SPA TRENDS UNCOVERED: From gaming to glamour
Just like fashion, spa goers love to be ‘on trend’ when it comes to their treatments and experiences. It is therefore vital that spa managers keep on top of what’s hot and what’s not in the spa world. Leisure Manager takes a look...
In the fashion industry, to be stocking last season’s items can have on-trend shoppers leaving in their droves for styles new.
For the spa industry, the trend factor is just as important and the ability of the spa to cater to these changing trends is paramount to its ultimate success.
Time and price conscious customers are looking for a different experience from their spa visits than they might have done a decade ago, or even a year ago, and things just keep on changing.
Hyatt Capital Gate Abu Dhabi’s Rayana spa manager, Melissa O’Neill explains that due to hectic lifestyles, spa guests are “looking to garner results quickly with the little time that they have”.
“Whether that means having more than one therapist work on them at once or using more targeted, results-driven treatments,” she adds.
“We are also seeing a move towards using cold and ice treatments instead of heat, for body and skin, growing quite rapidly.
"Spas are also looking to move away from the traditional setup in terms of design, location, décor and are tending to increase the ‘wow’ factor in these aspects with more dynamic and creative options instead of the traditional low-light, beige-style interiors.”
Rachel Jane Jabr, spa director at Eastern Mangroves Spa by Anantara in Abu Dhabi, concurs.
“Alongside traditional journeys, guests now want results driven treatments. They want to see and feel the difference before and after their experience at Anantara Spa,” she says.
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Director of spa operations & development, MEA, Hilton Worldwide, Sharon Barcock has also witnessed this trend within Hilton’s spas, adding: “Non- invasive, results-focused treatments are a big focus — guests want immediate results without the down time.
“They do not want to suffer from redness, puffiness, reactions or days out of action due to the treatment they have received, and we are seeing the introduction of new treatment and equipment options that deliver this.”
Barcock also asserts that there is a greater focus on the use of heat therapy to complement treatments, particularly cold as opposed to hot heat therapy.
“In line with this, within the spa design, the thermal areas of the spa are being developed to provide more of a combination of experiences,” she explains.
“The use of ice and cold water is not new, but many spas in the past shied away from using this form of therapy, now we are seeing more spas starting to incorporate ice chutes, snow rooms, igloos etc.”
Another trend noted by our experts was the increased focus on introducing treatments in line with local culture and traditions, for example the Hammam, which has always been a part of the Arabic tradition in spas.
“The Hammam design is now being given a more simplified contemporary design and is starting to be incorporated into more spa operations,” Barcock adds.
In terms of product lines, the focus certainly seems to be on the ‘wow’ — long gone are
the days of a simple massage oil collection.
“Product lines are getting more and more creative, with examples like Rodial and their ‘Snake venom’ and ‘Glam Tox’ for the non-surgical approach to botox,” director of Talise Spa Madinat Jumeirah, Lindsay Nadeau explains.
“Other lines like Cowshed are trying to use their name to influence a buyer, they go for something catchy. From another perspective there is the organic/non-chemical/no-preservatives approach, which still has quite a strong market, but in any case organic has a very strong buy-in in most countries.
On the other side of the spectrum we see high-end natural products using ‘cosmecuticalc’ ingredients, which are result-orientated, but not harmful to the skin, like Suki.”
Another trend that keeps on coming is the wellness revolution —which has been well documented by Leisure Manager — the phenomenon that has swept across the globe and continues to influence the sector.
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Becky Wyton, director of CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi makes the valuable point that, like any industry, spas should definitely adapt to health and well-being as the key focus for consumers moving forward.
“This is one of the few industries where demand actually increased during the recession as people valued their health and well-being during this time,” she adds.
The Glam Factor
Having said this, despite the state of the world economy, another on-trend movement is the ‘glam’ factor. Purportedly originating in the US, where blow dry bars are popping up all over the place — it is no wonder that the Middle East has more than expressed an interest.
Yet our experts hold different views on the matter, Nadeau claiming the ‘glam’ trend doesn’t even come from the US.
