One of the big shifts I've seen in resort spas is the evolution of the dining experience. Spa food used to have the connotation of deprivation, a limited regime devoid of one's favorite things. Today, it's no longer bland food but a flavorful, healthy cuisine that many guests want to indulge in. We call it “intelligent cuisine” and it's not just about great-tasting, soul-satisfying food that's good for you, it's also about the provenance of the food: where it comes from, who produces it, and how it impacts the planet, our bodies and our sense of wellbeing. READ MORE

Everywhere, technology is inserting itself into the high touch world of spas and wellness. How do spas manage the world of digital, mobile, wearables, social, analytics, CRM, anti-gravity machines, gamification, or uberization and still achieve the sorely needed healing effects of human touch and personal connection? Spa leaders or wellness practitioners and hotel technology experts or digital specialists don't often live in the same realm but increasingly guests are pushing them to collaborate. READ MORE

Agility and efficiency are critical to maintaining competitive advantage in today's hospitality market, and it is no secret that technology is often the catalyst for increasing performance on both of these fronts. However, with so many options and trends in IT around everything from mobile applications to changes in e-commerce, how can decision-makers determine where to invest to generate the greatest return for their organization? READ MORE

Hoteliers know that they need to understand their target market and audience in order to promote their products and services. However, most don't realize the important role that public relations plays in their hotel's marketing plan and advertising strategy. Most hoteliers think of public relations and marketing as an expense and not a return on investment (ROI). That is why it is important to put a dollar amount on the return on investment that a good public relations firm can achieve, and the importance of fitting media relations into your hotel marketing plan. READ MORE

A “hot term” in digital marketing is engagement. Everyone wants to engage their customers through their online content. But most businesses, hotels included, are still trying to find their way in making this happen because engaging customers via electronic media is still more art than science. Engagement is one of those terms that has been absconded by marketers with everyone knowing what it is but no one can define what it means. When I think about engagement, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's legendary phrase pops into my mind: "I know it when I see it," because its meaning is subjective and lacks a clearly defined meaning. This article will explore five “best blogging” tips for engaging customers/guests. READ MORE

Every time Facebook makes a change, there's a similar outcry: It's creepy that Facebook keeps tracking more and more of our actions. Despite this sentiment, Facebook usage keeps growing and growing. Understanding this paradox and how to navigate it is crucial for hotels that want to deliver relevant communications in a way that honors guests' privacy. READ MORE

Traditionally spas have been marketed primarily towards women and beauty. They all continually have the same goal: to help people relax, rejuvenate, relieve stress, improve self worth and look their absolute best. Nowadays, men are becoming more open-minded to the whole spa experience. They are appreciating how beneficial spa treatments can be and recognizing the importance of investing in their own health. Spas are welcoming this rising trend by including the male perspective in their marketing strategies to help draw men through the door. READ MORE

The wellness trend can't be ignored; it's a $500 billion dollar business that has taken root and continues to grow and flourish. In 2013, wellness tourism grew by a whopping 12.7 percent, surpassing 2012's growth rate of 9 percent, according to the 2014 Global Spa and Wellness Economy Monitor. Clearly, incorporating a wellness program or improving upon an existing one is an opportunity not to be missed. Courting the health and wellness-savvy consumer not only makes guests feel great, it has the potential to reinvigorate the bottom line, oftentimes without heavy capital investment. READ MORE

If we step back and review what the term “wellness” means to business or leisure travelers, we will see that many “wellness” activities involve little to no investment on the part of a hotel, in order to accommodate guests' interest. Whether the guest is a boomer or millennial, interested in philanthropic giving forward or taking care of oneself with spiritual or physical aids to the body, mind and spirit - it is only with a bit of creativity that a hotel's programming can be developed to improve its “wellness profile” with minimal cost. READ MORE

The time for the passionate and compassionate therapists and healers has arrived, and they are reshaping the wellness and spa enterprises around the globe, as all vanity treatments and superficial skin rubs no longer serve the requirements and demands of the future guest and client. The 80's, 90's and the early 00's have bombarded the industry with plenty of fake make-up treatments and quick fix Botox schemes, bargaining on the false assumption that life ends in a matter of days or months. These centuries with the erratic and psychotic “Me-First” mentality has left most with emptiness, low self-esteem, frustration and disillusion. READ MORE

The global spa and wellness industry has made career wellbeing part of its mantra with the completion of the first-ever global mentoring pilot program. The idea was launched at the 2012 Global Spa & Wellness Summit in Aspen, Colorado, and has been spearheaded by a team of spa and wellness experts from around the world. Co-leaders of the Global Mentorship Pilot Program are Jean-Guy de Gabriac of the French training and consulting firm, Tip Touch International, and Deborah Smith of the Smith Club & Spa Specialists, a US-based wellness consultancy. READ MORE

Mobile apps can offer guests great utility; that is, they make doing something easier. It is one of the reasons why travel apps have become so popular. It makes the process of travel research so much easier for the end user; it is also why over 50% of travelers will do travel research on a smartphone. Another great point to keep in mind is that mobile travel sales are projected to increase by 60% this year, reaching $26.14 billion; the growth is truly tremendous. This article discusses how hotel mobile apps can be used to improve the guest experience during pre-arrival and while on property, particularly as it relates to the spa. It also discusses the many benefits for hoteliers as it relates to upselling, revenue generation and increasing loyalty. READ MORE

Guests judge hotels on the totality of the experiences they enjoy in and around their stay. But, in reality, only a very small fraction of their experiences contribute to their final determination and level of satisfaction. These experiences - the ones that matter, which we call macro experiences - can be identified, designed and managed in such a way as to ensure guests leave with every intention to return and to tell their friends about the hotel. In the end it's not so much what we as hoteliers do, or the services we deliver or the amenities we provide, that determine whether a guest will be a brand ambassador or a brand assassin. It is the way in which the guest remembers what we did, and the spin the guest chooses to put on these memories. We can influence this by understanding the difference between experiences that are not noticed (micro experiences) but form the core of the overall experience, and the macro experiences that will be remembered. Once we understand this, we can strategically design services and amenities to ensure guests respond in the way we would want them to. READ MORE

The spa industry is constantly changing. Keeping up with evolving client mindsets, and of course, trends in the marketplace can be a challenge for any business. And to top it off hotel spas have to be flexible enough to incorporate changes into every part of the business - hospitality, spa and fitness, dining - it all has to come together perfectly to make guests have an experience that will make them come back. Whether you are a hotel spa or day spa, implementing new products and services, while still maintaining the level of service guests have come to expect is key to success. READ MORE

Remember back in the day when the possibility of a hotel with a pool was enough to get customers excited about a pending stay? Fitness centers became the next "it" thing, followed by spas, which often began as "after thoughts," thanks to a little extra basement space left on the construction drawings. Then for those hoteliers savvy enough to understand the appeal, spas were marketed as amenities, begrudgingly accepted as cost centers and widely misunderstood operationally. But guests sure did enjoy a good massage. My, have things changed. Or have they? READ MORE