marked for social distancing, and both guests and staff
are required to wear masks. “Qua Baths & Spa team
members wear face shields with their masks as well,”
adds Carpenter. The spa’s hygiene and sanitation protocols
were designed in concert with Caesars Entertainment
and use guidance from both the Las Vegas Spa Association
and ISPA’s own Spa Reopening Toolkit.
On reopening day itself, the spa was staffed by eight
service providers. “It took the spa providers some time to
get used to working with additional personal protective
Both staff and guests at Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace Las Vegas have
been required to wear masks since reopening on June 18.
equipment and having their clients wear masks at all
times,” Carpenter says. To drum up enthusiasm for the
spa’s reopening, Qua Baths & Spa left voicemails on hotel
guests’ phones and placed QR codes throughout the hotel
that linked to more information about the reopening.
Since reopening, Carpenter has opened a second treatment
room to her service providers so that they may “pick
up a second massage if the opportunity arises” while their
first treatment room is being sanitized. Qua Baths & Spa
has also adjusted its check-in experience since mid-June;
now, service providers wait in the lobby to greet guests
and escort them directly to a treatment room.
The widespread closures of hotels, casinos, activities
and shows on the Las Vegas strip has had an interesting,
unexpected effect on demand at Qua Baths & Spa, according
to Carpenter. “Caesars Palace is operating on a lower
hotel occupancy cap to support our enhanced focus on
health and safety, so fewer hotel guests are on property.
However, as shows and certain bars and lounges have
temporarily closed throughout the city, hotel guests have
more time to visit the spa and salon.” In essence, there are
fewer hotel guests, but those guests are more likely than
ever to visit the spa.
Throughout the reopening process, Carpenter recommends
staying flexible and communicative. “It is important
to understand that the team is learning to adapt
as well, so please give them time and patience.” If a resurgence
in the COVID-19 pandemic causes Qua Baths & Spa
to shut its doors or scale back capacity once more, Carpenter
says she wouldn’t do anything differently than the
first time: “I would still call each team member individually
to provide them with updates directly.” n
FEATURED SOURCES
CERISE BONNER
Hospitality & Retail Director
THE WOODHOUSE DAY SPA
NORTHERN KENTUCKY
KRISTIN CARPENTER
Director of Spa and Salons
QUA BATHS & SPA AT
CAESARS PALACE
LAS VEGAS
SEPTEMBER 2020 ■ PULSE 35