Hospitality Design - December 2012 - 70

at the swimming pool and in the understated tea lounge. Mandarin Oriental, Miami uses the light and color scheme within the spa to pick up on the Florida coastline and colors which instantly relax a guest when they enter the treatment suites. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas changed the perception of spas along the city’s Strip and is probably the best example of an urban oasis that you will see. Guests and residents can truly escape for a spa experience rather than for a quick treatment. The relaxation and heat and water areas are outstanding, with the same a ention to detail in the nishes as the rest of the spa. It also has one of the best hammam rooms in the country.

the market today. In conclusion, the spa scene has not changed much in the last ten years: our guests come for an experience, not a treatment. However, there are a lot more treatment choices for an operator to make, which can send out a confusing message to the guests if you do not have a clear vision and position for the company.

2. The light-filled couple’s treatment room at Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco.

3. Relaxing ensues outdoors at the Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta.

One aspect that sets Mandarin Oriental apart is an emphasis on wellness. Can you elaborate on how the spas revolve around the guest in a holistic manner?

Since Mandarin Oriental ﬁrst launched, how have your guests’ spa needs and desires changed? How has the brand adapted to these changes?

The spa and wellness industry is continually evolving. Beauty practices and quasi-medical procedures are in uencing spas across the globe as operators seek ways to improve pro t margins. We analyze every aspect of the business—we are the only hotel company to have a dedicated yield manager for our spas—and observe that the most requested treatment has not changed in the last ten years, irrespective of what country we observe. That treatment is massage, so we choose to continually improve that service by thinking about the journey the guest will make to receive it: the di erent senses that can enhance the physiological and psychological bene ts, and what [to] experience prior and post treatment. We spent two years developing our own treatments and oils based on traditional Chinese medicine, and use meridian point massage to help energy ow in the body. We also advise our general managers on practices that are safe, ethical, and t our philosophy since there is such a range on

We have been fortunate to have many therapists who are healers and genuinely provide therapeutic help to our guests. In our resorts in Thailand and Sanya, China, we have Ayurvedic doctors, traditional Chinese medicine doctors, a Shaolin monk teaching meditation, Watsu specialists, and various other holistic practitioners who can o er individual consultations or a full program tailor-made for each guest. Our Shaolin monk is currently touring our properties in the U.S. to provide wellness classes and activities. Spas o en have wellness lectures and classes such as yoga to supplement the treatment side. We also provide healthy eating portions and in some cases nutritional advice in our hotels. Each hotel we have designed includes a well-equipped tness center and a pool wherever possible because this gives guests choices. Perhaps the most underestimated part of each spa is a ention to the design of relaxation space. Relaxing in the treatment room adds non-revenue time to the treatment, but relaxation spaces suitably designed for the needs of the guest can increase revenue producing treatment time and retail sales.

and can be divided into three main focal points. The rst is the traditional body treatments of massage using our oils and balancing the practices of traditional Chinese medicine with the sensory power of aromatherapy. The second is the introduction of Beauty by Mandarin Oriental, which gives each spa the option to choose skincare companies that meet their needs and can deliver treatments within our philosophy.

Such as the Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Boston, where guests can partake in a series of facial treatments with products from Aromatherapy Associates.
This provides the spa director with the exibility to provide something that is results driven and in demand. The third focus is for each spa to produce signature spa experiences that give the guest a taste of the local customs and treatments combined with a Mandarin Oriental interpretation, like the Peaches and Cream Journey in Atlanta, using warm cream and peach oil. Some spas also embellish these three options with something special, such as New York’s inclusion of Amala products to provide guests with a truly organic range of treatments.

What is the mission of your treatment menu?

We have come a long way from a dark treatment room with New Age music playing to represent the perennial spa ritual. What is Mandarin Oriental’s approach to elevating design?

Our spa menus are consistent across the group

Most spas are designed and even built before the operator commences. In some cases, the designer

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