Innovative Spa Design with Key Attention to Details

This was the introduction of Lisa’s Review of the Plans  
“A first impression is what sets the tone for an entire spa and salon experience.  A sense of arrival and welcome is the primary goal in any innovative spa design.  In a hotel and day spa location, walk-by traffic is critical to a profitability of a business and good entrance design encourages revenue opportunities.  An assessment of the potential success of a spa begins as you walk in the door.  The site visit to an existing or potential spa location takes a journey from front to back, top to bottom and follows in the footsteps of future guests. “

She then took you from space to space, evaluating each space for design and functionality.    The entire staff at Collier and Collier had this easy way of pointing you in the right direction without making you feel totally stupid–not really dumb….just not informed.

Below are some of the comments:
“If the locker rooms are moved to the second floor, this will allow the guest to check in, transition to the locker rooms via the stairs while still in street clothes.  In the current design, the guests would leave the locker rooms in robes and slippers and climb stairs to the treatment and lounge area. Not an easy task…”

“The switch of salon and fitness will open up the entrance to the spa and create a more active and alive environment.  A salon is a very social and upbeat space and would complement the spa reception area and courtyard lobby of the hotel.  The potential for hair and nail walk-ins will be much greater if the salon is on the first level.”
Other comments included very detailed information for prep areas, back of house, and administrative offices…something the first architect did not include.  Some key learning criteria for the design- 1. Designing a spa requires…REQUIRES a knowledgeable architect  2.  Planning a spa needs expertise from someone who has been there & done that….no matter what type of spa…day spa, resort spa or a hotel spa.  Hey, you think you are getting into a relaxing business?  The last key word….spa BUSINESS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Missing Something from your Spa Designer?

Sometimes we don’t know what we are missing until we have the “real” thing…especially in our business life.  As you learn over the years from being an esthetican to a business owner to building a spa, you don’t know if you are missing something if you’ve never had it.  Now that I have seen and experienced the “real: thing, I can assure you that my expectations for a spa designer are over the moon.  Below are just a couple of things to expect from your spa designer and architect.

8.  we provide the operational input by submitting a ‘red-lined’ mark-up plan for electrical, mechanical and plumbing
9.  we will need your operations ff&e list of equipment – if you do not have one, then we can create one for you; the equipment ‘technical requirements’ plus our technical services brief (i.e. acoutstic standards, accessory/amenity requirements (i.e. treatment room sink vanity/counter millwork details + sink/faucet fixture – provide 9″ clearance between bottom of faucet to bottom of sink)
10.  we also provide recommendations and plan review comments on the following > materials/finishes, lighting, audio-visual, communications; plan elevations, millwork, signage, accessories – coordination with interior designer (to support and represent the operator and owner)

Your Spa Wish List

Well how about that?  When was the last time you had a wish list or when was the last time someone even offered you a wish list?  Well here I am, pinch me please, I have my very own wish list.  Below starts the beginning of the wish list

General Facility & Reception

·      Larger and more welcoming reception area

·      More retail display area and storage

·      Locked retail storage

·      Administration work space and office

·      Manager’s office – located close to reception

·      Admin. storage – Back of House

·      Larger wait area with table/counter space for refreshments

·      Would like to keep windows in salon area (downstairs) for natural light

·      More storage

·      Area in salon and wait for water/juice, chocolate shots (yum)

·      Change flow from locker rooms to treatment rooms

·      More overall space

·      Locker rooms upstairs

·      Salon downstairs

Now, I knew we would not get everything on the list..my goodness, it is five pages long, but at least we have an idea of priorities.

 

Evaluate the Flow and Feel of Your Spa Design

I have just put the spa consultant, Lisa Henry Jacobs, on the plane to Colorado and my brain is all a twitter.  The original plans for the spa according to her advice are STOP, Back up, Reverse.  I knew there was a reason that I hired her and this was it.  Somewhere in my gut, something told me that it was all wrong.  It is great to have all of the treatment rooms, but you need storage, laundry flow, and prep areas.  Plus the clients, must think they are at Disney, where you never know what goes on “behind the scenes”. 

 

We walked and talked for 2 days, up the stairs, down the stairs, into the parking garage…you see if you are going to build a spa in a resort hotel, well it must be the best spa in the world.  It does not have to be the biggest, just the best.  She finally hooked us into her world of spa design and development with some of the best and the brightest with Cary Collier and Chris Tyler, from Collier & Collier.

 

We agreed to re-design of the space and expansion of the second floor to become the new home for the men and women’s locker rooms.  The new space was starting to have a flow and feelings.  Where ever I could I was grabbing space, under stairs, in the “dungeon”…now we were going to see a new vision.

You Might Need A Spa Consultant If….

Hey, you might need a spa consultant if you can not answer the questions below.

 

When these questions were e-mailed to me on December 5th, I knew it was time to hire a spa consultant.  Even though you might think you know, don’t take a chance with even $500, it is simply not worth it.  Hiring a consultant saved me millions of dollars in both present and in hindsight “future” dollars.  

 

Design and Layout Questions

 

• Does your architect have facilities program?
• What is the overall footage take offs?
• Do all the elevators and stairs already exist?
• Are the ADA bathrooms at code for Florida?
• Do you need Lockers?
• Do you have or can you get a PDF formatted spa layout?
• Identify all:  load bearing walls, wet walls, mechanical walls, drilling limitations for flooring, Existing Electrical Panels, HVAC access, SHC (acoustic) ratings of adjacent walls.

P.S. Make sure the spa consultant has built many spas.

P.S.S. Interview your spa consultant like you would a new employee.

More Spa Design Questions

Prior to Lisa’s visit came questions on the new spa site.  Although my dad was a GC, some of the construction terms were “news” to me.

 

Design and Layout Questions

 

• Does your architect have facilities program?
• What is the overall footage take offs?
• Do all the elevators and stairs already exist?
• Are the ADA bathrooms at code for Florida?
• Do you need Lockers?
• Do you have or can you get a PDF formatted spa layout?
• Identify all:  load bearing walls, wet walls, mechanical walls, drilling limitations for flooring, Existing Electrical Panels, HVAC access, SHC (acoustic) ratings of adjacent walls.

Oh yes, this was going to be a great experience.