There will be a seismic shift in the Spa Industry in terms of re-standardisation of hygiene and salon capacities : Hati

Spa and wellness has been an integral art of hospitality. Of all the ills that the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic  has entailed for the hospitality sector worldwide, there is a silver lining to it, that the pandemic has enhanced the focus on wellness. Now more than ever. But the challenge remains, amidst the increased need for social distancing and hygiene, how will hotels ensure rejuvenation and therapeutic services. 

The government has ordered the hotels to resume operations, but the spa continues to remain close. What are your thoughts about this?

Whatever decision the government takes, is for the safety of the people in particular. However, as a part of re-opening post Covid19, we have developed special SOP and trained our staff to provide the spa related services with focus on ample safety measures for our guests as well as for our associates. 

How do you view the future of spas and wellness centres once mandated to resume operations?

There will be a seismic shift in the hospitality & Spa Industry with special reference to the re-standardisation of hygiene and salon capacities. 

Three main areas where changes will be reflected are: 

• Procedures - Introduction of strict standard operating procedures.

• Techniques - So as to ensure that there is little to no touch
• Innovations – Innovative sanitization process. 

In addition, there will also be re-training of staff, and a heightened awareness for guests for health and safety standards.

In what way is the emphasis on spas increasing/decreasing in the post covid19 business operations?

Hospitality industry of which the Spa segment is an integral part of  was the first one to get affected due to Covid19 & shall be the last one to recover. No doubt, businesses have been adversely hit due to lockdown & restrictions but, as long as we stick to the guests, treatments and follow safe operations, the Spa will bounce back. But there are still few guests who will opt out till there is a vaccine for Covid19.

How will you ensure social distancing while giving therapeutic treatment to the guests?

We will ensure that the staff performing the activity wears proper PPE suits, face shields, gloves, and face masks for the safety of guests and self. Proper sanitation of each workstation is done before any activity, during the activity and post treatment. Minimum 1m distance is maintained from the face of the guest throughout the activity period.

Is the variety of treatment guests are opting for likely to get expanded/concentrated?

Mostly the treatment guests opt for is likely to expand. 

How has the working of the spa and wellness center been remodeled to ensure safety and enhanced hygiene?

The following work measures have been put in place by either remodelling the existing procedures or introducing new ones to ensure safety and enhanced hygiene: 

• All guests must have Aarogya Setu App Installed in their mobiles, duly updated. 

• All guests along with employees must wear masks throughout inside the spa premises.
• Listing down each guest travel & medical history with details. 
• Creating a welcome ritual for each arriving guest that includes hand & foot sanitization.
• Measuring temperature of each guest through Thermoscan.
• Each employee uses their own pen during shift. Guests pens are sanitized after each use.
• Ensuring each employee maintains their own workspace and does not use each other's workspace. If unavoidable, sanitize the area before/after use.
• By placing a sterilizer machine near the front desk to disinfect small items. 
• Setting-up hand sanitation stations and wipes around the Spa for guest and employee use. 
• Practicing social distance measures by marking floors in the Spa reception & at high traffic areas. 
• Ensuring that all workstations maintain social distancing guidelines. 
• Considering to limit the number of guests for facilities in order to avoid overcrowding. 
• Sanitized wiping of all high touch surfaces & after each usage of gadgets including telephones, desk, keyboards, credit card machines, mouse, etc. with disinfectant spray/wipes.

What are some of the new innovations incorporated?

Few new innovative procedures to ensure safety that have been incorporated in the Spa operations are:

• Enabling online reservations & scheduling.

• Accepting new payment methods like Google Pay, Phonepe, Paytm along with old ones like credit/debit card to ensure cashless transactions.
• Providing cutting-edge communication options like Facebook, WhatsApp etc.
• Sending clients reminders about their schedule activity.