Strategic Move
Mixing yoga and dolphins proved to be
a strategic move, not only because no
other spa around the Strip has such
unique experience to offer, but also
because Mirage’s Siegfried & Roy’s
Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat is one
of the hotel’s centerpiece attractions.
From a branding standpoint, this ensures
consistency in theme across the Mirage
property while allowing the spa to leverage a new experience alongside a proven
bestseller.
The idea of an intimate (the room
can accommodate only up to 10 guests
at a time) yoga experience with an
underwater view of frolicking bottlenose
dolphins was hatched after Doud stumbled upon the private viewing room
within the Habitat. “Finding the space
for the new wellness experience was a
challenge. I literally had to [survey] and
walk the entire property to find the most
suitable space,” she recalls, adding that
the concept was expanded to include a
poolside yoga class.
Overall, it took Doud six weeks to
roll out the new wellness experience and
marketing strategy. Its early launch
included private media invitations
which, in turn, generated a positive buzz
for the spa. “We have had an overwhelming response,” she says. “Guests
are [often] pleasantly surprised how
much attention they receive from the
dolphins. [They] also enjoy the intimacy
of the class and the closer attention they
receive from the instructor.”
To further promote the new wellness
experience, the spa offered the hour-long
yoga class at 50 percent off during
SpaFinder’s Wellness Week last March
which coincided with March Madness, a
month-long college basketball event and
one of Las Vegas’ biggest annual crowddrawers.
The March Madness Factor
March is one of Vegas’ peak months,
thanks in large part to sports enthusiasts
and gamblers who flock to the Strip to
take part in all the games and gambling
action. In fact, according to the Las
Vegas Convention and Visitor
Authority’s year-end report for 2011, last
year’s visitor volume for the month of
March alone reached an estimated 3.4
million, roughly 5.6 percent higher than
2010’s March visitor volume.
This influx of out-of-town visitors,
Doud points out, impacts the spa’s
guest demographics. “Our guest ratio is
often 60 percent women and 40 percent
men. But this all changes in March
when we get a lot of male spa-goers,
increasing the male guest ratio to 50
percent.”
To cater to their male guests, the spa
introduced men-exclusive treatments
such as its Black Tie Affair facial, a deepcleansing treatment designed to address
male-specific skin issues like sensitivity
and razor burn. The spa’s renovation
also included cosmetic updates to the
men’s area. “We painted the lounge and
treatment rooms in masculine colors to
appeal specifically to our male guests,”
she says. The spa further updated its
FAST
The spa piggybacks on
property-wide
marketing initiatives like
MGM Resorts International’s
M Life program, a loyalty
rewards program launched in
June 2010 that allows guests
to earn points and use
toward services, including
spa treatments.
FACTS
July 2012
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PULSE 15