Opinion Articles

August 6, 2010

Allison Inn & Spa - Vision, Commitment, Communication & Team-Work Lead to Success

Newberg, Oregon is the site for one of the newest lifestyle resorts in the United States. Since its opening in September 2009, The Allison Inn & Spa, a Preferred Hotels & Resorts member, has established itself as the premier destination resort in Oregon’s renowned wine region in the Willamette Valley. Both the resort and spa were individually featured in the Conde Nast’s Traveler 2010 Hot List. Demonstrating that luxury can also be “green,” the resort was awarded LEED Gold certification by U.S. Green Building Council. The Allison’s development team recognized early that a spa would be a key ingredient for the resort’s overall success. The fruitful result is an integrated, full-service luxury spa that provides the perfect complement to the Inn’s winning formula of relaxed style, comfort, and service.

July 6, 2010

Spa: More Than An Indulgent Promise

What’s the outlook for hotel spa development in 2010 ? MIA KYRICOS, Director of Global Spa Brands & Programming for STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS WORLDWIDE, Inc., gives us her take via that tried and true standby, a S.W.O.T. analysis.

March 18, 2010

Hotel Spas Recession Overload | By: Gabrielle Lerner

As we enter 2010, words like, “economic downturn” and “recession” are still lingering in everyone’s minds. The service industry among others was significantly impacted by the events commencing in the fall of 2008 and unfortunately, hotel spas were not immune. Hotel spa operators reported that they began to feel the impacts of the economic events early on in 2008, especially those within the luxury hotel segment.

CBRE Hotels

March 11, 2010

Medical Tourism: A new breed of traveler with a new set of needs

RENEE-MARIE STEPHANO, President of the West Palm Beach-based MEDICAL TOURISM ASSOCIATION, and DAN CORMANY, graduate student at the UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA-LAS VEGAS, offer hotels a detailed guide to innovative new revenue opportunities.

March 11, 2010

Spa: More than an indulgent promise

December 23, 2009

Spa Benchmarking: Reliable Research Versus Press Release Research

Spa Benchmarking is one of the “hottest” topics in the spa and hospitality industries. It is a relatively new discipline; therefore, it is filled with challenges and opportunities. While spa benchmarking studies are very much needed, not all studies are useful... some can actually be quite damaging and harmful. There are too many studies that lack credibility, integrity, quality and reliability, yet they receive significant press coverage. Poor information, conclusions and recommendations can be very detrimental when a spa relies on this information to make operational, personnel, marketing and investment decisions.

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October 5, 2009

Medical Tourism and Hospitality in Latin America: The Lodging Industry’s Latest Nip/Tuck

Skyrocketing healthcare costs in the United States and other nations have spawned increasing interest in seeking medical procedures abroad. The phenomenon, known as medical tourism, is bringing increasing demand to select lodging markets in foreign countries. High demand for this synergy between global tourism, hospitality, and healthcare services has the potential to fuel mutual growth, putting international hotel and resort operations in a position to take advantage.

HVS

June 19, 2009

How Spas Can Avoid a Financial Decline in 2009

Many people have said that spas are recession-proof. People go to a spa in tough times to relieve stress, and they go in good times to celebrate. Spas are places for “me” time to relax and find some balance, but they are also places for “we” time to connect with others for personal and professional reasons. While spas can physically, psychologically, socially and emotionally meet the needs of many people, the challenge is to do so in a financially feasible way. Many spas have been their own worst enemy by getting caught up in the “greed” factor (very high treatment prices). This has caused consumers to re-evaluate the genuine “need” and ability for them to visit the spa. Spas are realizing that their “feel good” bubble may burst if they do not respond to the challenging economic realities.

May 28, 2009

Spas in 2009: Bringing new professionalism to bear on ancient practices

The spa industry mixes time-honored practices and rituals with cutting-edge applications. Assessing their top five expectations for the spa industry in 2009 are Ingo Schweder, Managing Director, and Brad Fixler, Chief Marketing Officer of Bangkok-based Spatality International. Rooted in ancient traditions and long-established regional customs, the practice of spa is centuries old, yet the spa industry is relatively young. The industry’s noticeable growth of the past two decades finds it caught, not unpleasantly, in the inexorable yin-yang of the time-honored practices that have nothing to do with financial models and profit, and of, well, financial models and profit. It’s this juxtaposition that’s truly fascinating; it’s also what makes predicting trends in the spa business a worthy exercise. An exercise that beckons us to view the potential on the horizon while gently reminding us why Salus Per Aquam (“health through water”) exists in the first place. With this in mind, here are five trends we expect to see in 2009.

