Kids only: A milkshake bath at After the Rain’s spa (left). This page: Playing Wii Fit and the climbing wall at the KLAFS kids’ spa
“WE HAVE CANDY FLOSS EVERYWHERE, A CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN, AND ONE OF THE TREATMENTS IS A BATH IN MILKSHAKE”
no adults allowed Meanwhile spa operator After the
Rain, based in Geneva, offers a kids’ spa, catering for kids aged seven to 17, in most of its 40 spas around the world – the two spas in Geneva and Paris, both owned by the company, as well as the spas operated via partnerships and franchises. For one day a month, the spa
is closed to adults and, as founder and president Isabelle Nordmann explains, the whole atmosphere is fundamentally changed to appeal to children: “We have candy fl oss everywhere, a chocolate fountain, and one of the treatments is actually a bath in strawberry or chocolate milkshake, which the kids love – it’s a huge bath and they can all get in together.” There are wraps, facials, massages,
manicures – and a lot of chocolate on the treatments’ ingredient lists. “Really it’s a mixture between therapy and fun – they come and they play and they eat. They’re allowed to run around, shout… It’s an entirely non-adult environment that day – that’s really important to the concept. “We started doing this in October
2009, just for the fun of it – we all had kids and they loved coming to the spa, so we decided to design specially adapted treatments for them. We were really the fi rst to do it, so there was
august 2011 © cybertrek 2011
no blueprint. We had meetings with a child psychologist and designed special training for our therapists so they knew how to approach a child, and a child’s body, so they didn’t feel uncomfortable. “It’s also completely safe. We don’t
have saunas or spa pools anyway, and the temperature in our steam rooms is turned right down. The kids only go in them briefl y anyway – they don’t want to sit still in there for long. “Adults used to stay while their kids
used the spa, but now they drop them off and leave while we run events like birthday parties – it’s become something of an institution here in Geneva.” After the Rain cannot enter the UK
due to trademark issues, but Nordmann absolutely believes the UK is ready for this sort of concept – “defi nitely, provided it’s done properly”. This sentiment is reinforced by the company’s Paris spa manager, Robin Mauras-Cartier, who has just returned from a long stint working in the UK spa market.
the uk: education needed However, some of the UK spa experts are
less enthusiastic about the idea. Gerard McCarthy, sales director at Dalesauna, is not sure the UK market is ready for a concept as far out as this. He believes the UK needs to catch up with European spa culture before making such a bold move.
“I don’t think even adult spas are as prevalent as they should be in the UK,” he explains. “In Germany and Austria they take a different view to spas, children, and health and safety – I’m not sure the children’s spa concept could translate so easily to UK health clubs. Our health and safety regulations wouldn’t allow climbing walls in wet areas for a start.” Senior consultant with Inspired Spa
Solutions, Martyn Wood, tends to agree that the UK lags behind Europe,
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