Perfecting the guest journey around your spa

Guest Blog: Tara Moore, spa manager at Galgorm Resort and Spa in Northern Ireland explains the importance of the journey around the spa to maximise benefits

At Galgorm we have an extensive Thermal Village, which includes a sanarium, sauna, Jacuzzi pools and Serenity Garden with private hot tubs. Guests are provided with a map and talked through by a member of the spa team to guide them on their journey of relaxation and wellbeing

Providing guests with a suggested journey around the spa can often be difficult, as sometimes they simply want to find their own way. While there is nothing wrong with that, our aim is for guests to make the most of their experience with maximum benefits for both the mind and body.

I recently introduced the question, “How do you want to feel while you are here?” to our spa welcome. It is crucial to understand why the guest is there, to de-stress, be revitalised or to re-balance. Based on their answer, we guide them to certain areas of the Thermal Village, suggest what food to enjoy in our spa café, and advise homecare activities and products to continue their experience upon departure.

With so much new information on wellness and all the aspects of looking after our bodies, it is important for our guests to be guided to what we feel is best for them. For example, three years ago, we introduced our Celtic Sauna Ritual, which originated in Finland and is now practised worldwide, as Galgorm's unique presentation on the Aufguss sauna ritual. We have a sauna master in every session, to guide guests through this meditative experience.  Towels are used in during the ritual to agitate the air, lessening the intensity of the heat and allowing guests to breathe in the essential oils infused into the air. Guests complete the ritual with a meditation session in the River House.

If, like us, your spa has a vast amount of facilities for guests to enjoy, it’s also important that they’re aware of everything on offer during their stay, with staff members who are friendly and helpful and always on hand to guide and answer questions. We also believe that it is vitally important that all of our team members throughout the resort, use our facilities regularly. They then have first-hand knowledge to share with guests about how to enjoy the spa to the maximum.

Tara Moore is spa manager at Galgorm Resort and Spa. She is responsible for spa business expansion, staff progression and ensuring the spa's revenue is met with regards to the budget.