by: Volker Hofmann
All over the world there are lots of different kinds of spas, from little hotel spas, middle sized resort spas to large day spas. In particular some older spas are closed in these days because they are designed or managed the wrong way. So what is the secret of a good spa design and a qualified spa management?
In a well designed day spa you find lot of different facilities to use, like sauna and steam rooms that are prepaid with your entrance fee as well as a variety of treatments for which you have to pay separately, like body and facial treatments. In our comprehension such day spas provide healthy food and beverage as well as a swimming pool and large relaxation areas. We developed those highly exclusive day spas especially for the requirements of European and Middle East clients. The main problem during the consulting phase is to find a perfect balance of the spaces of profit and none profit areas, as well as to create a floor plan that make it easy for the customers to find the right ways to move inside the whole area. Always provide one ore more special highlights in your day spa that your clients remember very well and that make them willing to come back and bring their friends with them.
The best way to increase your return of invest is to affiliate your day spa to a high standard hotel where your clients will stay for a prolonged weekend or an entire week. Accompany your spa offer with sightseeing tours, offer guided excursions by foot, bicycle or by motorbike, depending of the surrounding landscape, to catch more special groups of clients. But remember always to put the healthy aspects of all the possible activities in the foreground.
Today’s people want nearly the same as our parents but you need to present your offer with the character of an event. Imagine: a sauna is always a sauna; about 100° C hot with no humidity. So if you’ve been in there one time, you think to know all about sauna bathing; and if you are not a sauna freak why should you come back? But if you offer events to your customers they will.
I will give you some examples: one day you announce an exotic fruit sauna; your sauna master tells a story before he celebrates the first infusion and then he passes sticks or a plate with pineapple, banana and other pieces of fruit to all the guests sitting inside. There are a lot of other events to take place in the sauna cabin; just name them; offer cocktails, ice, schnaps or whatever you want and let it be accompanied by a good story of your sauna master. Celebrate a midnight sauna with special music and a barbecue if you got the place to do it. Be sure your clients will tell their friends, come back and are willing to spend more money in using treatments and having food and beverage as well. Please notice that this is only one example for one of the provided facilities in your day spa.
All in all the costs of a profound and qualified spa consultancy will be worth every cent when you have a look on your return of invest.
The author is the owner of the company interwellness in Germany which offers the entire spectrum from consulting, planning, designing, building to even running exclusive spa areas. For further information of what they can do for you please check out
http://www.interwellness.de
By Volker Hofmann
About The Author
Volker Hofmann
born 1953 in Nuernberg, Germany
General Manager of interwellness gmbh, Eckental, Germany
interwellness.de
vhofmann@interwellness.de
