The third panel during the Spameeting EMEA conference programme on 6 December was about selecting the right products and equipment for a spa.

Buyers on the panel included Benjamin Robert of Resense Spa, Sharon Barcock of Hilton Worldwide, Jason Sloan of Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Ghislain Waeyaert of Deep Nature.

All panellists agreed that product selection depends on what each property needs, dependent on its hotel guest mix, local clientele, location and strategy.

Barcock highlighted that buyers need to really do their homework before committing to a particular product: “Some of the things you need to think about include whether the spa location that will receive and sell the product is in a landlocked country, whether it’s easily accessible, whether the product is registered for use in that location or not, the cost of customs and shipping – and who will pick up those costs.”

Waeyaert of Deep Nature said “When labour costs in Europe are between 45-50 per cent, I need a brand that is going to make money in the spas I manage. I want a brand that offers support to help me meet my revenue targets.”

Sloan noted that “too many cooks spoil the broth” if too many people are involved in the selection process.

“Sadly, it comes down to cost,” said Sloan. “But there’s another mistake lots of hotel chains make: they have preferred suppliers located in countries on the other side of the world – so they forget about locality. Why buy a set of electrical treatment beds from the US with different AC electrical requirements from sites in the Middle East?”

“The product brand that you choose needs to go with the spa concept. But cost is the bottom-line decision decider – despite having your own favourite brands,” concluded Sloan.