MEMBER PERSPECTIVES
CONTINUED
virtual smudging with curbside pick-ups of smudging kits;
a skin care presentation with a raffle. The goal has been to
stay front-of-mind for the spa’s members and to “let them
know that we miss them and that we’re looking forward
to having them back,” Kennedy says.
Much of the spa’s staff is furloughed and will be
brought back as business demands; Fairmont ownership
has supported the furloughed staff with insurance, however.
The remaining hotel staff and leadership have also
strived to help out furloughed employees in other ways,
too—for example, drive-through staff meals funded by
drive-in movies hosted by the hotel in its parking lot. “The
whole staff feels connected and they know we’re going to
do everything we can to come back,” notes Kennedy.
At the time of the interview, Well & Being’s salon was
reopening within days, and Kennedy shared many of the
changes that customers will expect to encounter. Nail techs
will have to wear either a plastic face shield or a mask, and
guests will have to wear masks as well. Says Kennedy:
“Every protocol for the spa has been updated, from how you
pick up your guest to how you greet them, how you begin
your service. Everything.” Service providers will wash hands
before treatments and ask customers if they’d like to do the
same. Before they return, service providers will also be required
to complete an online training about the new protocols.
Lastly, the spa will continue to alternate rooms as it
was doing immediately before closure—as a service provider
works in one room, a second will be sanitized.
“We’re hoping to start facials soon,” notes Kennedy,
“without the locker room experience. That’s the last thing
we’re going to open.” She compared the gradual reopening
process to learning to walk: “We’re ready to crawl,
walk, run. We have a run plan; we’re just not there yet.”
Insights from a Reopened Spa
The Dolder Grand Spa, much like Well & Being Spa, closed
in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike Well
& Being, however, this Swiss hotel spa had fully reopened
by late May and is currently following stringent sanitation
and hygiene guidelines. Because the spa is critical to the
overall experience of this luxurious destination, the Dolder
Grand felt it was imperative to reopen its spa facilities as
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