CLUB SPA
KATE CRACKNELL » JOURNALIST » SPA BUSINESS
part two
Join the club A
l Corniche Club Resort and Spa can best be described as, in general man- ager Gerard Oliver’s
words, “a resort without a hotel” in which the spa – while substantial at 1,858sq m (20,000sq ſt ) – is just one of many facilities (see opposite). T e impression is one of a coun-
try club with a wide array of off erings to cater for guests who might stay the whole day. So how signifi cant is spa to the overall off ering? “It’s hugely important,” says Oliver.
“Two-thirds of our members use the spa. Yet no one aspect of our off ering has priority over the other.”
SPA OFFERING
The ground floor of the spa offers a par- ticularly exclusive feel, comprising male and female areas for Premier membership holders. On each side is a lounge, chang- ing area, pool and thermal suite. T e female area also has a small single-sex gym, while the male area recently had its thermal suite overhauled by Schletterer (all other
In part two of our Kuwait series we take an in-depth look at the
Al Corniche Club Resort and Spa, with its successful membership model, and pay a visit to Sahara Spa
heat experiences in the spa are supplied by Balnea). T e kwd250,000 (us$886,850, €728,100, £575,900) refurb included a glass-fronted relaxation room with leather seating, sauna, steamroom and ice foun- tain. T ere are also sensor-activated aroma showers and hot-cold footbaths. T is fl oor is open to 1,000 Premier members only, with annual costs ranging from kwd850 (us$3,000, €2,500, £1,950) for a single female to kwd1,300 (us$4,600, €3,800, £3,000) for a couple – plus joining fees. Upstairs are the treatment rooms: 11 on the
female side, plus sauna and steamroom (col- lectively referred to as a hammam); and seven on the male side, plus sauna and steamroom. An LPG (cellulite and fi rming) treatment
room and a large hydropool area can be used by men or women. Pevonia Botanica supplies Al Corniche in an exclusive deal for Kuwait but another product range may be added in 2012. In total there are 12 therapists – all are international and some have been with the club since it fi rst opened. T e overall design of the spa is, in the words of spa director Maria Dav-
ydova: “classical, minimalistic”. Using dark wood throughout, complemented by natu- ral tiles and with quiet lighting, the mood is calming and the large space made more intimate than you might expect. Overall, Al Corniche has 3,600 members
and the club uses the Intelligenz Solutions software system to handle its complex off ering. Although 55 per cent of members are Kuwaiti, the base is diverse thanks to the large numbers of expats in the coun- try – both Arabic and European. But for all customers, says Davydova, the appeal of the club is that “it doesn’t feel like Kuwait”. She adds: “T is is even the case for our Kuwaiti members – what unites our customers is that they’re all very modern in their outlook and
Al Corniche refers to its steam and sauna rooms as a hammam experience and this is the only traditional type of therapy on offer 82 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital SPA BUSINESS 3 2012 ©Cybertrek 2012
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 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100