While it’s a common perception that spas rarely make money, I strongly disagree. It just takes forward planning…and a lot of it.

Three years on from introducing a high-quality spa Ramside Hall, UK is on track to reach £4.6m in spa revenue this year. Its secret is maximising all potential revenue streams.

Alongside a potential 250 hotel guests, the spa has close to 1,000 signed up members who pay in excess of £100 (US$132, €112) a month, while during peak times the facility can host up to 100 day spa guests on a variety of packages from £55 (US$72, €62) up to £375 (US$494, €421).

The obvious challenge is managing the balance between these users and this is where robust planning comes in. At Ramside, for example, we created a pool and steamroom and sauna for hotel guests and a separate hydrotherapy, thermal and outdoor pool offering for those on a day spa package or residents looking to upgrade. We also added a VIP tranquility lounge, with its own pool and butler service, as a separate bookable space to take groups off poolside.

Equally potential ‘pinch points’, such as changing room capacity, at peak times need to be considered, as well as paying attention to scheduling. Spa days were created with different start times throughout the day to further manage flow.

Making all this work relies on a positive sales culture and real diligence in the reservations process. Revenue accountability cannot be left to chance either and objective setting needs to reflect the aim of the business. Anyone opening a spa needs to underpin design and purchasing decisions with a clear business case to achieve great results.

• Commercial Spa Strategies

I applaud Dr Claudia Aguirre for her comments regarding the diversity of the skin microbiome and a call for more research, as prompted by the 2017-2018 Spa Foresight™ (see SB17/4 p20 and p68). Anytime a recognised authority speaks about the microbial ecosystems that live in and on our bodies, it increases the overall awareness and interest in the subject.

Dr Aguirre made some interesting observations in her submission and I especially agree with the idea that further research into use of probiotics in skincare is very important. This is probably the reason why many of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies are collectively spending billions of dollars annually in this endeavour.

Our research began nearly 150 years ago, and today, we can state emphatically that a new paradigm for the care and maintenance of the skin is on the horizon. And yes, we believe that probiotics will have a large role in this new paradigm. Already we are seeing the benefits of the proper use of strain specific bacteria in enhancing skin wellness protocols.

I expect that over the next few years we will be ‘going back to the future’ as we become reacquainted with our understanding of the body’s natural healing capabilities and begin to engage in a regimen of skincare based on a more holistic platform.