Glen Ivy Hot Springs in Corona, US, has a large variety of spa experiences including 19 pools (some thermal), red clay mud baths, 72 treatment areas, a salon and spa cuisine. It serves more than 200,000 guests, and provides over 100,000 spa services, annually.

Glen Ivy CEO, Jim Root says ResortSuite, with its enterprise Oracle database architecture, was picked because “we needed a software system designed to handle the sheer scale of our operations as well as an integrated solution that could serve our guests in an efficient, streamlined and personalised manner.”

Glen Ivy also has unique requirements in terms of guest patterns. A huge portion of daily guests arrive early and wait in line prior to the check-in desk’s opening. Root says: “ResortSuite’s ability to perform transactions quickly enables guests to maximise their time in the facility and minimise their waiting time.”

The CEO adds that ResortSuite’s effective marketing initiatives has helped it to communicate to its loyal customer base. “The Connect feature – with its reporting, dashboard and marketing automation tools – plus its marketing campaign wizard, enables us to personalise communications based on guest patterns and preferences. Our promotions are now very targeted and intentional.” Engaging with guests will be further improved thanks to ResorSuite’s Mobile feature and other guest-facing technologies. It’s currently setting up a downloadable app which will allow guests to view their itinerary, learn about difference experiences on-site and book services and classes in real-time. Guests will also be able to opt-in for notifications for same-day, on-site promotions.

Last July, Glen Ivy installed ResortSuite at its second site in Brea. The system’s multi-location function allows it to separate out inventory and revenue centres, but share guest and staff scheduling details between locations.

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A new spa manager at Fairmont Peace Hotel & Resort’s Willow Stream Spa in Shanghai has opened doors for SpaSoft spa management software.

When Chloe Chen joined as spa director at Willow Stream in April 2013, she identified opportunities for the spa to leverage the SpaSoft technology to improve the business.

Using SpaSoft tools, Willow Stream began to analyse its customer trends – creating new packages to target hotel guests – and staff productivity. Chen says the system also “helps receptionists arrange the duty roster, select therapists, check bookings for the day and look up the guests’ previous record.

“We’ve been able to analyse our treatments using the monthly report to see which are most popular and design spa promotions accordingly to help create more business opportunities.”

The software is supported with staff training, which was included in the purchase of the system and covered reservation, billing and monthly operation report features, and lasted two weeks for six employees.

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Book4Time software has enabled guests at Sugar Beach, a Viceroy resort in St Lucia, to book spa treatments from their in-room iPads.

Book4Time integrated its spa management software with the spa’s new in-room mobile devices in late 2013. The devices now communicate with the spa’s main software system and guests are able to book spa appointments in real-time from the comfort and convenience of their hotel in-room iPad.

Shearvon Devenish, information systems manager at the hotel says sales can take place anywhere now. “Online product sales can now be offered, as well as online bookings from our websites and mobile devices, such as iPads or laptops.”

Since installing Book4Time business at the spa has increased 20 per cent year on year. Devenish says this is because the software “has increased our level of efficiency, effectiveness and performance. The system has helped us handle our spa reservations in such an easy manner that managing our staff has also become just as easy.”

The spa can access revenue reports for the day, week or year and show therapists if they’re meeting their targets.

Devenish says: “Before we had Book4Time it was chaotic, we lacked control and had to do everything manually. Now we can see our sales and identify which treatments are selling well, which aren’t and which ones we can up-sell.”

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SpaBooker has rolled out its web-based SpaBooker spa management software across the four Hard Rock All-Inclusive Collection properties in Mexico and the Caribbean.

With more than 80 receptionists booking services daily at the sites in Puerto Aventuras, Cancun, Punta Cana and Puerto Vallarta, the platform needed to be easy to learn and intuitive to use. SpaBooker’s training courses focused on three aspects – how to book, how to sell and how to manage the software – and were attended by 15 staff at each site.

The software includes all SpaBooker features, including Appointment Scheduling, Online Booking, and Email Marketing.

Jose Antonio Abud, director of tourism services for Hard Rock says: “The system’s really user-friendly.” Having access to the system on mobile devices is particularly handy, he adds, as the group’s corporate directors often travel across properties and need to track the progress of each spa location wherever they are.

Hard Rock can now also offer its guests the option of booking treatments remotely using touch-screens, located around the property and in guestrooms, through SpaBooker’s mobile and touch-screen functionality.

Its e-marketing and online booking feature also encourages guests to book spa treatments before they arrive. Abud says: “Some guests prefer to book appointments face-to-face, others like to book online or on the phone. If the client wants to avoid queues they can book online prior to arrival or from their own room once they’re on-site. Bookings are easy to enter – customers can schedule multiple services, add additional guests, book classes and even view descriptions of services.

“With SpaBooker, the technology to offer booking on every device requires no technical knowledge and can be easily implemented. The technology is continuously updated and tested to ensure that it works on the latest phones, tablets, and computers.”

Once an appointment is made, it’s automatically diaried on the system to prevent double-bookings. Customers and employees get automatic email confirmations to reduce no-shows and confirm staff availability.

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Premier Software has installed its Core software at the Bedford Lodge Hotel and Spa, UK. Implementation of the software was phased in during the spa’s pre-opening stage, then fully commissioned on opening in May 2013. Since then, Premier has replaced the resort’s previous membership software and, since October 2013, been operating the entire spa and leisure offering for the resort.

Spa manager Anna Ramsay says the system has detailed reoprts which help with analysing the business and overall efficiency. “I trust the system entirely and regularly use the therapist and room utilisation reports,” she says. “A postcode report shows me where clients are coming from and if advertising is effective. The system also enables me to monitor repeat business and provides a daily trading summary.”

Bedford Lodge has an annual maintenance and support service agreement with Premier, which includes phone and remote connective support and all software upgrades. The training of 10 staff, over six days, covered the initial set-up of the software at the site and guidance on how to make reservations and analyse the system-generated reports.

Ramsay adds: “The staff picked up the system quickly. It is easy to use and generally it will not allow receptionists to make a mistake, as the required fields they need to fill in are marked.”

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