Health, Wellness Focus Within Resort Hotels Misty M

Hospitality Review Volume 22 Article 3 Issue 1 Hospitality Review Volume 22/Issue 1

January 2004 Health, Wellness Focus within Resort Hotels Misty M. Johanson University of Hawaii at Manoa, [email protected]

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Recommended Citation Johanson, Misty M. (2004) "Health, Wellness Focus within Resort Hotels," Hospitality Review: Vol. 22 : Iss. 1 , Article 3. Available at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/hospitalityreview/vol22/iss1/3

This work is brought to you for free and open access by FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Hospitality Review by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Health, Wellness Focus within Resort Hotels

Abstract This study analyzes the rising importance of the development and enhancement of a health and wellness focus within resort hotels. Market trends, consumer demands, revitalization efforts, and bottomline impacts are examined as they relate to the resort spa industry of today.

Keywords Health, Wellness, Hotel, Lodging, Spa, Consumer Demands

This article is available in Hospitality Review: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/hospitalityreview/vol22/iss1/3 Health, wellness focus within resort hotels

by Misty M. Johanson

This study analyzes the rising importance remains an integral part of the of the development and enhancement wellness experience, the exercise- of a health and wellness focus within resort hotels. Market trends, consumer focused spas of the early '90s no demands, revitalization efforts, and longer can compete with modern bottomline impacts are examined as they facilities that offer life-enhancing, relate to the resort spa industry of today stress-reducing,and skin-improving techniq~es.~Resort properties that identify this trend and allocate nce only sought &r by the their resources toward a health and rich and famous, the spa wellness focus will dominate the 0segment of the lodging resort market? industry has evolved from a luxurious amenity offered only at elite Trend is growing resort destinations to a necessity Some organizations have for resort hotels as spas have successfully capitalized on this become an integral amenity for a growing trend. The Charleston growing number of travelers today.' Place in South Carolina, for Gone are the days when resorts example, recently completed a six- focused their spa marketing and month spa renovation in order to development efforts on designing enhance its facilities to focus on fitness facilities to attract guests. health and wellness; marketing Tbday, resorts are focusing on well- efforts are now targeted toward ness tourism as a more holistic high-end cu~tomers.~Several other approach to physical conditioning, resort properties such as the Peaks essentially redirecting marketing Resort (Colorado),the Golden Door and development efforts on spa Spa (California), the Regent Spa amenities that center on mind, (Hang Kong), and the La Quinta body, and being.2 As fitness still Resort and Spa (California) have

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Contents © 2004 by FIU Hospitality Review. The reproduction of any artwork, editorial or other material is expresslv prohibited without written permission from the publisher, excepting thatone-time educational reproduction is allowed without express permission. taken the same approach and have destination spa, or spa resort. The found the renovations to be a difference is that within an tremendous revenue builder for amenity spa the resort's bottom all operational departments line is not necessarily built around throughout the properties." the success of the spa. In this type Changing demographics and a of property the spa is viewed by the pursuit for healthier lifestyles guest as added value, not neces- have produced a strong demand sarily acting as the main profit for wellness spas. "If there is a center for the organization. single reason for spa owners to However, the spa resort is a look to the future with confidence, destination spa, where the resort's it is the fact that its target audi- main function and purpose for ence - adults with disposable being is built around the success of income - is growing and aging. the spa amenities offered. Here the There are 80 million baby boomers spa is a revenue generator for the and none of them are getting property rather than existing to any y~unger."~Health Fitness cover costs. While both types of Dynamics, a Florida spa consulting spas have grown in number over firm, recently conducted a study on recent years, the majority of the user trends of over 36 resort spas growth has occurred with amenity focusing on health and wellness or resort spas." tourism, asking nearly 3,000 spa- goers if they would choose one Spas need updating resort over another because of the Throughout the 1990s spa enhanced spa center; 82 percent of amenities relaxed resort guests and women participants and 78 percent kept owners rich.lz However, to of male participants responded compete effectively in today's affirmatively? market, resort operators need to Compelling statistics have update and refurbish their spas to sparked a flurry of resort spa reno- meet the changing demands of spa- vations aimed at attracting guests goers. In a recent study, researchers by offering the best services and probed to hdout why spa travelers facilities money can buy.' In addi- visited resort spas; 41 percent of tion, properties without existing men stated stress was the reason, spa services are implementing and while only 22 percent of women expanding their facilities at an suggested this was their purpose unprecedented rate.1° for going. On the other hand, 45 percent of women said they visited Chains are varied because they "felt lie splurging"; Spa experts have suggested 26 percent of men so responded. that the recent renovations are While 39 percent of women creating different types of new and admitted going to the spa to "take emerging spas. First is the amenity care of themselves," only 19 percent spa, or resort spa, and second is the of men suggested that was the

