MYSTERY SHOPPER
WHAT’S THE SCORE? Ease of booking
Facilities
Cleanliness/maintenance Staff
Experience/treatment Value for money Overall experience
7 8 9 7
10 8 8
My therapist was very well presented and
engaging and started my treatment promptly. Although I didn’t fill out a consultation form, I was asked if I had any special areas that needed attention. I’ve been experiencing a really big problem with my shoulder and my therapist obviously knew her ‘stuff’ and was really attentive to the needs I’d mentioned throughout the treatment. I could tell she been very well trained and her touch was amazing. Unfortunately, I did hear other people talking during my experience, which was disturbing and the floor was very cold which came as a shock start to my treatment. Yet overall my treatment was excellent – I never felt rushed at all and the journey was great – and on a scale of one to 10, I would rate it a strong nine. Aſter the treatment, my therapist said to
take a moment to relax. Ten she showed me two exercises for my shoulder: that was a bonus as they really are helping me now. Back at the pool I took another steam – this time I was alone and loved the experience but, unfortunately, the drain wasn’t work- ing and I was standing in three inches of
RIGHT TO REPLY Cristina Paradelo, spa manager, Shibui Spa T
hank you for the feedback. We’re currently re-launching our spa menu and have redesigned many of our treatments to enhance the guest experience. Te Sake K mentioned has been replaced with Te Drunken Lotus massage which incorporates
white lotus, organic jojoba and cucumber oils. We’re sorry for any technical or service-re- lated issues which resulted in a less than perfect experience. To address points specifically – our confirmation emails are generated automatically, so it’s possible we misspelled it. Te ‘small steamroom’ is a single room and only intended to be used by one person at a time. With regards to locker room amenities: more are available on request, but as the majority of guests are from the hotel they’ve got these in their room already. In concern to the retail experience, we’ve recently expanded this area to include high-end spa and beauty products, as well as a collection of one-of-a-kind giſts and accessories from around the world.
46 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital
water. By this point I felt quite thirsty, but I was never offered a drink by anyone: even though I found a bottle of water and I had heard a rumour that they offer a warm gin- ger tea to guests on arrival. Te lighting in the locker room was very
low so I couldn’t see to put on my make-up and there weren’t any amenities. There was mouth wash and soap available, but the holders weren’t labelled and they were placed next to each other… oops!.. I figured out which was which quite quickly! Tere was also something wrong with the plumb- ing – a siren sounded for a minute when I first put the shower on.
Aftercare
Te retail area was small and very uninter- esting and I was not offered any information
T
Te majority of spa users come from the hotel (above), which creates a private and peaceful ambience
on products. When I went to check out, I noticed the amount on the bill was higher than the treatment price that I had been quoted. Te receptionist informed me that a 20 per cent gratuity was added – this was fine with me as the service warranted that. When I asked for a menu, she looked around and said she did not have one, but that she would print one out. I waited, but she never gave me one. Additionally, I was not asked for any contact information.
Summary
Te Shibui Spa experience was very differ- ent – I felt as if I was in someone’s beautiful home and peeking at the other three treat- ment rooms, all were unique to each other and exotic. It seems to me that this spa is pri- marily an amenity for the Greenwich Hotel guests and that it doesn’t expect clients who are not staying there to use it. Tere is an air of exclusivity in the hotel and it carries through to the spa. Tis creates a very pri- vate, unhurried and peaceful ambience. I was not made aware by the staff that the
spa had a signature massage, Sake K, and it was not made clear on the website that I could download a menu in advance. Te Sake K entails muscles being anointed with ginger and black pepper and then compressed via steaming, sake-soaked towels – I would def- initely consider returning for this and wish I had been told me about it beforehand as it would have been my top choice. l
SPA BUSINESS 1 2011 ©Cybertrek 2011
M
Y
S
T
E
R
Y
S
R
H
E
O
P
P
P
E
H
R
M
Y
S
E
R
Y
S
O
P
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84