The Spa Industry Gets Personal

Customization, mobility, and exclusively are just a few of the things we’ll be seeing more of in the spa industry in the coming months and years. Melinda Minton, executive director of The Spa Association (SPAA), presents her forecast of the top ten trends to watch for in the next year.

 *Mind Renewal: whether psychotherapy, life coaching, guided imagery, or mind mapping, spas are embracing emotional renewal and enhancement as part of spa programming.

  *Mobile Spas: Even established spas and medical spas are now taking their practices on wheels. Whether it be for parties, corporate events, or those in need of maximum privacy, the spa to go is ready to go.

 *Customized Treatments: No longer is the spa-goer content with treatments off of the menu. Spa clients are craving longer personal consultations that target lifestyle programming and suit their needs and style to a T. Express treatments, concurrent treatments or a combination of both are played out in a series of treatments that are prescribed along with a home care remedy for maximum results.

  *Hamman Me: Water is back and it is among friends. Plunge pools, deep sea immersion pools, therapeutic saline tanks, walking pools, saunas, hydrotherapy baths, and Swiss showers are among the various water treatments being seen on spa menus of late.

  * World Spa-ification: Spas are everywhere in every possible form. Meditation pods are making their way into inner-city haunts. Airports and airlines are offering spa treatments, as are upscale passenger trains. Medical spa kiosks are popping up in malls. Spas in other unique venues include boats, caves, zoos, botanical gardens, castle, corporations, and subway stations.

  *Ultra Lux to Econo Spas: As the market expands so will the consumer’s options. While some spas will opt to offer treatments at discount prices others will offer the very best performed by top technicians for higher-than-standard luxury rates at exclusive and opulent venues.

   *Members-Only Spas: More spas will offer VIP memberships to their facilities. For some spas this will be a way of honoring members who pay an annual premium fee for perks and amenities. Others spas will offer memberships to add value, offering water treatments and self-serve treatments as a complementary addition to visiting the spa when a reasonable monthly or annual fee is paid. More exclusive spas will make any type of visit to their facility a members-only proposition commanding a fee for access to reserve high-end treatments at high-end prices.

 * Medical Spas: Medical spas will become more closely watched and regulated. Sawy medical spa owners will expand their services to add more medical components to their spa therapies and integrate new treatments like mesotherapy, pressotherapy, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, electromagnetic therapies, and newer forms of injectables like Hylaform and Restylane. Non –invasive Botox alternatives like Dysport wil create a new form of spa treatments and packages while a new breed of chemical peels for at-home use will hit the consumer market.

 *Consumers: They won’t settle for big and pretty anymore. Big and pretty might bring in a first visit from a spa-goer but not repeat business. The future of spas that do well will rest on operations, management, and the skill level of their technicians. Spa-goers will seek out off-beaten-path spas as they do great (but hidden) restaurants.

 * Wellness: As spas and medical spas become more popular wellness centers will become the norm offering preventative and alternative care, healthful aging, and lifestyle management integrating nutrition, exercise, mind/body therapies, and spa treatments-all with balanced living as the end goal.