January 8, 2009

Hotel Spas in the U.S: The Potential to Be Buoyant in 2009, However, Not Invincible

Spas continued to contribute to the top and bottom lines of U.S. hotels in 2007. Total spa department revenue increased 5.0 percent from 2006 to 2007, while spa department profits grew 5.8 percent. These are among the findings reported in PKF Consulting’s (PKF-C) recently released 2008 edition of Trends in the Hotel Spa Industry, a report that examines the revenue, expenses, and profits of hotel-operated spas in the United States.

CBRE Hotels

Credit Capital Funding Inc.

July 21, 2008

Medical Treatments in Luxury Hotels

A great way to help increase tourist attractions to luxury hotels is to include medical treatments and Aryuvedic medicine practices. During a stay in a foreign country, there are many chances that a tourist may feel uneasy or may witness muscle tensions and spasms due to hiking and long walks. To help ensure their stay is better, Aryuvedic medicine practices can help to relax guests and make their stay a lot better. The use of Aryuvedic medicine is originated from India and consists of massages, yoga and herbs. The practice has been around for thousands of years and has recently become popular in western countries such as the United States.

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July 3, 2008

Emergence of Adventure Sports Resorts; Why Are Hotel Waterparks Getting Bigger?

Ever since waterparks came indoors, under cover, and attached themselves to hotels, the hotel waterpark resort industry has continued to grow at an accelerating pace --- from 24% to 32% annually.

By Jeff Coy, ISHC, President of JLC Hospitality Consulting, JLC Hospitality Consulting, Inc.

June 3, 2008

The Health Tourist – Searching for the Fountain of Youth

An affluent and ageing society allows consumers to refine their approach to health because they now have the choice of striving for perfect health, as opposed to merely living disease-free. The elderly are the most frequent users of health-related goods and services. Consumers have begun to realise their capacity for longevity and to demand a fit and active lifestyle in their golden years. This means that consumers are searching for ways through which to slow down the ageing process or even discover the fountain of youth. It is not surprising, therefore, to note the rise of medical tourism holidays in South Africa or the greater use of alternative approaches to health, such as yoga, Chinese herbal medicines and spas.

By Ian Yeoman, Associate Professor, Victoria University

May 26, 2008

Unique Ways For Resorts To Radically Increase Revenue

Have you spent much time lately considering ice cream parlors, specialty retail stores, waterslides, or aromatherapy treatments? If so, you could be among a growing number of timeshare resort owners and operators nationwide looking to increase top-line revenue in new and inventive ways. An added amenity such as an indoor waterpark, spa, retail store, or eatery can increase a resort’s overall perceived value to potential owners - resulting in sales at increased point values. Resorts can charge higher maintenance fees as attractions are added, thus passing the cost along to owners. Additionally, resorts with added features can achieve higher annual revenues, especially if those features are available year-round.

By David Sangree and Laurel Keller

April 29, 2008

Best Practices | Marketing Your Spa Does Your Spa make Cents, Scents & Sense

Spa … a magical marketing word and “tool” that has permeated the lifestyle industry. We are surrounded by “spa things.” With such a pervasive use of the word “spa,” we are not sure if we are diluting or strengthening, hurting or helping the “real spa” which for the purpose of this article is the multi-million dollar facility attached to a hotel or resort.

April 29, 2008

Massaging returns

In recent months, it seems as if, wherever one turns, hotel owners and hotel .operators are adding spas to their package of products and services. From the most luxurious hotels such as Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons all the way to Butlins and Centre Parks, everyone is getting in on the act.

By Ian Graham, Independent advisor to the international hotel industry, The Hotel Solutions Partnership

February 24, 2008

Hotel SPA Operators Massage More Profits | by Robert Mandelbaum and Gabrielle Lerner

It is commonly understood that spas were once an afterthought for operators of hotels and resorts. Yet as living a healthy and better lifestyle has become one of the population’s top priorities, spas have grown in popularity and are viewed as essential elements to a hotel or resort’s success rather than being just a luxury.

By Robert Mandelbaum, Director of Research Information Services, CBRE Hotels

October 21, 2007

Appraisal and Market Analysis of Indoor Waterpark Resorts

An appraisal of an indoor waterpark resort is similar to other appraisals in that it is a professional appraiser’s opinion of value. It is typically required by a lender before financing can be obtained for a new project. The scope of the project, including plans and development budgets, should be well defined prior to the start of the appraisal. When a project is ready for an appraisal, developers and lenders often seek out appraisers with industry-recognized qualifications which go beyond state minimum requirements. One such qualification, MAI membership, is offered by the Appraisal Institute. The MAI membership designation is awarded to appraisers who have met rigorous standards of education, experience and ethics. Members participate in continuing education to stay at the leading edge of their profession. For a project as complex as an indoor waterpark resort, it is beneficial to engage an appraiser who has extensive experience in the hospitality, resort, and waterpark industries.

By David Sangree, MAI, CPA, ISHC, is President of Hotel & Leisure Advisors, Hotel & Leisure Advisors (H&LA)