Why should aquathermal experience manufacturers design spas for free?


Don Genders, managing director, Design for Leisure


Consumer satisfaction counts, says Saari. All you need is a simple questionnaire to find out what you’re doing right or wrong


Aquathermal experiences are a special- ised and essential part of spas worldwide. The design and engineering that goes into creating these spaces is one of the most complex processes in a spa’s development – so why then do operators expect man- ufacturers of such equipment to provide this service without charge? I’m not talking about manufacturers


Managers are out of touch with consumer needs


Susanna Saari, senior lecturer & ILIS project coordinator, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland


I was delighted to read Liz Terry’s editorial in the last Spa Business, focusing on Coyle Hospitality’s consumer preferences report (SB10/2 p5). She suggested that there should be further research to understand the differences between what customers say they want and what they use in reality. I fully agree. But the difference between manager and customer perceptions of the importance of spa services and facilities should also be considered. I’m the co-ordinator of Innovations and


Learning in Spa Management (ILIS), an EU-funded project that is developing vir- tual spa manager learning modules. During 2009 we carried out lots of research to determine module content and one of the most interesting areas we looked at was the facilities and services that spa-goers value most. We asked 630 spa-goers, as well as 25 spa managers, to rate the importance of 30 guest facilities and services. Managers felt that the top 10 elements for guests were as follows: • hospitable service • pampering and relaxation treatments


SPA BUSINESS 3 2010 ©Cybertrek 2010


• restful atmosphere • location in an attractive environment • comfortable accommodation • professionally skilled staff • diverse pool, sauna and steambaths • diverse massage and physiotherapeutic treatments


• easy accessibility; and • suitability for businessmen However, the spa-goers told a different story. In Spain, the consumer ranked suit- ability for special needs, cost, special diets and diverse alternative treatments at the top. Key requirements in Poland were suitability for the physically disabled or sensory handicapped, suitability for sen- iors and sustainable spa operations. In Finland, spa-goers ranked pleasantness of public areas and suitability for families with children in the top 10. Our most remarkable finding was that


the managers did not always know what their customers value the most. It’s hard to understand why any company would offer services or products without checking what their customer wants – all you need is a simple questionnaire. The customer can point out where you have and haven’t met expectations and even suggest what you might do – so do use them as part of your service development team. The ILIS virtual spa manager learning modules will be launched later this year. Details: www.ilisproject.eu l


of standard, off-the-shelf saunas and steamrooms – which do a wonderful job in presenting all the specifications and information that an operator could need – I’m talking about the larger projects with custom-made thermal cabins and pools. Cabins, be they saunas, steamrooms, rasuls or hammams can be made in almost any size or shape and all bespoke items have to be designed from scratch. Some architects or interior designers


do this themselves, but ultimately anyone trying to create unique wet spa areas will need the help of the specialist manufac- turers. Yet we are constantly told that if we want to be considered for work, we should help the designer by providing the basic building service requirements for free, as part of our normal vendor support. It’s not as simple as providing basic information. We have to design the facility before we can work out these requirements – so effectively we’re doing the designer’s job but they’re getting the fee! It is my very firm belief that this knowl-


edge and ability has a value to any project, a value that will be repaid many times over if our services are employed at the design stage and if we are treated as part of the professional design team. Thankfully, major spa operators and designers, such as Four Seasons, Rose- wood, Hilton, WATG and Blu Spas Inc, are beginning to wake up and employ the services of aquathermal manufactur- ers either directly, or as sub-contractors. They’ve realised that disaster can be avoided by good design, but that good design has a price tag. l


Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital 13


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