The Journey to Resilience retreats are just part of Rosewood’s response to COVID-19 and since day
one O’Connell has steered the group’s spas through the pandemic with a strong, business-savvy
approach that demonstrates her 27 years in the industry. Here, she shares her reopening
insights and experiences at Asaya Hong Kong, a flagship wellness facility for Rosewood
Class capacity has been reduced by 30 per cent
Guest reactions
• The team anticipated guests would initially be more cautious but there’s been a massive demand for touch therapies and a real desire to reconnect with therapists/nutritionists/PTs
•
COVID has allowed people to reset their priorities and dedicate more time to wellness
• Popular treatments include massage, facials and aesthetics. The latter is especially popular as face masks are irritating people’s skin
• Massages have not been adapted and Asaya is still offering the full menu – with deep tissue and singing bowl massages being the most popular
• Initially opened with reduced operating hours and closed on certain days of week, it’s now extending hours and looking to open up on extra days
• The spa is operating at 50 per cent booking capacity, it’s building this up slowly according to the market demand
Heightened sanitary measures
• Elevated hygiene practices – everyone wears a mask, hand sanitiser everywhere, washing hands on entry and regularly throughout visit
• Sanitation mats to clean shoes at entry points, glove stations, shoe covers, individually packed food and drinks
• No perspex screens at reception, temperatures are taken on arrival and all guests fill in a health declaration form
• Less physical touchpoints. No consultation folders, every pen is new – then goes into a used pen box and is sanitised
• Guest bookings are staggered to avoid high guest traffic in certain areas
• Changing rooms still available as existing 6sq m privacy pods already offer space for social distancing
• All bed linen changed (as before)
• Pool and wet areas remain closed
• Increased turnover time to deep clean rooms – 1 hour between clients (used to be 30 minutes which is still longer than most)
• Housekeepers are physically cleaning rooms, they’re not just being sprayed down
• No steam used for facials but everything else remains the same
Gym
• Every time a piece of equipment is used, an attendant sprays it down
• Local members and guests book in timed slots, using an app to book specific equipment
• Group class capacity has been reduced by 30 per cent
• Some machines/equipment only available on some days to ensure rotation and manage demand
