Lack of customers is often the biggest reason why a resort or hotel spa does not achieve top-line, according to Tara Hanrahan, group director of spa operations for Centara Hotels & Resorts. In an exclusive Thought Leader column for Spa Opportunities, Hanrahan discusses her best advice for increasing traffic throughout a guest's hotel journey.

Increasing your hotel spa’s visibility, by Tara Hanrahan

In my experience, I’ve found there are usually only four reasons why a resort or hotel spa does not achieve top-line: not enough customers, too low average rate, not enough therapists or not enough treatment rooms.

In the majority of cases, it’s simply due to a lack of customers. Many managers are effective in internal operations, which ensures guest satisfaction once they’re at the spa – but what strategies are in place to persuade guests to come to the spa to begin with?

I recommend breaking the hotel journey down into three sections, and then ensuring that the spa has a presence at each stage.

Pre-Arrival: What contact does your spa have with the guest prior to hotel arrival? Are guests able to prebook spa treatments, and if so, how do communicate this to them? Can you reach out via reservations with a spa tagline or special offer? The sooner you can let your guests know about the spa the better.

Hotel Arrival: What’s happening at check-in? A spa offer, valid for only 24 hours, means you can focus on re-booking. What script is the front office staff using to describe the spa? Consider giving them a commission to book guests on the arrival spa offer. One of my spas had a 40 per cent capture rate purely because the front office team was given a great incentive.

Throughout Stay: Breakfast is a key time to proactively engage and up-sell spa, as it’s the one time that the majority of hotel guests are in one place. Set up a booking table near the entrance to restaurant, and have lots of treatment samples, signage, and therapists showcasing treatments. Ensure you have the appointment calendar ready – expect that guests will book. I’ve seen spas turn around just with this one tactic.

Ultimately, increasing the number of customers in a spa is all about taking the spa to the customers. Don’t wait for them to come to you – make it as easy as possible to book. I have a rule in my spas that if a therapist has down-time, 50 per cent of that time must be spent external to the spa – out in the resort and engaging with guests. This is the ultimate goal – be pro-active, go out there and get them!