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Restoring
The Homestead's Historic Spa
Let's
make the job simple: you need to come up with an entirely new
spa program, but you can't change the outside of the building
(it's historic), you can't move the mineral tubs, and the spa
will keep operating during construction.
The
Homestead Spa has an important place in the history of American
spas. When the original Bath House was built in 1892 it introduced
a degree of luxury previously offered only in the finest European
spas. Over the years, however, the grand spa became tired - its
facilities remained static even as spa concepts advanced. In
1994, when The Homestead's owner, Club Resorts, undertook to
update the spa as part of an overall upgrade of The Homestead,
they retained our firm to assist with the project. This article
tells how we approached that project.
Long
before Europeans knew of the springs at what is now "The Homestead"
in Hot Springs, Virginia, Native Americans recognized the therapeutic
potential of the waters. Some springs are heavy with minerals,
and thus were thought to be healthful to drink, and others bubble
from the ground at a constant temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
The
colonists soon found the site, probably escorted there by native
guides. By 1766, when the first permanent buildings were constructed
on The Homestead's site, the springs had become a popular destination
for those travelers seeking to "take the cure" using the mineral
waters.
That
first Homestead, called a "rustic lodge" by visitors, was built
by Commodore Thomas Bullitt to house all the people who visited
his home seeking to take the mieral waters. After a series of
owners came and went, the property was acquired in 1832 by Dr.
Thomas Goode. Dr. Goode improved the existing bath houses and
in 1846 announced the opening of a "modern hotel." Advertisements
of the day touted the waters as a cure for gout, rheumatism,
liver diseases, paralysis, and spinal irritations.
Dr.
Goode died in 1858, but The Homestead spa still preserves his
legacy with its Cure package and Dr. Goode's Spout Bath. The
Spout Bath is a mineral-water cascade that acts as a massage
directed at any tight or sore muscles. The Cure package is a
traditional combination of treatments that guests have been
enjoying at The Homestead for over a century. The package includes
a soak in one of the mineral-water tubs followed by skin exfoliation
with a salt blend. For a finishng touch, guests experience a
water massage from the Scotch spray and multi-headed Swiss shower.
The mineral water in the tubs comes from one of the resort's
hot springs.
Another
piece of history from The Homestead's spa is the Zander equipment.
In the mid 1800s, Dr. Gustav Zander, a Swedish inventor and
orthopedic doctor, invented a series of exercise devices for
building strength. At one time, The Homestead had 17 of these
pieces in its Zander room. Today, some of that equipment is
at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The Zander
equipment may have been the forerunner of the Cybex strength
equipment now found in the spa's fitness studio.
In the
late 1800s a group of shareholders of the Chesapeake & Ohio
Railroad took over ownership of The Homestead. Following that,
the Ingalls family owned and operated The Homestead as a private,
independent property for four generations. (Patriarch M.E. Ingalls
was president of the Chesapeake & Ohio when it owned the property,
but The Homestead was divested in 1948 from the successor company,
now called CSX, and the rail spur to The Homestead was abandoned
decades ago.) In the early 1990s, the Ingalls family entered
into a jointventure agreement with Club Resorts to purchase
the resort.
HFD's
Initial Involvement
Health
Fitness Dynamics (HFD) had worked with The Homestead before
being called on to help with the spa renovation. When the Ingalls
family operated the property, HFD helped recruit one of its
spa directors, as one of its spa directors, assisted with fitness-equipment
selection, and made some operationsconsulting visits.
In 1993,
soon after Club Resorts took over the property, CEO Gary Rosenberg
contacted HFD to ask that we submit a proposal to assist with
facility planning of a "new" spa. Our proposal was accepted,
and we began developing the facility program for the architects
based on the concept, spa services, and guest use that we expected.
We were also asked to establish the start-up expense budget
and financial projections for the spa.
