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Developing Quality Criteria for Spa and Wellness Hotels: the Case of
Estonia
Heli Tooman
Pärnu College, University of Tartu, Estonia
heli.tooman@ut.ee
Tiina Viin
Pärnu College, University of Tartu, Estonia
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to give an overview of the process of development of the
categorisation system for Estonian spa and wellness hotels. The categorisation system has
been developed on the basis of the experience of several other countries and organizations,
also the results of thorough research, mapping and analysis of Estonian spa hotels and the
services provided. The need for the research arose, on the one hand, by the appearance of
several new hotels to the Estonian hotel market who started to market themselves as a spa
and/or wellness hotel without having sufficient respective services and conditions, and on the
other hand by the growing need to communicate to visitors clear messages concerning the
specific features and quality of spa hotels. There is no common internationally recognised and
accepted categorisation system for spa hotels all over the world but such systems have been
developed and introduced by several countries and organisations.
As the terms ”spa” and ”wellness” have become undefined and unregulated catchwords which
are often misleading, the Estonian Spa Association adopted a decision in 2006 to launch a
project for the development of classification and categorisation criteria for Estonian spa
hotels. The initial survey was conducted in 2006 among all fifteen spa hotels which belong to
the Estonian Spa Association, and the repeat survey was conducted in 2009 among 10 spas.
The purpose of the surveys was to identify objective information as a basis for the
classification of spa hotels and for the development of the respective categorisation system
which follows internationally recognised concepts. The research tasks consisted in thorough
mapping of the services and conditions of Estonian spa hotels, analysis of results and
development of a system for the classification and categorisation of spa hotels. The research
method applied was a survey in the form of a questionnaire. The respective questionnaire was
developed by the Pärnu College of the University of Tartu and the survey was conducted in
cooperation with the Estonian Spa Association.
As a result of the first survey, classification of spa hotels into three categories was suggested:
medical spa hotels, spa hotels and wellness spa hotels. First, the categorisation criteria for
medical spa hotels were developed. By now the system of categories of medical spa hotels has
been implemented. On the basis of the results of the second survey, categorisation criteria will
be developed for spa hotels and wellness spa hotels in 2010. Assessment of conformity with
the respective categorisation criteria will hopefully start in the same year, 2010. A spa hotel
applying for a category has to conform to the categorisation criteria applicable to hotels in
Estonia and in addition also to requirements established to spa facilities and services.
Key words: quality criteria, spa and wellness hotels.