INTERVIEW
The profitability of our spas is between 5 and 25 per cent which is very good in Europe or French Polynesia where staff costs are high
Deep Nature Spa concept, it does have a standard set of operating procedures and branded marketing collateral in place that can be adapted to suit facilities and some owners simply choose to run with this and keep the name. Patty says: “We tailor-make the spas because they’re never the same size or in the same location.” Notably, Deep Nature categorises its spas by location type – whether they’re in the mountains or sea-based sites to those in the nature (forests) and the city. To this end, it’s not restricting itself
to working with just one product house. Because of its connection to Groupe Batteur, many spas have agreements with Algotherm, but other brands it works with include Clarins, Cinq Mondes and a num- ber of others. Waeyaert says: “We offer several [skincare] partnerships and advise the spa on what cosmetic line is best for them, depending on if it’s a destination or urban spa or where they want to position themselves in the luxury scale.”
Negotiating contracts While the consultancy side of Deep Nature is still in its infancy, the growth in its spa management contracts has accelerated over the last 10 years and Patty puts this down to running spas that make money. “The profitability of our spas is between 5 and 25 per cent which is very good in Europe or French Polynesia where staff costs are high,” he says. “After paying the owner a fee, we are even able to earn
Favourites
BOOK JP: Les chemains d’en haut by my father! (René Patty) GW: The Corrections by Jonathan Frenzen
FILM JP: The Indian Runner GW: Quinten Tarantino movies
36
Patty learned all about spa management by running Thalasso Deauville, a 33 treatment room thalassotherapy centre in France
5 to 10 per cent ourselves. We also aim to deliver a return on investment within three years and often the first year – when the opening is new and there’s a lot of interest – is the best.” Patty says these numbers apply to all Deep Nature models, from the one treatment room facilities that it runs for luxury residence group Pierre & Vacances to Thalasso Deauville. Part of the success for Deep Nature,
he says, is down to negotiating the right contract with the owner. “We have to anticipate the business plan perfectly and set our fee based on that,” says Patty, explaining that sometimes owners want them to pay something that’s not viable. “Luckily the fee I’ve suggested has always been respected,” he adds.
SEASON JP: Spring GW: Autumn
LEISURE ACTIVITY JP: Rock climbing and skiing GW: Visiting spas of course
SPA JP: Beach massage facilities in Thailand
The company offers two contract
models. If it’s a straightforward manage- ment agreement, the deal is set for five to seven years. But if Deep Nature invests in the spa concept and contributes to décor and fit out, the partnership will be arranged for 12 to 18 years. With 300 employees on its books, having
the right systems and selecting the right workforce is also fundamental. Patty says: “We have set methods of management, accounting and reporting, so I think it’s that and having a brand people like that makes it successful. “It’s a bit weak to say people need
to be ‘spa managers’, they have to be entrepreneurs as well. It has to be their own business and you have to involve them in terms of salary, bonuses and so on. My long-term goal is to give them the opportu- nity to become partners of the business but it will take time to organise this.”
GW: Miraval Life in Balance Spa with Clarins, US, because of its range of experiences
TREATMENT JP: Deep Blue Massage at InterContinental Bora Bora which includes a hydromassage bath with chromatherapy, a body wrap and a massage GW: Feet or neck massage
BEST ADVICE JP: Whatever happens, keep a stiff upper lip GW: Never give up
WHO YOU ADMIRE JP: Einstein, for thinking the unthinkable and being independent GW: Any successful business person who keeps things simple
Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital Spa Business 3 2014 ©Cybertrek 2014
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 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118