Castaway
Roche believes the hotel’s rather isolated location on the natural coastline of Saadiyat Island will bode well for it: “We’re away from everything; there are fewer distractions so people tend to go towards spa and relaxation.
“Of course we want to set the benchmark for five-star spas in Abu Dhabi and the region,” says Roche, adding that the Park Hyatt Dubai spa, Amara, is already well known and respected in the market, and will help sister spa Atarmia build brand awareness.
“We’re one of the first spas to open on Saadiyat Island so we can tap into that market quickly and cause a stir in the expatriate and local communities.”
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Roche says the spa is on track for a business mix of 60:40 among hotel guests versus walk-in locals and expatriates, and is targeting half and half through an increased emphasis on attracting the Emirati market.
“We’re very surprised at how much we’re attracting the walk-in market already so I’d like to try and expand on that. Out of the mix it’s more Emiratis, and the majority of these are male.
“We want to be a choice for the local ladies. We have some great beauty salons out there which are very popular with this market, so it is in their routines.
“Also bearing in mind that with just one positive experience you can usually reach up to 20 friends and family members in the same community because people talk.”
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Feb 21, 2012 , Jamaica
Amazing! Having been through similar construction to relaxation processes myself, I can fully understand how nerve-racking it must have been for you to bring your concept to life. The results speaks for itself - all that hard work has evolved into a truly unique spa. Love the introduction of the...
Feb 21, 2012 , USA
The first skincare facial I ever had involved Galvanic Current and, not knowing that was a specific kind of facial, the next time I had one from a different esthetician who used products only, I thought "that's it? Where's the galvanic current? Where's the steam machine?" I thought the lack of m...