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OPINION P


ampering is very much part of the whole holistic wellness experi-


ence – if you’re looking aſt er your health, part of that is


‘me time’ and pampering. It’s an emotional rather than a physical thing – it’s not necessarily about the quality of the treatment or therapist, it’s about that hour of being totally looked aſt er by someone else. I’ve seen spas, particularly in the day spa/


salon world, moving away from pampering towards holistic and wellness experiences because they think that is what people are looking for. But I don’t necessarily believe that to be true. If anything, T e BodyHol- iday does more pampering now, and we’re actually in the process of building a new manicure-pedicure suite and bringing on a full range of organic cosmetics. Our guests are actually telling us that they want that


‘me time’, that they want to be looked aſt er and that they want to feel good. I’ve seen a big change since the eco-


nomic meltdown. I’m fi nding that those in the high-income group who still have money are spending it on time, rather than material things – they’re buying something emotional, something to make them feel bet- ter. Similarly, people in the middle-income bracket are coming out here [to the resort] because they have saved up to take them- selves off and use these services to refresh, relax and refocus. I’m fi nding there’s more of a move back towards pampering rather than away from it.


We did 108,000 treatments last year, so I think anyone giving spas a hard time about pampering because it’s seen to be frivolous and for the wealthy got it wrong


T


he distinction between pamper- ing and wellness is about how the


MARK LYTTLETON-FRANCES General manager, The BodyHoliday


PAMPERING But pampering is chang-


ing and we’re seeing a big move towards organic cos- metics. People are also moving away from things like Botox and surgical faceliſt s to natural pamper-


ing treatments such as thalassotherapy. T e pampering is still going on, and it’s going on more than it ever did, but it’s refocused. I don’t think spas moving towards well-


ness and holistic therapies will lose out on any business, but I do think they will become a dime a dozen – everybody will be off ering the same health and wellness programmes. However, those who continue to offer pampering will fi nd themselves capturing both ends of the market. We did 108,000 treatments last year, so I


think anyone out there who is giving salons or spas a hard time about pampering because it’s seen to be frivolous and for the wealthy got it wrong. Pampering is more for every- man than it ever has been before.


Lyttleton-Frances has been in the hospital- ity industry for over 20 years and currently runs St Lucia’s The BodyHoliday resort. Details: www.thebodyholiday.com


We also need to become


two things are perceived. Pampering is oſt en seen as something indulgent or self- ish while wellness is defi ned as being in good physical condition and mental health. Indeed, sometimes spas off er exactly the


JENNIFER HAACK Corporate director of spa development, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts


But although it’s a matter of semantics for


same services but use diff erent words. For example, at one point soaking in a bath with candlelight and fl owers could have seen as pampering, while the inclusion of aroma- therapy and mineral-rich ingredients could have seen it packaged as a ‘luxe’ treatment to improve wellbeing. Now, however, we’re trying to create baths that are built around wellness. One example of a radical bath that is driven by healing is by Voya – the Irish com- pany that hand harvests seaweed products (see sb12/3 p78) uses them in a bath treatment to ease aches and nourish the body. For me, it’s really about stating the distinc-


tion between pampering and wellness, and seeing pampering as a discipline to achieve wellness or good health. Engaging in serv- ices that nurture, heal and feed the body is pampering but it’s an investment in oneself and the end result is wellness.


me, for others, it’s a deciding factor – pam- pering is the fi rst thing off their list as it’s become synonymous with something you can live without. People need to be re-edu- cated about the word pampering. If we tie it together with wellness, people would begin to see it as something that isn’t disposable. We’re trying to do this at Sense [Rose-


wood’s spa brand]. We source skincare and equipment charged with precious gems, rep- resenting luxury, but use these in tandem with biotechnology and science. For exam- ple, we’re using tables infused with amethyst or quartz which have been designed to help restore vitality and eliminate toxins. Indeed, we market our services as ‘a balance of science, nature, wellness and beauty, cho- reographed to achieve an improved state of wellbeing.’ As an industry, we’re trying to change our language to use words such as science, heal and wellness, rather than diluted words like revitalise and relax.


28 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital


more universal as we have to appeal to two separate groups of people. T ere are those who think only about pampering and we want to re-educate them so they see


a visit to the spa as improving their state of being; and there are the people who we want to bring in who are looking for wellness but might not choose to come in because they think that what we’re doing is superfi cial. My hope is that we grasp both with the


same straw; the goal is to find a way to join the concepts and create awareness that pampering is, by nature, an oppor- tunity to improve wellness. This can be achieved through the choreography of our services, careful selection of products and expert training and attention to detail. Our responsibility to the people who come in is awesome; we need to constantly be connected to the potential outcome of pam- pering: wellness.


Haack, has been with Rosewood for six years and oversees its nine Sense spas. She has four pending projects in the Middle East and more than fi ve in development in Asia. Details: www.rosewoodhotels.com


SPA BUSINESS 4 2012 ©Cybertrek 2012


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