MEMBER PERSPECTIVES
BY JAMISON STOIKE
LIFE IN LOCKDOWN
Three ISPA Members Share Their Stories
THE PAST FOUR MONTHS HAVE BROUGHT A
WHIRLWIND of change in the face of COVID-19. Few spa
directors would say that they fully anticipated the scope
of the challenges that have arisen: economic distress,
mandatory closures and a fear of ongoing apprehension
on returning to spa.
During this time, many spas around the world have
been forced to temporarily shutter, lay off staff and pivot
to new business models—curbside retail pick-up, touchless
services and more—to stay afloat. At The Spa at Kilaga
Springs, Spa Manager Trudy Smith quickly pivoted to
offer curbside retail service. Outside Phoenix, Arizona, the
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess hotel remained open while
the spa was forced to close—although they’re now partially
reopen. And across the Atlantic in Switzerland, the
Dolder Grand Spa shut its doors but is now fully reopen, albeit
with reduced capacity. Pulse spoke with each of these
three ISPA members to learn more about how they’ve
tackled the obstacles of the past several months.
Near the Initial Hotspot
The Spa at Kilaga Springs is located in Lincoln, California,
a suburban community outside Sacramento that’s just 100
miles from San Francisco, an early COVID-19 hotspot in the
United States. The spa is at the core of a Del Webb retirement
community, which means that it caters primarily to
28 PULSE ■ JULY 2020