Spas that offer medical testing services to guests are at the top of their game, but there are many reasons people come to get tested and then for follow-up treatment at a spa – and some of them may not be quite as obvious as we imagine
By Liz Terry | Published in Spa Business 2017 issue 2
Some have health checks done in spas to keep ownership of results / shutterstock/Alexander Raths
To test, or not to test? That is the question. As more spas begin to tackle the opportunities presented by the move to wellness and wellbeing, one of the main decisions to be made is whether to offer medical testing.
In this issue, we examine the pros and cons of offering testing services in our Ask an Expert feature on page 52.
Test results – in the right hands – enable the prescription of more effective, customised treatments, superior outcomes for the guest and increased revenue for the spa.
However, there are pitfalls when it comes to offering medical testing and the process is not without risk for both operator and guest, especially if the spa doesn’t have full-time medical staff on-site, so the balance must be weighed.
Spas that introduce testing will find an uptake from guests who want to enhance their visit and leave in better shape, but there’s a bigger picture when it comes to motivation. Why do some choose to have tests done in a spa rather than in a medical facility? My strong inkling is that the decision may be related to insurance premiums.
Get tests done within the mainstream medical universe and your results will be kept on your medical records and, as a result, will be accessible by health insurers.
However, have your medical testing done in a private spa and the results are kept off the grid, meaning any adverse findings will not impact your ability to buy health or life insurances, or the premiums you pay for it.
In my stays at spas that offer medical testing, I’ve been intrigued to find large numbers of wealthy people who visit regularly for health tests. While the insurance aspect of the transaction is never articulated, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that’s one of the reasons this is happening.
So if your clientele extends to the wealthy, and you’re not yet offering testing, you may find there’s an appetite for these services, should you decide to introduce them.
Of course not everyone’s hiding their test results from the insurers; many guests rely on their spa break to give them a life-saving reboot. Testing can be a vital part of the process, because it leads to accurate treatment which gets results more quickly, enabling them to optimise their visit.
Whatever the motivation, if customers need it and you’re able to provide it, then testing can add a valuable and valued service which will elevate your business to another level, enabling you to offer a more rounded wellness service.
Liz Terry, editorial director @elizterry
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Wellness communities: Europe
Part 2 of our series explores some of
the most exciting European wellness
communities in development
Promotional feature: Babor
CEO Michael Schummert explains how the
company’s expertise in results-driven treatments makes its precision
‘Made in Germany’ products more relevant than ever before
Spas that offer medical testing services to guests are at the top of their game, but there are many reasons people come to get tested and then for follow-up treatment at a spa – and some of them may not be quite as obvious as we imagine
By Liz Terry | Published in Spa Business 2017 issue 2
Some have health checks done in spas to keep ownership of results / shutterstock/Alexander Raths
To test, or not to test? That is the question. As more spas begin to tackle the opportunities presented by the move to wellness and wellbeing, one of the main decisions to be made is whether to offer medical testing.
In this issue, we examine the pros and cons of offering testing services in our Ask an Expert feature on page 52.
Test results – in the right hands – enable the prescription of more effective, customised treatments, superior outcomes for the guest and increased revenue for the spa.
However, there are pitfalls when it comes to offering medical testing and the process is not without risk for both operator and guest, especially if the spa doesn’t have full-time medical staff on-site, so the balance must be weighed.
Spas that introduce testing will find an uptake from guests who want to enhance their visit and leave in better shape, but there’s a bigger picture when it comes to motivation. Why do some choose to have tests done in a spa rather than in a medical facility? My strong inkling is that the decision may be related to insurance premiums.
Get tests done within the mainstream medical universe and your results will be kept on your medical records and, as a result, will be accessible by health insurers.
However, have your medical testing done in a private spa and the results are kept off the grid, meaning any adverse findings will not impact your ability to buy health or life insurances, or the premiums you pay for it.
In my stays at spas that offer medical testing, I’ve been intrigued to find large numbers of wealthy people who visit regularly for health tests. While the insurance aspect of the transaction is never articulated, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that’s one of the reasons this is happening.
So if your clientele extends to the wealthy, and you’re not yet offering testing, you may find there’s an appetite for these services, should you decide to introduce them.
Of course not everyone’s hiding their test results from the insurers; many guests rely on their spa break to give them a life-saving reboot. Testing can be a vital part of the process, because it leads to accurate treatment which gets results more quickly, enabling them to optimise their visit.
Whatever the motivation, if customers need it and you’re able to provide it, then testing can add a valuable and valued service which will elevate your business to another level, enabling you to offer a more rounded wellness service.
Liz Terry, editorial director @elizterry
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Wellness communities: Europe
Part 2 of our series explores some of
the most exciting European wellness
communities in development
Promotional feature: Babor
CEO Michael Schummert explains how the
company’s expertise in results-driven treatments makes its precision
‘Made in Germany’ products more relevant than ever before
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
Mexican operator, Solmar Hotels and Resorts, is hosting a series of events in celebration of
Global Wellness Day, including a Temazcal ceremony at its Playa Grande Resort and Spa in Los
Cabos.
Mandarin Oriental has announced a standalone residence brand, Mansions, which will debut at
Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental Mansions, Abu Dhabi, in 2029.
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
(GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and shaped by four pillars of Joy – in
alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
