In a shrewd move, both of the spa’s hammams have been developed as revenue generating facilities
Frankfurter Hof, the illustrious 303-bed hotel in Germany’s financial capital recently completed a €32m (US$41m, £27m) upgrade including a €5m (US$6.4m, £4.3m) new spa – the flagship for the 65-property Steigenberger Hotel Group and an offering thoughtfully conceptualised for its location.
Already, bookings prove the 1,000sq m (10,764sq ft) facility is meeting objectives: to strengthen ties between Frankfurters and their 130-year-old grande hotel, to modernise the hotel’s image and to drive new market segments, primarily leisure travellers, external footfall and a younger demographic.
Looking for a partner in the wellness sector, the group enlisted consultancy GOCO Hospitality to develop the concept and manage the nine-treatment room SPA at Frankfurter Hof. It was designed in collaboration with Peter Shilling &Associates from Cologne.
Emlyn Brown, GOCO’s director of spa operations, and Nadine Menzl, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing explain the rationale behind the project.
What gives the spa an edge? EB: The spa’s focus on male grooming in a luxury environment is a unique concept for Germany and one that meets the demand of the predominantly male, business market in the city. Along with a shave, starting at €50 (US$64, £43), our barber area offers in-chair facials, eye care, hair dye and threading with a cappuccino or glass of wine, while your jacket is steamed, glasses cleaned and shoes polished. This is a time-efficient focus on male needs.
What are its other USPs? EB: The hammam has taken off so well that if we could build another, we would. It encapsulates the basic human need of water, heat and cleansing so penetrates a large number of people. We have a large traditional hammam for up to eight people plus a private scrub room where we perform the black soap cleansing, loofah body scrub and a light massage. This ritual costs €65 (US$84, £56) for 45 minutes and we’re performing 35-45 of these a week.
NM: Alongside the hammam we have the thermal area with sauna, steamroom and experience showers. Day spa guests can use these all day for €34 (US$42, £29) which is much less than other spas in the area.
Thermal areas aren’t usually a cost centre are they? EB: Traditionally hotels build thermal areas as an amenity but with increasing energy/running costs they put a drag on other services. If you can add revenue generating areas, like a hammam where treatments can be performed, it becomes a profit centre rather than just an amenity, while generating a far greater level of experience for guests.
NM: The hammam brings constant repeat business and is already heavily booked. We attract a lot of Middle Eastern guests during summer and the hammam and day spa pass gives added appeal to the Arab market. There’s also a ladies-only steamroom in the female changing area.
How did you choose suppliers? EB: We see two distinct product avenues for this spa: ethical, natural with Amala combined with MBR (Medical Beauty Research) an advanced cosmeceutical range, chosen for quality and for being German. There’s no overlap with customers and the ranges have equal popularity. We’re also the first European site for the Paris-based male brand HOMMAGE which has the greatest market penetration in the Middle East and the US.
How did you layout the spa? EB: We have a dedicated area for MBR because it requires consultation and so benefits from its own retail area. It’s also a higher price point – face treatments start at €159 (US$205, £136). This area, together with the male grooming and nail bar areas are most accessible from the entrance, while areas towards the back are reserved for more tranquil spa journeys. This makes our services convenient for our time-poor, results-oriented clients who come in from the city during their working week.
What’s your business strategy? NM: Traditionally Frankfurt caters for a business market (Frankfurt has only 300,000 inhabitants but this swells to 1 million in the week) but when the financial crisis hit we had to redefine ourselves. In line with our mayor’s vision for promoting the city as a tourist destination also, we wanted to offer leisure guests something to do on weekends. Our weekend spa packages, which can be up to 20 per cent cheaper than off-list prices, include two spa treatments.
The spa has also opened up our hotel to local people who have tended to see it as intimidating. The spa is priced below our competitors and offers a wide choice of experiences. It also brings people to our restaurants and bars.