Facility
Planning
In summer
1994 we began working with the design team Glave Newman Anderson
to "polish" this grande dame of spas. Our goal was to preserve
the historic core but to upgrade the spa to ensure its appeal,
marketability, and profit potential. HFD's role was to determine
the highest and best use for the existing building.2 To do so,
we first needed to collect the following data to learn more
about The Homestead:
- Examine information
from the archives so that the historic value of the spa would
be preserved;
- Determine the
concept that would be most compatible with the resort's objective
to restore the spa so that it would complement and enhance
the property;
- Decide the types
of services that would be most marketable;
- Design spa packages
(combinations of services) that would give people a memorable
experience indicative of The Homestead; and
- Estimate the number
of people who would use the spa facility and services.
To achieve
those objectives, and prior to developing the architectural
plan, HFD used its Spa Analysis Questionnaire to gather key
information from the resort, such as: market mix, guests' length
of stay, seasonality, objectives for the renovated spa, and
other data. HFD also looked at guest-comment cards and met with
resort managers during this information-gathering stage of the
process. During the planning stage we also used information
gathered from various HFD research studies on spa-users, resort
guests who choose to not use the spa, and spa economies.
Based
on the above, HFD developed the facility program and space plan
that determined how to arrange the various spa treatment and
activity areas in the existing fourstory spa building, which
comprises some 35,000 square feet. To develop the facility program
we used our proprietary software. The software allowed us to
forecast, among other things, the following variables:
- spa-use levels;
- spa-service-use
levels;
- number and type
of treatment rooms that would be needed;
- number of lockers
needed to accommodate spa users' needs;
- staffmg needs;
- laundry and linen
needs (including guest and employee spa clothing);
- start-up costs
and operating expenses;
- revenue sources;
and
- income.
Once we developed
those forecasts and collected other spa- and resort-related
data, we were able to propose a plan for the architects.
We believe that a
space plan must create a flow pattern that is comfortable for
the guests and operationally efficient and stress-free for the
employees, and which allows for profitability. For this project
space planning was a challenge, because the existing building
was historical and was surrounded by other facilities, including
a Victorian-era enclosed pool. The existing bath house was on
four levels and concealed many "surprises" for the design team.
For example, the building's nonstandard walls and structural
openings were a challenge to work around. A few treatment rooms
ended up being narrower than we had recommended, due to the
existing corridor walls that were preserved. One room had its
space restricted by a large masonry chimney that ran through
the roof. Furthermore, the entire facility has a left side-right
side orientation due to a mechanical shaft that runs the length
of the building. That shaft made it necessary to construct a
bridge between the two sides to accommodate the coed lounge.
Such challenges and characteristics notwithstanding, the entire
building was upgraded and reinforced with respect to mechanical
and structural items. (Indeed, the HVAC upgrade was so costly
that, in the end, it was necessary to eliminate the group whirlpools
for men, women, and coed use while retaining the 12 individual
mineral tubs which were restored during the renovation.)
Perhaps the greatest
challenge was that the renovation was to be completed in stages,
while the spa continued to operate.
As with most renovation
plans, this project entailed a series of compromises in which
one tries to develop the best function for a given space. For
various reasons, some of the existing areas had to stay "in
place." For example, the historic mineral tubs that are the
"core" product of The Homestead spa could not be moved. On the
other hand, we could gut the rest of the spa to create a facility
that would respect the rich history of the past while positioning
the spa for the next century.
The original bath
house had a design typical of 19thcentury mineral-springs spas.
Those historical bath houses usually had a changing and resting
room connected to the tub room. As we found them, the two treatment
levels of The Homestead's existing spa contained a men's level
with eight massage rooms, one Scotch-mist room, eight private
mineral baths, thirteen private dressing rooms, and a steam
room and sauna, as well as lockers, offfices, and reception
space. On the women's floor were eight massage rooms, one Scotch-mist
room, ten private mineral baths, and sixteen private dressing
rooms.
We knew that the
existing design would not give the resort's owner the flexibility
needed to operate the spa profitably. It also did not provide
enough of what we call "comfort zones," places where guests
can relax while in the spa. Additionally, whenever we plan a
spa, we design a coed treatment area that can be separated,
if necessary. Thus, instead of retaining the existing men's
and women's levels, we recommended that most spa treatment rooms
be established as coed facilities.
