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Living Earth Crafts has created a bespoke solution
for one of its top clients – a convertible foot massage
table. We meet up with Brian Paris to learn more
Spa equipment designers and manufacturers Living Earth Crafts are known for their innovative pieces as well as their customer service, but sometimes, those two qualities intersect, creating products that are truly unique.
Since LEC mills and manufacturers solely within their own factories, they often build products specifically for the resort and hotel groups they do business with. So when Todd Hewitt, assistant vice president of spa for Shangri-La, approached the company about creating a product to expand their foot massage rituals, Living Earth Crafts was ready to act.
“Living Earth Crafts has always been known for our ability to build truly bespoke furniture for our clients,” says Brian Paris, EVP of Living Earth Crafts. “We’ve been experiencing our strongest year ever in international sales, partly because we’ve worked so hard in recent years to deepen our relationships with our customers.”
Hewitt and Paris worked together to strategize on a concept for a foot massage table, which was built specifically for the Asian market, where foot massage is an important part of any spa treatment – often at the beginning of a spa ritual. Hewitt wanted a solution that would allow guests to enjoy a foot soak and massage from the same table as a traditional massage, making the transition from the ritual to the main treatment more seamless for the guest and therapist alike.
“Todd is a unique and brilliant spa strategist – he knows how to deliver exceptional services and is the ideal partner,” says Paris. “It only took a few design sessions, and we started to create this beautiful table, working in harmony with his protocols and service standards.”
The resulting product, created by the Living Earth Crafts design team, is the Pan Pacific Convertible Treatment Table – a versatile, luxurious convertible couch with a plumbed foot soaking tub hidden beneath retractable cushions. The tub easily disappears under the table with the push of a button, meaning that after a foot massage or ritual, guests can relax back on the plush table for the next part of their treatment.
The Pan Pacific also features LEC’s Cloudfill upholstered slipcover; an embedded Caress self-adjusting facecradle; and whisper-quiet height adjustments and electric back-tilt, so it can be used for everything from Chinese foot massage to traditional massage, pedicures and manicures. Upgraded upholstery options are also available, as are flex arms, which allow the table to be used for seated treatments like pedicures.
“This was a piece specifically built for the Asian market, but it’s the perfect example of Living Earth Crafts’ ability to create a bespoke masterpiece for one of the world’s most prolific and highly regarded spa operators,” says Paris.
The product was so successful, Shangri-La is now rolling it out across all its spas around the world. “Living Earth Crafts is my go-to company whenever I need any spa equipment – whether traditional massage tables, pedi chairs or getting them to design something completely new on the market,” says Hewitt. “Their customer service is outstanding, which is what has kept me as a loyal customer after all these years.”
One of the reasons for that exceptional customer service may be that Paris has a unique understanding of the clients’ needs; before becoming a partner in Living Earth Crafts, he sold spa equipment, and before that, he was a Living Earth Crafts client.
“Living Earth Crafts has always been the innovator and listened to my needs,” he explains. “Creating extraordinary solutions has always been in the DNA of the company. As a former spa director, it was vital to have unique, yet reliable furniture for my spa. As a builder and designer, there’s nothing more enjoyable than helping create the perfect spa environment.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2019 issue 4
Editor's letter: Democratic wellness
To truly flourish, the spa industry needs to step outside its comfort zone and reach out to different markets with new and exciting business models, says Katie Barnes
Spa Programmes: On the menu
Boundary-pushing wellness in Iceland, self-care focus at Devarana and Civana’s equine retreat all feature in our spa menu round-up
Interview: Alexandre Cantin
Canada’s Groupe Nordik wants to open 10 nature spas, focusing on bathing and thermotherapy, by 2027. Katie Barnes talks to its VP of growth and strategy
Promotional feature: Starpool - Star quality
Wellness expert, Starpool, is known for offering complete wellness solutions with Italian design flair, enabling operators to create world class treatments and experiences
Training: Covering all bases
Resense joins forces with Lobster Ink to create an online training program for multiple spa roles
Promotional feature: Gharieni
Spa equipment innovator, Gharieni, is partnering with leading spas around the world to showcase its products to clients in real world settings, as CEO, Sammy Gharieni, explains
Research: Positive picture
ISPA’s latest US spa study shows continued growth across key metrics and pinpoints CBD and gen Z as trends. Russell Donaldson reports
Promotional feature: Zimmer MedizinSystems - Cool customer
Rainer Bolsinger, who heads up hotel and spa sales of icelab at Zimmer MedizinSystems, and icelab customer Chenot Group, explain how cryotherapy can be incorporated into your business
Promotional feature: Biologique Recherche - Skin deep
Biologique Recherche has spent the past 40 years developing technology and products to understand the skin on an individual level. Pierre-Louis Delapalme and Rupert Schmid tell Spa Business about the Parisian brand’s latest innovations
Research: On the move
The global physical activity market is now worth US$828bn according to a new GWI study. But what emerging trends do spas need to know about?
