6 Ways to Give Your Spa More Sensory Appeal
Do clients rush into your spa right at appointment time and leave just as abruptly once finished? Or do they come in early to relax, stay after their treatment for a cup of tea, and linger because they’re reluctant to leave the oasis you've created?
Your spa ambience and the refreshments you offer are what elevate you from a location for treatments to a full-on relaxing retreat from stress.
The sensory stimuli that greet clients when they walk in the door are as important as the friendly smiles of staff. Creating a unique, soothing spa ambience that makes clients feel pampered is relatively easy and inexpensive. The extra effort often leads to greater client retention, retail sales, and word-of-mouth advertising.
Here are six things to consider for stimulating your clients’ senses:
1. Multi-sensory Design Matters
The most enjoyable and memorable events arouse all five senses. Spa furnishings and accessories don’t need to be expensive, but they need to appeal to all senses and promote a feeling of serenity and indulgence. Consider incorporating a Rainbow Chakra Mat, which uses a combination of heat, far infrared, negative ions, and PEMF to enhance circulation, relax muscles and joints, and balance chakra points. People are more likely to remember and talk about experiences encountered through multiple senses, so apply some of these sensory-stimulating suggestions to help your spa experience stick with clients long after they leave.
2. Sight
Soft lighting is usually associated with relaxing spas. Think candles, lamps, and more candles. Clients should be able to see well enough to read, but the lighting should be inviting and subdued. Colored lampshades and light covers can be used to create a specific mood. Beautiful pictures and flower arrangements provide visual pleasure. Keep appearances clean and simple—aim for tranquil and meditative rather than busy or complex. Don’t overlook the role of shapes and the balance of space, furniture, and objects in producing a peaceful setting.
3. Sound
To create a truly immersive spa experience, the soundscape should transport clients away from the outside world and into a haven of tranquility. The sounds chosen should convey a welcoming atmosphere, whether through electronic new age music, the gentle trickle of a Zen fountain, or the soothing sounds of nature like ocean waves or rain. The key is to find a balance: the sounds should be loud enough to mask distracting street noise, yet quiet enough to allow for moments of peaceful contemplation.
4. Smell
Like sound, the smells of your spa should quickly transport your clients out of their everyday world into a luxurious haven. Create a sensuous setting with scented candles and essential oil diffusers strategically placed near the entrance and in your waiting area.
5. Taste
While your spa's core offerings will draw in clients, it's the little details, like your refreshments, that will make them rave about their experience. While water and herbal tea are standard, elevating these simple offerings can create a memorable touch. Choose unique teas not readily available elsewhere, ensuring they are delicious, soothing, and special enough to be purchased for enjoyment at home. Elevate the presentation with glassware and plates, attractive dispensers and serving trays, and thoughtful additions like fresh or dried fruit, nut and seed mixes, and cookies or crackers. These small gestures create a welcoming atmosphere and demonstrate that your spa truly cares about the client experience.
6. Touch
Clients come to your spa to be touched, but their tactile experience begins outside the treatment room. What they touch while waiting matters. Seats should be comfortable and easy to get in and out of. Add soft throw blankets with a lush texture. If it fits with your feng shui, add a cushy throw rug. Don’t overlook the temperature—the room temperature should be pleasant and appropriate for the weather outside.
Tying It All Together
Picture your ideal client lingering after her treatment, sipping tea, and browsing your products. Picture your clients scheduling time to sit and enjoy the ambience of your spa. When they leave, rested and refreshed, your fabulous spa is all they talk about.
What would make her stay? Feeling pampered in a sensuous cocoon. You can create that ambience with harmonious design elements that appeal to every sense—attractive furnishings smoothly blending together, complementary sounds and smells, and healthy refreshments.
Clients want to feel cared for. Stimulate all their senses to create a feeling they’ll want to revisit again and again.
Universal Companies is proud to have a team of experienced spa advisors on staff and welcomes you to consult with our professionals about spa products and supplies, including ingredients, equipment, and retail. Dedicated to the success of spa professionals everywhere, we're grateful to be recognized with multiple industry awards (thank you!) and proud to support the spa industry through mentorship and sponsorship.