As previously mentioned,
the decision was made by the owner to complete the renovation
in stages and to keep the bath house open to guests. Because
of the rich history of The Homestead's spa, guests expected
the spa to be open during their stay. The following is a breakdown
of how the renovated spa was divided among the various floors.
Level 4
We started the renovation
project on the top floor, level four, which opened in 1995 with
a retail spa and salon shop; a salon with reception area, hair
care, make-up, manicures, pedicures, and (until the treatment
rooms were finished) skin care; a fitness studio with strength
and cardiovascular equipment; an exercise studio for supervised
classes; a recreation room; and a lounge.
Level four also contains
historical photos of the bath house, the nearby Jefferson pools
(white wooden structures covering the gentlemen's and laciest
mineral water pools), and the hot sulfur spring. Since the mid
1890s, level four has had a direct internal connection to the
west wing of the hotel, via a glass-enclosed breezeway. We retained
this walkway and had it renovated, as it is a nice feature - especially
during inclement weather.
Levels 2 and 3
Levels two and three
were in dire need of renovation, in contrast to the rest of
The Homestead's facilities, which had been generally updated.
Guests praised the spa employees for their excellent service,
but comments about the state of the facility remained negative.
The original plan was to complete renovations of levels two
and three in 1997. The need for improved guestroom accommodations
took precedence, however, and management decided to complete
the renovation of the hotel guest rooms before finishing the
spa.
Then, however, a
1997 survey revealed that guests wanted the resort to finish
the spa before completing the guest-room renovation. Thus, the
spa's renovation moved to the front burner again, and we and
the design firm geared up to put on a fast track a process that
had been on hold for some time. One step that The Homestead's
management took to assist in the overall effort to advance the
renovation and reopening was the mid-1997 hiring of a spa director,
Christie Ford. (Prior to this, the spa was overseen by shift
supervisors.)
The renovation took
one year, and the new spa opened on August 22,1998. Level two
holds the main spa reception desk, where guests check in on
entering. Here they receive their locker key and reflexology
slippers. Also on level two are the spa director's office, a
lobby lounge, and the spa shop featuring The Homestead's signature
body and bath products, along with a skin-care line, spa accessories,
gift baskets, spa attire, and work-out wear. This level also
has facilities separated for the sexes. Separate men's and women's
locker areas on level two feature private lockers (the women's
side also has private changing rooms), vanities stocked with
amenities and toiletries, and a lounge, steam room, and sauna.
Complimentary waters and juices are also provided there.
Spa-treatment rooms
on level two include one massage room intended primarily for
men that can be used by women if no men are using it. Two "body
rooms," one for each sex, allow for application of various treatments,
including seaweed and clay masks, Allegheny raspberry relaxer,
Karisoftness nourisher, herbal wraps, and the spa's signature
Mountain Laurel Body Polish (which we discuss in a moment).
Four mineral-bath tub rooms remain on this level, along with
two "cure" rooms, again one for each sex, which are used for
the historical Homestead bath-house treatment that guests have
been enjoying here for over a century. This level also has some
back-ofthe-house space, including storage and a prep room, where
employees can review their schedules, prepare for some of the
services, and store supplies.
Level three now has
the new coed treatment areas, as well as men's and women's lounges
where complimentary beverages and fruit are offered. A coed
lounge offers the same amenities as the genderspecific ones.
The stairways that lead to this lounge from the men's and women's
locker-room and facility area on level two are exact replicas
of the ones in the original bath house. The coed spa treatment
area on level three has eight mineral-tub rooms, ten massage
rooms, five rooms for facial and wax treatments, and two body
(wet) rooms.
We designed some
of these coed rooms to be spa suites comprising three interconnected
individual treatment rooms. Each spa suite has its own alcove
area for additional privacy. The spa suite becomes a spa within
a spa that is ideal for couples, family groups, friends, or
guests who want total privacy. When not reserved as a suite,
the rooms can be used as individual spa-treatment rooms.
