| Secrets of the Super Spas Revealed |
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Think
of the spas at the Golden Door, Canyon Ranch, Auberge Resorts, The
Ritz-Carlton, Starwood Hotels, Fairmont Hotels or the Mandarin Oriental. In
bliss-susceptible individuals (such as myself), the mere mention of grand
spas (such as these) inspires a swoon of longing for the better-than-heaven
delights for which these resorts are rightly famed.
Dreamy,
to be sure, and I wish I could tell you to put down this article and join me
in a visit to one of them right now. But, we’re here to work.
You’re reading this article to get advice on how to make your day spa
project as successful as one of those 5-star destinations as possible.
My job here is to help you accomplish that goal.
In
fact, that’s a good description of what we do at Hydro Spa Consulting,
too. Hydro Spa has been providing premium spa and salon equipment to a
distinguished clientele—including many of those projects on the bliss list
above—for over 15 years. We’ve answered every question in the book,
solved the seemly unsolvable dilemmas and, in short, dedicated ourselves to
our client’s success. We’ve learned how to “think ahead” of
potential problems for our clients and to make sure there’s a back-up plan
for every eventuality. So, I’m pretty confident I can be of some
help to you.
First,
since this is what I promised in the title, I will reveal the secrets of the
super spas. Ready? Here goes:
Super
spas are excellent at everything they do.
That’s
it. The sum total of their secrets, which might be rather a let down
since you probably already guessed that they’re perfect and, worse, that
you’re not. Don’t worry. No one’s perfect. Not even
the star-studded establishments you hope to emulate. They are,
however, faultless in one important way: they know who to call. They
flip through their solid gold Rolodexes and create dream teams of spa
wunderkinds whose professional reputations are staked on excellence. (See
“Scenes from a Dream Team
Session” )
So,
you see. Imperfection is not the problem. The trouble starts
when you fail to recognize that you don’t--and can’t--know it all.
Spa construction projects are multifaceted, intricate, complex jigsaw
puzzles that provide multiple, perhaps unlimited, opportunities to showcase
the limitations of your perfection. Of course, everybody’s entitled
to make a few mistakes, but if you make a couple in the design, another few
in infrastructure, toss two or three equipment blunders, pretty soon
you’re going to be talking about real money, and no one’s going to
confuse your final product with one of the crème de la crème places. This
is the opposite of what you want.
The
lesson is this: The size of your success increases in direct proportion to
the number of mistakes you don’t make.
One
mistake you want to avoid making is to spend too much time on the equipment
when you should be concentrating on the operations side of your spa
development. Remember that equipment is only one piece of the
complicated day spa project puzzle. This is an interesting fact
because it is almost exactly the opposite point of view taken by many of the
people I meet who are embarking on a spa construction or expansion project
of their own.
Equipment,
while not glamorous in itself, is essential to the creation of a successful
spa. The right combination of tubs, showers, tables, skincare
equipment and other tools of our trade enhance the client experience while
maximizing revenue space. Obviously, the wrong choices can, and do,
have just the opposite influence on the outcome, but at the decision-making
juncture, spa project developers, owners and consultants trying to make the
choice on their own, frequently come down with fixture fixation.
Projects
grind to a halt while days, weeks, and months are squandered on collecting
equipment brochures, “kicking the tires” at trade shows, and comparing
incomparable equipment. Often this information overload causes
analysis paralysis. While the architects, interior designers,
electricians and plumbers are desperately seeking the amps, watts, PSI and
exact location of each piece of equipment for installation, and you’re
just plain stalled.
It’s
OK to Cry Help
You
have reached the moment of truth. Remembering the Secrets of the Super
Spas and following the Golden Rule, should you: 1) Take a leave of
absence and check into a resort-spa to de-stress? 2) Decide to select
your equipment by throwing darts at the product brochures you’ve collected
and forge ahead? 3) Recognize the fact that you’ve exhausted the
resources of your experience, and find some help?
If
you answered, “None of the above,” which wasn’t even one of your
choices, the problem may be that you’re not only unsure what to do; you
may not know who to call for help. You have several choices when
seeking outside help, but it’s impossible to choose from among them if you
don’t know what they do. Here’s a primer on who’s out there in
the spa industry, ready to help you out:
Spa
Concepts & Operational Consultants: While they will cost you
money upfront, spa consultants can save you valuable time, help you avoid
costly mistakes and introduce you to product suppliers and equipment sources
you can trust. Some Spa Consultants have specialized services
(financial, operational, design, technical, retail consultants) while others
consolidate and customize their services to fit your project.
