to be evaluated.
So, we ended up having a very light announcement
at the end of 2020. Now, we’re back on the road
again in full force.
During the pandemic we saw a lot of hotels figuring
out how to combine health and safety regulations
with still trying to give the best experience possible.
And, that was clearly a struggle.
Some elements dropped off. Graciousness and
service did drop off a bit. It was still very strong at
the Five-Star level, but it did go down. Cleanliness
also dropped off, which was surprising to us
because of all the regulations around it. But, we’re
starting to see all those performance points climb
back up to almost pre pandemic levels, which is
very encouraging.
We made a lot of concessions during the pandemic,
and now that I think we’re seeing the end, there are
not going to be any more concessions. But we have
made changes. For example, most hotels and spas
December 2021 Issue • p. 28

stopped offering buffet service, and we removed
that requirement as a concession; if you’re not
doing it because of health regulations, you’re not
going to get penalized for it. We’re now bringing
that back because that’s an enhancement to the
guest experience, but rewriting the requirement
with some modifications that better suit how
people think about communal buffets now.
How have things changed
since 2020?
In 2020, we actually declared that we were going
to stop our star rating process, but we didn’t stop
100% because there were still destinations open
and thriving in 2020. They’d been working hard,
they were busy, they were ready to be evaluated.
So, we ended up having a very light announcement
at the end of 2020. Now, we’re back on the road
again in full force.
doing it because of health regulations, you’re not
going to get penalized for it. We’re now bringing
that back because that’s an enhancement to the
guest experience, but rewriting the requirement
with some modifications that better suit how
people think about communal buffets now.
During the pandemic we saw a lot of hotels figuring
out how to combine health and safety regulations
with still trying to give the best experience possible.
And, that was clearly a struggle.
Some elements dropped off. Graciousness and
service did drop off a bit. It was still very strong at
the Five-Star level, but it did go down. Cleanliness
also dropped off, which was surprising to us
because of all the regulations around it. But, we’re
starting to see all those performance points climb
back up to almost pre pandemic levels, which is
very encouraging.
We made a lot of concessions during the pandemic,
and now that I think we’re seeing the end, there are
not going to be any more concessions. But we have
made changes. For example, most hotels and spas
stopped offering buffet service, and we removed
that requirement as a concession; if you’re not
December 2021 Issue • p. 29

Are you focusing on new or different
things for 2022?
Definitely. Just before the pandemic hit, a big focus
for us was launching sustainability standards. We
paused releasing them because it wasn’t the right
time to start evaluating people’s performance
against reduction of single use plastics when
everything had to be individually wrapped and
there were millions of masks and miniature bottles
of hand sanitizer in circulation.
We did release a set of sustainability standards
for hotels in 2021, and these will be made official
in 2022, meaning they’ll be part of the scoring. We
have also created a separate set of sustainability
standards for spas and restaurants that will
officially become part of the star award system in
2023.
What makes a great guest experience?
Sometimes the most simple things are what
makes the best experience. Yes, it’s lovely to
offer champagne and flowers, and acknowledge
birthdays, and it’s important to make sure guests
have everything at their fingertips. But, sometimes
you have to think small to be the most impressive.
I think the best guest experiences are the ones that
are genuine and naturally intuitive, where you get
the sense that the staff have listened to you and
have understood what you need and responded
accordingly. It’s that nice balance between a
conversation and hard work.
Can you share a story about a time
you were wildly impressed?
Does having a spa or wellness
experience in a hotel improve your
Star Rating?
Yes. But it’s not just about having a spa and
checking the wellness box. For us, it’s important
that a property embraces enhancing guest
wellbeing across its hotel areas: the restaurant,
the spa, the activities, the scent of the space, and
the sleep experience, for example. Sleep is a big
factor in our rating, everything from the quality of
the bed to convenient ways to black out the light
from your room, so that you can completely have
a restful night’s sleep.
I can, and you’ll probably think, “Oh my gosh, well,
that’s so simple.” Because it is. I was staying in a
hotel and had left a gratuity for my housekeeping
attendant, because I always do, and then I left my
room. When I came back later in the afternoon,
there was a note from the housekeeper that
said, “Ms. Frasier, thank you for the blessings.
Have a lovely day.” The fact that somebody that
worked for the hotel had taken the time to write
that and to share that mutual kind of respect and
acknowledgement was something that has stuck
with me.
Nobody had necessarily told that young man or
young woman to do that, but they wanted to do it.
That to me was an impressive element that spoke
volumes about that hotel’s culture and the staff.
The things that stick with me the most are always
the things that are unexpected and that come
from the heart.
December 2021 Issue • p. 30

SPA AND WELLNESS TRENDS
FOR 2022 ACCORDING TO THE
EXPERTS
It’s time to look into 2022 and speak to some of our illustrious industry experts about the
trends and developments they’re excited about for 2022.
It’s been a crazy couple of years for the spa, wellness, and hospitality industries. We’ve
been disrupted, we’ve pivoted, we’ve struggled and we’ve seen some incredible innovative
ideas and business developments come out of it all.
What’s in store for 2022? Nobody knows for sure! But we can make educated predictions
and that’s what we’ve asked some of our favorite thought leaders to do.
Here’s what they had to say.
December 2021 Issue • p. 31