Level three has more
backofthe-house space, in the form of a prep room, storage rooms,
a small juice-bar kitchen, janitor's closets, and restrooms.
Level 1
The renovation of
level one was left until last, and it did not open with the
rest of the spa, although the indoor pool had been renovated
during phase one and was open. In addition to the mineral-spring-fed
pool, the ground level has a bowling alley and locker rooms
for the pools. We also included a private, family changing room
for those parents who may not want to take their children into
a locker room used by the opposite sex. This area also has an
outdoor pool, a snack bar, employee locker rooms and lounge,
and an administration area with offfices for supervisors, storage
for professional and retail products, and a laundry and linen
area. A laundry chute connects the treatment levels to this
pick-up and drop-off area.
As we noted above,
the resort still needed to offer its guests a spa experience
during the eight months of renovation, because spa services
are one of the reasons people go to The Homestead. The resort
needed, therefore, to create a "temporary" spa. To do this,
guest rooms in the hotel's west wing, near the enclosed breezeway
connecting to the spa, became temporary treatment rooms for
massages and herbal wraps. The salon in the spa building remained
fully operational, as did the fitness and exercise studios.
Thus, throughout the renovation, guests were able to enjoy the
spa experience in its entirety, with the exception of the body
and bath treatments.
HFD's Operational
Assistance
In February 1998
we began to prepare for the operations aspects of our consulting
assignment. During this phase, HFD provided spec books that
acted as purchasing manuals for all equipment, products, supplies,
and accessories necessary for the spa; provided spa information
to key resort departments so that they understood the new spa
facilities and services; prepared the organizational chart,
created job descriptions, and developed the training manuals
for all spa departments; assisted with development of collateral
material and provided marketing information to the resort; created
and conducted the training program and provided the training
team; and assisted with the preopening and soft opening.
Working closely
with spa director Christie Ford, HFD developed a critical path,
determining who would take the lead for each task. We continued
to offer support to the design and construction team as the
spa operated.
Private label
We felt that it was
important to create new signature treatments and specially formulated
products to supplement The Homestead's existing products. Although
this was a team effort, Christie Ford was instrumental in creating
the spa's signature treatments. One of these, the Mountain Laurel
Body Polish and Spa Pedicure, is derived from the mountain laurel
that is found throughout the Allegheny Mountains surrounding
the resort. Another signature product was based on the area's
abundant raspberries. The spa has two signature treatments using
custom raspberry products: the Spa Manicure and the Allegheny
Raspberry Relaxer, which is an exfoliation treatment. In addition
to the above, we all helped to create additional products and
signature touches for a variety of the other body treatments:
bath, massage, skin care, nail care, and hair care. Our purpose
was to create a series of memorable treatments that would add
up to a wonderful experience for the guests. Everything used
in the spa treatments is sold in the spa shop, which allows
guests to "take the spa home." This not only is a good marketing
tool to remind the guests of their Homestead experience, but
it is also a profit center via mail order and incentive and
group gift sales.
Although The Homestead
is in a beautiful location, it is just far enough from metropolitan
areas that trained spa personnel, particularly therapists, are
difficult to find. Because Ford needed seasonal therapists to
assist during the busy summer and fall months, HFD recruited,
screened, and presented qualified candidates for the seasonal
therapist positions. During pre-opening training, the spa team
comprised 35 full- and part-time people. The spa now employs
43, in addition to seasonal and temporary workers.
On Sunday,July 26,1998,
about one month before the grand reopening, we began the training
program for spa personnel. This was a delicate matter in some
ways, because most of the spa's employees had been with The
Homestead for many years. Many of the employees live in or around
Hot Springs and have worked at the spa all their adult lives.
One-fifth of them had worked in the spa 15 years or longer,
and for quite some time they had worked in a facility that was
tired, to say the least. Prior to the training program, some
of these employees probably wondered who these "outsiders" were
who were going to teach them something many of them had been
doing for years.
We are pleased to
report that right from the beginning, spa employees were willing
partners in the training program. Indeed, many employees became
valuable resources for our training programs, helping us to
create a program that would stay true to the historical treatments
offered at the spa. We edited the training manual, as necessary,
so that it became a living, working document for the workers.
