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Every Body Is A Spa Body: Making spas more welcoming to clients of all sizes

October 3, 2024
Spa Operations

For plus-size travelers, finding a spa that meets their needs can be a challenge. Common concerns include the availability of appropriately sized massage tables, robes and slippers, as well as comfortable seating.

Fortunately, many spa owners, managers, and consultants are actively addressing these issues, working to create spa environments that are welcoming and inclusive for everyone.

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Every Question Answered: The ISPA Talent Toolkit

September 7, 2023
Human Resources, Marketing and PR

WHO will find value in the ISPA Talent Toolkit?

This suite of resources arms spa owners and directors, human resources leaders and marketing and communication departments with the checklists, templates and guides they need for success with talent recruitment and engagement concerns that are at the forefront of focus in the spa industry.

WHAT is included in the Toolkit? The Talent Toolkit comes equipped with resources for every talent-related function of your spa business. Each toolkit section below lists some currently-available tools.

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Evolve or Become Irrelevant

September 5, 2023
Spa Operations

How do you make sure your spa stays relevant with the changes we’ve experienced in the past several years?

Embrace technology

Touchless therapies have become popular—especially during and since the Covid pandemic. While acknowledging that “it can be scary to embrace technology,” Emyln Brown offered hope that “it can also lead to change,” and the panel shared ways new technology can be a positive change for spas.

Amanda Al-Masri finds “more people are interested in wellness, but we have less people to work” and advises spa leaders to “embrace touchless therapies, as it’s a great way to add revenue. Hands-on therapies are still very important and should not be replaced, but the touchless helps amplify results.”

“Touchless is complementary to human interaction,” agrees Simon Marxer. “Being able to offer a broad menu is sound business.”

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Exceptional Experiences: Providing Excellent Customer Service

September 5, 2023
Spa Operations

In many industries, companies follow one of two “go to market” strategies: focus on providing extraordinary customer service, or emphasize low prices. While most bus[1]nesses make efforts to cater to both goals, every company leader has one or the other priority in mind when making day-to-day decisions. For spas, the default is nearly always to promote great experiences.

The challenge of creating a customer-centric environment is not new. But many spa leaders say staffing turnover during and since the pandemic has exacerbated an existing issue. In an era of decreasing service mentality, how can spa leaders train and promote exceptional customer service? Conversely, do spas face a decreasing return on investment when trying to win the approval of every client?

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Fangotherapy

Fango is the Italian word for mud. Used in treatments, a highly mineralized mud may be mixed with oil or water and applied over the body as a heat pack to detoxify, stimulate the circulation and relieve muscular and arthritic pain.

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Faradism

Electric muscle stimulators used to tone muscles through low-level electricity conducted through contact pads attached to the body for “passive exercise,” often used for treatment of certain medical conditions.

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Feast Your Senses: How Serving Up Wellness on a Platter Can Boost the Spa Retail Experience

April 11, 2024
Retail

Integrating self-care food and drinks into spa retail spaces aligns with the growing trend of holistic wellness, where nourishing the body is seen as integral to achieving overall balance and harmony. By offering a curated selection of nutritious snacks, herbal teas, cold-pressed juices and other wellness-focused products, spas can cater to guests seeking a more comprehensive approach to overall harmony.

One of the key benefits of incorporating wellness food and drinks into spa retail is the enhancement of the guest experience. In addition to external pampering through treatments like massages and facials, spas can now provide guests with nourishing options to support their internal well-being. Whether it’s sipping on a detoxifying herbal tea before a treatment or enjoying a nutrient-rich smoothie post-session, these offerings add an extra layer of indulgence and care to a spa visit.

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February 2015 Snapshot Survey – Word-of-Mouth Marketing

December 13, 2016
Marketing and PR, Research

Topic of focus – Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Spas are creatively finding ways to encourage existing clients to help spread the word about their treatments and products.  Among ISPA spa members, 39 percent have a referral program in place to incentivizes customers to refer new clients.

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February 2016 Snapshot Survey – Employee Training

December 13, 2016
Human Resources, Research

Topic of focus – Employee Training

Quality employee training is essential to the success of any business within the spa industry.  Spa members are offering a variety of training opportunities to ensure their clients receive the best experience possible.

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February 2017 Snapshot Survey – Wellness

September 6, 2017
Research

Topic of focus – Wellness

Overall, slightly more than half (56 percent) of all resource partner respondents incorporate the term “wellness,” in their marketing messaging. Nearly six out of ten spa member respondents (59 percent) use “wellness” in their marketing messaging with the resort/hotel spa segment using it more often than day spas (60 percent and 50 percent respectively).

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