There’s a stark difference on how spas are perceived today than they were till a few years back. No longer is it the prerogative of the rich, now even a middle class man in the city can walk into a spalon (spa + salon) every month and avail of a treatment ranging anywhere between Rupees 500-3000 depending on the mood for indulgence or to celebrate special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries.
In the last few years I have seen spas coming up at busy market places, malls and five star hotels. India has been home to massages, herbs and healings since ancient times – the age old Ayurveda standing testimony to the statement. The familiar smell of oil mixed with herbs and a warm massage is one of the first few things a new born baby is welcomed with in every Indian household.
Spas definitely are becoming a serious business today. The recently held International Wellness Summit organized by asiaSpa at the Claridges Hotel, Faridabad included speakers like Ingo Schweder, CEO Spatality and a known authority on spas. In fact he is consulting head to the 15,500sq ft spa at Claridges, Faridabad which is being designed with minimalistic décor and is stunning to say the least using the baoli or the pond concept. Amitabh Kant, CEO & MD, Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation who too was one of the speakers at the summit remarked that since 2002 the wellness industry in India has grown by 250 percent and stands tall at 110 billion which is likely to go up to 35-40 percent in the next few years.
The elegant Priya Paul of Park hotels spoke about how she had conceived Aura Spas using indigenous domestic products and herbs and was so successful that she is now venturing into the retailing of the products that she uses in the spa.
Planning and entering a spa for self indulgence in today’s stressful time is good enough but how does one grade a spa? Would the spa in a five star hotel actually be a five-star spa? Would it be right to use botox and laser treatment with experienced hands but without qualified doctors? Should the spa have qualified doctors to monitor laser treatment and weight loss and not just the nutritionist or the spa expert? Should the spa be located in a hospital in future for patients to be secure in the presence of doctors? These are questions that are being debated and still being asked.
The answers will be there really soon.
Posted by : Arati Thapa Group Editor Asia Spa India at 11:10AM