Promotional feature: SpaSoft - Onwards & upwards
The enhanced integration between SpaSoft and multiple PMS systems will help your team save time, remove the possibility of human error and create an elevated guest experience
Software: Monetising
How is software helping spas to navigate e-commerce and further monetise their relationship with clients
The MSpa Oslo series is a perennial bestseller in global markets. With innovative
engineering and premium performance, this completely portable spa line-up is expertly
designed to meet the needs of customers worldwide. [more...]
Living Earth Crafts has created a bespoke solution
for one of its top clients – a convertible foot massage
table. We meet up with Brian Paris to learn more
Spa equipment designers and manufacturers Living Earth Crafts are known for their innovative pieces as well as their customer service, but sometimes, those two qualities intersect, creating products that are truly unique.
Since LEC mills and manufacturers solely within their own factories, they often build products specifically for the resort and hotel groups they do business with. So when Todd Hewitt, assistant vice president of spa for Shangri-La, approached the company about creating a product to expand their foot massage rituals, Living Earth Crafts was ready to act.
“Living Earth Crafts has always been known for our ability to build truly bespoke furniture for our clients,” says Brian Paris, EVP of Living Earth Crafts. “We’ve been experiencing our strongest year ever in international sales, partly because we’ve worked so hard in recent years to deepen our relationships with our customers.”
Hewitt and Paris worked together to strategize on a concept for a foot massage table, which was built specifically for the Asian market, where foot massage is an important part of any spa treatment – often at the beginning of a spa ritual. Hewitt wanted a solution that would allow guests to enjoy a foot soak and massage from the same table as a traditional massage, making the transition from the ritual to the main treatment more seamless for the guest and therapist alike.
“Todd is a unique and brilliant spa strategist – he knows how to deliver exceptional services and is the ideal partner,” says Paris. “It only took a few design sessions, and we started to create this beautiful table, working in harmony with his protocols and service standards.”
The resulting product, created by the Living Earth Crafts design team, is the Pan Pacific Convertible Treatment Table – a versatile, luxurious convertible couch with a plumbed foot soaking tub hidden beneath retractable cushions. The tub easily disappears under the table with the push of a button, meaning that after a foot massage or ritual, guests can relax back on the plush table for the next part of their treatment.
The Pan Pacific also features LEC’s Cloudfill upholstered slipcover; an embedded Caress self-adjusting facecradle; and whisper-quiet height adjustments and electric back-tilt, so it can be used for everything from Chinese foot massage to traditional massage, pedicures and manicures. Upgraded upholstery options are also available, as are flex arms, which allow the table to be used for seated treatments like pedicures.
“This was a piece specifically built for the Asian market, but it’s the perfect example of Living Earth Crafts’ ability to create a bespoke masterpiece for one of the world’s most prolific and highly regarded spa operators,” says Paris.
The product was so successful, Shangri-La is now rolling it out across all its spas around the world. “Living Earth Crafts is my go-to company whenever I need any spa equipment – whether traditional massage tables, pedi chairs or getting them to design something completely new on the market,” says Hewitt. “Their customer service is outstanding, which is what has kept me as a loyal customer after all these years.”
