How to Understand Different Kinds of Spas
While all spas have the common goals of improving your wellness, often through pampering, relaxing, and rejuvenating treatments or lifestyle or fitness programs, different kinds of spas serve different purposes. Find out how to tell the differences so you can choose the right spa for your goals. Definitions from ISPA. More detail is found in the first Related Feature.
Difficulty Level: Easy Time Required: 10 min
Here's How:
- Decide what your goals are for your spa visit - relaxing, pampering, improved health, etc.
- Know what kind of spa would meet those goals best. Use the following definitions.
- Club Spa - A facility whose primary purpose is fitness and which offers a variety of professionally administered spa services on a day use basis.
- Day Spa - Spa facilities that have no overnight accommodations, but offer beauty, wellness and relaxation programs that may last an hour, a morning or a day.
- Cruise Ship Spa - A spa aboard a cruise ship providing professionally administered spa services, fitness, and wellness components as well as spa cuisine choices.
- Destination Spa - Spas offering overnight accommodations and usually offering multi-day, all inclusive programs including exercise classes, body treatments, mind-enrichment and stress-reduction activities and spa cuisine. To help understand the high perceived cost, think of it as employing your own personal trainer, maid, chef and beauty consultant on your journey of personal discovery.
- Holistic Spa - Spas focusing on alternative healing methods and nutrition, mainly vegetarian or macrobiotic holistic healing seeks "high level of wellness" integrating body and mind in a higher consciousness.
- Medical Spa - Individuals, solo practices, groups, and institutions comprised of medical and spa professionals whose primary purpose is to provide comprehensive medical and wellness care in an environment which integrates spa services, as well as, conventional, and complimentary therapies and treatments.
- Mineral Springs Spa - A spa offering an on-site source of natural mineral, thermal or seawater used in hydrotherapy treatments.
- Resort Spa - Usually located far from civilization and in beautiful environments, resort spas offer a variety of professionally administered spa services, fitness, and wellness programs to invigorate mind and body as well as entertain.
- Sports/Adventure Spa - Hotel or resort providing therapeutic baths and body treatment and that offer special sports and outdoor adventure programs that include anything from golf to skiing, fly-fishing to marathon conditioning.
- Structured Spa - Spas with a strict set of rules whose entire facility is geared towards the achievement of a particular goal such as weight loss, or fitness.
Tips:
- Spas are, for the most part, expensive. Spend time understanding your needs and researching spas for the right fit. Ask lots of questions. This will ensure you are not disappointed and will have spent your money wisely.
Related Features:
