Until recently, it was thought that a greater choice of therapies widened a spa's appeal. However, an increasing number of operators are carrying out treatment 'menu engineering' processes in order to come up with a more concise, profit-orientated offer.

One example of this is the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (MOHG), which in 2009 streamlined its spa menus to an average of 25 services (see SB09/3 p58) by adapting the Cornell Restaurant Administration Simulation Exercise (CRASE).

MOHG categorised its treatments as either Stars (high sales, low cost), Plow Horses (high sales, high cost), Dogs (low sales, high cost) or Puzzles (low sales, low cost). Dogs - such as waxing - and Puzzles - such as ayurveda - were either removed or revitalised. Details: www.mandarinoriental.com

(For more details, see p.10 of Spa Vision in Spa Business 10/02. To subscribe, visit spabusiness.com)