Let’s talk about technology in physical spa locations at luxury hotels and resorts around the world. Here are 5 trends shaking up the spa industry.
We hear a lot about the latest technology to hit varying industries; but, oftentimes, the spa industry is grouped under wellness and we specifically hear about wearable tech, robotics, touchless therapies etc. So, let’s get a little more specific. Let’s talk about technology within physical spa locations at luxury hotels and resorts around the world.
By Emily Moxley,
Marketing Manager, Book4Time
I’m of the opinion that technology will disrupt the status quo the industry has established today. The customer experience has remained untouched, but the expectation from our guests has changed. In turn, businesses (mainly spas) are adapting and evolving to change with them.
Here are five trends shaking up the spa industry
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS platforms have entered the spa world in full force. It’s becoming rare to come across a luxury retreat or spa within well-known hotels and resorts that don’t have a platform in the cloud to operationalize business efficiencies. Spa owners, and directors are looking for something that will centralize their CRM, payment solutions, scheduling, booking and reporting in one place. Furthermore, there’s an appetite for software that has a number of integrations primarily with hotel reservation platforms like Opera or payment gateways to make their lives simpler.
Gone are the days of using multiple paper diaries to track appointments, guest names, and technician availability. Much like you’re turning to this article online vs. a printed copy in a delivered newspaper, the old paper method in life is becoming obsolete, let alone businesses. Forward-thinking directors and managers are shaping this change and building a sustainable future for their spas by implementing solutions that will allow them to grow and check the boxes mentioned above.
Business Intelligence (BI)
We’ve all heard this word before and can often bucket it to just mean “fancy reporting”. However, when I mention BI, I’m talking about insight vs. data. All spa directors, managers and owners will always have access to their data. However, the true advantage is having the means to analyze it and help make intelligent and informed business decisions. For example, one may ask: Which one of my spas is performing the best in terms of number of couples treatments booked? Granted, you can probably tally up your appointment numbers and run a comparison in Excel, but when you manage multiple locations or are comparing multiple variables, there’s a dire need for business intelligence. The basic reporting features and functionality aren’t enough to truly realize how your business can thrive during an unforeseen situation (like the COVID-19 Pandemic). You can find ways of optimizing spend, technician utilization and more through the use of business intelligence.
Contactless Experiences
We’ve all heard this before, but it’s important to hear it again and engrain in our minds as we think about technology disrupting the status quo. Having a contactless experience has quickly become a requirement for spa-goers. It’s not that people don’t want to have human interaction, it’s that people want to have the option not to. Guests are looking for something that allows them to use their mobile device from any location at any time of day to look at spa menus, book appointments, confirm reservations and more. Mobile devices are used for more than just calls and text messages. For the past decade, we’ve been turning to our mobile devices to book flights, hotels, restaurant reservations and essentially plan an entire trip experience. So, why should spa bookings be left out?
Although there are those that prefer calling into a location, 82% of travel bookings made in 2018 were made without any human interaction, via a mobile app or website. Online booking is just one element of the contactless experience that’s becoming increasingly necessary vs. a “nice to have”. A contactless experience also allows the guest to be in control of their visit. They’re able to browse freely at a digital menu, reserve a booking, guarantee a booking with a credit card saved on their device and ultimately, leave a review for your spa once they’re all done.
To read the rest of this article and see the other trends, download it here.