Hotel Spas: Challenges to cleanliness, appearance and charisma of the therapist May 15, 2018

Outstanding service in Hotel Spa includes also the attitude and apperanece of the therapist. There is a deep – often unconscious – interaction between staff and guest which influences the guests picture about the spa. This is a recognizable factor of success. 

Some say, “One half of the spa is the architecture and decor, and the other half is the staff.” The way the staff behave towards the guest contributes significantly to the overall impression that the guest gets from the spa. “A smile is the cheapest capital”, as you say in the US. But beyond that, the staff always emits information to the guest related to the clothing, behavior, smell and attitude. Between the guest and the staff, a level of communication automatically develops, which in addition to what is said also includes optics, smell and feeling. As the guest – consciously or unconsciously – makes a comparison of experiences with the entire interior of the spa, it also includes the staff. The question of how and by whom a guest is received at the reception is very important for the later judgment that the guest makes over the spa and this helps to decide whether the guest will come back and what he reports others about the spa.

 

EXERCISE: How would you rate the situation on the following photo? Name at least 3 aspects…

Photo Credit: iStock

Possible answers

1. The therapist’s face is friendly and has an open positive charisma. The necklace is however inappropriate. In fact, the spa therapist should take it off and not wear any jewelry. The application is not about the therapist, but about the guest. The more you give up on jewelry, make-up, painted fingernails, etc., the more clearly one expresses this attitude. A therapist holds himself back: in the clothes, in the make-up, in the jewelry and in the behavior.
2. The therapist’s clothing is a casual wear and not spa clothing. The guest gets the impression of a “friendly next-door neighbor”, who wants to show an individual ability here. The person is not professional.
3. The behavior of the hands shows an inappropriate laxity: The right-hand lays on the guest, which can be interpreted as a devaluation. The left hand reinforces the impression in this context: The thumb hangs hooked in the pocket.
4. The stacked towels in the background are inconsistent in style and a bit messy. This also gives the guest the impression of a lack of professionalism.