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up and retains a substantial team of profession- als who can move from one project to another, sharing their experience in design, recruitment, training and pre-opening, and they know how best to adapt to local market situations. T is is particularly valuable where the local man- agement team of the hotel does not have the necessary resources or experience. The spa teams of hotel operators know
well that each situation is diff erent. As well as offering in-house spa concepts, such as AWAY Spa by W and Iridium Spa for St Regis, Starwood also has preferred third-party spa operator agreements with Bliss World Holdings for Bliss and Remède Spas at W and St Regis properties. Additionally, several of Starwood’s properties include independent spa brands such as the LEED-certifi ed Spa Anjali at the Westin Riverfront, Colorado. Similarly, Accor is familiar with how diff erent circumstances require diff erent solutions. For its Sofi tel Marseille property it has reached a
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hybrid solution of using its own So SPA brand yet outsourcing the spa management to ABC spa, an independent company.
BE STRATEGIC
So, how does a developer/owner make the right decision? T is is where the importance of strategy at the very early stages of develop- ment comes in – when design and operation decisions are still wide open. Consultants can add huge value at this point in providing a clear and considered direction. T e right advice at the beginning can also save on costly changes needing to be made later on. T e right recommendation comes from sev-
eral sources: the careful analysis of the market not just for the spa but also the hotel and other leisure facilities; from understanding and dis- cussing developer/owner objectives for each of these elements, not just the spa, and help- ing to prioritise these and tease out acceptable trade-off s; and from running through scenar-
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ios and implications for operations, customer experience and revenue generation. And will the right recommendation make
the owner more money? Yes. But not because in-house is a better option than independent, or vice versa, but because of choosing the right solution for the specifi c circumstances. Interestingly, it’s been found that the most
dominant infl uence on fi nancial success when modelling the revenue generation of the spa is not directly due to a specifi c brand or type of operation, but to an assurance of competence. T is is evidenced in well-judged decisions for the specifi c location and market of the hotel and in the experience and capability of the team managing the pre-opening of a spa and its ongoing operations thereaſt er. So, in-house, independent or even bespoke?
It all comes down to objectives and priorities and a good awareness of the specifi c market and potential of the diff erent options within it. But that, of course, is what strategy is about. ●
spa business handbook 2011 99
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