One of the reasons for that exceptional customer service may be that Paris has a unique understanding of the clients’ needs; before becoming a partner in Living Earth Crafts, he sold spa equipment, and before that, he was a Living Earth Crafts client.
“Living Earth Crafts has always been the innovator and listened to my needs,” he explains. “Creating extraordinary solutions has always been in the DNA of the company. As a former spa director, it was vital to have unique, yet reliable furniture for my spa. As a builder and designer, there’s nothing more enjoyable than helping create the perfect spa environment.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2019 issue 4
Editor's letter: Democratic wellness
To truly flourish, the spa industry needs to step outside its comfort zone and reach out to different markets with new and exciting business models, says Katie Barnes
Spa Programmes: On the menu
Boundary-pushing wellness in Iceland, self-care focus at Devarana and Civana’s equine retreat all feature in our spa menu round-up
Interview: Alexandre Cantin
Canada’s Groupe Nordik wants to open 10 nature spas, focusing on bathing and thermotherapy, by 2027. Katie Barnes talks to its VP of growth and strategy
Promotional feature: Starpool - Star quality
Wellness expert, Starpool, is known for offering complete wellness solutions with Italian design flair, enabling operators to create world class treatments and experiences
Training: Covering all bases
Resense joins forces with Lobster Ink to create an online training program for multiple spa roles
Promotional feature: Gharieni
Spa equipment innovator, Gharieni, is partnering with leading spas around the world to showcase its products to clients in real world settings, as CEO, Sammy Gharieni, explains
Research: Positive picture
ISPA’s latest US spa study shows continued growth across key metrics and pinpoints CBD and gen Z as trends. Russell Donaldson reports
Promotional feature: Zimmer MedizinSystems - Cool customer
Rainer Bolsinger, who heads up hotel and spa sales of icelab at Zimmer MedizinSystems, and icelab customer Chenot Group, explain how cryotherapy can be incorporated into your business
Promotional feature: Biologique Recherche - Skin deep
Biologique Recherche has spent the past 40 years developing technology and products to understand the skin on an individual level. Pierre-Louis Delapalme and Rupert Schmid tell Spa Business about the Parisian brand’s latest innovations
Research: On the move
The global physical activity market is now worth US$828bn according to a new GWI study. But what emerging trends do spas need to know about?
Promotional feature: SpaSoft - Onwards & upwards
The enhanced integration between SpaSoft and multiple PMS systems will help your team save time, remove the possibility of human error and create an elevated guest experience
Software: Monetising
How is software helping spas to navigate e-commerce and further monetise their relationship with clients
Anna Bjurstam has left her role as Wellness Pioneer at Six Senses Hotels and Resorts and
launched a new wellness, longevity and “consciousness consultancy” called Wahayla.
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has opened today (10 July) in the Northwest of England with a
1,715sq m Fairmont Spa that has been designed using a ‘Wellness without Walls’ concept.
Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of
total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest RevPAR and TRevPAR growth
in 2025 across categories when compared with 2024, according to the latest Wellness Real
Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats.
Lefay Resorts, the portfolio of two luxury wellness properties in Italy, has added emotional
dance classes and group cold plunge sessions in response to market demand for social
connection.
Aditya Saluja, an industry leader in luxury wellness hospitality, has been
appointed as
commercial director of spa and wellness for the spa management division of
Minor Hotels,
MSpa International.
Preidlhof Luxury DolceVita Resort, a destination resort and spa in Naturno, South Tyrol in Italy,
will reveal a new spa in February 2027, which has been designed by wellness expert and
consultant Patrizia Bortolin.
Virgin Active has officially opened its redesigned Mayfair club, unveiling its latest Social Wellness Club and
signalling a significant evolution of its proposition.
The MSpa Oslo series is a perennial bestseller in global markets. With innovative
engineering and premium performance, this completely portable spa line-up is expertly
designed to meet the needs of customers worldwide. [more...]