The outcome was that this training process was one of the most
rewarding training sessions we have had in 15 years of business.
The training program
introduced new services to these seasoned employees. The training,
therefore, consisted not only of teaching the procedures for
each treatment, but also elevating the employees' service and
performance quality standards. We were essentially asking the
team to become part of the process and to help us keep the rich
history of The Homestead alive - while at the same time adding
some contemporary touches. We challenged the employees to grow
both personally and professionally, but we needed to be sensitive
and supportive in asking for many changes. Also, we knew their
work environment was about to change once they moved into the
new spa. What could have been stressful actually became an extraordinary
experience.
We planned for a
two-week training program. Since the spa was still under construction,
we set up the training stations in some guest rooms in the west
wing near the temporary spa. Because the spa staff continued
to offer services to guests, we divided the staff into two groups
for training. Each group was trained on new services and standards
for half a day and worked their shift the other half.
The original targeted
opening day was August 7, but it gradually became apparent that
the spa was not going to be ready to open as planned. The construction
team, led by project manager Roger Waldeck, The Homestead's
chief engineer, made a valiant effort, but time just ran out.
Rather than open the spa unfinished and under construction,
the resort's managers decided to wait until the spa was completely
done before opening it (with the exception of the staff end
back-ofhouse sections of level one). Motivating that decision
was the fact that the guests' experience could have been adversely
affected if the spa had opened unfinished on the original date
of August 7. The decision stopped the official training for
one week, although the spa team continued giving services in
the west wing and practiced the new treatments in the training
rooms.
When we returned
after a little more than one week's hiatus, we could not have
been more proud of this group of people. The team banded together
to return the westwing rooms to availability for guest use - all
the while continuing the spa services to guests. Also, from
August 17 through 21, as we continued with training, room set
ups, and general cleaning, we felt a renewed spirit coming from
everyone. Their enthusiasm was contagious. Thus, when the spa
opened on August 22, not only was the building entirely changed,
but we believe the spa employees operated that spa at a new
level of professionalism.
The Homestead asked
HFD to offer operational assistance and to be on call during
the first year after renovations. We were scheduled to perform
an operational review in spring 1999 and provide "refresher
training." Moreover, HFD's management support services help
keep the spa employees focused as they continue to work in their
new territory. For a current-status report, see the box on the
next page.
One favorable outcome
of the combination of the renovation, Christie Ford's efforts,
and our recruiting work is that it is becoming easier to attract
the quality personnel the spa needs. Three graduates of the
cosmetology school in nearby Staunton started work in the spa
in fall 1998, bringing the number of fulltime cosmetologists
to nine (from four during the training program). During Thanksgiving
weekend 1998, when Ford needed some temporary massage therapists,
she was able to hire five of them from a massage school in Roanoke
(about an hour from the resort).
The results of the
spa renovation have exceeded management's expectations. Revenues
are ahead of projections. Guests respond positively to the new
facility, the treatments, and the staff. The spa team has a
great attitude plus a sense of pride and ownership - especially
those who remember what the old facilities looked like. Moreover,
the resort is pleased with how the spa is fitting into its marketing
efforts and how it is integrated into the total Homestead resort
experience for leisure and group guests.
Our work with The
Homestead was delightful and gratifying. The spa has a solid
foundation for the future, and we are proud to have played a
role in helping combine tradition with technology to recreate
one of America's first spas. The experience can perhaps best
be summarized by a quote from CEO Gary Rosenberg:"The renovation
of the 106-year-old spa has been a rewarding experience. We
have made every effort to combine the unique qualities of our
historic treatments with the latest in spa technology. Keeping
focused on both the resort's history and the expectations of
our guests has been of primary consideration in our development
plan." Top
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Health
Fitness Dynamics, Inc.
1305 N.E. 23rd Avenue, Suite 2, Pompano Beach, Florida,
U.S.A. 33062
Phone:
954-942-0049 - Fax: 954-941-0854
E-MAIL: hfd@hfdspa.com
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