EB: We’ve purposely developed separate spa profit centres. The barber area, including its own treatment room, has much potential with significant hourly yield opportunity. It’s quite a different model from traditional spas and takes time to build. Our spa suite is the destination element and is leveraged to the local market for anniversaries, gifts, couples’ time-out plus weekenders and packages. It has its own marketing plan. We offer advanced beauty concepts as well as traditional spa treatments. Plus the hammam concept and the day spa pass.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Ask an expert: Cancer
The number of cancer sufferers and survivors is growing. How can spas cater for them? Kath Hudson reports
Interview: Neil Jacobs
Six Senses’ new CEO reveals the group’s spa strategy and development plans
Profile: Anna Bjurstam
The new vice president of spa and wellness at Six Senses will oversee 28 facilities worldwide
Hotel spa: Palace pampering
A E100m refurbishment of Paris’ Hôtel Le Bristol attracted footballer David Beckham for a six month-long stay. Julie Cramer pays a visit to its new Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie which is becoming a healthy profit centre
Promotional feature: Design consulting
Implementing a great spa design takes inspiration, patience and discipline, according to Cary Collier, principal of Blu Spas, WTS' strategic partner. In the third of our WTS series, he shares his design philosophy with Spa Business
Research: India's wellness consumers
Leonor Stanton analyses PwC’s latest research profiling Indian wellness consumers – an industry projected to be worth US$18bn in four years’ time
Thermal spa: Hot spot
The Banjaran is Malaysia’s first and only hot springs retreat. Jennifer Harbottle examines the growth strategy
Company profile promotion: QMS Medicosmetics
QMS Medicosmetics' revolutionary skincare system was created by a trauma surgeon from Germany. Here, the company's managing partner explains how the products' unique ingredients and actions are delivering exceptional results in spas worldwide
Hotel spa: Making a debut
Steigenberger Hotels has introduced a flagship spa concept in Frankfurt. Sophie Benge reports
Resort spa: Botanical beauty
The new Spa Botánico at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is set in five acres of ‘purification gardens’ and has a plant and herb apothecary
Product news: Product news
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In a shrewd move, both of the spa’s hammams have been developed as revenue generating facilities
Frankfurter Hof, the illustrious 303-bed hotel in Germany’s financial capital recently completed a €32m (US$41m, £27m) upgrade including a €5m (US$6.4m, £4.3m) new spa – the flagship for the 65-property Steigenberger Hotel Group and an offering thoughtfully conceptualised for its location.
Already, bookings prove the 1,000sq m (10,764sq ft) facility is meeting objectives: to strengthen ties between Frankfurters and their 130-year-old grande hotel, to modernise the hotel’s image and to drive new market segments, primarily leisure travellers, external footfall and a younger demographic.
Looking for a partner in the wellness sector, the group enlisted consultancy GOCO Hospitality to develop the concept and manage the nine-treatment room SPA at Frankfurter Hof. It was designed in collaboration with Peter Shilling &Associates from Cologne.
Emlyn Brown, GOCO’s director of spa operations, and Nadine Menzl, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing explain the rationale behind the project.
What gives the spa an edge? EB: The spa’s focus on male grooming in a luxury environment is a unique concept for Germany and one that meets the demand of the predominantly male, business market in the city. Along with a shave, starting at €50 (US$64, £43), our barber area offers in-chair facials, eye care, hair dye and threading with a cappuccino or glass of wine, while your jacket is steamed, glasses cleaned and shoes polished. This is a time-efficient focus on male needs.
What are its other USPs? EB: The hammam has taken off so well that if we could build another, we would. It encapsulates the basic human need of water, heat and cleansing so penetrates a large number of people. We have a large traditional hammam for up to eight people plus a private scrub room where we perform the black soap cleansing, loofah body scrub and a light massage. This ritual costs €65 (US$84, £56) for 45 minutes and we’re performing 35-45 of these a week.
NM: Alongside the hammam we have the thermal area with sauna, steamroom and experience showers. Day spa guests can use these all day for €34 (US$42, £29) which is much less than other spas in the area.
Thermal areas aren’t usually a cost centre are they? EB: Traditionally hotels build thermal areas as an amenity but with increasing energy/running costs they put a drag on other services. If you can add revenue generating areas, like a hammam where treatments can be performed, it becomes a profit centre rather than just an amenity, while generating a far greater level of experience for guests.
NM: The hammam brings constant repeat business and is already heavily booked. We attract a lot of Middle Eastern guests during summer and the hammam and day spa pass gives added appeal to the Arab market. There’s also a ladies-only steamroom in the female changing area.
How did you choose suppliers? EB: We see two distinct product avenues for this spa: ethical, natural with Amala combined with MBR (Medical Beauty Research) an advanced cosmeceutical range, chosen for quality and for being German. There’s no overlap with customers and the ranges have equal popularity. We’re also the first European site for the Paris-based male brand HOMMAGE which has the greatest market penetration in the Middle East and the US.
