Spa Resorts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Spa Resorts - Essay Example The growth of resort based or singular spa-only industry has its specific general development, management and operation related issues. While measuring the growth of the spa industry, another significant purpose of this paper is to analyze the related issues of the spa industry. Definition of Spa ISPA (2013) defines spa as destinations dedicated to complete well-being via a range of professional services that boost the rejuvenation of mind, body and soul. Depending upon a client’s aims and what the client is expecting from a spa experience, he/she will inquire to find out the differences in spas and their offerings. For example, for a spa getaway that includes lodging and other provisions, cruise ship, hotel/resort and destination spas can be opted out. For a simple wax or single service, a day spa could suit well (ISA, 2013). Although there is no specific design layout for developing spas, but the hotel firm Marriott, for example, has fixed spa parameters for their properties . 'The Spa Book' provides spa design parameters and functioning guidelines for their hotels and resorts, and is also helpful to developers and the design team as they develop spas for Marriott-labeled properties. Properties must fulfill these stipulated parameters to project 'spa', as an added facility (Monteson and Singer, 2004). Parts of Spas/Resort-based Spas Some basic parts of a spa include: a welcome desk division of men's and women's locker rooms and facilities, and possibly an issuance welcome desk and a lounge bridging between men's and women's facility areas, which generally are equipped with a steam room, sauna, whirlpool, cool-dip pool and lounge (some spas enlarge it with a juice bar and/ or small cafe where wine and beer can be optionally served dry treatment cabins for massage and facials wet treatment cabins for services like body wraps and scrubs hydrotherapy cabins for baths and hydro-massages attended fitness studio with exercise machines an alternate exercise stu dio for classes retail store Parlor for hair, nails and, possibly for make-up (Monteson and Singer, 2004). Spas are confused generally with medi-spas, which are rising in numbers and are in great demand for offering medical procedures, such as Botox, cosmetic surgery, and similar other medi-spas. Historically, the purpose of spas is to offer preventive medical treatments like hydrotherapy, and mostly mix water-based routines with destination spa activities (e.g., healthy lifestyle behavioral changes or improvements) (Tabacchi, 2010). General Development, Management and Operation Issues As spa industry is not as traditional as other segments of hospitality industry, its development issues arise because of the general impression that spa visitors are niche clients belonging to affluent classes only, who can afford luxuries. This tendency affected the growth of spa industry initially, as a distinct entity, different from hotel/resort spas. Management and operation issues of spa industr y are not similar to the issues faced by tourism industry in general. General operations and management issues crop up in spas, as they are managed on the lines of traditional hotel and resort management strategies. Spa sales need different strategies for getting materialized, which are different from hotel and resort sale activities. There are time management issues, revenue management issues, and other related issues, emerging from various seasons’