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Contents © 2004 by FIU Hospitality Review. The reproduction of any artwork, editorial or other material is expresslv prohibited without written permission from the publisher, excepting thatone-time educational reproduction is allowed without express permission. reason for their visit. In addition, ment facilities and staff, including males do not seem to value the an open air, state-of-the-art experience as much as women, Cardiovascular Center labeled since only 30 percent wanted to "Holistica Hawaii." The Holistica return, versus 50 percent of Center markets advanced wellness women.13 amenities such as electron beam These statistics suggest that topography scanning equipment spas may not be currently focusing that allows for the detection of on or sufficiently delivering their internal diseases and pre- promise in terms of customer satis- cancerous conditions. faction, creating a memorable Business resort hotel: The experience, having a well-main- Peabody Orlando in Florida is yet tained and well-staffed spa, or another example of a resort which being male-friendly. revitalized its spa to offer wellness and health amenities to guests. Spa focus detailed Their wellness center focuses on A series of case studies details cholesterol screenings, stress tests, sthe successful implementation of exercise consultations, risk assess- a health and wellness focus within ments, and other health-related the resort spa setting of today. demonstrations by a team of exer- Domestic resort hotel: In cise physiologist Lifestyle special- an effort to reposition Hawaii's ist~.'~These enhancements have visitor industry products, a been found to benefit the resort strategic plan was created to posi- because of added revenue from the tion the islands as the health care traveler who otherwise would not and wellness center of the Pacific. have taken the time from a busy Resort hotels throughout the schedule to try these procedures. Hawaiian Islands are doing their "A major advantage to part to enhance their existing facil- installing cutting-edge equipment ities in an attempt to meet the is that people who exercise regu- needs of the growing demand, of larly are fascinated with new para- travelers for a health and wellness phernalia. Using it while they are focus in the market. attending a meeting or on vacation The Hilton Hawaiian Village eliminates the need to search for a in Oahu, a four-star, 2,545-room club at home and spend extra resort, has currently undergone a money to try the equipment. A $95 million spa marketing and combination of being ahead of the development enhancement in its curve in knowing about the equip- existing property, the largest of its ment and saving guests time and kind world-wide. In 2001 the money is tough to beat."I5 Hilton opened a 42,000 square foot International resort hotel: Spa and Wellness Center in the The successful implementation of newly-built Kalia Tower. The spa health and wellness within the is equipped with high tech treat- resort spa setting can also be found

