RESORT SPA
brand, while AW Lake has researched Tibetan medicine, history and culture to create the products for the signature treatments. T erapists will be trained in a native mas-
sage known as ku nye. Derived from Tibetan medicine, it helps cleanse the body of tox- ins, increase energy, calm nerves and reduce stress. When performing ku nye for the fi rst time, therapists will carry out a consultation to determine the guest’s dominant humour (element): wind, bile or phlegm. T e two- hour treatment uses herbal oils and pastes corresponding to the dominant humour. Gunning says varying treatments at future
spas will bring each destination to life: “Each property can develop its own signature treat- ment, based on the showcased culture/ destination. St Regis hopes this will enable distinctive, hand-craſt ed experiences.” Launching a premium brand in such a
BY NUMBERS ST REGIS LHASA
T e resort has 122 rooms,
28 villas and 12 suites Rooms range from
rmb1,650 (us$250, €182, £155) to rmb50,150 (us$7,600, €5,500, £4,700) per night Starwood is aiming for 40 per
cent occupancy in the fi rst year Other facilities include a tea
room, three restaurants, a ballroom, meeting rooms and the spa T e tiered spa memberships will
range from rmb23,100 (us$3,500, €2,550, £2,150) to rmb33,000 (us$5,000, €3,650, £3,100) a year T e spa will open with six
remote location hasn’t come without chal- lenges. “It was not easy to transport goods during construction as they had to come a long way by road,” says Gunning. Yet access for potential guests is straightforward, as fl ights run daily to Lhasa from major cities in China and the road into Lhasa is excellent. Another diffi culty is having “to endure low levels of oxygen during winter time; although in the summer it is extremely pleasant, with trees and plants giving off higher levels of oxygen.” Finding staff has also proved to be challenging. Although all the
full-time therapists, building up to 12 during peak times
35 to 40 per cent from locals, perhaps rising to as much as 90 per cent in the winter. Long term, Starwood is hoping to encourage more travel during winter, but locals will still be important and to refl ect this, three mem- bership packages have been created. T ese include benefi ts such as discounts at the spa and F&B, a complimentary one-night stay in the presidential suite and invitations to spe- cial events. In terms of KPIs, Starwood will be measuring revenue per available treat- ment hour; retail revenue as a percentage of treatment revenue; hotel capture rate percentage and therapist productivity per- centage. As this is a new market no specifi c benchmarks can be shared yet. T e Iridium Spa brand is now available to
therapists had to be trained from scratch, the team tried to recruit individuals who have had traditions of healing, through massage and herbal therapies, passed down to them. As the spa will have many Chinese-speaking guests, a number of Chinese therapists have been hired and many of the others will be Tibetan. AW Lake provided a comprehensive training programme, including detailed customer service training to match the expected high-end clientele.
THE EXPECTATIONS Starwood predicts that the spa’s capture rate will be at least 25 per cent.
“We would expect international guests to at least try the foot and leg massage treatments, especially if they’ve been walking all day sight- seeing,” says Gunning. “We expect facials to be popular, as the skin can become very dry within just a couple of days here.” Starwood expects 60 to 65 per cent of the spa revenue to come from hotel guests and
58 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital
roll out in other St Regis hotels, although owners can also opt for a Reméde Spa by Steiner Leisure: St Regis’ preferred third-party spa brand. T e location and market is likely to determine which one hotel owners will choose. Although there are brand requirements for an Iridium Spa – a minimum 3,500sq ſt (325sq m) footprint, all- suite areas, separate entry and exit – it is expected that each site will refl ect its own location. Proprietors will be able to select their own skincare lines. All future Iridium Spas will be priced in the luxury tier, although costs will vary based on the demands of each market. T e next Iridium Spa is due to open in St Regis Florence, Italy, this
year. Two more Iridium Spas are in discussion, but are still under wraps; these could open by the end of 2011. Two more properties have been confi rmed for China – St Regis Tianjin and St Regis Yalong Bay
– slated to open by 2012. Asia is Starwood’s fastest growing market for its hotel and spa brands and EAME is another key growth area. A lot of work has been put into this brand, so there are high hopes for it: “In many ways we’ve saved the best for last,” says Kyricos. “It’s the sixth brand we’ve developed internally, so there’s a logical ben- efi t to years of experience. I feel there’s a good marriage between St Regis and the concept we’ve created for Iridium Spa. T ey’re highly synergistic and share the same core values, which has culminated in a beautiful end product.” ●
SPA BUSINESS 1 2011 ©Cybertrek 2011
T e huge lobby window at St Regis Lhasa
beautifully showcases the spectacular night-time view of Postala Palace
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