MYSTERY SHOPPER
WHAT’S THE SCORE? Ease of booking
Facilities
Cleanliness/maintenance Staff
Experience/treatment Value for money Overall experience
10 5
4 9
10 6 6
I ventured back inside to the ‘waiting area’
for my therapist to collect me – difficult to refer to it as anything else as it was brightly lit, had no music and everyone was speaking normally. Tere were lots of groups on that particular day. Te therapists appeared at a central doorway and called out the name of their guest. Tis felt like I was on a conveyor belt, but it’s not easy to imagine how else they would operate with the volume of guests. Cori collected me and we exchanged
pleasantries en-route to the treatment room. I had originally opted for a hot stone ther- apy treatment, but having overdone it on exercise (very easy in California!), I needed a sports massage integrated with the hot stones. Cori was already aware of this and it wasn’t an issue – she said she would tailor the treatment to whatever I liked. Although I had signed a disclaimer upon
arrival, no consultation was carried out. I asked Cori, who said that consultations were done verbally and that everyone knew what to ask. I questioned how they would fare on any litigation issues and she said the disclaimer took care of that. Tis amazed me –
RIGHT TO REPLY Nancy King, spa director, Hotel del Coronado W
e are happy to see that the shopper enjoyed her treatment and feel that it is indicative of the quality of service we provide. Unfortunately, during the week of her visit, we were upgrading. As the operational issues she encoun-
tered have been resolved, we’re confident that spa guests are now enjoying an exceptional experience. Although she was not particularly fond of the spa’s aesthetics, many of our guests enjoy its classic charm. In designing the spa, care was taken to preserve the structural and aesthetic integrity of this National Historic Landmark, and to create a space that allows modern conveniences to blend with Victorian style. With passion- ate and professional therapists, a spectacular beachfront relaxation terrace featuring a vanishing-edge pool and unique ocean-inspired treatments, it’s easy to see why it has been voted one of the top 20 hotel spas in the world by Travel + Leisure.
64 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital
Summary Overall, I thought my experience was very
‘mass-clusive’ – exclusive, but for the masses – it had great PR, but it’s not somewhere you’d go for a quiet treat. Te service was not five- star and the design disappointed me. Tere were some operational issues that could have been fixed very easily, alongside some commercial opportunities that simply were not being explored. Having said that, if every therapist is as good as Cori they’re going to win every time. l
SPA BUSINESS 4 2010 ©Cybertrek 2010
particularly in the US. One thing was for sure
– she knew what to ask and responded with an assured expertise to any questions I had. As a therapist she was exceptional. I
learned that one of her passions is crystal healing and crystal energy. Not only did I receive a fantastic massage, I also had the advantage of her considerable giſt of read- ing and working with my energy. Te design of the treatment room was
poor. All equipment was on display. From the hot stone bath and treatment towel heater to the products, all of which were positioned on a side bench. However, I still leſt the room feeling fabulous and it was 100 per cent down to the expertise and pure loveliness of Cori. I also liked what Cori had to say about
Hotel del Cornado. She has worked there for 20 years and talked about how well they
T
Te retail area is in a great position in front of reception (above), yet guests are not sold to at all
treated their staff, how much she loved work- ing there and how much she adored meeting people from all over the world. I thought wow, here’s an absolute star of an employee and they obviously know it – great to see. Retail is my hobby horse. I love it from
both sides of the counter but sadly the Spa at Te Del scored a big fat zero. No recommen- dations, suggestions, engagement or even offers of help as I was looking around the retail area. Fortunately for them I bought a few things anyway but if that is the con- sistent standard of retailing, they must be missing out on a small fortune.
Value for money
Te treatment was very expensive and not good value for money and for the cost of the day packages, the scope of facilities in the relaxation and wet areas were limited.
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