Steiner Leisure launches spa consultancy

Steiner Leisure, owner of the Elemis, Bliss and Mandara Spa brands, has launched a spa consultancy division called Steiner Spa Consulting (SSC).

While the group has long advised spa operators, this is the first time it has formally offered a consultancy, pitching it more directly against skincare brands such as Espa, which also offers a global consultancy programme.

The SSC division will be jointly headed by Jeff Matthews, president of Mandara, and Bruce Pine, senior vice president of Stenier, and will employ a global team of 40 full-time consultants across business, education and spa operations.

SSC’s services will include concept and design, construction assistance and advice, recruitment and training, pre-opening planning and assistance, through to post-opening support and ongoing operations management.

Steiner said the business would draw from its expertise in developing and managing over 200 successful spas, as well as its training schools, which produce more than 5,000 massage and skincare graduates per year.

Matthews added: “We are the only spa consultancy today that offers the breadth and depth of expertise and resources needed to take hotel spas from dream to reality.”

SSC will also develop the Steiner Index, a predictive tool to assess the viability of spa projects, which it said will be made available as an industry-wide resource from June.

Steiner is hopeful that the consultancy will boost sales of its Elemis and Bliss skincare brands, as well as investment from operators interested in establishing a spa under its Mandara or Chavana Spa brand concepts.

However, co-president Bruce Pine said the division would not be limited to using only its own brands. “We are open to all product brands to ensure we deliver the best solution for any spa scenario, as well as creating a spa concept from scratch if that’s what the mandate calls for,” he said.

Image: Mandara Spa, London