2009 Spa Trends

July 23, 2009

2009 Spa Trends

Are these spa trends enthralling, or over-the-top? You decide.

1. Casinos: High-end, world-class spa facilities situated within casino hotels cater to a captive, free-spending clientele that both appreciates pampering and sees the value of balancing both high-octane indulgence and recharging, healthy pursuits.

2. Medical Tourism/Dental Spas: The line between spas, medical spas and hospitals is becoming ever more creatively blended. The era of the ‘spa-spital,’ with global consumers traveling to access the services they want, need, and can afford, has arrived. Even dentists are offering spa services.

3. Eco-Embedded Spas: Expanded green initiatives and eco-processes are quietly and meaningfully enmeshed throughout entire spas, so there’s no demanding efforts required by the spa guest, who is, after all, there to relax. Consider a health club like Green Microgym in Oregon where the energy created on cardio-fitness equipment is captured and reused to light the facility or the Six Senses in Thailand, where guests can eat all of the resort landscaping.

4. In-transit: With overbooked flights, tight security and longer delays, there’s no doubt that the stress of modern travel has increased. Thankfully, spa-going while traveling is reaching a whole new cruising altitude: trains with fully equipped gyms and spas, planes with in-flight spa showers and massage treatments, and wellness-oriented cruises.

5. Mind, Body & Spirit: Consumers are looking to spas to recharge not only their body, but their spirit and mind as well. Many spas are increasing self-discovery services like ropes courses, art classes and other learning activities that help consumers to stop, be still and focus on themselves.

6. Tech-savvy: Cutting-edge new treatments combined with amenities like Wi-Fi, iPod jacks in treatment rooms, and online booking make spas more appealing to technology-obsessed Gen-X and Y.

Visit RTM's Spa Reviews Section for more spa-going tips.