REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- The spa industry will get a
much-anticipated on-line lift with the launch of a new Web site in
July.
Spa.com offers round-the-clock, real-time spa reservations for
agents as well as consumers.
Unlike some sites that enable Web surfers to submit a request
for reservations, Spa.com takes that feature one step further,
enabling visitors to book the spa vacation without needing someone
to get back in touch with them.
In addition to the on-line reservation system, the site offers a
place for agents and consumers to buy products and purchase gift
certificates.
It also features sections providing "practical information on
health, fitness, wellness and travel," according to a spokeswoman
for the site.
Spa.com is partnering with day, hotel/resort and destination
spas around the world to offer room reservations during the first
phase of the site launch.
The second phase, to launch in the fall, will feature spa
treatment bookings.
In other dot.com news, SpaView.com, another site offering
real-time, on-line bookings, added The Peninsula New York to its
roster of spa properties, which now totals 25 resorts and
hotels.
The site plans to have 200 properties linked to the site by the
end of the year.
SpaView.com, a full-service Web site that features a 25-page
section on each property in its lineup, launched in January.
The pages include a virtual tour of the facility, a complete spa
menu, an introduction to the venue's staff and information on
specials and packages.
Both Spa.com and SpaView.com pay regular commissions to travel
agents on bookings from their sites.