"We’re seeing more interesting trends towards working
with micro-influencers and growing the local market, as
well as creating “Instagramable” signature treatments,
like a gold facial that will make a perfect picture and
also create a luxury experience that shows results. We
are also having great success with local skincare lines
and vegan facials. Guests are more aware than ever and
are asking educated questions about what touches their
face and body, so we have vegan options for face and
body from a great line right here in Austin.
Benjamin Donat
Spa Director, Fairmont Austin
"The run on massages is still high but we have
more questions from guests about how they can
enhance the service. Percussion therapy is in high
demand, especially with our convention guests who want
to get the most out of their time, as they have to be back in
a meeting shortly after. The integration of the percussion
therapy gives them the opportunity to have a deep tissue
experience while having a relaxing massage, all in one."
"Creating communal wellness opportunities within spa
and fitness is definitely on trend for 2022. Social
connection is healthier than social distance. At AWANA
Spa & Wellness we have blended elements of a traditional
European sauna experience with Las Vegas’ live
entertainment in the Art of the Aufguss. I like to call
this experience “wellness theatre in the round.” The
experience is transformative, entertaining and
memorable. This is the future of sweat culture. The
traditional healing comes from the heat and
aromatherapy. The community connection is
enhanced by the choreographed music, lighting, and
dancing of the saunameister. In the sauna setting,
guests experience the phases of cleansing, healing and
gratitude.
"Hot/Cold Contrast therapy is also gaining momentum
as a healing practice. Contrast therapy, especially frigid
cold plunges and cold showers has proven to benefit
physical and mental health, and to support the well-being
of those under physical or mental stress. I have seen
local studios popping up, inspired by leading cold
therapy expert, Wim Hof. We offer a cold plunge pool and
a Rain Walk with multi-sensory cold rinse options and an
excellent post heated sauna session.
Jennifer Lynn
Spa Director, Resorts World
Las Vegas
December 2021 Issue • p. 32

"Sustainability is still on trend and is something that requires
singular focus. I encourage all hospitality leaders that read this
article to implement just one new sustainable initiative this year.
As a leader, you have the ability to craft and encourage how
guests experience sustainability in a hospitality setting. Try to
go single use plastic free or simply enact ways to reduce
consumption of single use water bottles, work with sustainable
manufacturers, reduce your laundry usage. Simplicity can make
an impact."
Sal Capizzi
Solutions Specialist Book4Time, Digital
Marketing Specialist, Spa Executive
"Immune health is going to be huge for 2022 and beyond.
The pandemic opened a lot of people’s eyes to the
importance of taking care of their bodies and some of
the functions we often take for granted, like our
immune systems. At the beginning of the pandemic
people started stockpiling vitamin C, vitamin D, and other
supplements. Fast forward two years later and these
supplements have become part of people’s daily lives,
because they realized their overall wellbeing had
improved. This also spurred people to investigate
things like vitamin IV drips and genetic tests to see which
nutrients their body was deficient in. We have seen a
huge uptick in this trend as people now realize that health
is wealth.
"People are also taking care of their mental health
more than ever, and mood care will explode in 2022.
We have dismantled the stigma around seeing a therapist
or mental health counselor. People are realizing that
sometimes a neutral party can give us guidance or help
us see things that a friend or family member cannot.
People are taking more non-traditional routes, both in
their personal and professional lives, if it means they
aren’t going to feel like they are in a state of disarray
or misery. People have discovered that if they feel good
physically and mentally, they can show their families and
employers a much better, and more productive, version of
themselves.
"Finally, placing experiences over materialism is hands
down something that I am excited about for the future.
In 2021 people left their homes in droves to travel to
new regions of the world, something that we often
took for granted"
December 2021 Issue • p. 33

People are seeking wellness more than ever, but with a
conscience, and they are looking for a story behind each
spa experience. They want to know all the benefits of the
products, where the ingredients come from, and what the
impact of using them will be.
We are creating a healing spa menu with natural services
“km0” where the client can experience the fresh ingredients
and see where they are coming from. They can see the
process of preparation of the treatment and know the
details of the product. Through a video, they can see the
local community collecting the product on the farm, in the
raw earth. This connects us to the local community and
allows people to see the impact of supporting the local
economy.
I think it’s very special when you know how you can help
a community by purchasing a conscious spa experience
with a sustainable and inspiring story behind it. There are
multiple benefits. You support local development and the
environment, while receiving a natural healing experience
that your body will thank you for.
Arabelle del Pilar
Rosario
Spa & Wellness Director,
Melia Hotels International
Dominican Republic
December 2021 Issue • p. 34

Spa Executive
FOR LEADERS IN THE BUSINESS OF WELLNESS
ADVERTISE WITH US
CONTACT SAL CAPIZZI FOR MORE INFORMATION
SCAPIZZI@SPAEXECUTIVE.COM
info@spaexecutive.com | www.spaexecutive.com
December 2021 Issue • p. 35