Spa it Up! - 5 Trends & Techniques


As with fashion or jewelry, spas are an ever-developing industry. Stay abreast with these 5 trends, stay effective...

By: Dr Rashmi Ambastha, Spa Director, Quan Spa – JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu

Posted on: April 28, 2015

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The Spa industry is witnessing tremendous growth over the years. In order to cater to the needs of customers belonging to different age demographics, and travelers, whether business or leisure, the spa industry has been undergoing revolutionary changes. Going to a spa is no more considered a luxury, it has become an essential part of life to achieve and maintain holistic balance.

Today, spas have become as essential as a fine dining restaurant in a five-star hotel. Going to a spa has become more convenient as we have different kinds of spas, from day spas to hotel spas, in most of the cities. 

As spas evolve, it is imperative to be abreast with the latest trends in the market to be at the top of the game, both in terms of business and guest satisfaction. And if you are a guest, well, you need to know if you are getting a good deal or not! Here are 5 trends that are defining the Indian Spa industry.

Express spa
Treatments under this category are designed primarily for guests who are busy executives and do not have enough time. These therapies range from 20-30 minutes and mostly focus on areas of the body where the highest amount of stress is accumulated, e.g. neck and shoulders, back, feet, around the eyes, etc. These quick escapes work very well in airport spas and business hotel spas.

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Welcome spa ritual on arrival
More and more resorts and destination spas have introduced the welcome spa ritual for their guests when they arrive. The welcome spa treatment helps the customer relax, have a positive state of mind and acts as a refreshing beginning to their stay. It is also a great way to connect with your customers and show them that you care for their holistic wellbeing. The experience may include a complimentary 15 minutes foot massage or foot ritual, or a 20 minute Jetlag recovery to name a few to combat the stresses of their travel.

This also works positively for the spa business as it gives a small snapshot to the guests of the service standards at the spa and they may go back to experience longer duration treatments.

24 hour spas
Hotel spas are now available round the clock. They are open 24 hours to be available for guests who stay overnight, lay over guests and guests who are jet lagged and need immediate spa treatment as soon as they check in, or may want to prepare themselves for long flights post checkout.

Indigenous signature therapies
One section of the spa menu is slowly becoming dedicated to feature indigenous signature experiences. These treatments are exclusive for respective spas and mostly ingredients used for the treatments are locally available and organic, or sometimes it can be the treatment type which is evolved from that location and is featured as signature treatment. An example is Ayurvedic therapies in Kerala. This is the best way to craft a memorable experience for guests who would come back to have that exclusive experience again. It also gives a chance to the traveller to enjoy authentic ingredients and treatments of the particular location.

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Day Spa Retreats
Special spa packages are an inventive creation to provide a few hours of solace from the daily schedule and are focused on non-hotel guests in many hotels. The experiences are designed putting together a healthy cuisine option or wellness activity or sometimes both with spa therapies. This also works well for spa businesses by attracting non-resident guests to hotel spas. 

With increased awareness about holistic health and wellness in current and future generations, we can expect to see more spa trends to meet the demands of the ever-evolving and demanding spa goers.

 

dr rashmi ambastha jw marriott mumbai quan spaDr. Rashmi Ambastha holds 10 years of spa and fitness experience. Before making her way to JW Marriott Mumbai, she has been associated with various prestigious hotels like The Leela, Trident and The Oberoi Group. Her key areas of expertise include pre-opening and set up management, spa team training, marketing promotions and people management which make her a great team mentor. Dr. Rashmi's key accomplishments include spearheading the setup of Leela Spa Academy, designing luxury spa experiences and playing an instrumental role in designing spa menus. Her product knowledge is vast ranging across brands like ESPA, Sundari, Omarovicza, Forest Essentials, Thalgo, Iraya and Le Club. 

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