MEMbEr PErsPEctivEs
by JaMisoN stoikE
renovationrealities:
Growing their businesses meant growing their footprint.
groWth is good. Not only does it mean that you’ve
got more revenue and more profit, but it also means that your
spa is positively impacting the lives of more and more people
every day.
Growth, however, always comes with challenges: more
hiring, more things to worry about and more work to do. You
might even find that your spa is growing so much that it’s
simply too big for your current space; you might find that to
achieve more growth, you have to renovate your spa’s facilities
and improve its capabilities.
ISPA sat down with three spas fresh off major renovation or
expansion projects — Glen Ivy Hot Springs in Corona,
California, Sundara Inn & Spa in Wisconsin Dells and G2O Spa
+ Salon in Boston — to learn about the challenges and
strategies of a successful renovation.
Work With What you’ve got
When Thailand-based GOCO Hospitality purchased Glen Ivy
Hot Springs, they knew they needed to renovate the spa’s
sundara inn & spa constructed an entirely new wing of their building.
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facility to support their goal of creating a world-class wellness
retreat. “Glen Ivy has always been a beautiful, well-
maintained resort,” said Clive McNish, general manager of
Glen Ivy. “However, we felt it was necessary to upgrade the
space to meet our standards of guest satisfaction.”
McNish and his team immediately began identifying
opportunities to improve the guest experience and enhance
profitability; they also decided early to keep the spa open
during renovations, which prolongs the renovation timeline,
but keeps customers (and cash) coming through the door.
Keeping noise, dust and disruption at bay while customers
used the spa was a challenge. “Noise is the antithesis of the
spa experience,” McNish said, adding that Glen Ivy solved the
problem by using a contractor who would work at night.
Another source of problems was the building itself, according
to McNish: “Our facility has been in continuous operation for
over 150 years. Once you begin opening walls, you find
repairs that need to be made.”
In the end, Glen Ivy’s project succeeded thanks to diligent