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Contents © 2004 by FIU Hospitality Review. The reproduction of any artwork, editorial or other material is expresslv prohibited without written permission from the publisher, excepting thatone-time educational reproduction is allowed without express permission. within the operations of the Most convincing are the findings Movenpick Resort and Spa Dead from a nation-wide study of resort Sea in Jordan. At this resort, spas suggesting the following the marketing and development would increase as a direct result strategies are centered around "a of renovation of existing spa strong sense of place," as only facilities:" "beneficial rays" from the sun can extend to this level below the sea; room rate, 57 percent virtually no UV radiation exists to cause skin-related problem^.'^ perceived value for room rate, For these reasons individuals 70 percent from all over the world suffering occupancy, 73 percent from such illnesses as psoriasis travel to the sun, fun, and beach length of stay, 43 percent resort in Jordan without hesita- marketing advantage, 97 percent tion. Interestingly, German health funds pay for visitors' single occu- revenue per occupied room, 83 pancy at the spa.'" "The wellness percent business not only provides a ready number of people per occupied market, especially since the lower room, 27 percent cost of Jordan's labor force would mean very competitive rates, but also a long-stay market that could Spas are focus help balance seasonal troughs."18 Resorts that focus on wellness tourism as a more holistic approach Spas incur growth to physical conditioning by essen- According to the International tially redirecting marketing and Spa Association's 2000 Spa Industry development efforts on spa ameni- Study conducted by Pricewater- ties that center on mind, body, and house Coopers, U.S. spa revenues spirit will dominate the resort increased 129 percent in the latter market since spas have become an half of the 1990s; half this growth integral amenity for many trav- is accounted for by an increase in elers today. spa visitor spending, while the Future research in the area of other half represents nearly a 20 spa management needs to be percent annual growth rate in the expanded in the area of service number of resort spas. More aston- quality. As the demand for and ishing is that over a two-year number of resort spas continue to period, between 1997 and 1999, increase, marketing for the guest resort spa visits increased by will become even more competitive. nearly 60 percent, while revenues Service quality is the key factor climbed 30 percent during this that is suggested to differentiate same period.lg one luxurious spa from the other.21

Contents © 2004 by FIU Hospitality Review. The reproduction of any artwork, editorial or other material is expresslv prohibited without written permission from the publisher, excepting thatone-time educational reproduction is allowed without express permission. Future studies will need to used the IPA technique in address specific research questions measuring time-share owners' such as the following: satisfaction within the interval What is the relative impor- vacation segment of the lodging tance of various health and industry.= Martin employed the wellness spa attributes within IPA method when evaluating the resort? guests' perceptions of sewice quality within budget hotel^.^' What is the performance of However, this type of analysis resort spa employees in has not been implemented in order providing these services to to determine health and wellness their guests? importance or performance within One reliable and valid way to a resort spa environment. Future measure these research questions research should focus on the imple- is by using quantitative method- mentation of the IPA technique ology such as an importance1 within the resort spa industry as a performance analysis (IPA). A powerful tool in marketing and study analyzing data evaluating development for those properties the importance and performance of developing or enhancing their spa health and wellness attributes facilities. offered at a resort spa in Hawaii using a software program called References PINPOINT is currently being 'S. Barter, "Haw Healthy Is Your Spa?" conducted. Final tabulated results Bottomline (ApriYMay 2000): 10-12. of the importancelperformance ZL.Grimaldi, 'Wellness Programs Put Physical and Spiritual WeU-Being On the scores will present a two-dimen- Aeenda." Meetines & Conuentions (Febmarv sional grid revealing the strengths 1998): 77-78,80-83. and weaknesses of the variables lC. Benini, "Gatheling Steam at Spas," (services and features) being Meetings & Conuentions (August 1999): 45- 50.52-53. offered by the resort spa. As a 'F! Monteson and J. Singer, "Health Spa result of such research, significant Amenities That Attract Business," HSMAl marketing and management impli- Marketing Reuieu, (May 1997):44-46, 'J. Colbert, 'Spa Marketing: Tips for cations as well as the identification Promotions," LODGING (May 1999): 70-73. of areas for service quality T.Dela Cruz, "Spa & Fitness,"HOTELS improvements for the resort spa (August 1999): 82-88. 'Ibid. can be determined. 'P Monteson and J. Singer, "Spa Trends: Few authors have applied the Survey Evaluates Spa Habits of Men and IPA technique to identlfy service Women," LODGING (May 19991: 73. failures and successes within the gColbert. 'OBarter. hotel industry. Hudson and "P. Monteson and J. Singer (1997). and Shepard measured service quality T. Dela Cruz, 'Defining Spas," HOTELS expectations through the IPA (May 2001): 74A-74E. "Benini. method within an Alpine ski '3Montesooand Singer. resort.zz Verhoven and Masterson "Colbert.

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