What Place is there for Technology in Spa?

Long a refuge for hands-on, personal service and a haven away from the constant connection of today's technology, spas are discovering that they, too, have a need for high-tech. From offering the latest modern treatments to connecting with guests on social media, technology has a role in almost every aspect of the spa experience.

Many spas try to keep their focus on traditional services and techniques that rely on human touch. "I have had treatments with the most modern technology that did not have as much of an effect on me as some basic treatments in a hut overlooking a rice paddy in Bali," commented Christopher Clark, General Manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka.

Other spas look to balance the hands-on treatments focused on healing and rejuvenating with newer technologies that can provide immediate, youth generating results. Guests are attracted to new and cutting edge treatments which, in turn, drive interest in spa treatment technology.

"In this ever changing industry, it's great to be able to offer your guests the latest treatments at the same time staying true to what spa was originally about – which is hands-on touch for healing and rejuvenating," commented Helen Bryan, Spa Manager, The Reefs.

Spas need to continually look to stay on top of trends, whether they are the newest high-tech approach or driven by wellness and health aspects. Continually updating the spa menu, training your staff and educating clients about these new technologies will help drive guests into the spa.

"A holistic approach won't just mean adding yoga, meditation or nutrition to massage, it will mean adding high-tech beauty to the spa menus," commented Lenka Rogerova, Director of Communications, Mandarin Oriental Prague.

Many spas politely request that spa guests unplug and leave mobile phones and other electronics in the locker room. However, these technologies also finding a home in the administration of the spa through mobile check-in, as well as electronic wellness forms guests can complete on a tablet. Using spa technology helps staff be more efficient and focus less on management tasks and more on delivering personalized guest service.

"We brought in iPads instead of paper consultation forms," commented Mark van Santvoort, General Manager IT, Hamilton Island in Australia. "This decreased the time that we used to manually write all the guest's details and automatically saves them in the system for future visits."

Guests also have certain expectations with regards to technology. They're influenced and inspired by social media. They want and need to be able to book spa reservations online anytime and anywhere.

"We don't have enough time in the day to be proactive enough to book things, so we, as spas, need to make ourselves more readily available to book services online to get firm commitments out of our customers to come in for services," commented Sarah T. Carroll, Assistant General Manager, Cooper Fitness Center and Cooper Spa.