Treatments focused on emotional imbalances might help says Stewart, whose spa has launched a programme to explore such problems
A FRIENDLY APPROACH Creating a welcoming environment for people who visit on their own would be a simple first step for spas. This is something that Deborah Szekely, founder of Mexican destination spa Rancho La Puerta, feels strongly about. “We have a docent whose sole task is to take care of first time guests who come alone,” she says. “She has lunch with them shortly after they arrive, finds out their interests and introduces them into a circle of like-minded guests.” In addition, the spa is engineered around communal group activities where all guests eat together, join in hiking sessions and take part in cookery classes. Other facilities such as Miraval in the USA take this approach too. For Karina Stewart, founding partner of
Kamalaya destination spa in Thailand, it’s “clear that spas are in a position to address loneliness from a variety of perspectives”. She says: “The setting is conducive to having a personalised experience, while at the same time meeting other people in a contained and yet enriching environment.
Other spas which don’t have such Human beings are
hard-wired to connect with one another and to be able to connect with themselves
Additionally, destination spas are places where services and therapies may address some of the underlying issues of loneliness.” Treatments focused on emotional
imbalances could help, she says. Recently, Kamalaya launched Embracing Change, its first wellness programme to explore emotional challenges or habits that hinder optimal wellbeing and fulfilment. In Italy, the Vair spa at Borgo Egnazia
(see p70) has a psychosomatic approach to wellbeing and it has even created a Broken Hearts retreat to help people who have split from a loved one.
experts on staff could bring in guest speakers and put on seminars offering advice on combatting loneliness, including how different therapies can help. Perhaps these could be packaged with a massage session. If held on a regular basis, these could even help to connect people. After all, that’s what it’s all about concludes Szekely. “Certainly one of the draws of Rancho La Puerta is the ease in which one makes friends… and which causes the majority of our guests to say ‘same time, next year’, because they’ve arranged to meet up with their new-found friends again. When I lecture on Monday, without fail, I bring up the importance and the power of friendship.” ●
Katie Barnes is the managing editor of Spa Business magazine Email: katiebarnes@
spabusiness.com Twitter: SpaBusinessKB
©CYBERTREK 2015
spabusiness.com issue 2 2015 89
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