SPAS AND TECHNOLOGY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24
“ Those of us who are dedicated to the spa industry , we ’ re ardent believers in the role of spa in the overall health and well-being of our guests and communities .”
— ANGELA CORTRIGHT introducing new technologies to the spa experience will soon become commonplace as more leaders and guests become educated about the possibilities they offer .“ This is another opportunity for us to introduce our guests to a practice that can benefit for their overall health ,” says Cortright .
It ’ s also important to remember that many of the technological advancements that may soon represent an increasingly large part of the spa experience can only act as enhancements of , rather than replacements for , traditional treatments . Spa Gregorie ’ s , for example has plans to introduce Air Beautification — a specialized air filtration system capable of capturing particles even smaller than those pulled from the air by HEPA systems ( see page 27 for details ).“ I love that the spa industry is able to introduce new , healthier alternatives to our guests , Cortright says .“ Our job is to educate , inspire and provide better health alternatives for our guests , so we ’ re going to be putting in a number of [ Air Beautification ] units in different areas of the spa , and in order to educate our guests on what it is , we are going to put it on the menu as a complimentary benefit that comes with every service .”
Cortright expects that benefits and add-ons like these will become a bigger part of spa offerings as spa leaders get increasingly comfortable integrating new technologies to enhance the spa experience and add meaningful value by contributing to guests ’ health and personal wellness goals . Of course , adding technological offerings or providerfree services simply for the sake of keeping up with the times is not likely to have a positive impact on any spa ’ s business . Just as with adding a new treatment to the menu , adding a new technology requires spa leaders to know their business inside and out , so that any addition meets a real guest need and ultimately makes financial sense . For example , Tammy Pahel shares that she recently consulted with a fellow spa leader who wanted to broaden her offerings but was working with a relatively limited budget . She advised this leader to invest in equipment that helps guests with muscle recovery because her spa is located next to a
26 PULSE � OCTOBER 2021