Spa trends for 2024 - Aldina Duarte Ramos
After a diverse career in strategy and project management in France and internationally, Aldina Duarte Ramos, a key figure in the spa world, founded her agency focused on the hospitality, luxury, travel, and wellness sectors, unveiling strategies to follow in 2024.
What are the trends for 2024?
Two main trends stand out for spas in 2024: high technology and efficiency on one hand, and naturalness and tradition on the other. These represent two enduring and complementary customer needs, feeding into each other in a virtuous circle. There’s a market for both:
- On the one hand, there’s a growing clientele looking for immediate results, making technology indispensable, including Welltech.
- On the other, the demand for naturalness continues to revolutionize the beauty and wellness world, as consumers push producers and manufacturers to rethink their formulas and innovate. This trend also heralds a return to raw products and traditional, millennia-old rituals.
Short-duration treatments
Focusing on results Short treatment slots are a significant trend, known in English as “pick-me-up treatments.” The concept is clear: short and effective. Using high-tech treatments can enhance the desired outcomes. Advice: When seeking technology, ensure it delivers real results from the first treatment. Combining these technologies with manual techniques can produce amazing results! It is recommended that you take a before/after photo for your client.
There’s also a high demand for short treatments in resort hotels or large urban spas. Clients prefer multiple short treatments over lengthy rituals. It’s a way to achieve targeted results, enjoy a wellness experience, use the facilities, and spend less. This creates an excellent additional revenue dynamic for the provider, offering a series of complementary à la carte treatments, the famous “add-ons.”
Seeking naturalness and self-awareness
Clients seek natural formulations and noninvasive approaches, and many noninvasive technologies are available. The concept of needle-free beauty is particularly appealing, putting manual skills and professional expertise at the center of attention.
Without technology, practices like yoga, movement, meditation, breathing, and breath control have become the new spa and wellness ecosystem classics. Mastery in these areas allows clients to act preventively and tune into their bodies with awareness.
Well-being as a performance driver
Managing emotions and mastering breathing are foundations for sustainable performance. Tomorrow’s well-being will be synonymous with performance across all areas, as learning to listen to oneself and regenerate leads to higher engagement. Moreover, it’s not just about the clients; addressing staff well-being must be integral to each facility’s strategy.
Urban retreats
In urban retreat models, yoga, movement, breath control, and meditation will be staples. Well-being retreats aren’t limited to natural or picturesque settings; cities can offer tailored, innovative retreat experiences.
Content of urban retreats
Urban retreats can last a few hours, a full day, or several days, with or without accommodation. They may include sharing workshops, conferences, yoga, cardio training, self-massage techniques, and meditation. Following a workshop, there could be breakfast, snacks, or meals, sharing recipes that clients can take home. It’s an entire customer experience journey centered around personal well-being.
The power of community
The concept of community underpins urban retreats. The power of community and shared experiences is transformative, fostering growth, success, and learning among clients and adding legitimacy to the establishment.
From spa manager to wellness manager
The term “spa manager” may be too narrow and could evolve to “wellness manager” to reflect a broader, holistic approach to the profession.
What does your client seek?
Identifying what the client seeks is crucial for any project. There is more than one answer; multiple customer segments need to be targeted. Whether your facility is a wellness destination, part of a service bouquet, focusing on local clientele or guests, an operational model can be found. Differentiation, innovation, and optimizing well-being experience and performance levers are key.
My advice
Beyond trends, consider the essentials of functionality and optimization before running your spa. Functionality is crucial for operation, and optimization adds flexibility and agility to boost profitability. Please consider market demands, like double treatment rooms, and make sure your offerings are versatile and meet diverse client needs without compromising quality or features like soundproofing and water management.
Optimizing functionality and being mindful of operational flow and customer experience is essential. Failure to manage these aspects can lead to disconnected and inefficient operations. It’s crucial to balance functionality and optimization while remaining vigilant about both.
Never stop learning
Continuous learning leads to lifelong progress. I’ve always continued educating myself, exploring fields like yin yoga, face yoga, nutrition, positive psychology, and happiness science at Yale University. This journey has broadened my understanding and approach to the spa and wellness field, with a focus on neuroscience.
This article is a translation from the article in French, published at Magazine Spa de Beauté - 100th edition, January 2024.
