Cover: Morning yoga at Hansar Samui.

Cover Design: Al Navikevicius

SERENDIPITY

The magic and wonder of Thai spas

By Jim Carr

Copyright 2014 Jim Carr

ISBN NUMBER: 978-0-9811212-5-3

Published by:

Partners Publishing Ltd.

Ayurvedic treatments at Dhari Dhevi Chiang Mai

What makes a great spa?

It had rained the night before - a cool rain driven by a flattening wind - yet as I entered Six Senses Hideaway at Hua Hin, I could sense we were entering one of Thailand's special spas. It got me thinking: What made it, and many of the other spas I visited, stand out.

The smell of lavender carried on a soft, warm breeze . the eye-intoxicating view of the sea . the sound of water trickling its way over smooth rocks .the touch of a smiling therapist who anticipates your needs ..

For Lisa Jody Manser, spa director at Six Senses Hideaway, Hua Hin, it's all about staff. She's a great believer that if you can create the energy and the right skill set within the team, it can make all the difference. Even if the spa looks a bit dated, in the end, it's the staff who turn it into a great spa.

It means developing each staff member, making sure that their home life and financial needs are being met. It comes back 100-fold.

While the design, treatment rooms, spa menu and amenities are also very high on the scale, "if your foundation is solid and you've been able to build up positive and peaceful energy within the staff, it will go out and come back . and all else falls into place." Lisa is now spa director at Six Senses Maldives and director of wellness for all Six Senses spas.

Kirsty MacCormick, spa director at Onyx in Bangkok, calls it the "wow" factor. The arrival at the spa is a big part of this, in which the "wow" feeling will stay in your mind as you experience the spa: Perhaps the design features, scent, colour, sound, and, of course, the welcome and hospitality of staff, all of which add to the energy of the spa.

The physical journey can also create a "wow" experience, and if designed well, she says, it can also offer a sensory journey through heat and water. "These features will not only allow you to escape from the pressures and stresses of daily life but prepare your body and mind for the actual hands-on treatment. There are many parts to this journey but the most important is the spa's staff that are able to deliver the discreet service to make you feel special and cared for."

Vikki Aquino, director of spa for the St. Regis in Bangkok, sums it up to five core values: Sincerity, "gentle care and hospitality from the heart"; Respect and Courtesy; Humility, in which "no job is too big or too small, and modesty about our achievements"; Helpfulness - a desire to "delight guests, each and every time"; and Selflessness - treating every person as kin and family.

It's also attention to detail and a sense that "everything has its place, and minimal after-thoughts". It means stowing work tools away from your view or when you hang your clothes, they will fall freely and not be crumpled, plus something to delight each of the five senses and stimulate the sixth.

"Careful layout and a smooth flow - so that the transition from one space or activity to another is smooth and seamlessly organic . accents and ornamental accessories that complement each other and have meaning or a story to enhance the space it occupies and magnify its beauty to the people who look at it and use it," says Vikki.

It's all the little things that make a big difference - soft, clean and crisp linens and towels to touch the skin; high-quality protocols and fair trade products/ingredients delivered by "very caring and highly skilled professional therapists".

"A great spa," says Walaiporn Moonsri, manager at Shangrila's CHI Spa in Bangkok, "makes its clients feel special, gorgeous and glowing with wellness."

For the spa, it means knowing your client, having a professional staff, creating a perfect ambience and being unique. "Each spa attracts a different type of client with specific needs and demands. Once you know your client, you can then design a services menu that meets their needs, and create a décor, retail offering and environment that make your spa stand out from others."

Plus, designing service protocols to ensure each therapist delivers what is special to the spa. Spa therapists should be professional, courteous, pleasant and well groomed. "They must make you feel happy, confident and relaxed in the knowledge that their spa team is devoted to your well-being."

Above all, a tranquil ambience, with gorgeous things to soothe and comfort - soft lighting and music - that make you feel as though you're in another world."

For Elaine Chua Tamte, group director of spa operations for Centara Hotels and Resorts in Thailand, it's all about "the experience".

"Apart from the standard expectations you would get from a spa such as a tranquil environment, soothing ambience, pleasant scent, value for money and good spa therapists, what sets a great spa apart is seeing guests walk out feeling better and feeling good about themselves."

To achieve this, the journey begins from the moment guests arrive until the moment they leave. All the steps within the journey should be carefully planned for, including customizing services to meet your guest's needs.

More importantly, she says, experienced therapists, who are attuned to a guest's body, who know how to make the necessary adjustment in technique to enhance the overall spa experience.

"This personal touch will in turn encourage guests to learn more about the connection between the body and the mind, increasing guests' experience with each spa visit."

The experience does not need to end at the spa, she adds. A follow-up consultation, whereby guests get the opportunity to learn how to continue their spa experience at home can be an integral part of the overall journey.

Pampering at Anantara Hua Hin

"It goes with the saying: Take care of yourself and you can take care of everything else life throws at you."

For Morakot Suchutimanon, director of operations for Dusit Thani, the magic is based on four key elements - a unique spa concept; an ambience that makes you feel special; unique treatments that incorporate unique ingredients; and customer service, delivered in a graceful, traditional Thai manner.

"A spa should have a philosophy and a story behind the experiences it offers. All these help to create character that makes guests feel emotionally connected to the spa, itself."

In the case of Dusit's Devarana Spa, the Garden of Heaven concept is derived from early Thai literature, called Tribhumphraruang, written by Phraya Lithai in Thailand's Sukhothai era in the 13th Century.

This particular garden is situated at Heaven's Gate, surrounded by gardens and ponds with a heavenly scent and a nurturing environment. The garden glimmers with precious gems, silver and gold. Soft music fills the air, played by harp, flute and other traditional Thai instruments.

For Morakot, the ambience should reflect tranquility, and the facilities should offer relaxation and make you feel special. Devarana Spa reflects its "heavenly" concept with the elements described in the story, in its design and décor details.

"Our magnificent grand reception area makes an immediate impression on everyone." Its cream-colored walls glimmer with shades of gold and silver. Natural light gives the spa a clean and airy feel. Natural fabrics and state-of-art decorative materials create a feeling of contemporary Thai elegance. "With our attention to all five senses, our spa really makes visitors feel they're in a heavenly place."

She believes that unique service can make a spa outstanding. Devarana Spa, for example, operates under a standard operating system, as do most other major spas that guides staff in all situations. The spas collect feedback and suggestions from guests to help them improve the quality of services as well as ongoing training programs and operating audits for all staff to ensure quality and consistency in the delivery of services.

Thai massage is popular at Evason Hua Hin

'It's looking up at the face of someone

who loves what they're doing'

Why Thailand? Why spas? I asked that question of a lot of professionals in the Thai spa industry and was given a long list of reasons - the Thai climate, its stunning sea-bound locations, the warm azure waters of the Gulf of Siam, the uniqueness of its architecture and that spa treatments, like massages, were part of its culture, long before there was such a thing as a spa.

None of the answers really clicked in my head, other than there is a special, almost mystical connection that doesn't quite exist elsewhere.

Many other countries have resorts and spas, equally beautiful settings, magnificent seafront locations but none seems to have the cachet enjoyed by Thai spas. Something is missing, an essential element that makes all the difference.

For me, its came down to one thing - the unique character of the Thai people and a genuine desire to please, probably stemming from the deep-rooted Buddhist belief of being of service to others, a love of what they do, and an irrepressible tendency to smile and evoke smiles in return.

Many times on my tour, managers talked about how their therapists performed treatments from their hearts and making their clients feel different in every...