Spa Operations
<<< Back to ISPA Academy
From the ISPA Talent Toolkit: Press Releases- When and How
Press releases serve as powerful tools to elevate the profile of businesses in industries where competition is fierce and customer engagement is crucial. These carefully crafted communications can generate buzz about new services or products and capture the interest of potential clients.
Beyond just creating excitement, press releases foster engagement by sparking conversations and highlighting solutions tailored to customer needs, effectively kickstarting the lead generation process. Moreover, by consistently placing the company’s name in front of the public, press releases contribute to long-term brand awareness and customer loyalty.
Getting Organized and Quickly Improving Productivity at Work
Pulse: As a Knowledge Builder presenter at the 2024 ISPA Conference, you will address the ISPA membership about organizing our professional lives. Share a little about what that means.
Andrew Mellen: Calling BS on “busy”—sharing strategies and best practices to maximize efficiency and productivity without becoming a robot or soulless automaton. We’ll dive deep into time management and the “8 Deadly Time Thieves”—interruptions, overcommitting, poor planning, multitasking, email, meetings, social media and procrastination.
Global Best Practices to Jumpstart Success
Global Best Practices to Jumpstart Success – How to Elevate Your Spa’s Wellness Programs
By Jean-Guy De Gabriac
There’s a reason why sharing best practices is important in our industry. Doing so ensures that we are able to identify the proven-and-tested solutions and ideas that can help us elevate our practice to a higher level and create the best possible standards for the spa industry. Sharing best practices, especially on how we plan, develop and deliver spa wellness programs and activities, will help us build tools, strategies and resources that can jumpstart success for our spa or business.
Handling ‘Colorful’ Conversations with Guests
Have you ever made a mistake with a customer? Of course you have!
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.
Here Comes the Sun (Screen): How Spas Are Protecting Guests in Style
Sunscreen isn’t just a poolside convenience—it’s a vital element of the modern spa experience. From enhancing post-treatment care to driving retail sales and even supporting guest loyalty, spas are finding innovative ways to weave sun protection into both their service and retail strategies. In a Pulse survey at the start of summer, 13 spa directors shared insights on how suncare contributes to guest satisfaction and business success—and the challenges and opportunities that come with it.
How Spas Can Generate More Revenue for the Holidays
THE HOLIDAYS CAN BE AN ABUNDANT TIME FOR THE SPA INDUSTRY, and despite current restrictions, we are confident that with hard work, flexibility and creativity, you’ll navigate the busiest time of year and and—more importantly—increase sales at the spa.