Palatial spas have become a hallmark of high-end resorts—but clubs of all shapes and sizes can learn a design tip or two from these luxurious wellness centers.
By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor
What golfer couldn’t benefit from a post-links massage, or a weary traveler from a rejuvenating yoga session? In-house spas and treatment rooms have become veritable fixtures for clubs and resorts, allowing guests to indulge in special services and regular members to establish a regime for individual wellness plans.
While not all clubs have the means, space or incentive to install elaborate spa accommodations, paying attention to key design motifs can still create an immersive experience. Successful spa designs combine elements natural to the location, such as a mild climate or hot springs, with rich colors and the services that members and guests crave.
While not all clubs have the means, space or incentive to install elaborate spa accommodations, paying attention to key design motifs can still create an immersive experience.
Santa Fe, Calif.
“Our greatest challenge was determining how to create a tranquil, peaceful setting for the new, open-air yoga pavilion.”
—Jeff Jacobs, Owner
Whether it’s a renovation to an existing spa or a brand-new facility, club managers must carefully consider an overall design that integrates comfort with convenience.
Finding the ‘Om’
When the Rancho Valencia Resort in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., re-opened its spa last October following a 10-month, $30 million renovation, the newly designed spa reflected a strong focus on wellness and relaxation. A chief component of its redesign was the brand-new Serenity Yoga Pavilion.
The 2.5-acre southern California spa, which was originally built in 2006, embraces its year-round temperate climate with three temperature-varied therapeutic pools, a Watsu therapy/massage pool, a lap pool, and private sun gardens. Indoor amenities include 10 treatment rooms with private patios—five of which have outdoor, deep-soaking tubs and rain showers—and two couples’ rooms featuring fireplaces, private patios, outdoor showers, and tubs for two.
The desire to showcase the serenity of this atmosphere, while meshing with the resort’s mission to focus on fitness, prompted the addition of a dedicated yoga space. “Our greatest challenge was determining how to create a tranquil, peaceful setting for the new, open-air yoga pavilion,” explains the resort’s owner, Jeff Jacobs.
To take advantage of its coastal surroundings, the 1,000-sq. ft. pavilion features a “floating dock” for the instructor: a fixed surface in the center of a shallow pool that surrounds one end of the pavilion. Brazilian flooring was selected to embody the character of the resort, one that Jacobs says “creates a hacienda Zen design.” The overall design “enhances the natural Zen surroundings of the San Dieguito River,” Jacobs adds, which flows through Rancho Santa Fe from San Pasqual to the Pacific Ocean.
This new addition embraces the spa’s overall décor, one that General Manager Simon Chen says “pays homage to the hacienda style of the resort.” Vibrant, hand-painted tiles in royal blue and yellow accent warm, adobe-like colors for both the spa’s interior and exterior. Two main courtyards, surrounded by treatment rooms, have an open-air atrium feel, with flowing water landscapes and lush greenery. Ceramic pottery and wooden seating add to the tranquil atmosphere.
The effect of the spa’s design correlates with Rancho Valencia’s mission to better serve its health-conscious travelers. The result is a high-end facility that has virtually re-branded itself as a full-service health/fitness operation.
“While before the renovation, the resort was [best] known for its tennis program, the new fitness program at the spa has really drawn a larger audience of active travelers from several markets,” notes Chen.
at The Homestead
Hot Springs, Va.“Our designers looked to match the existing look and feel of The Homestead while creating a relaxing, beautiful spa.”
—Angie Day, Canyon Ranch
Corporate Spa Director
Trends in Spa Design
If your property is planning to undergo a spa renovation or redesign, it’s important to realize one thing right off the bat: Not all redesigns are created equal. According to Chris White, Senior Vice President of Planning and Design Consultant Services for WTS International, private clubs and resorts represent extremely different customer usage patterns.
“In private clubs, spa services are very localized and limited, consisting chiefly of treatment rooms added onto club locker rooms,” White explains. “These services are not regarded as luxury, but to enhance one’s well-being.” By contrast, he notes, resorts have a “decided interest and emphasis on creating things that are more striking. There’s also a marked interest in trendy services that resorts use to distinguish themselves.”
When incorporating design elements in a private-club spa, White suggests keeping certain considerations in mind. “It’s important to convince members that you’re not trying to recreate a luxury experience,” he advises. “Instead, bring in complementary wellness services.”
Private-club spa layout is relatively straightforward using the following formula: 120-125 sq. ft., multiplied by the number of treatment rooms. For resorts, access that’s convenient for both on- and
off-campus people is essential. “These facilities have two different groups feeding revenue, so they both need access,” says White.
When determining how to get the most bang for the buck from all spa enhancements, White recommends opting for functional, as opposed to costly, finishes. “Different kinds of tiles, floor coverings and light fixtures can be very pricey,” he notes.
It also helps to ensure that treatment rooms are unisex and can accommodate a body treatment, skin treatment or massage. “It’s possible to do this if you have a contiguous shower stall and if you add skin care to an existing treatment,” he says.
Finally, White adds, when adding a service to a spa, be sure to leave room for expansion, especially if your club is in a membership growth mode.
