The major spa trends of 2008 included the rise of the star therapist, a new emphasis on healthy sleep, and a return to spa's hydrotherapy roots, according to SpaFinder, Inc., a global spa and wellness company based in New York City.
Spa Trend #1: The Feng-Shui'ed Gym
Goodbye, mirrored walls and fluorescent lighting; hello waterfalls, fine art and the kind of soul-stirring design for which spas have become famous. Led by ambitious gym design projects at spas like Gwinganna in Australia, Clay in New York and Italy’s forward thinking Techno Gym company (with its handsome Kinesis system), spa gyms and fitness studios were reconceived as places to not only tone the body, but also elevate the mind and spirit.Spa Trend #2: The Star Therapist
A spa treatment is only as good as the therapist who provides it, yet for years consumers were dazzled by a spa’s emphasis on features and services. That changed as increasingly savvy spa-goers came to seek out and reward therapists with great skills, knowledge and caring spirit. Not unlike star hairstylists, these sought-after “gifted healers” began to build followings, becoming critical assets for the spa.Spa Trend #3: It's All About Wellness
Wellness began to sweep the globe, affecting numerous industries – including spas. And if wellness is the goal, spas were the most comfortable vehicle by which to reach it. Spa experiences were no longer just about treatments. Fitness, nutrition, education, as well as alternative practices such as energy medicine, reiki, and Traditional Chinese Medicine became important aspects of the spa experience.Spa Trend #4: Luxury Detox and Luxury Bootcamps
Detox programs and weight loss bootcamps have long been associated with deprivation, suffering – even penitence. But many spas began to treat them less as “punishments” and more as celebrations. After all, if you can get the same results with high thread-count sheets, spa treatments and a sense of community, why not live a little while you’re trying to improve your life?Spa Trend #5: Spa Real Estate Mania
The number of residence communities with a spa/healthy living component had grown from a handful in 2004 to more than 250 in 2008. Health-focused baby boomers were looking to downsize and younger families were drawn by the prospect of healthy activities for the kids. The global real estate market downturn may have been a factor, as developers looked to differentiate their offerings and target more affluent buyers.With studies highlighting the importance of sleep for everything from improved productivity at work to cardiovascular health, sleep began to be taken more seriously. Tipping the scales was be new research revealing that healthy sleep is necessary for weight loss. More destination spas offered sleep programs (including medically guided sleep analysis), and more day spas to offer “snoozing zones.”
Spa Trend #7: Spa Fertility Treatments
Spas began to offer treatments and diet regimes designed to boost fertility. Examples include the Natural Ayurveda Fertility Treatments at The Raj Ayurvedic Spa in Iowa, the Fertility Ceremony at the Tides Riviera Maya (where an ancient fertility ritual is simulated in their special “Mayan Fertility House” (a treatment room), the Couple's Lunaception Treatment at the Qua Spa at Caesar’s Palace, and Fertility Reflexology and Fertility Yoga at The Spa at Little Dix Bay. Fertility-oriented acupuncture became popular as a natural alternative for couples worried about the health effects of fertility hormones.Spa Trend #*: Hydro and Thermal Super-Experiences
The European tradition of alternating hydro/thermal experiences began to catch on worldwide and be interpreted in new and often spectacular ways. The Banyan Tree Spa Bahrain put in one of the world’s most extensive hydrothermal gardens where spa adventures include a rain mist shower, samarium, monsoon shower experience (“Summer Storm” or “Arctic Winter”), grotto steam, affusion shower, ice igloo, pelotherapy chamber, bucket drench shower, sole therapy, tropical shower experience (“Caribbean Rain,” “Spring Rain” or “Polar Rain”), an herbal ceramic sauna, brine cavern (steam and salt), and a huge hydrotheramal garden vitality pool with numerous aqua jet seats, bubble air beds and water geysers.Spa Trend #9: Urban Spa Explorers
Young urbanites are took a “rough guide” approach to spa-going, moving beyond high-end spas to explore the vibrant melting pot of (largely immigrant-run) spas – from Russian and Korean baths to Thai massage establishments – that popped up in many American and European cities. The best of them offered authentic indigenous treatments, expert therapists, low prices and clean facilities.Spa Trend #10: The Blackberry Dilemma
People started using their Blackberries and cell phones and spas had to decide: should they be banned from their relaxation room? Since some customers find it more relaxing to stay plugged in, spas tried to find ways to accommodate them without disturbing others.