“I think it got very popular here and then moved to the US. These days it is all about convenience: if you have a spa, you need to do nails, if you do nails, you need to do hair. It’s like a one-stop-shop instead of running around everywhere,” she asserts.
Spa and health club manager at Zen Spa Radisson Royal Hotel Dubai, Sana Bin Ammar, says the glam factor is definitely one of the major trends in the Middle East, but adds that Middle East spa consumers “have always been and will continue to be concerned about the result as much as the glamour”.
Patrick Taffin d'Heursel, spa director, Six Senses Spa at Hotel Missoni Kuwait, has seen the spa become a one-stop experience with massages being combined with nail and hair care. “More and more our spas have salons and link the rooms to have a full experience,” d’Heursel adds.
Hyatt’s O’Neill certainly sees a place for glam in the Middle East spa industry, stating “Middle Eastern residents and citizens are just as fashionable and beauty-savvy as the rest of the world”.
“While culturally there are many differences, we already see makeup stations in all of the big malls here. Blow-dry bars would require a more private space, given the cultural sensitivities, but it’s something that could easily be done. The glam-factor certainly applies here!” she adds.
But Hilton’s Barcock disagrees and says ‘glam’ is not currently a major trend in the region.
“There are a few independent brands that have built their businesses around this concept and are very successful at what they do.
"However, in general, what you see here (the Middle East) is a definite split between spas and salons, with both focusing on their own core services,” she asserts.
“Whilst some spas have crossed over into adding more services to attract guests and provide a complete range of services, you find that it is generally the salons that are following the trends in nail, makeup and hair. For spas, we are moving into a time of quick, effective treatments with no down time or negative impact.”
And while Jabr agrees that blow dry bars are “huge” in the UK and US, it is more of an express treatment that hasn’t factored in Middle Eastern spa offerings.
“The trend here in the UAE is still that of a luxury nature in addition to the local culture/clientele that is always seeking privacy and a personalised service.”
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Gaming
While the jury seems to still be out on the ‘glam’ phenomenon, a potential trend that is causing a bigger split in opinion is that of ‘gaming’ within the spa sector.
The use of mobile phone apps and software within the fitness sector is already capturing the imagination of many, but do our spa experts believe it is a trend that will make a switch to the Middle East’s spa scene?
“We certainly have noticed that online gaming in general has rapidly increased so we are certainly keeping an eye on it,” says Wyton.
“There is the growing popularity of online games on fitness, health and losing weight among others. The power of online gaming lies on its social feedback system thus there is that network pressure to stay on track in the game.
"In terms of wellness, the ‘health’ game certainly drives people to stick to it and gain points when they achieve their goals. Whenever I engage with our spa guests, I share with them some online games and applications I have discovered such as aromatherapy, colour therapy, yoga and calorie counter.”
O’Neill concurs, but believes the trend is “in its very early stages”.
“We expect to see people using the connection to their smartphones, gaming consoles and spa-focused online games to improve their wellbeing and health,” she says.
“We have already seen a massive growth in the time people spend on their smartphones and laptops; it really is a natural progression in the not too distant future.”
But not everyone believes that gaming has much of a part to play in the world of spas.
Bin Ammar argues that “the proper way of practicing wellness is not to sit and do gaming for hours”.
“I don’t think that online wellness gaming can be a major driver in the future,” she continues. “The majority of people tend to move away from technology to treat the mind and the body, and I do not think that spas can create attractive wellness games which can keep the guest connected and attracted.”
Only time will tell if gaming is set to make an impact on spa culture in the Middle East, but one thing is certain — there is plenty for our experts and all those involved in the sector to be dealing with.
As with trends in any business, it pays to be at the front of the pack as consumers don’t wait long to be part of what is current.
Of course the best place to be is ahead of the trends, whereby you can adjust your offering to capture business before it looks elsewhere for something new.
As increasing numbers of people become spa savvy and want to be part of what is new, the need to be on top of what is all the rage will become ever more important to the success of your spa operation.