Amid the travel slowdown, one segment of tourism still seems to have some steam: spas. For consumers, that's good and bad. Good because there are more hotels with spas than ever and a cornucopia of new treatments. Bad because there's almost too much to choose from, and there aren't as many deals as you might hope.
"We've seen a spa explosion in the last couple of years," says Lynne Walker McNees, executive director of the International Spa Assn., or ISPA. The organization, based in Lexington, Ky., claimed 1,783 spa facilities and providers in 55 nations as members in late November. That's 27% more than a year ago and nearly triple the number that existed three years ago.
There are about 5,700 spas in the U.S., of which about 750 are in California, according to a study done last year for ISPA by Price- waterhouseCoopers. About three-fourths of the nation's spas are free-standing day-use facilities, but those attached to resorts and hotels are a growing category, composing the next largest group, about 8% of the total.
A far smaller number, about 75, are what are called "destination spas" by experts or "fat farms" by detractors, according to the study. These are the grandes dames and generally the forerunners of the spa craze, such as Canyon Ranch in Tucson and the Golden Door in Escondido, Calif., where clients typically check in for a week or more of low-fat cuisine, exercise and treatments.
Destination spas have loyal customers, but it's not a growing category. Too much time commitment, experts say. The growth is occurring in day spas and hotel-resort spas. "You almost can't open a hotel without a spa anymore," says Pete Ellis, chief executive and chairman of New York-based Spa Finder Co., a spa reservation service and marketing company.
The factors behind the growth are many, experts say: aging baby boomers, the fitness movement, high-stress jobs and more male customers. Although the typical spa visitor is a woman 31 to 54, more men are joining in--about 25% more each year for the last two years, McNees of ISPA says.
Resorts make money off spas, but not that much--about 3% of their total revenue, according to a recent study by Phoenix-based Warnick & Co., a consultant and investment banking company that specializes in hotels and recreation. Golf (9%) and food and beverage service (30%) contribute more.