How did you layout the spa? EB: We have a dedicated area for MBR because it requires consultation and so benefits from its own retail area. It’s also a higher price point – face treatments start at €159 (US$205, £136). This area, together with the male grooming and nail bar areas are most accessible from the entrance, while areas towards the back are reserved for more tranquil spa journeys. This makes our services convenient for our time-poor, results-oriented clients who come in from the city during their working week.
What’s your business strategy? NM: Traditionally Frankfurt caters for a business market (Frankfurt has only 300,000 inhabitants but this swells to 1 million in the week) but when the financial crisis hit we had to redefine ourselves. In line with our mayor’s vision for promoting the city as a tourist destination also, we wanted to offer leisure guests something to do on weekends. Our weekend spa packages, which can be up to 20 per cent cheaper than off-list prices, include two spa treatments.
The spa has also opened up our hotel to local people who have tended to see it as intimidating. The spa is priced below our competitors and offers a wide choice of experiences. It also brings people to our restaurants and bars.
EB: We’ve purposely developed separate spa profit centres. The barber area, including its own treatment room, has much potential with significant hourly yield opportunity. It’s quite a different model from traditional spas and takes time to build. Our spa suite is the destination element and is leveraged to the local market for anniversaries, gifts, couples’ time-out plus weekenders and packages. It has its own marketing plan. We offer advanced beauty concepts as well as traditional spa treatments. Plus the hammam concept and the day spa pass.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Ask an expert: Cancer
The number of cancer sufferers and survivors is growing. How can spas cater for them? Kath Hudson reports
Interview: Neil Jacobs
Six Senses’ new CEO reveals the group’s spa strategy and development plans
Profile: Anna Bjurstam
The new vice president of spa and wellness at Six Senses will oversee 28 facilities worldwide
Hotel spa: Palace pampering
A E100m refurbishment of Paris’ Hôtel Le Bristol attracted footballer David Beckham for a six month-long stay. Julie Cramer pays a visit to its new Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie which is becoming a healthy profit centre
Promotional feature: Design consulting
Implementing a great spa design takes inspiration, patience and discipline, according to Cary Collier, principal of Blu Spas, WTS' strategic partner. In the third of our WTS series, he shares his design philosophy with Spa Business
Research: India's wellness consumers
Leonor Stanton analyses PwC’s latest research profiling Indian wellness consumers – an industry projected to be worth US$18bn in four years’ time
Thermal spa: Hot spot
The Banjaran is Malaysia’s first and only hot springs retreat. Jennifer Harbottle examines the growth strategy
Company profile promotion: QMS Medicosmetics
QMS Medicosmetics' revolutionary skincare system was created by a trauma surgeon from Germany. Here, the company's managing partner explains how the products' unique ingredients and actions are delivering exceptional results in spas worldwide
Hotel spa: Making a debut
Steigenberger Hotels has introduced a flagship spa concept in Frankfurt. Sophie Benge reports
Resort spa: Botanical beauty
The new Spa Botánico at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is set in five acres of ‘purification gardens’ and has a plant and herb apothecary
Product news: Product news
Product editor, Kate Corney highlights the latest product and equipment launches from the Spa Business search engine, Spa-Kit.net
Private hotel owner and developer HVL Hotels will open a new luxury resort and tourism
destination called Laval Hunter Valley in the second half of 2027 in Pokolbin, Australia.
The annual wellness festival dedicated to wellbeing, culture, longevity and human connection,
called Alma, will be hosted by Rocco Forte hotel, Verdura Resort in Sicily, Italy.
Capella Hotel Group has appointed Feisal Jaffer as chief development officer as the company
ramps up its global expansion of both its Capella and Patina brands.
People taking GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound
may be losing weight, but they’re also becoming less physically active, according to new
research presented at the ENDO 2026 annual meeting of the Endocrine Society
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Global retreat trade show, Synergy The Retreat Show, has launched a resource called The
Source, which hosts an open-access online Transformation Series programme.
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five-
day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in
Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and
rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa.
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
BC Softwear Ltd Established in 2002 by Barbara Cooke, BC SoftWear provides unmatched expertise in the crafting of th [more...]
