Meeting News - February 16, 2009 - (Page 36)

Insider Report: Spa Incentives Edited by Terri Hardin terri.hardin@nielsen.com The restige Collection offers 4 and 5-star luxury resorts at all of the following premier destinations: Argentina Aruba Australia Austria Brazil Canada Cyprus Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Jamaica México Puerto Rico Spain Switzerland Turkey United Kingdom Arizona California Colorado Washington D.C. Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Massachusetts Nevada New York Pennsylvania Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia ‘You Want a Stay After Your Treatment?’ From packages, to gift cards, to extended stays, spas make it easier to indulge In today’s tough downturn, incentive programs minute service into an entire afternoon of rejuveare taking a beating. But, strangely enough, the nation by taking advantage of the spa’s amenipejorative attitude toward incentives in general ties. “After a hot-stone massage, take a plunge in has had a salubrious affect on spas in general. the pool, sit in the sauna, or cool down in an ice Namely, they want your business, and they will room. Today’s spas encourage loitering.” fight for it. Another way to ease first-time or value-con“In light of the poor economy,” said Tanya Ali, scious spa-goers into the spa experience is to spokeswoman for the spas at Atlantic City’s Bor- offer gift or discount cards. Great Spa Escapes gata and Water Club, “spas around the country (GSE), offers gift cards in denominations startare responding by ‘bundling beauty,’ which is ing at $20 and develops customized programs for combining treatments at a value rate. These bun- its corporate partners. While KSL Resorts— dled packages are becoming a nationwide trend, which manages the Hotel Del Coronado, Rancho as spas encourage people to not let health, relaxation, and well-being fall by the wayside in trying times.” Hugo da Conceicao, Eurostars Hotels’ frontoffice agent in Barcelona, said,“Spas are working now as added value to the rooms more than as an isolated product.” Shelby Jones for the International Spa Association, concurred, “Hotels are looking to entice travelers and increase bookings by Gift cards are one way spas are enhancing value. offering free treatments or spa credits when booking a room.” Las Palmas Resort & Spa, and La Costa Resort & Jones also noted that spa clients are doing what Spa in California, the Homestead in Virginia, and they can to extend their stays pre- and post-treat- Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Texas—is a prement.“With people watching every penny, many mier affiliate of GSE, the service also provides are canceling expensive vacations and instead convenient online booking tools, unique destiturning to spas, transforming a half-day spa visit nation spa packages at special rates, and a preinto a full-blown escape with a massage, facial, mier collection of spas to provide customers with and pedicure.” the highest level of products and services in the Danielle Leitch, executive VP at Palm Beach’s industry—all with easy access to a live spa MindVisibility, and who had a staycation at the concierge, who will book a treatment at the spa Ritz-Carlton South Beach, wholeheartedly of the client’s choice. agreed:“It’s a win-win situation, given that many In January, the state of Alabama, which had people are traveling less but still want a nice created the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in 1992, daytrip vacation feel—which a spa resort offers.” debuted its RTJ Spa Trail, comprising the destiJones added clients also are turning a 60continued on page 38 www.meetingnews.com www.prestigeresorts.com meetings@prestigeresorts.com 36 MeetingNews February 16, 2009 http://www.prestigeresorts.com http://www.prestigeresorts.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - February 16, 2009

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