While men are now more at ease than ever before frequenting spas, there are still things you can do to encourage them to visit and make their experiences even more comfortable. Here, we asked several spa directors about their best strategies and packages to entice male spa-goers in the hopes that it would help you build your own male clientele.
“Making sure that your spa has male-specific offerings is an important aspect of spa menu design, especially for a winter resort destination like ours, where we see a higher percentage of male travelers. Men want to know that their needs have been considered in the design of a treatment and that they are not just getting a service that was renamed to attract them. They do not need to be overwhelmed with choices and tend to stick with treatments that have familiar components and are more therapeutic. From the locker room to the treatment room, the products used should be designed to meet the needs of the client’s senses and be practical. Men don’t need fluff, but they appreciate having access to products that smell good, feel good, and get the job done.”
—Tessa Kienow, spa director, Solitude Spa at Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa (Teton Village, WY)
“Marketing to men is a simple matter of being able to speak the language. Men want the same treatments women want but do not feel as comfortable asking for the service by name. We have found that creating packages that appeal to a man’s sense of the outdoors really helps with the sale of the treatment. Here in Colorado, we are all about the outdoors and our environment. We created treatments that appeal to this side of a man’s nature. We have also kept in mind that having a line of men’s products is a great way to show male clients that we recognize their specific needs.”—Michael Simmons, director of rooms and spa, The Spa at Keystone Lodge (CO)
“Our greatest attraction to our male clientele is offering the ‘true West’ without sacrificing true comfort. At The Ranch at Rock Creek, we offer endless activities, such as fly-fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, archery, sporting clay, and even bowling. Our spa is strategically located between the main lodge and the saloon. We find most men will follow the path to a perfect day’s end. Many enjoy the Saddle Sore Soak or the Rock Creek Ritual massage.”—Sarah Welles, spa director, The Ranch Spa at The Ranch at Rock Creek (Philipsburg, MT)
“The male market, in particular, is an area where I see one of our strongest potentials for growth in 2011. Admittedly, it has never been a clear-cut strategy for Chiva-Som to actively target men. However, we have found success indirectly. Our materials and communication initially takes a soft approach to appeal to women, as we have always placed great emphasis on couples and our high rate of double occupancy attests to that. The strategy is to attract women, but by default, they come accompanied by their spouse, partner, or male friend. We let our female clients do the convincing. It is all about getting the men here to experience Chiva-Som firsthand. Aside from the more than 200 treatments available, we have an array of fitness, physio, and private training courses, such as Body Composition Analysis, Oxygen Power Training, Golf Buddy Program, or Gyrokinesis. The range of our services, the very neutral design of our resort, and the distinctive charm of our Thai hospitality is a unique combination that appeals to both men and women. Chiva-Som has always tried to be very neutral in its approach, because our philosophy on wellness should and, in fact, needs to appeal to everyone. There are many men who do not like to be told they need to ‘aspire’ to this or that level of physical vanity or physical health. Many men feel more comfortable making that decision themselves. This is something we make room for at Chiva-Som, without the overt marketing pressure.”—Paul Linder, general manager, Chiva-Som (Hua Hin, Thailand)
“Though we mostly cater to couples, the Manea Spa menu offers a variety of services that can be enjoyed especially by men. One of our more unique massages, the Avae Taurumi, Barefoot Bodywork, provides the deepest pressure but in a smooth and sensuous way. It looks like a dance and feels like heaven. Gentlemen simply love it.”—Kamala Nayeli, spa director, Manea Spa at Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort & Spa (French Polynesia)
“Upon arrival, guests receive an invitation to tour the spa. The men usually accompany their partners, which gives us the opportunity to sell our couples’ massages and treatments in our couples’ suite. The package includes complimentary champagne and hors d’oeuvres served in a private Jacuzzi on the balcony of the room after the treatment. This is a seller. We are guaranteed to have follow-up bookings after that first treatment.”—Gilly Shillingford, spa director, The Spa at Curtain Bluff (Antigua)
Male Order
Want to show your male clients that you really care? Check out the following companies that offer a variety of male-specific products.
A Natural Difference
(888) 568-3150
www.anaturaldifference.com
Aveda
(800) 644-4831
www.aveda.com
Bioelements
(800) 433-6650
www.bioelements.com
Clarisonic
(888) 525-2747
www.clarisonic.com
Cuccio Naturalé
(800) 762-6245
www.cuccio.com
Dr. Belter Man
(800) 909-7546
www.terrybinnscatalog.com
Dr. Grandel
www.grandel-usa.com
GlyMed Plus
(800) 676-9667
www.glymedplus.com
G.M. Collin
(800) 341-1531
www.gmcollin.com
Gram Skincare
(877) 754-6308
www.drgram.com
Guinot
(800) 523-1030
www.guinotusa.com
Image Skincare
(800) 796-SKIN
www.imageskincare.com
Joe Grooming
(888) MORE-JOE
www.joegrooming.com
Kerstin Florian
(888) KERSTIN
www.kerstinflorianusa.com
KENMEN-BC/ONE INC
(866) KEN-6969
www.kenmen.com
Murad
(888) 686-8273
www.murad.com
Organic Male OM4
(877) 898-MALE
www.om4men.com
Pevonia Botanica
(800) PEVONIA
www.pevonia.com
Phytomer
(800) 227-8051
www.phytomerusa.com
Rhonda Allison
(888) 7-GETRAW
www.rhondaallison.com
Saian
(800) 291-1130
www.saian.net
Skin 2 Skin Care
(877) 754-6790
www.skin2skincare.com
Sothys Paris
(800) 325-0503
www.sothys-usa.com
Yon-Ka Paris
(800) 533-6276
www.yonkausa.com