Inspiration
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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.
Embracing Nature in Spa Design
Designing spaces that evoke a connection to nature can greatly enhance the therapeutic experience for spa guests. Combining wood, stone, live plants, water features and earthy materials with natural light presents a harmonious and balanced environment that fosters a sense of well-being. The aesthetic appeal of these materials, coupled with their intrinsic health benefits, creates spaces that nurture, heal and rejuvenate.
Erica Dhawan: Connectional Intelligence
“WE ARE ALL IMMIGRANTS TO THE NEW WORLD OF DIGITAL BODY LANGUAGE.” Erica Dhawan believes we’re all experiencing the same challenges as more of our interactions—with colleagues, with resource partners, even with clients—move away from in-person to online. So, how do we connect intelligently?
Erica suggested to the ISPA Conference audience that “the question shouldn’t be how to adapt to ‘the new normal,’ but instead how to create a better normal” in digital communications. Whether communicating in a video conference or by email or text message, Erica offers five key principles to ensure your message is received the way you intend:
Expect More, Lead More: The Art of Setting Stubbornly High Standards
Leadership is not for everyone. It demands a person who consistently sees the best in others—and acts on it. That takes energy, perseverance, forgiveness, faith and— gasp—stubbornness.
Wait, stubbornness? Yes, stubbornness.
As a leader of a high-performing spa team, you have to be stubborn enough to maintain high expectations every day— even when you don’t feel like it. There will be days when you’re tired. Emotionally, mentally and physically spent. Everything in you will urge you to “excuse” someone coming in late… or doing their job half-way… or being short with their teammates. Don’t do it.
Fighting For The Forgotten With Justin Wren
Justin Wren began his address to ISPA members by honoring Alex Szekely’s dedication to making a difference. He then recounted some of his life experiences that instilled a passion for “fighting for the forgotten.”
Wren shared that he was bullied as a child and felt alone until he became interested in wrestling. When he was in high school, his parents sent him away from home to train with Olympic wrestling coaches, and he continued training after high-level success in high school.
Harmony in Heritage: From Rebuild to Renewal
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
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
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
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.