Pulse December 2018 | Page 29

“Our single biggest trend has been the increase in 120-minute or longer combination services and rituals.” — SHAW COTE, Spa Director, Four Seasons Resort Lana’i treatment,” according to Group Director of Miraval Spas Simon Marxer. This letter bridges the gap between guests today and guests tomorrow; the practice creates a unique, customized experience that also touches upon the growing trend of community among spa goers. Ojai Valley Inn & Spa saw increased demand for gemstones and crystals in 2018. Gemstones, Crystals and Products with Purpose If your spa noticed a significant uptick in demand from guests for crystals, salt and gemstones in 2018, you’re not alone: several of the 2018 Innovate Award winners noticed increased demand for these at their spas, both in the treatment room and in their retail space. At Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Massachusetts, bookings for healing energy experiences doubled over 2017, according to Spa Director Samantha Cooper. “The biggest product trend we saw in 2018 was for crystals, gemstones and affirmations,” says Kate Morrison, spa director at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, adding that “guests want more than just a necklace or keychain; there needs to be a healing message or element of each item.” Miraval Resort & Spa in Tucson agreed that gemstones and crystals were a growing product trend, describing customers’ demand for them as “insatiable.” According to Marxer, “there’s a great deal of enthusiasm for exploring the wisdom and power of crystals.” To tap into that enthusiasm, Miraval created more programming based around crystals and gemstones and plans to introduce even more in 2019. Miarval’s recently launched “Path of the Jaguar” experience is an example of a treatment designed in response to the trend; in it, guests are guided by a shamanic healer to clear their Chakra and expel negative energy into crystals, which are then buried onsite and left behind. Product trends can be fickle, but the growing desire for crystals and gemstones isn’t an isolated fad. Rather, it fits into larger movements both towards the experiences discussed previously, as well as a desire for products with a story, mission or purpose. Spa goers’ increasing demand for purposeful products resonates across several trends, including the continued push towards green and eco-friendly products. In fact, Morrison believes that green products and sustain- ability have become such big forces in the spa industry that they’re not even trends anymore: they’re an expectation and “a necessity for success.” As your spa plans for 2019, remember that gemstones, crystals and other products with a purpose are an important product trend to watch. As Shaw Cote sums it up, “guests want to know and engage with the story of the place that December 2018 ■ PULSE 27