The average day spa visitor will travel up to one and a half hours to the spa of their choice. So, how far would someone be willing to travel if they were going away for the entire weekend? Two? Three? Even four hours?
Turning your hotel into somewhere that people want to stay for a whole weekend could significantly open up your client base and encourage each visitor to spend more time, and more money, at your location. Wellness weekends can be attractive for couples, groups of friends and individuals looking to relax, unwind and spend a few days away from the hustle and bustle of the modern world. Offering something unique will help to ensure these visitors choose you over your competitors.
Create A Destination
For people to want to spend an entire weekend at your hotel, it needs to be a destination in its own right. This means that it has to offer guests everything they could need for a weekend away, from food and drinks to treatments, experiences and relaxation.
Ideally, guests should be able to spend the weekend at your hotel without ever feeling the need to leave. Essentially, it should be your spa and hotel that the guests are interested in, not any of the sights or attractions that are close to it.
Expert Classes
Offering expert classes, such as yoga, mindfulness or healthy cooking, is a fantastic way to add value to your wellness weekends and offer guests something a little bit different. Taking a class will allow guests to enjoy a unique experience and give them a good reason to choose your hotel over other options. A range of wellness activities that are indoor and outdoor provide a great way to break up the weekend and make your hotel more attractive to potential visitors.
It’s important to put time and energy into ensuring the experts leading these classes offer a high-quality experience. Look for teachers who are well-known in their field and who have experience running these types of classes or workshops.
Themed Weekends
You could also consider offering themed weekends. For example, you could run a digital detox weekend where guests are encouraged to leave their phones, computers and other devices behind and really connect with themselves and others. In today’s modern, hectic world, taking a weekend out can have a powerful effect and can be incredibly beneficial for both mental and physical wellbeing.
Some guests may also be interested in silent spa weekends. These require participants to stay quiet for all or part of their visit and are ideal for people who want to really switch off and slow down. Silent weekends can be combined with mindfulness, meditation or yoga classes for a complete rejuvenating experience.
Retreat Weekends
Another option is to offer retreat weekends at your hotel, driven by the spa. These can be run by you directly or you can find a teacher or group to come in and run the experience for you. Yoga and mindfulness retreats are already very popular and give guests the chance to indulge in a relaxing hobby in a beautiful and sumptuous setting.
Get in touch
Speaking with Alistair Johnson [Director], in his opinion a leisure break hotel must have spa and wellness facilities to provide guests with this destination experience. He believes that this widens the market for guests staying in the hotel, bringing in a younger demographic. This offers not only increases in spa activities, but boosts profits right across the resort including food and beverages, and length of room stay.
Turning your hotel into a destination is a great way to attract weekend visitors and widen your client base. To learn more, and to find out about the latest in spa design, contact a member of our team today.
Image source: Canva
