MEMBER PERSPECTIVES
CONTINUED
ages for client spas to sell to guests when their own operations were shut down .
Touchless : Focus or Fad ?
From almost the moment that the COVID-19 pandemic forced spas to temporarily shut their doors , questions about guests ’ interest in and the value of “ touchless ” treatments have come thick and fast . While Emlyn Brown acknowledged the potential of less touch-intensive services , typically ( though not always ) aided by developing technologies , he ’ s confident that the core of spa won ’ t change anytime soon : “ I think there ’ s an absolute hunger for human touch and human contact that won ’ t go away , and I think that will be the primary mainstay of our business .” Brown did note , however , that other touchless elements of the guest experience , like booking , check-ins and payment processes are absolutely
BACK TO BASICS ?
While many spa-goers may be seeking treatments that fall outside the scope of what many spas traditionally offer , the wider population ’ s interest in well-being and self-care may also lead to increased interest in those tried-and-true services that spas have hung their hats on for decades . Said Emlyn Brown , “ Right now , [ or over ] the next 12 months … we need to deliver on that which may seem really simple and basic .” Brown added that the growth of the so-called wellness economy gives spas a chance to reach potential spa-goers who are interested in what spas offer but who may never have taken the ( literal or metaphorical ) plunge and made things like massage and skin care part of their overall wellness routines . “ We can really capitalize and , again , introduce people to these types of services … and really meet that demand for that element of pampering and allowing my guests to breathe .”
“ If you haven ’ t already connected with your partners , please do , because my experience is that , when we reach out to them , they ’ re clamoring to try to help . And they have … really come up with some creative ideas to [ encourage guests to return .]”
here to stay . “ If your spa is not … moving in that direction , I think you ’ re going to very much fall behind ,” he said .
The growth of online booking , especially , is one trend that Kenneth Ryan believes will not go away . “ You ’ ve got spas that have limited staff and are open limited hours right now . So to have the ability for a customer to be able to book their spot , 24-7 , is critical . If you ’ re not doing it , figure it out . Stop what you ’ re doing ; get online booking ”. In addition , Ryan noted that digital menus — which a huge number of spas have adopted during the pandemic — are likely to remain the norm moving forward . “ I ’ ve been building [ a collection of ] beautiful brochures from luxury hotels for years , and I love that I have about a thousand different ones from around the world , but I think that [ digital menus ] are going to stay . I think people have gotten really comfortable with it ,” said Ryan .
For Alissa Bayer , however , adopting these new approaches does carry some downside , especially for day spas working with a mix of new guests and regulars . “ I think our newer clients need a little bit more hand-holding and attention when booking those appointments ,” she said . “ And just about everyone that books an appointment online with us
— Kenneth Ryan
will get a phone call just to confirm and make sure that ’ s exactly what they wanted . We still have a ton of phone calls and a lot of personal touch . And then that ’ s the first impression for a lot of people as well .” Bayer added that maintaining a greater degree of control over bookings allows her
Marriott Resort and Spa at Grand National
38 PULSE ■ JULY 2021