One truth…there is very little we can confidently predict at this point. Yet in my career, I have seen and led teams through some very difficult periods and the one thing I can confidently predict is that we will endure and thrive and the data backs that prediction up. In 2018 the International Spa Association reported that total spa revenues in the US grew 48.7% since the end of the Great Recession to $18.3 billion. Spa visits grew 32.8% since 2009 to 190 million. In 2018, 60% of Resort spas reported 20+% profits in the year and 27% reported 30+% profits. We currently have the benefit of time; how we use it to prognosticate and plan for the copious scenarios we may face in the months and years ahead will ultimately determine the path forward for our industry. Allow me to submit to you just a few suggested initiatives for the Wellness, Lifestyle and Spa industries that we should consider as high-priority in our post-crisis planning:

Safety first. It has been topic #1 for many right now so I won't belabor the topic other than to emphasize this point. Because of the essential nature of touch in our industry, spa and wellness businesses should establish enhanced standards for sanitation & hygiene that will serve as the "new normal". Look to trusted industry associations like the International Spa Association and the American Massage Therapy Association for guidance on what our guests and staff will expect upon reopening.

A Wellness-lead Reopen. I would consider this operational decision out-of-the-box as it is unconventional to standard roll-out or reopen processes in the hotel and resort environments. Properties traditionally prioritize their revenue drivers; Rooms and Food & Beverage, with a partial or full reopen followed by secondary revenue drivers like the spa and fitness departments. Consider prioritizing the safe, strategic and likely staggered reopen of your spa, fitness and wellness programs as a first-priority. When restrictions are minimized many of your guests will have been in at least partial isolation for months and there will be a deep desire for self-care. Their roots will have grown out to an embarrassing length, their at-home mani and pedi just isn't cutting it, and while the effort is there, their spouses are not blessed with the skill to massage. They will need your support in addressing the absence of touch, the absence of silence and the time to process the mental and physical toll these crises have inflicted.

With the local and drive market being your lifeblood for an unidentifiable period of time, leading with wellness spaces sets up the potential of the spa to flip the norm and drive local business to F&B and rooms.

Keeping it close to home. With restrictions on domestic and interstate travel likely to continue you have the opportunity to serve your community and drive-market's needs while reigniting your business. This provides us the opportunity to serve your community's needs first. A couple of ideas to consider:

  • Pricing flexibility. My opinion stands in contrast to some of my revenue management colleagues but I see many benefits in reevaluating your pricing structure at this time. The impact of the economic pandemic will force our guests to evaluate the cost and importance of their physical and mental health against their current financial health. Consider providing more pricing flexibility to make the decision to spend on their self-care palatable during this time of vulnerability. Through transparent communication, smart streamlining and strategic planning the goal of accessible pricing can be achieved without long-term damage to your price-integrity.
  • Explore local & drive-market partnerships. This crisis has had an impact on all industries in some way and when it is safe to return to work, we will all need to work hand-in-hand to recover. My suggestion would be to consider all opportunities that are a fit with your spa's brand and culture. This could include mental health providers, local grocers or retailers, senior homes or communities or local non-profit organizations. Collaborative and creative partnerships will be the rising tide that will raise all boats.

Don't forget about generosity. I am inspired daily by the many that have taken a time of fear, uncertainty and need and harnessed those feelings to focus on how to better support others. We should not abandon the generosity just because we are back to business. I would challenge the wellness community to explore ways to bring their staff back to not only support the reopening but to continue support for community recovery efforts. Most important, explore how you can show appreciation to those that have carried the greatest burden during this crisis to include teachers, first-responders, health care workers and all essential workers who continued on when we could not.

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill.

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