Spalocal

Working in a spa is a curious experience. It is within this tranquility that one frets about double booking a client, lies to aging women that the topical cream on display for $70 a jar will make the wrinkles disappear and listens patiently while women way to old to be throwing temper tantrums, stomp their feet and pout in reaction to the news that there are not anymore pedicure appointments available for the day. It is in short, an exasperating experience that has the potential to lead the employee to shear insanity, except for the fact that this employee works in a spa. This employee is privy to nearly every new treatment that is being offered and just because she works there, every once in a while she lets the cares melt away as a new massage is practiced or new facial is experimented with, with her as a guinea pig. I used to be this employee and this is how I became addicted to spas. Apparently I am not alone.

The International Spa Association (ISPA) reported in 2007 that the industry itself carries in $9.7 billion per year in North America. In a press release ISPA President Lynne Walker McNees said, “One in four American adults have been to a spa and know what they want from a quality spa experience. The trends are being driven by educated spa-goers who actually see them as expectations.”

Is there really such a thing as “educated spa goers,” and what is the attraction of today’s modern day spa? ISPA states a list of reasons why a good portion of the population frequents spas and why they return. One trend is that a visit to the spa is part of a desired lifestyle, meaning that many people see the spa as a place to go to engage in healthy habits and to further integrate wellness activities and classes into their daily routines. Many day spas offer workshops and lessons which promote healthy living and give clients a chance to experiment with new products on the market.

Experts at Spa Finder Magazine, the industry’s leading watchdog, predict that the idea of detoxification will be added the healthy lifestyle program at many spas around the globe. In its annual forecast of upcoming trends, Spa Finder released a statement that said, “Core spa enthusiasts will begin to ask for more structure, less temptation, and more intensive programs,” therefore stressing the importance of a spa becoming a space to wash away toxins rather than ingest the tempting glasses of champagne that are currently part of the pampering project of spas today.

ISPA also states that nowadays people are interested in the medical components that today’s spas are offering. From 2003 to 2005, medical spas were one of the fastest growing segments of the industry. Some of the most popular medical treatments available are chemical peels, microdermabrasion as well as natural weight loss measures. The desire of people to feel good from the inside out seems to be growing as more of these medically inspired treatments become available.

Yet what of the good old fashioned notion of just plain indulgence? Surely there are people out there whose desires reflect spending an entire afternoon adorned in a robe and slippers, drowsily moving from massage table to steam room. There cannot be a better way to sweat out those pesky muscle aches and stiff necks that plague cubicle workers across the world. In fact, along with a rise in the concern of overall well-being, the rate of vacationing spa-goers is also ascending percentage-wise. Last year sixty-three percent of U.S. spa frequenters visited a spa while traveling away from home. Conde Nast Traveler released a listing of the hottest spas on the planet for 2007.

Making the cut for fabulous getaways in which to sit back, relax and be pampered are a compilation of thirty-six resort spas. Number one on the list is the Four Seasons Resort, Nevis, in the West Indies. With treatments such as mango and papaya hot stones massage, a rum tonic massage and a jet lag massage, clients will awake rejuvenated to a breathtaking panoramic view of the ocean just outside their own private cottage on the beach.

In essence it seems that every spa trend seems to be growing rapidly. In today’s world, health conscious is the smart choice and blissful relaxation is the tempting selection. Spas are aiming to achieve both varieties. Their allure is reaching even the most skeptical people. Even those who are witness to the behind the scenes drama and stress that go hand in hand when running a successful spa are sucked into the promise of complete peacefulness. Just remember to be on the best spa etiquette and never scream and shout, that just looks silly.