When we think about luxury spas, what comes to mind are typically physical aspects like plush linens and exclusive products. But, true luxury extends far beyond these “niceties.” The most defining component of a luxury spa experience is the relationship between the practitioner and the client. A relationship built on trust, personalized care, and an intuitive understanding of the client’s needs provides ultimate comfort and extravagance — the definition of luxury.
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When we think about luxury spas, what comes to mind are typically physical aspects like plush linens and exclusive products. But, true luxury extends far beyond these “niceties.” The most defining component of a luxury spa experience is the relationship between the practitioner and the client. A relationship built on trust, personalized care, and an intuitive understanding of the client’s needs provides ultimate comfort and extravagance — the definition of luxury.
Consider these approaches to elevate your spa's luxury experience and create a craveable client experience.
1. Create Connection
Luxury clients often seek more than relaxation; they seek a sense of connection and exclusivity that only comes from a tailored experience. Knowing their preferences, understanding their wellness goals, and anticipating their needs are what create the distinction between a good spa experience and an unforgettable one.
Begin each client’s journey with an in-depth consultation, uncovering preferences and specific needs allowing practitioners to tailor treatments and add a level of customization that makes clients feel valued and understood. Gather in-depth information about each client’s preferences, from favorite scents and desired pressure levels in massages, to health conditions and specific wellness objectives. Keep this information updated in your spa software so staff are aware of these preferences before each session.
2. Curate Personal Experiences
When clients feel known and understood, their experience feels bespoke and exclusive. Developing treatments and wellness rituals that specifically address their preferences takes luxury to the next level.
Align treatments with clients’ wellness journeys. Whether it’s helping them achieve stress relief, skin health, or holistic balance, customize treatments that speak directly to their goals. Practitioners can offer suggestions based on their knowledge of the client’s long-term wellness ambitions, which makes the client feel genuinely cared for beyond just the session. Empower your practitioners to adapt treatments in real-time.
Related: Improve the Client Spa Experience with Wellness Amenities
3. Anticipate Needs
True luxury lies in anticipating a client’s needs before they articulate them. This could be offering a treatment they’ve shown interest in or providing a specific type of tea that aligns with their relaxation goals. The idea is to create seamless experiences where clients feel that every detail is thoughtfully considered.
Encourage your team to develop intuition through training that focuses on reading body language, understanding verbal cues and anticipating client needs before they are expressed. This subtle, proactive approach deepens trust and enhances the feeling of luxury.
4. Develop Signature Services
Signature services elevate the spa experience. Created using unique ingredients, advanced techniques, or innovative combinations, these exclusive treatments and services provide clients with something they can’t find anywhere else.
Place your signature offering at the top of the menu and make this the highest-priced option. This will guide people to choose in a 1, 2, 3 manner. Studies show middle offerings are most often booked by first-time curious clients. This gives you the opportunity to attract clients into your business and build trust to keep them coming back.
5. Practice Compassionate Communication
Compassionate communication prioritizes empathy, understanding and connection. The core of compassionate communication involves:
- Observing without judgment: Describing a situation objectively without attaching any judgment or evaluation.
- Identifying feelings: Expressing one's emotions clearly and authentically.
- Acknowledging needs: Understanding and articulating one's needs that are associated with emotions.
- Making requests: Asking for specific actions or behaviors that could meet the needs, while ensuring they are framed as requests, not demands.
Create a culture of mindfulness by incorporating practices like guided meditation, breathwork or visualization techniques. When you are and your staff are Zen, your clients can feel it. They can also feel stress and negativity.
Make Your Clients Feel Beautiful
In my Palm Springs esthetics practice, I work primarily with wealthy older women. In many spa and wellness environments, they would be made to feel old because of their lack of a youthful complexion. In my treatment room, they are made to feel beautiful.
If you have provided a client with a craveable experience, chances are you created a dopamine reaction in their soul. Dopamine is the "feel-good" hormone that leaves us craving more, and this is wonderful way to build a lasting impression and a business that flows with profitability.
Lori Crete is a renowned beauty and spa industry expert and licensed celebrity esthetician. She founded The Beauty Biz Club and The Beauty Biz Show—globally ranked in the top 1% of all podcasts. Her newest venture, SpaStar, manufactures and distributes The Get Ready Wrap®, essential apparel for spa operations and self-care retail. Lori is a passionate esthetician dedicated to her career. She continues to work in the treatment room and provides clients with elevated customer care and facials that leave them looking and feeling amazing.
