THOUGHT LEADERS
Simon Casson Head of spa task force Four Seasons
S
pa development occurs where business/the economy is growing and apart from China and India, the Middle East is an
area to watch. Hotels in this region are incredible and impossible to recreate in Europe or America – due to the dynamics of land acquisition and building costs – and they have spas within that are as equally advanced and cutting edge. Operationally, we think the biggest
growth opportunity lies in memberships and this is something we’re really looking into – bringing the local community more into the hotel for fitness classes and personal training as well as for spa.
There’s huge potential and we’re making sure we design new facilities to best accommodate this by providing direct access routes, locker facilities and layouts that facilitate outside membership. Spa-goers remain constant in their desire
for a sense of calm and holistic wellness even though they want both chemical- free and organic treatments as well as high-tech, non-invasive medical services.
“ Operationally, we think the biggest growth opportunity lies in memberships and this is something we’re really looking into ”
What is changing, however, is their hunger for customisation. Guests want bespoke delivery and innovative products. What I’m most excited about, however,
is the increased interaction I observe between spa and client. Our guests plan ahead and make reservations online, or use the Four Seasons app to research and book. Many come to the resorts already with a full programme ahead of them. This allows our spas to plan well and to suggest enhancements instead of reacting to a request when someone just walks in. We’re constantly looking to engage with our guests more effectively.
Brent Bauer
Director of the complementary and integrative medicine program
Mayo Clinic T
he most exciting development in my field is the shift from ‘either/or’ – either we use conventional medicine or we use
complementary therapies; to ‘both/and’ – using the best of conventional medicine and evidence-based complementary therapies. This is happening rapidly thanks, in part, to the solid science behind the efficacy of massage, acupuncture, meditation and many other complementary modalities. A 2010 survey by the Samueli Institute suggests that 40 per cent of hospitals now offer some form of integrative medicine therapy. I envision a time in the near future
when we’ll see even more active integration between spa and medicine. As conventional medical facilities increasingly recognise the value of complementary therapies such as meditation or massage, they’re also realising that clinical settings may not be
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spabusiness.com issue 3 2015 ©CYBERTREK 2015
“ I’d be surprised if acupuncture doesn’t grow rapidly... And I expect mind-body
classes/instruction will continue to boom ”
the optimal delivery platforms. So we’re already seeing a number of academic health centres partnering with local spas to deliver evidence-based therapies and instruction to more people. Sometimes this is in the form of classes such as yoga or meditation, and sometimes it’s in the form of targeting specific patient groups, eg providing safe massage to breast cancer survivors. The more spas are seen as partners in meeting the needs of all patients for wellness promotion, the tighter the relationship will become. I think we’ll continue to see solid growth
in those treatments with the greatest evidence. I’d be surprised if acupuncture
doesn’t begin to grow dramatically in the next five years. The evidence is growing and the profession has done a very good job with creating nationally recognised credentialing in the US. And I expect mind-body classes/instruction will continue to boom as they’re proven to help everything from lowering stress levels to reducing brain atrophy. Most of these (meditation, yoga, tai chi) have little risk, can be adapted to an individual’s needs and almost all of them can be learned and practiced independently. Teaching self-care will be big in the coming decade. I’m sensitive to the fact that there are
a large number of consumers who simply can’t afford a massage on a routine basis. But the good news is that there’s still an array of mind-body therapies that can be learned in a few lessons and then practiced for a lifetime.
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