Spa
Equipment Consultants: These companies may represent multiple
manufacturers and can consolidate your equipment decisions (including Hydro
Spa). They often work along side other consultants handling the
technical details thereby allowing the Spa Consultants to focus on creative
and operational concepts. They may be paid as consultants in the
design phase but later rebate their fees towards your equipment purchase.
Or, simply use a company like this to consolidate your purchase and they can
save you valuable time selecting equipment, offer volume discounts and
coordinate the complicated technical data your architects and contractors
need; without charge.
Product
Manufacturers: You know most product companies offer free training
as a part of implementing their product line inside your new spa. You
should take advantage of these services to save money and improve retailing.
Do make sure their services and cost of goods sold fit your plan.
Equipment
Manufacturers: The best equipment manufacturers generally
specialize in one type of equipment (i.e. hydrotherapy, massage, skincare).
Most sell their products directly and through distributors or reps.
When comparing different brands, be sure to find out how their features and
quality compare.
Catalog
Companies: These companies represent a single manufacturer for
each type of equipment. They will consolidate your equipment purchase
to the level of the products they carry and sometimes offer free training.
Online
Equipment Sources: Several companies now offer their full line of
equipment on line where you can do some research on your own. Some
sites, like SpaEquip.com, offer equipment from several manufacturers and
simplify your comparison shopping by grouping items by functionality, room
type or treatment type.
Who
Ya Gonna Call?
Okay,
now you know how to look them up in the phone book, but once you get a
service provider on the phone, what next? Here are some of the
questions, related to your equipment purchase; you need to ask any
professional you’re thinking of adding to your team along with answers
from Hydro Spa’s play book.
Q.
What are the basic services you provide?
Hydro
Spa is an equipment consulting firm. We
represent multiple manufacturers and consolidate equipment decisions and
technical information.
Q.
How much do your services cost?
With
Hydro Spa, there are two ways to use our services. First, we’re
often hired as consultants to support the design phase and later rebate part
of our fees towards your equipment purchase. Second, many clients
simply use our company to consolidate your purchase: saving considerable
time & money.
Q.
How can I determine which of your services best fit the needs of my project?
At
Hydro Spa the first thing we do when a client contacts us is to help them
determine the scope of their needs by:
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Identifying equipment needs based on their plans & menu
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Participating in design review meetings to review blueprints for proper equipment placement & room layout.
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Developing comprehensive documentation with equipment specifications.
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Supporting architects, consultants and contractors on technical specifications.
See
the Spa Dry and Wet Treeatment
Rooms Suggested Set-Up Charts for details, generic tips and on the needs
of these two types of treatment rooms.
Q.
Planning is one thing, but my main concern is how the project will actually
come together. What kind of follow through does your firm provide?
We’re
with you start to finish making sure your plans are effectively implemented
and nothing left to chance including:
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Technical support to project contractors to ensure correct installation.
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Creation of shipping schedules to ensure timely delivery.
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Development of receiving and room equipment lists.
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Tagging of equipment items with room number or type.
Q. What if things don’t go perfectly? Can I expect your firm to provide back-up support?
We’ve
staked our reputation on the success of your project. That means we’re going to make every effort to anticipate a
problem to keep it from happening. When
that fails, we’ll be sure to have a Plan B ready to go.
Here’s a few of the ways we show our support:
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Development of punch lists to identify any equipment or shipping problems
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Coordination to solve problems with the manufacturer
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Support to ensure you receive full benefits of the manufacturers’ warranties
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Education and training for your staff
So, let’s review: The secret of the super spas is to be excellent without exception. And they achieve that remarkable end by following one simple rule: Make few mistakes. True, they have the resources to hire only the very best to create their Earthly Edens, but I hope I’ve shown you how you can lay claim to a piece of their paradise. You don’t need a cast of thousands to pull off your spa development. You only need to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of your own experience and how they match with the requirements of the spa project you’re developing. Then, you can evaluate the kinds of resources available to you and make an informed decision about which ones will best fill out your dream team player roster. And after that, you’ll deserve a vacation. Go ahead and make those spa reservations today. I’ll see you there.
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