Perfect balance

While competition to create the most visually stunning spa is at an all-time high in the region, spa owners and operators must also work alongside specialists to ensure that spa design works to boost operations and the bottom line.

With hundreds of spas in the planning for the Middle East over the next few years, spa design will be big business in the region. Every owner and operator wants something unique, and, as a result, customers are now coming to expect that point of difference, that 'wow' factor, in the various places they visit.

However, the philosophy that bigger or brighter or shinier is better, often at the forefront of project development in the Middle East and Dubai particularly, will not work with spa design.

Crucially, it is not just how spas look, though they can be stunning, works of art even, it is how they function that has a lasting impact - on business, staff and customers.

Aesthetics and functionality must work in harmony, and to achieve this, the use of specialist spa consultants and spa design companies is highly recommended.

These spa specialists, many of whom have worked on the spa 'shop floor' themselves, have recognised the need for their skills in the region and the market is set to welcome some major players over the course of the year.

Already on the scene are local companies Spa Resources International (part of Wafi Health and Leisure) and Beauty Leaders, while more recently Finex Spa Solutions, Barr and Wray and Schletterer Spa and Wellness have entered the Middle East's burgeoning spa market.

Other major European companies ESPA and Spa Developments are set to open offices in Dubai and/or Abu Dhabi within the next 12 months, while Raison D'Etre is also heavily focused on development here in the region.

This is exciting news for owners and operators. ESPA, for example, has 300 spas globally, manages 50, plus has 50 branded spas and 80 under construction. It currently has offices in the UK, Hong Kong, Miami and San Francisco.

cchief executive Sue Harmsworth - a spa guru partly responsible for the evolution of the very word spa, with close to 40 years in the industry - explains why now is the right time for the company to come to Dubai.

"We've got about 20 projects in the Middle East under construction, in Dubai, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia - all over really," she says.

"Without in any way knocking the industry in Dubai, which obviously is huge, I think the spas have been a little bit behind. We have very high brand standards on space, budgets and training, so for us it's now perfect timing and the rollout will start probably in 2009," she says.

She revealed the company is working with One&Only, Trump and Ritz-Carlton, and that in order to maintain its brand standards, will now only designs spa that it also operates.

This strategy reflects the one fundamental premise that spa developers must keep in mind - spa design is inextricably linked to spa operations, and therefore plays a significant role in sustaining the bottom line.

Over the next few pages, Spa Manager will address some key spa design issues, from creating the flow to 'going green', and analyse their impact on operations. What becomes very clear, is that looks definitely aren't everything.

Creating the flow

Quite simply, assert international spa consultants and architects, spa design directly influences the flow and functionality of a spa, thus impacting the customer experience.

Anna Bjurstam, concepts director at Raison d'Etre, which has recently designed the spa at Atlantis, The Palm, says this is crucial for owners to remember because it is the spa experience that customers pay for, not just the treatment.

"I believe that in the future what we can charge for is the experience. A massage is not just a massage where ever it's executed, so it's the experience around the massage that's important.

"In the design, you have to build in that experience," she continues.

"You need a conceptual design with a well thought through journey. Look at the detail that makes a difference to the experience."

This includes offering the cold towel in the right place, and therefore having the fridge in the right place to provide the towel, she says.

"Once you create this really heightened experience, especially in the Middle East, then people will pay whatever it takes to come into that spa," says Bjurstam.

However, the flow doesn't just add to the experience; it can just as easily detract from it.

"If the design does not take into consideration the right flow, then the spa starts having operational problems," says Yesim Engin of Finex Spa Solutions, a new player in Dubai responsible for Jasmine Spa at Grand Millennium, Dubai.

"The aim in any well-operated spa is to create in the minds of its clients a wish to spend more time there. Nobody would want to spend a long time in a badly-designed closed space. The thing to remember is that functionality is as important as the design," continues Engin.

Beauty Leaders' director of operations Liane Bakaou agrees that the design of a spa has a major impact on the flow and guest experiences.

"From the time the guest enters the spa they expect their experience to be pleasurable and without obstacles, they do not want to have to walk down a long hallway to find the changing area, and then have to walk all the way back again to go for their treatment in another part of the spa," she says.

Susan Harmsworth of ESPA adds: "What if you want to go from your room to the spa in your robe without entering public areas? How will the back of house work so it doesn't intrude on the operation? There's just so much to consider.

 

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