Is a Spa Holiday a Luxury or an Investment?

As always in times of recession, people start to question their own spending and look for ways to plan and stick to budgets. As our company was bracing itself for a tough year we have instead seen a growth in people taking a wellbeing holiday – definitely something we didn’t predict.

What has brought about this development?...well it has become apparent to us that our clients are looking for some serious stress relief not just with a flop in the sun with a couple of massages type of way, but a serious wellness programme that will rejuvenate and give them energy and good health. This is particularly important in times like these, where we all have to work extra hard and keep ourselves in the best condition to keep at the top of our game! People seem to want to take care of themselves more in this environment – maybe they need to work harder or deal with additional stress so they want to be armed with tools that will help them through these difficult times. That’s where a wellness holiday is seen as a genuine investment rather than an indulgence.

We have seen a general increase of demand to destination spas as they provide a one stop shop to address people’s concerns in the current environment. Stress relief, healthy eating, exercise, and education so people can bring back what they have learned and apply it to their lifestyles. From an economic point of view they are also desirable, not because they are cheap but because all is paid for up front and there are no huge check out bills as treatments, meals and activities are part of the package. Our clients like this certainty to their budgets and now is a good time to get a good deal!

The BBC News channel also found this subject interesting and put together a small programme where we were interviewed for our opinion. Take a look >bbc news interview

Stella

How Reliable are Trip Advisor Reviews?

There has been a lot of fuss made in the travel industry lately about the authenticity of hotel reviews posted on Trip Advisor. It has come to light that many fake reviews have been written either by the hotel’s own marketing people, giving themselves top marks, or by competitors with scathing reports. This is a nasty practice but it happens! Hotels become obsessed with their ratings and reviews and rightly so given the size and popularity of Trip Advisor.

We frequently hear from our clients about the reviews they have read on Trip Advisor after we have recommended a particular resort. This is entirely normal – I also check consumer reviews on a big purchases I am about to make. But a small word of warning, Trip Advisor has no way of substantiating whether the person posting the review has actually stayed at the hotel and has started putting disclaimers on many of its pages stating this fact. Also it is human nature to want to voice your complaints to the world if you have had a bad time but you are less likely to do so if you were entirely satisfied.

When we launched our new website earlier this year we did introduce a review section that only the clients that booked through us could post their own comments on. We frequently have dodgy reviews posted by people who we have no knowledge of that are immediately deleted. We are constantly encouraging our clients to post their comments when we phone them to find out how they enjoyed their Wellbeing Escape, but frequently it gets pushed down to the bottom of their priority list in their busy lives. If you have travelled with us, please do post your comments. It will help people have more access to truthful reviews rather than just the questionable content on Trip Advisor.

Stella

Should you tip at the spa?

I have just returned from my holiday at Le Sport in St.Lucia and the issue of tipping spa therapists once again reared its head. You would think that being in "the industry" I would be very clear about when and where it is appropriate, but I still struggle with this issue, primarily because the treatments are quite pricey to begin with.

Le Sport state clearly in their in room directory that it is a NON tipping resort so you would think that cleared it up for me. Well not so! On my daily visit to the spa, I frequently saw the American visitors leaving tips for therapists, (yes I know tipping is in their DNA), but I still felt slightly guilty that I was being a stingy Brit and not showing my appreciation for a hard working therapist.

On questioning the General Manager at the resort about their policy, he told me that they believe that their service should be first class without tips and don't want to encourage different service levels that are dependent on tips. He said that guests could leave a discretionary amount at the end of their stay that would go into the staff welfare fund (which is managed by the staff).

Well that made sense and my guilt went away, but what happens if the resort doesn't take such a common sense attitude? On thinking about this further, I have finally come to the conclusion that I will only tip a therapist who is outstanding and has clearly taken extra care to give me a fantastic treatment rather than feel pressurised to do so because everyone else is doing it. You can generally decide who deserves this at the end of your stay so I will be doing this then rather than after each treatment. This is so personal and I am definitely not saying this is the "best spa etiquette" but I'm pleased I have finally cleared this up for myself.

Let me know what you think?

Stella

Will Single Travellers Take Over?

A recent Mintel report shows that over 5 million Britons travelled alone this year and this is expected to be one of the fastest growing travel sectors in future years. Although 70% of Wellbeing Escapes clients are single travellers, the sheer size of this figure surprised me, although given the fact that 39% of the adult British polulation live alone it shouldn't! This number is set to get even bigger with projections that by 2031 single households will represent 45% of the population in the UK.

This is largely about women driving the trend. We are talking about confident,professional and independent women who unlike previous generations don't think twice about going off to do their own thing and get what they want out of a holiday. Busy schedules and the desire not to have to satisfy other people's needs on holiday are a main factor - many of our clients have partners, and some even families but choose to have at least one holiday on their own. Some may call this selfish (my mother just can't understand why I would go away without my family!) but a wellbeing holiday is a perfect way to recharge your batteries and focus on yourself. What is so selfish about that?...surely if we are energised, calm and focused we can be a better friend, partner, parent or even employee.

The majority of holiday companies and hotels are still punishing the single traveller with hefty single supplements. The excuse/reason is that the room at a hotel can be filled with 2 people bringing double the income but lets get real - how many hotels are 100% full all year round with couples and families?...If the travel industry wants to take this sizeable sector of the market seriously they need to start catering to their needs. We work very hard to get lots of no single supplement deals for our clients as we don't see why they should be hit with extra costs for the room, especially since they are spending more on treatment packages than most clients. Long live the Single Traveller!

Stella

What on earth is Jalneti?

You may have seen in either yoga centres or spas those small ceramic pots that look like milk jugs with long spouts (like Pinocchio’s nose) and wondered what on earth they are for? No, they aren’t for watering small Japanese plants or holding your soya milk, but in fact Jalneti pots, crucial equipment in the cleansing of your nasal passages and sinuses. This simple practice of salt dissolved in warm water (Himalayan rock salt is my preference, though regular table salt is fine) poured into one nostril and exiting the other (you need to tilt your head to the side and most importantly breath through your mouth during the process, otherwise is will be like inhaling the Indian Ocean!!) will deepen your breath, allowing you to increase oxygen into your blood and thereby invigorate your mind. After blowing out all the blockages, you still can have a reservoir of water left in, so stand with your legs apart and do a forward bend from your hips – the rest should all run freely out! Look, this isn’t something you want to do after a first date, but if you do practice it daily, and it becomes as routine as brushing your teeth you will start to notice the profound benefits. If like me you have a husband who has always snored like a train due to sinus problems (conventional medicine couldn’t offer him a solution other than drugs) you will overlook the salty nose drips and consider this a miracle.

Victoria

Couples Treatments - What's the big deal?

I really don’t get what is the big deal with couple treatment rooms. Hoteliers and spa managers can’t wait to boast about how many couples treatment rooms they have, how big they are and all the special features (in room jacuzzi, saunas, steam rooms). Personally they don’t float my boat and I don’t find the sight of my husband in paper boxer shorts (or heavens above, a thong) particularly exciting or conducive to relaxation! In my opinion, the best spa treatments are enjoyed without conversations, I know some people like to catch up with a girlfriend over a shared spa treatment, I can’t think of anything less Zen like than chatting during my precious ‘me-time’ – surely that is what the sauna, steam and spa pools are for?

The Wellness Detective