Just the business - spa focus

As the spa at the new Four Seasons in Dubai’s Financial Centre opens, Fiona Vlemmiks discovers what it takes to create the perfect bespoke spa menu

Among the myriad decisions to be made when opening a spa, crafting the perfect treatment menu is arguably one of the most important. Location, facilities and the clientele drive the direction of the menu and the higher the level of differentiation, the greater the chance of a spa’s success. Yet in a place like Dubai, where there is an abundance of five and even six star hotels, boasting spectacular spas, offering something unique can be a challenge to say the least.

Following her success steering the opening of The Four Seasons' Pearl Spa at Jumeirah Beach Dubai, director of spa, Hayley Bluett was tasked with overseeing the opening of the hotel chain’s new spa in DIFC a smaller, five-treatment room facility aimed primarily at business travellers. When sourcing brands to work in partnership with the spa, she was certain that she wanted a brand that could offer a truly bespoke and original treatment menu.

“It is paramount to have bespoke treatments in a spa menu. This is our differentiator,” she says. “The pursuit of differentiation and guest enrichment were both catalysts for our profound spa wellness journey. It is now widely acknowledged that ‘differentiation’ is critical in determining the industry's winners and in gaining a loyal customer base.” Since Bluett was also looking for a brand that mirrored the Four Seasons' ethical stance on sustainability African brand Terres d’Afrique was deemed the perfect fit, “We chose Terres d’ Afrique as the company ties in so well with our Four Seasons philosophy," Bluett explains. “The brand is organic and the company believes in sustainability.

“Aiming to be carbon neutral is the basis of their operations, an ideal they aim for in every decision that they make, principally thinking ethically and working sustainably. They believe in fair trade, by doing this, Terres d’ Afrique accelerates job creation, improves and transforms the livelihood of so many and uplifts communities. Interestingly, it also has a positive impact on the environment.”

The making of a menu

The spa at DIFC is positioned as an authentic lifestyle spa with a sleek and contemporary design and houses five treatment rooms including a couples’ treatment room. The first step in the menu creation was for Helary to consider the spa’s demographic, location, philosophy and goals before marrying these with relevant treatments and products.

Bluett says “Stephan from Terres d’Afrique carefully hand picked all the ingredients for our bespoke treatments. He created three distinctive treatment selections, tailored to our guest demographic. We have called these The Four Seasons Elements: "Recharge, Revitalise and Release". By choosing treatments under these selections, the guest will embark on a spa journey tailored to their every need. He also created our Signature Massage, called The Signature Blue Tigers Eye Massage, we use a combination of warm and cool Blue Tigers eye crystals and use a very special signature tool which smoothly and firmly glides over every contour of the body, releasing blocked energy and soothes away aching muscles.”

In total, 16 different treatments were created exclusively for the new spa and to further add to the spa’s drive for differentiation, several products were also created.

“With many spas in Dubai providing similar products due to the very rigid registration laws, the strength of our proprietary product ranges and our bespoke treatments are the determining factor in our competitive position,” explained Bluett.

“It is very important to create a truly unique holistic and rejuvenating wellness experience for our spa guest, we do this by adding exclusive products and treatments to our service offerings.”

The spa, which opened in March, is now, it seems, reaping the rewards of such careful product and menu selection.

“Our spa guests have been very receptive to the brand, says Bluett. “Our customer base is very wellness-focused, they have a genuine interest in living a healthy lifestyle – health and wellness is a major life focus for them. They too are driven by sustainability, authenticity and seek local sources that embrace holistic and integrated approaches to health. They take a keen interest in environmental and sustainability issues, they recognise that personal, social, and planetary well-being are all interconnected. That is why the brand is doing so well here. They would rather opt for a brand that has a very strong focus on these principles than a brand that does not.”

For more information on Terres d’Afrique please contact The Product House +971 4 379 19 66