INTERVIEW: LAURENT HOUEL
The priority will be to launch spas in countries where evian has a super premium image
as well as working on the fi ner points of its licensing agreement and the overall business plan. His role moving forward will be to focus on the commer- cial model and development of evianSpa via hotel partners. In order to do this, Saussay set up a consulting and manage- ment company in March called Global Project and Spa Advisory, with evian as its fi rst client. So, why hotel spas and not standalone
day spas? “Licences are easier to set up with hotels and there’s the potential for more success from a business and rev- enue standpoint,” says Houel. “We don’t want to be alone and we’re happy to part- ner with a hotel and to benefi t from its history, location and marketing – as long as it’s the right fi t – just as the hotel will benefi t from having an evianSpa as an extra revenue stream and a boost for occupancy and, potentially, room rates.” Evian is also ruling out the idea of running
spas too. “T e overall mission at Danone is ‘health through nutrition for all’ – evian belongs there clearly, but spas are not part of our core business,” he says. “We’ll provide a complete concept and full logistical sup- port for implementing the license, but we’re happy to join our forces with experts in the fi eld [in operational terms].”
RELEVANT ROLLOUT As the location for the launch of the con- cept, evianSpa Tokyo has been a success that Houel says he and the hotel partners are “very happy with”. But now the idea is to grow the concept in the right markets and
Favourites
Book: Tom Sharpe’s Wilt series is absurd and hilarious Film: T e Party (Peter Sellers) and Dr Strangelove (Stanley Kubrick) Food: A Saint-Honoré cake from Patisserie des Rêves in Paris is a real treat What do you do in your free time? I cook, I travel, I discover. With my family and friends Time of year: Each season
is special and I need this change of time Best non-evian spa: Les Fermes de Marie (see sb05/1 p62) in Megève, France. It off ers a great consumer experience – service is friendly and excellent Spa treatment: a full relaxing treatment combining deep tissue massage that really acts on stress points, and a scalp massage Best advice: “It ain’t
countries with the right hotel partner. “It’s not a question of going massive for us,” says Houel. “It’s a question of being relevant.” With evian distributing to over 150 coun-
tries, Houel says the priority will be on those where the brand has a “super pre- mium image”. Typically these are countries in Asia, such as Japan, Korea, China and Singapore where distribution is focused on hotels, restaurants and other high-end businesses. T e UAE and Russia also show promise. In comparison, the distribution in markets such as France and the UK is larger and more ubiquitous. “In Asia the brand is more linked to luxury which makes it a better fi t for spas,” says Houel. “But we’ll obviously look at potential projects in other countries where we have a strong image and awareness though.”
34 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital
over til it’s over”, not really personal advice but a Lenny Kravitz song. It’s another way to say keep pushing if you believe in what you do Who do you admire most? All entrepreneurs who build a successful business from scratch. And my wife for her impressive multitasking and wit, combined with this mysterious feminine giſt of being able to walk in 12cm heels
T e goal will be to target fi ve-star, urban
hotels which have enough space – at least 800sq m (8,611 sq ſt ) – to do the concept jus- tice. In France, the priority will be to create a fl agship evianSpa with the imminent ren- ovation of the Hôtel Royal. But it’s too early to disclose details of other possible develop- ments: “We’re still in the process of meeting various operators,” Houel says. “We’ll be very happy to identify a handful of projects by the end of the year and then go from there. “It’s really exciting to deploy a brand in
a new category. We think the spa concept we’ve developed is a distinctive one. But at the same time we’re humble. We know we’re not the fi rst ones in the market and we know we have to learn. But the initial reac- tion we’ve had from potential partners has been positive so far.” ●
SPA BUSINESS 4 2012 ©Cybertrek 2012
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