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Handling ‘Colorful’ Conversations with Guests

June 12, 2017

Have you ever made a mistake with a customer? Of course you have!

Harassment and Discrimination Workplace Awareness Best Practices – Accommodating Transgender Guests

June 18, 2018

Sexual harassment in the workplace has become a serious area of concern. As businesses aim to offer wellness experiences, spas are challenged to ensure they are creating a safe and positive environment for both clients and employees. As many employers recognize, adopting proactive measures may prevent harassment from occurring. Please keep in mind the following is a “Best Practices” guide to aid you in creating your own, unique policy that works best for your business.

Harassment and Discrimination Workplace Awareness Best Practices – Prohibiting Harassment in Spa

June 18, 2018

Harassment in the workplace, including sexual harassment, has become a serious area of concern.  As businesses aim to offer wellness experiences, spas are challenged to ensure they are creating a safe and positive environment for both clients, employees, and other third parties. 

Harmony in Heritage: From Rebuild to Renewal

April 11, 2024

The Mokara Salon and Spa underwent more than just a renovation in 2022. The facility at Omni’s flagship property, the Omni Tucson National Resort, received a down-to-the-studs rebuild.

At one point, they considered moving the spa to a different area of the property. The rebuild was part of a multi-million-dollar reimagination of the resort. Everything from guestrooms to the haciendas to the casino to the lobby to the fitness center was given a new look.

And while Michael Maruca, general manager for the hotel, stresses the spa is a resort spa and not a healing one, Mokara has become a “respite for renewal.”

Harmony In Heritage: One renovation lays the groundwork for the next at Chateau Elan

April 11, 2024

Renovations are technically never finished at the Spa at the Chateau Elan. While the resort itself completed a $25 million renovation in 2020 and a major renovation of the spa followed a few years later, Director of Wellness Terra Orndorff said those renovations merely lay the groundwork for everything the spa is becoming and for continual changes and upgrades.

The recent major renovation eliminated Vichy showers and added more massage treatment rooms. They now have 26 treatment rooms, of which four are for couples. They also have 14 spa suites that are overnight guestrooms. They refreshed all their public spaces, upgrading them with natural wood, linen upholstery, tailored furniture and mod[1]ern lighting so they could achieve a look both classic and contemporary that matched the renovations of the resort.

Harmony in Heritage: Overcoming COVID-19 Challenges

April 11, 2024

Deep in the COVID pandemic, The Umstead Spa closed its doors for seven months to undergo a major renovation that gave the facility a facelift, freshened the soft goods, redesigned the wet areas with tile-heated chaises and added outdoor relaxation lounges and a relaxation space in the ladies’ wet area that includes a Himalayan salt wall.

The pandemic both informed and hampered their efforts. Carolyn Doe, the spa director who has been with the spa since 2009, has carefully gauged the needs of their guests and has witnessed the effects of the pandemic.

Harmony In Heritage: Renovation veterans provide insight into overhauling historic spas

April 11, 2024

It is not just in the services menu where spa professionals must create equilibrium between the old and the new, walking a line between honoring the past and its traditions while embracing modern amenities and advancements. It is a balancing act that shows up in the physical walls of the spa and in every decision made during renovations, particularly for spas that exist in historic lodging properties, hotels and resorts with deep-rooted traditions and distinct characters.

Renovating a spa at a historic property requires a respect for the past and a commitment to the future. It is an undertaking that demands a skill for storytelling, thoughtfulness about staffing issues and knowledge of guest desires.

Harnessing AI For Spa Marketing

October 3, 2024

The introduction of publicly-available artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as ChatGPT in November 2022, has profoundly impacted various industries, including spa and wellness. With nearly 15 years of experience in consulting, I’ve witnessed firsthand the marketing challenges spas face, particularly those with limited budgets. AI has emerged as a transformative tool, serving as an efficient and cost-effective solution for digital marketing in the spa sector.

 

Hay Bath

Body detoxification treatment through the use of steamed hay.

Heliotherapy

The use of sunlight for the treatment of different skin conditions. Uses UV rays from the sun in small doses, which can induce vitamin D production in the skin.

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