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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.
Harnessing AI For Spa Marketing
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.
Help Your Company Shine in a Competitive Talent Market
If you want your company to shine in this competitive marketplace, some trends need immediate attention this year.
- Consider how you can build flexibility into your schedule. Some leaders fear flexibility as they assume it means working from home. That’s not always an option or what they want. Make the time to engage in a conversation with your employees about how you can build in some flexibility while still providing services. Sometimes, a simple change in schedule will do the trick!
- Especially for Gen Zs and Millennials, purpose matters. Get involved with your community and support local causes. Be clear about what is important to you and share your passion on your website and through social media. If you are involved in feeding the homeless, collecting supplies for children or donating hours to a local charity, share your commitment to the community.
- Assess and improve your overall applicant experience. Every step of the process is an opportunity to create a WOW experience. Applicants are checking you out just as much as you are checking them out. Demonstrate your amazing culture at every step and use a short cycle time to hire. It doesn’t stop at the interview. It’s frustrating to hire employees only to have them not show up on day one. Have you stayed in touch with them since the job offer? Keeping them engaged is paramount! Consider sending a nice note signed by your team upon their accepting a position. Stay engaged by creating a memorable experience.
- New employee celebration (orientation) should be an experience that not only focuses on the necessary paperwork, but also includes time well spent on culture, history and how exceptional it is to work in the industry. They should feel so honored and excited to join the team! Thirty days after they are hired, ask them about their experience and what you do that’s better/worse than where they used to work!
- Clarify, promote and protect your brand. Review your website and social media. Applicants don’t always look at your home page. Your job page needs to tell the story about how amazing it is to work in your industry, not just a job listing. Feature stories should include S-P-A: a Story, Point and Action! Action could be as simple as saying, “What about you? Are you ready to contact us and become a part of an amazing team?”
How Energy Impacts Your Employees (Elevate Your Leadership Pt. I)
Here’s an interesting question to ask yourself about the way people view you in the workplace: Are people happier to see you come, or are they happier to see you go?
How to Demonstrate Trust in Others (Elevate Your Leadership Part VI)
Trust is the glue to successful relationships. It’s important to recognize whether you are building or breaking trust with the people you work with, serve and lead. Then ask, how can I demonstrate trust and confidence in others?
How to Maximize Potential (Elevate Your Leadership Pt. III)
Do you tend to focus on people’s strengths or on their weaknesses? A leader’s job is to recognize potential and help them reach it. Are you doing that?
ISPA Conference Expo Awards honor exhibitors and sponsors
The second annual ISPA Conference Expo Awards were a celebration of sponsors and exhibitors whose presence in the Expo marked the pinnacle of resource partners’ creativity and dedication within the spa industry.
Jane Cho; Reviving Mental Vitality: Tools to Rejuvenate Mental Energy and Banish Burnout
In the face of high stress, uncertainty and demanding work and home lives, restoring mental vitality is crucial for success. “Just grinding it out” no longer works as a strategy to reach important goals. Managers will learn to identify risks for burnout in their teams and tools to prevent it from taking hold, and all participants will gain tools to restore their mental vitality.
Pulse: Is “burnout” directly proportional to the number of hours worked, or what other factors contribute?
Jane Cho: Burnout is distinct from “stress” or “fatigue.” Working long hours does not necessarily signal burnout, but it can be an important indicator. Some people can work 12 hours a day and get happily absorbed into a flow state, engaging in regenerative, energizing aspects of their job. Others can work six hours a day experiencing a continuous state of frustrated soul-sucking dread. We can look at the number of hours worked as one factor in assessing risk for burnout, but it is only one point in a larger system. If you notice that you are overworking, or that your teams are working a lot of overtime, leaders will first want to understand why and then look at other potential risk factors like overall morale, autonomy, skills match, recognition practices and others.