Are luxurious spas just marketing gimmicks to attract guests?
BY SHUJATH ALI
Location, architecture, design, harmony of colour and texture, expansive space, treatment offerings and amenities, cumulatively play a vital role in making a spa enticing to a guest. Quick to realise that, hotels are pulling all stops to make there spas more and
more attractive.
Reena Sheth, Director of Spa & Salon, Jiva Spa, The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, explains, “One of the key decisions at the Master plan stage was the location of the spa. We wanted to relocate the spa by the pool terrace. The pool at Taj Mahal Palace and Tower provides a unique experience. Surrounded by the Heritage building, the pool seems to be a different world, away from the busy and noisy streets of Mumbai. We thought the spa should be a part of this relaxed atmosphere and be linked to the gardens. At the same time, the spa should be enclosed and provide a different experience of indulgence and relaxation.”
Dr Neeraj Chauhan, Spa Manager, ITC Gardenia, Bengaluru, concurs, “Basically, emphasis on the five senses of humans and the overall experience of the guest in a spa is important. Serene ambience, décor, soothing music, aroma (WelcomFragrance in the case of ITC Hotels), temperature control, well-trained professionals, quality premium products and comfort clothing are good aesthetics in a spa. Creating an exceptional and positive impression by ensuring a warm welcome, refreshing WelcomDrink, consistent sprucing up of the relaxation room helps.”
Materials that are natural provide a sense of authenticity and are best suited in a spa. At Mercure Goa Devaaya Retreat, natural wood traditional massage tables crafted from one piece of wood, wooden steam boxes and beautiful brass bowls and pitchers filled with herbal oils, are used. Cedar Spa by L’OCCITANE at JW Marriott Mussoorie ensures usage of natural materials and also uses high quality hydraulic treatment beds, mainly brand Nilo from Italy which ensure proper height is maintained while doing the therapy.
Lighting and acoustics are also integral to a restful spa experience. Design of lighting should be proper, the heat should not be low or high and the colour of the light should be properly adjusted.
Hotels are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to getting a spa designed. Jeffrey Wilkes has designed ESPA at The Leela Palace New Delhi. A soothing retreat of natural wood, hand-carved stone and soft furnishings, it helps guests to unwind, relax and re-energise themselves.
Spas call for a logical design process. The most important phase of the design is the concept integrity of the spa area and the hotel in general. Spa areas accommodate multiple and distinct functions. Service and social areas should be separated from the areas where silence is required and similarly dry areas should be apart from the wet areas. In addition, a spa must always imbue tranquillity through its design elements.
“Cedar Spa by L’OCCITANE has soft lighting, aromatic scents and relaxing ambience which rejuvenates you from the minute you walk in,” Jyoti Rathore, Spa Manager, Cedar Spa by L’OCCITANE in JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa. “Every gesture, every ingredient, every ritual is drawn from a page of the L’OCCITANE grand herbarium, a resource of hundreds of essential oils and natural ingredients. The escape begins with scent. From the moment you enter a L’OCCITANE Spa, the fragrances transport you to Provence. Light orange hues set the tone for the color of the Spa.
“Immortelle and Lavender bunches are scattered tastefully across.” she continues. “Soft lights and candles lead you through glass doors to five indoor treatment rooms. Each treatment room offers a private steam and shower. Complementing the indoor treatment rooms, the outdoor spa relaxation area and water body which transports you to Provence. The spa truly provides a unique visual spectacle.”
“Once the guests cross the spectacular carved rosewood doors and enter the Jiva Spa reception the three elements – sheers, water and light – envelope them into a magic atmosphere of wellness and indulgence,” Reena explains.
She adds: “The colour palette is neutral and the natural tones of linen and cottons extend to the architectural finishes: white and pale grey marbles. The water ponds add soft touches of colour and subtle swirls when the guest moves from one room to another spa area.
“In the treatment rooms, we use silk wall coverings to soften the atmosphere and absorb any noise resonance. The furniture, combines sleek contemporary cabinets with traditional Indian objects like brass ‘urlis’ used for pedicure or the bespoke teak armchairs.”
The wellness and beauty products in a spa are of vital importance to the experience. Customers visit spas to unwind and lavish themselves with luxurious beauty products for a relaxing experience to rejuvenate and renew.
Forest Essentials products, for instance, are formulated with pure, fresh and seasonal ingredients procured from the lap of nature with the highest standards of purity, authenticity and traditional making of processes. Ayurveda lays emphasis on seasonal harvesting and plucking of herbs. Seasonal herbs are of optimal potency and are in their purest form which give vital nutrition when used orally or for skincare.
Equally critical are the kind of treatments and therapies offered. Take Kaya Kalp, ITC Gardenia Bengaluru, for example. Among the major rituals offered there are Exotic Pomegranate Spa Journey and Passage to India Spa Journey, de-stressing therapeutic Hot Stone Massage, Tension Reliever Massage and traditional Gemstones Massage.
Mercure Goa Devaaya Retreat, on the other hand, has Panchkarma detox and weight management as some of the signature offerings. The Jiva Spa, for its part, is known for its Vishrama deep muscular massage, a deep muscular massage for profound relaxation as well as the Sushupti dreamless sleep treatment.
From physical relaxation to self-indulgence to mental peace and overall health and wellness, there are many factors that make people head to spas nowadays. Technology too has made its way into spas if only to enhance the guest experience.
In recent years, the demand in spas has gone beyond the aesthetics. The role of technology in the evolution of spas has certainly spiked. Created with the primary vision of facilitating relaxation of not just the body but also the mind, the Jaquar range of spa models or ‘well-being circuits’ are high on technology, energy and cost efficiency.
Cushioned headrests, ergonomic seats and a host of high-performance features ensure the ultimate spa experience. The importance of therapeutic treatments such as hydro and chromo therapy in spas is a trend in most premium and luxury spas.
Kohler goes a step further. Their bold take on design and enhancing customer experience, defines its USP. The products they offer in their spa range are the first in the industry.
For instance, their DTV or digital thermostatic valve (DTV) system controls four elements to give a true multi-sensory showering experience. One can customise every element of showering experience to their needs and control it through the touch-screen interface.
One of their most appreciated products, is, the One-Touch Spa at Home DTV+. It is designed to let out a silent cheer as a controlled display of spirit, precision and technique elevates the game to fever pitch, bringing in a multi-sensory, ultra-luxury spa experience via a cutting-edge touchscreen shower technology.
The primary inspiration behind their spa range is to let customers explore new waters. Hardly surprising then that Kohler’s spa range allows a person to experience an orchestrated interplay of water, sound, steam and light, with the most advanced showering system yet i.e. DTV+.
With the increase in the healthy lifestyle awareness, spas have become places where wellness opportunities are offered. The emergence of this opportunity is not accidental.
Dr Neeraj avers, “According to a recent survey, the global spa market is projected to grow at the rate of 5.7 percent. This is directly reflected in the returns that our spa has seen over the last few years, which is very positive.”
“Bengaluru is very competitive in terms of spa in luxury hotels and despite the supply, demand is still very high,” he continues.
“Hotel spas now market themselves directly to customers as compared to previous years, as part of their overall growth strategy,” Reena points out. “It makes sound business sense to invest in spa marketing as a means of boosting hotel revenues.”