With traditional spa treatments largely dependent on
high-touch interactions, hotel spa and wellness centers have had to pivot to put
some distance between clients and staff in a post-Covid world.
“Obviously, when it comes to spa and wellness, it’s hard to
think of a space that really requires more one-on-one, personal contact,” said
Beth McGroarty, vice president of research at the Global Wellness Institute. “They’ve
been decimated with the lockdown and all these social distancing rules.”
According to McGroarty, some wellness venues have adapted by
focusing on treatments that can happen “either without practitioners or with
very little intermediation.” These include technology-enhanced offerings such
as float tanks, infrared saunas and cryotherapy machines, all of which require
minimal human contact.
“These are technologies that had already become sort of
mainstream in wellness centers and spas, because the No. 1 pain point for this
industry has been the labor costs,” McGroarty added. “Now this has definitely
accelerated due to Covid-19, and we’re seeing more offerings that have a high
impact but don’t have a high human labor component.”
Falling under a similar umbrella are fitness offerings such
as exercise bike juggernaut Peloton and Mirror, an interactive, digital fitness
trainer that looks like a full-length mirror. Both products offer a socially
distant alternative to guided group fitness classes and have seen a boom in
popularity post-pandemic, with McGroarty predicting in-room Peloton or Mirror
equipment could become an increasingly in-demand hotel amenity in the coming
months.
Likewise, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has tapped
Hyperice, a recovery and performance technology brand specializing in
vibration, compression and percussion devices, to debut a menu of Hyperice
Contactless Treatments at several of its spas. The touch-free treatments will
incorporate Hyperice’s Hypervolt percussion massage device, NormaTec Pulse Pro
2.0 Leg Recovery compression system and Venom heat vibration wrap, each with
adjustable settings to suit clients’ needs.
Hyperice’s Hypervolt percussive massage device will be incorporated into Four Seasons’ menu of touchless treatments.
Zero-contact wellness doesn’t necessarily have to be
high-tech, however. Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa in Trancoso, Brazil, has launched
a series of “self-treatments” designed to showcase Uxua Vida spa’s fresh-made
skin products, featuring locally sourced fruits, flowers, roots and clay.
Instead of the products being applied by a spa therapist, they are set up for
guests in a private treatment suite or their own accommodation and can be
self-applied or applied by a partner or family member.
“In some ways, I see this really as an educational
opportunity with the clients, perhaps even more enriching than if they were
just the passive recipient of treatment from a therapist,” said Jullian
Hamamoto, doctor of nutrition and the director of Uxua’s Vida Spa and Vida Lab
research facility.
At the Belmond Cap Juluca in Anguilla, the property’s Arawak
Spa has simplified its wellness menu, putting a focus on “energy healing”
treatments that require less interaction and utilize essential oils, sound
therapy and crystal balancing. Concurrently, the property is relocating its
group classes to an outdoor pavilion area as well as increasing its
private-class options.
Also highlighting outdoor wellness offerings are the Auberge
du Soleil and Solage resorts in California’s Napa Valley, with the former offering
outdoor meditative art walks and the latter touting a variety of outdoor
meditation, yoga and fitness class areas.
“I think the outdoor piece is going to be critical,”
McGroarty said. “We’re definitely going to be seeing more outdoor spa, outdoor
fitness, outdoor excursions, experiences, guided hikes -- outdoor everything, really. And not only is it
the most elegant solution for many spas, but it’s also the most easily
realizable.”
Whether indoor or outdoor, smaller wellness and fitness
class sizes are also likely to be the norm for the foreseeable future. However,
Helen Brown, area director of wellness for Auberge du Soleil and Solage, sees
this shift as a positive one for the guest experience.
The Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa has launched a series of fresh-made skin products guests can apply themselves.
“Because spas will open with a much lower volume of guests,
each guest will in fact benefit from an increased amount of individual
attention and personalized service and an even more serene environment,” Brown
said.
Meanwhile, with many wellness and spa brands bolstering
their digital presence in recent months, McGroarty expects digital wellness
platforms to become a bigger part of the overall business. And while many of
these platforms, including Six Senses’ recently launched At Home With Six
Senses initiative, continue to offer complimentary access to expert videos,
tutorials, articles and advice, some players are taking the leap into
subscription-based online programming.
In mid-May, Como Hotels and Resorts' Como Shambhala wellness program unveiled Como Shambhala By My Side, a curated digital platform that offers unlimited access to live
video classes led by Como Shambhala specialists for $16 per month.
Additionally, subscribers can opt for private digital consultations with Como
Shambhala’s nutritionist, naturopath, physiotherapist or life coach, with
sessions starting at $116 for 45 minutes.
“The problem spas and wellness centers have now is
monetizing a space where you used to have 20 people and now you can only have
six,” McGroarty said. “So boutique fitness and wellness centers are obviously
thinking, how do we solve this? And going digital is going to be a solution for
many of them.”