Overhauling an Oasis
As the saying goes, all good things come to those who wait. In the case of the Canyon Ranch SpaClub at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Va., guests at the historic resort will be able to experience an all-inclusive spa experience for the entire family for the first time this summer.
Set to open this June, the 60,000-sq. ft. spa redesign has been 18 months in the making. Touted as a “hybrid renovation” project by Angie Day, Canyon Ranch’s Corporate Spa Director, the existing spa has been updated from top to bottom with new electrical, mechanical and plumbing; new floor layouts and additional space for treatments; relaxation lounges and locker rooms. The multi-level spa encompasses a complex layout, resulting in 28 treatment rooms.
On the lower level, existing family changing rooms have been renovated with a slightly smaller footprint, and a new family spa suite will offer spa treatments for younger guests. The main level, covering over 20,000 sq. ft., includes the reception and retail area, a revamped fitness area, locker rooms and a women’s and men’s European-inspired Aquavana suite, which Day describes as “a trademark of Canyon Ranch SpaClub facilities.” The Aquavana experience includes traditional aromatic steam rooms, an herbal laconium (a dry-heat sauna), experiential rain shower, and heated lounge relaxation area.
Continuing upward, the third floor accommodates most of the treatment rooms and the women’s and men’s relaxation lounges, while the top floor houses a beauty salon, specialty treatment rooms, a co-ed lounge and outdoor deck.
To create a cohesive look for the entire facility, the design team turned to the resort’s history for inspiration. “Our designers looked to match the existing look and feel of The Homestead while creating a relaxing, beautiful spa,” explains Day.
at The American Club
Kohler, Wis.“Chilewich runners in steel grey serve as the new flooring, and it works very well for treatment rooms, as it has a soft cushion for the comfort of our therapists.”
—Jean Kolb, Kohler Co.
Director of Wellness
Countertops are fashioned from local quarried marble, while cabinets are painted to match the tradition of The Homestead’s millwork. A color palette of organic earth tones, with a heavy emphasis on shades of green, was selected to complement the resort’s natural color scheme. In the spa reception area, a modern hanging chandelier makes an illuminating statement, while a “shabby elegance” décor style is carried throughout the property’s interior.
Stepping outside highlights one of the Canyon Ranch SpaClub’s most eye-catching additions: an adults-only spa garden. The more-than-11,000-sq. ft. space features an octagonal soaking pool that has been refurbished from a turn-of-the-century hot springs pool, as well as a reflexology walk and deluge shower that are fed from two of the numerous hot springs the crew discovered during construction. By embracing and cultivating the gifts given naturally to the area, the crew transformed what could have been a setback into a feature that further sets the resort apart.
A traditional step-up whirlpool connected to a swimming pool, private rental cabanas, lounge chairs and a co-ed dry sauna offer additional outdoor spa amenities. A small kitchen and dining niche allow guests to nourish their bodies post-treatment.
During construction, spa services were held in guest rooms at The Homestead. Once the project is complete, The Homestead will officially turn the reins over to Canyon Ranch, which will be the operator of the space.
With the grand opening a month away, the excitement is palpable. “This SpaClub will be a ‘taste of Canyon Ranch’ and enable guests of our host property, The Homestead, to gently dip their toes into what Canyon Ranch has to offer,” says Canyon Ranch’s Public Relations Director, Sheryl Press.
Springtime Sprucing Up
Serving its spa clientele for well over a decade has been the name of the game at the Kohler Waters Spa at The American Club. But when the Kohler, Wis., resort’s spa reached its 12-year mark, management realized that its original treatment rooms needed an update.
“These rooms had worked well for us for the past 12 years,” explains Jean Kolb, Director of Wellness for Kohler Co. “However, we wanted to be able to make them better operationally and give them a new look.”
This past March, a month-long renovation of the resort’s nine original treatment rooms was started. Those rooms comprise a significant portion of the total of 21 treatment rooms on the property, several of which feature the latest in Kohler plumbing, including baths, showers and custom-built Vichy showers. Kohler Waters Spa also prides itself on what Kolb describes as “unique features”: an 8-foot, deep-cool plunge pool for men and a 5-foot, deep-cool plunge pool for women.
Renovations to the nine treatment rooms feature light gray cabinetry, granite countertops and ice blue lavatories. Chilewich runners in steel gray serve as the new flooring. “It works very well for treatment rooms, as it has a soft cushion for the comfort of our therapists,” notes Kolb. The gray/blue color palette complements The American Club’s butter-yellow walls and black-and-white tiled flooring.
To add to the calming effect this renovation aims to achieve, one wall in each treatment room showcases photographs of waterfalls under adjustable, dimmer-switch lighting. “We will also add whimsical sconces just for fun,” adds Kolb.
As the project got underway, guest services were only affected temporarily, with Kolb noting the greatest challenge as operating “in a five-star manner while construction is [taking place] on the other side of a temporary wall. We did quite well, working with our construction team to ensure the louder noise was kept to a minimum during business hours.”
As the spa readied itself for an April unveiling, Kolb was enthused by the prospects of newly renovated treatment rooms that could further enhance The American Club resort’s already strong reputation. “It has really created a nice offering year-round,” she says. “The spa is a great place to relax after a long day of golf!”
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