Spa Operations
<<< Back to ISPA Academy
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.
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.
How to Wow the First-Time Spa Goer
Spas around the world spent a significant portion of 2020 working to prepare for reopening. Grappling with the always-evolving challenges of the COVID-19 crisis meant implementing new sanitation protocols, rethinking budgets, streamlining the guest experience and, in many instances, simply finding a way to survive. Of course, the goal of all that hard work was to create the kind of safe, relaxing, rejuvenating environments that have led millions of people to make spa visits a core part of their wellness routines.
Humanize Finance & Ignite Your Staff’s Hidden Potential
In the fast-paced lives of spa leaders, financial planning and budgeting is often viewed as a yearly burden reserved for management, with the financial aspects of a spa’s operations seldom shared with the team. However, there lies a missed opportunity to leverage finance as a tool to build team unity, foster talent retention and infuse even more meaning into the already important jobs of spa staff. By humanizing finance and creatively communicating financial goals and forecasts, spa directors can unite their teams in a shared commitment to the spa’s mission, transforming employees into stakeholders with a deeper understanding of the “why” behind what could easily become mundane daily operations with no goals in place.
Humanizing finance is easier said than done—but with these three steps to pave the way, spa leaders can take practical action toward igniting a hidden spark of motivation in their teams.
Implementing Inclusive Gender Policies & Best Practices
The spa industry is known to be a welcoming and inclusive community. To that end, an ISPA Town Hall in September explored anti-harassment and discrimination policies and training procedures to ensure our transgender and nonbinary guests and employees feel safe and comfortable within the spa. Panelists included Brennan Evans, senior vice-president of operations at Trilogy Spa Holdings; Jessica Swartley, spa director at The Spa at Spruce Peak; Catherine Warren, vice-president of strategic partnerships at Arch Amenities Group; Kristen Eber, owner of The Rosefinch Spa; and Heidi Smith-Mullen, director of Life in Balance Spa at Miraval Resorts. ISPA Chairman Patrick Huey joined as moderator.
Interstate Massage and Cosmetology Compact Update
Matt Shafer, Deputy Program Director for The Council of State Governments, recently joined ISPA virtually to provide an update on the Interstate Massage and Cosmetology compacts. These compacts support the mobility of licensed massage therapists and cosmetologists by providing an additional licensing pathway, or reciprocity, among participating states.
Is Your Spa “Holiday-Ready”?
The holiday season seems to begin earlier every year. To help ISPA members plan for the year-end rush, a Town Hall this summer focused on getting your spa “holiday-ready” with creative seasonal promotions and incentive ideas like gift cards and open houses. Panelists at the July Town Hall included Aaliya Bashir, owner of Warrior Body Spa; Charlotte Prescott, director of spa and fitness at Privai Spa at the Kimpton Epic, Arch Amenities Group; Ginger McLean, director of spa operations at Hard Rock Atlantic City; Justin Vanderpoel, assistant spa director at Well & Being Spa at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess; and Patrick Huey, ISPA chairman, as moderator.
The idea of “Christmas in July” is more than a marketing gimmick. By mid-summer, most spas are already beginning their planning for holiday sales and year-end promotions. “We started our holiday planning [in July] with preliminary meetings,” said Justin Vanderpoel. “It’s never too early to start planning. We like to include everyone in the leadership team at our meetings. The more minds, the better.”
Ginger McLean said, “We create a framework of our marketing calendar in September for the next year. We then meet quarterly with everyone and work hand-in-hand across the property to ensure everything is consistent.”
Aaliya Bashir shared, “Our spa plans our marketing four months out. Our biggest days for revenue are Black Friday/Cyber Monday.