MEMBER PERSPECTIVES
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ever before due to the drop in guests traveling long distances to the property , have emphasized not just their new offerings but also the spa ’ s convenience to those guests less than an hour ’ s drive away . The spa has also hosted open houses where interested locals can learn more about the wellness membership program and see for themselves how the spa might serve their overall well-being . The result has been a sharp increase in the local , frequent spa visitor . “ We have people we see nearly every single day . I feel like we ’ ve become their second workplace , where they ’ ve carefully blended their relaxation and wellness and work all into one really special , unique experience .”
Opening the Door
On the other side of the U . S ., Daniel Spencer , director of spas at Sunstone Spa at Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage , sees this time as an opportunity to educate the typical spa-goer about how the spa might serve their health and wellness goals beyond the effects of a traditional spa service . “ There are so many guests that are very used to a set regimen —
Mirbeau Inn & Spa has expanded it ' s wellness-focused offerings in recent months . here ’ s your facial ; here ’ s your massage — and sometimes that ’ s as far as it goes . But there are all these little opportunities to open someone up to what different types of therapies are available ,” Spencer says .
The alternative therapies and amenities Sunstone offers to guests include halotherapy , infrared-heated gemstones and zero gravity grounding chairs designed to remove EMF from the body ( which the carpet in the facility also does ). Though not all of these are part of the spa ’ s service menu , they have all been adopted at least in part with the wellness-focused guest in mind . By making guests aware of the myriad ways in which the spa might help them supplement or sustain their broader health and well-being , Spencer believes that their relationship to spa itself can transform into something much more robust and beneficial . The spa has even found ways to adapt more traditional amenities to have a clearer connection to guests ’ health — mental health , in this case — goals .“ We have a private spa pool , and we have two private cabanas that people can rent ,” Spencer says .“ What we did is converted one of the cabanas into a self-interactive meditation space . We have some meditation singing with some singing bowls ; we have water arts — it becomes a little more playful . The feedback we get when guests came in is always positive . There are a lot of different ways you can squeeze self-care into [ the spa experience ].”
The cumulative effect of these offerings is that they significantly enhance the experience of a typical day pass spa guest seeking the greatest possible benefit to their overall well-being during their limited time on site . As Spencer notes , Sunstone — which features 11 treatment rooms and measures roughly 10,000 square feet — doesn ’ t have acres of land they can utilize to offer guests a large amount of outdoor , nature-focused experience , so finding ways to add more wellness opportunities ( and more value ) for guests can help not only attract guests but allow them to experience the best of what a spa experience can offer .
And like Pamela Maes at Mirbeau Inn and Spa , Spencer recognizes the benefit these services can provide to local
“ Guests were so sick of hearing about COVID that we cut [ that messaging ] off and made it wellness-focused from a standpoint of , ‘ Come and take care of yourself .’ [ COVID ] is in their faces 24-seven . They ’ re trying to move past it .”
— ERIN STREMCHA
34 PULSE � OCTOBER 2021