Inspiration
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Carefully Curated Haven: Riverstone Resort & Spa
Set against the enchanting backdrop of the Smokey Mountains, RiverStone Resort & Spa is a carefully curated haven spanning 3,100 square feet and counting. The spa has continuously evolved since its establishment in 2007, with significant renovations enhancing both the treatment and retail spaces. This summer is a particularly exciting time for RiverStone Spa, as numerous new treatment areas and features are being added to the space.
Carrie Ummel: Personalizing Your Retail Space to Captivate Consumers
Learn how to identify your spa’s personality, curate brands to support your spa’s unique experience and tell a story with your merchandising to keep guests coming back for more. These tools will help create a winning strategy for an enjoyable shopping experience, while turning merchandise and increasing sales.
Pulse: Is there an accepted rule for how many product suppliers should be represented in a spa? Is it based on unit sales, physical space, or other considerations?
Carrie Ummel: There are so many factors to include in this decision. For me, the physical space, the spa treatments and resort experiences are the three factors I start with when determining how many vendors and products to offer in the retail experience. When considering the physical space, it is just as important to “protect” the arrival experience and boutique space with a calm and inviting atmosphere as it is to fill it with the right product.
The menu of experiences our guests choose from help to form the categories of vendors to include. For example, if fitness machines and classes are not a part of the spa experience offered to guests, then I consider cozy lounge wear versus activewear. Or, if the spa and resort rooms do not have bathtubs, I skip the bath bombs. Stay true to the moments your guest can and will have while on property.
Charming Seaside: The Avenue Apothecary & Spa
The Avenue Apothecary & Spa, located just a block from the Atlantic Ocean in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, stands out in this charming seaside town.
Constructed in 1999 and opened in 2000, the spa has undergone multiple renovations to maintain its modern, inviting atmosphere. “We prioritize keeping the appearance of the spa up to date and beautiful,” says co-owner Victoria DeSilver. Major renovations in 2010 expanded the space, and in 2019, the retail store received a complete makeover. Over the past two years, all treatment areas have been updated, ensuring both function and aesthetics meet the highest standards.
Conversations with Seth Mattison
Mattison is a world-renowned expert on workforce trends and the generational change we’re currently experiencing in the workforce; his work tracks how shifting demographics will necessitate a new style of leadership. In his book, The War at Work, Mattison details how reimagining leadership and talent management for the 2020s is the key to building stronger, more effective teams.
Cooking up a Customer Service Culture: 4 Ingredients to a Well-Balanced Guest Experience
“It’s not just about the pancake,” says Mindi Morin. “I had a long-time guest who was complaining about her stay, and particularly that we no longer served ‘her’ pancake. As I began to dig deeper, her disappointment was more about what the pancake represented to her in relation to her first life-changing visit to the Ranch and the reality of change/loss in her life. I use this story as an example to our new front-line employees. To turn around an unhappy guest, you need to understand the core of the problem. We can mix her up the pancake, and we need to help her feel she’s still at home here as our property continues to evolve.”
Creating a Joy-filled Team through Positivity
Have you ever been part of a highly motivated, joy-filled team?
If you have, chances are that most days you were excited to come to work because you had fun collaborating and you felt like you mattered. Your focus and enthusiasm then helped you do some of your best work with your colleagues.
Cultivating Ownership in Your Spa Team: 10 Proven Ways to Boost Engagement
One of the most consistent concerns in spa and resort organizations is the lack of ownership among new staff. Ownership means more than just fulfilling job duties: Leaders often talk about needing team members who have a sense of personal investment in the organization’s success, take pride their own performance and contribute to the overall success of their team. Ownership is about being proactive, paying attention to detail, committing to look for solutions and exhibiting a pervasive sense of responsibility for quality and outcome.
Dan Gingiss: Why a Remarkable Customer Experience is Your Best Sales and Marketing Strategy
LET’S FACE IT: Competition is tougher than ever these days. How can we stand out in a crowded marketplace that is constantly evolving? In this fun and engaging keynote, customer experience speaker and former Fortune 500 executive Dan Gingiss will teach the audience how customer experience can be your company’s ultimate differentiator, creating a competitive advantage that cannot be copied.
Pulse: How can spa companies help customers understand the difference between price and value?
Dan Gingiss: Competing on price is a loser’s game because it’s a race to the bottom. Even if you can acquire a customer with a promotion, chances are they’ll be looking for a promotion somewhere else if price is what drives them. Instead, focus on how customers will feel after visiting the spa. There are dozens of places a customer can go for a Swedish massage or a yoga class; the reason they will choose to return to your spa will be because of how you made them feel. Consider ways to help customers feel welcomed, understood, appreciated and connected.
Design Philosophy: The Spa At Thunder Valley
For spa professionals seeking inspiration to enhance their own establishments, Lincoln, California’s Spa at Thunder Valley provides valuable insights into the deliberate choices that elevate the guest experience. The spa and its carefully considered retail components stand as a testament to the power of thoughtful design and personalized service in creating a truly exceptional spa visit. Spa Manager Amy Lopez graciously shared the spa’s design philosophy, her favorite aspects of the space and the elements that resonate most with guests.
Dr. Bryan K. Williams: Be a Mountain Climber: Key Tips to Overcome Any Barrier
This session will review the mindset and behaviors necessary to effectively address both professional and personal barriers. Special emphasis will be on 10 proven tips to take control of your efforts and transcend any obstacles in your path.
Pulse: You talk about personal barriers and professional barriers. Are the same behavior changes needed to overcome both types?
Dr. Bryan K. Williams: Absolutely! One of the keys to addressing and overcoming barriers is to understand the importance of prioritizing yourself. For those of us in the service industry, it may seem like an oxymoron to serve oneself, but that is exactly what self-care is meant to do. As you become more proficient, respected and accomplished in your professional (and personal) roles, people will ask for more and expect more. More of your energy. More of your time. More of your advice. More. More. More. Without putting up healthy barriers, you WILL feel pulled in 1,000 directions, which leads to burnout. A former colleague once told me no one is going to be an advocate for my schedule more than me. He told me that when I was in my 20s, and I didn’t believe him. Now, I’m in my 40s and thoroughly appreciate his sage advice. Proactively carve time out for yourself, and establish healthy barriers SO THAT you can serve others with your whole heart.