Pulse Legacy Archive December 2011 | Page 16

member profile FASTFACTS With its owner’s personal experience of the healing powers of mineral waters, Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa promotes the benefits of hot springs by offering an aquatic class called Arthritis Relief Workout. Based after the Arthritis Foundation Aquatics Program, the class is designed to help reduce arthritis pain and is facilitated by a certified arthritis foundation instructor. “Our signature treatment is an antiaging format called ‘The Optimizer,” she says. The 80-minute, $145 facial infuses the skin with collagen, elastin, wild rose and hops to create anti-aging results. The menu has evolved since the spa’s inception, with only a couple of changes made in the past three years. One new addition is a hydrafacial system that actually hydrates and exfoliates the skin while minimizing fine lines and pigmentation. “It’s more effective than microdermabrasion,” she claims. “And it doesn’t [leave the skin] red. The results are very subtle and definite.” Products and Experience Yon-Ka Paris products are favorites at Bonneville. The botanically based system utilizes revitalizing essential oils that are charged with solar energy and contain vitamins, trace elements, and fruit acids. Kerstin Florian Spa products are also offered. 14 PULSE ■ December 2011 Part of the Bonneville experience is enjoying the abundance of lodging comforts, outdoor activities and dining at the resort’s Pacific Crest Dining Room or Cascade Lounge. Guest rooms have hot springs Jacuzzis. There are also special hot tub guest rooms—spas within the spa—equipped with a large, outdoor mineral spring-fed hot tub. However, many people come just for the day, most of them repeat customers. Two jetted soaking pools, naturally heated to 84 degrees, and an Olympicsize swimming pool are free for all registered hotel spa guests. They are filled with mineral water rich in sulfates and other minerals that can help reduce joint pain. The larger pool earned Fodor’s Choice Gold 2010 Award as one of the top 10 U.S. hotel pools. Competitive Edge Despite the lagging economy, Bonneville has grown its customer base over the last three years. Mathany attributes this in large part to the choice location, which is easily accessible to city-dwellers looking for a nearby getaway. “Because we cater to so many areas, we kind of have an edge,” she says. Additionally, she noted, the staff go out of their way to spend plenty of time with each guest. “It’s hard to be a newbie with other big-name resorts unless you’re doing something really different. But at the same time, th at’s one of our biggest assets. The challenge is in finding added value because customers want to get what they paid for. So even if you are here just for one special occasion, we treat you the same as we do everyone else.” Most of the staff have backgrounds in the hospitality industry. But finding qualified employees in the area has been a challenge at times. There is a limited pool in the small town of Bonneville, so management has had to advertise nationally. To further help in recruit(CONTINUED ON PAGE 16)