Thomas teases Lush hotel plans amid spa news / photo: LUSH
Lush may be best known for its fizzing bath bombs and cosmetics retail outlets in more than 50 countries, but behind the scenes, it’s been quietly building an equally distinctive day spa empire. With 19 facilities worldwide – from New York to Kyoto and Dubai to London and Vancouver – the brand has developed an immersive, multisensory approach that sets it apart.
Most recently, it teased plans to extend its philosophy into hospitality to bring its ethos of rest, reconnection and nature-led design into overnight stays. In this interview, Lush Spa co-founder Kayley Thomas reveals more about the company’s hotel plans and how the brand prides itself on reshaping spa experiences.
Tell us about your spas The Lush Spa concept was envisioned by our CEO, Mark Constantine, as the ultimate demo of our products. It’s central to the business, embodying our core value of service and leaving the world ‘lusher’ than we found it.
We have 19 day spas around the world. Our first opened in Poole on the UK’s south coast in 2009 and now 10 per cent of our UK and Ireland shops offer treatments.
What’s the concept behind the spas? Spectacular design is paramount, as is delivering a memorable experience and showcasing iconic Lush products and exclusive formulations that are only available in the spa.
We also focus on creating transformative immersive experiences for all the senses, with each treatment carefully crafted to take guests on a journey that promotes deep rest and connection to nature.
Bespoke soundscapes meticulously developed by carefully-selected musicians are a key element. These incorporate birdsong recordings to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. We would be mortified to play plinky plonky spa music. Instead, we set aside a budget to create our own unique soundscapes.
How big are Lush spas? They range from two to six treatment rooms and newer spas have large kitchens or communal areas where customers can take time to relax before or after their treatments. These are also used to host our Spa Parties, yoga classes and local events. Mirdif in Dubai is the smallest spa at 79sq m, while Glasgow City spa, one of our newest locations, is the largest at 336sq m.
Tell us more about the bathing options As inventors of the bath bomb, we couldn’t not offer baths to our spa customers! Many of the spas have bathrooms where we offer 30-minute Book a Bath experiences. They enable customers to try either Lush product ranges, or one-off collaboration baths such as Shrek’s Book a Swamp or the Wicked theatrical soak. They’re also a popular add-on to some of our longer treatments.
Who designs your spas? They’re designed in-house by our shop and space planning teams, led by Jo Evans, who was the first employee of Lush, starting with the business fresh from art college 30 years ago.
We have strict buying policies in place to ensure all our equipment and towels are organic and fully traceable.
What have been the greatest challenges? Gearing the business up to work for the spas and recognising that spas are a different industry, requiring investment in things such as booking systems, which haven’t historically been needed when running a predominantly retail business.
How do you train your therapists? We have around 70 therapists working across our UK spas and 50 across our global spas.
We employ externally qualified therapists, as well as offering an in-house VTCT-accredited training programme to loyal and passionate staff who are already in the business. We’re very proud of this. It’s been running for 13 years and has seen us upskill 210 retail, support and manufacturing employees.
It’s increasingly hard to find external therapists capable of delivering the five-star experience we expect, so in-house training remains vital.
What’s the process for creating treatments? Treatments are core to Lush’s existence, having been in our mission statement from the very start.
Birthing new treatments can take a year and they’re inspired by what customers need. Given increasing levels of stress and mental health challenges, for example, our therapies explore the relationship between the mind and body to provide a sense of escape.
We cover all styles of massage, including deep tissue, hot stones, facials and reflexology, as well as trying more unusual therapeutic techniques. Sound therapy is incorporated into all treatments, for example, cold therapy in our Rewilding facial and rune readings in our Highlands hot stone massage.
Which are the most popular? Last year, The Good Hour made up 16 per cent of sales and had a growth of 18 per cent compared to the previous year. This firm, full-body and trigger point massage is inspired by Lush’s hometown of Poole and features a coastal soundscape. It lasts 70 minutes and costs £140 (US$189, €160).
Synaesthesia, our 80-minute multisensory, signature treatment made up 14 per cent of sales. We worked with a psychologist to create this £160 (US$218, €185) treatment, which uses massage techniques and scents to transition clients to a certain feeling based on one of 11 intentions.
Our third most popular treatment, accounting for 12 per cent of sales, was The Comforter, a hot chocolate full-body scrub and rose serum massage. It’s priced at £110 (US$149, €126) for 60 minutes. See the full menu at www.spabusiness.com/LUSH.
What are your key business metrics? UK spas have grown more than 13 per cent in the last year on a like-for-like basis and we find that one in every three clients a month are repeat customers.
Our top performing spas in the UK, for revenue and number of treatments, are in London’s Covent Garden and Birmingham. The average number of treatments performed each month in all our UK spas combined is 2,345, while our monthly average globally currently stands at 3,245.
What makes Lush Spa unique? You won’t experience a spa treatment that resembles ours anywhere else in the world, especially given our unique soundscapes.
We have a team of developers working in R&D, meaning we don’t follow trends, we create them. We pride ourselves on making our clients’ days, paying attention to small details, putting smiles on faces and making people feel overwhelmingly special.
We’re also proud to offer selected treatments for younger clients, aged 12 and up.
What are your plans for hotels? For years, Lush has held an ambition to extend the transformative power of the Lush Spa into an overnight experience, with a hotel being the natural next step in offering clients a deeper opportunity for rest and reconnection.
Our vision has been for a hotel that’s immersed in nature and connected to our conservation projects (www.spabusiness.com/LUSHconserve).
Various partnership opportunities have been explored and while a large hotel chain approached us two years ago, we ultimately determined it wasn’t the right fit. More recently, we’ve been exploring a local boutique hotel renovation project, though it is still in the early stages. We’re also considering franchising, but this requires finding the right partner.
Will you open more spas? Yes, absolutely – I want to widen our audience and make Lush a recognisable destination for experiences on the high street. We’re exploring a third spa store in London and wish to open more spas in markets we’re already in, including Dubai, Canada and New York. We’re also waiting to land some new global markets and franchising options.
In addition, we’re looking to create a sports massage, but we’re not ready to give away any secrets about that just yet!
The spa business has grown year-on-year since the pandemic and we’re proud to be leading trends and innovating in the wellbeing space.
• Turn to p78 to read our review of Lush’s Synaesthesia spa treatment
Lush Spa portfolio
UK: Bath, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London (Covent Garden and Oxford Street), Poole
Global: Canada (Vancouver), Dubai (Mirdif), Japan (Jiyugaoka, Kyoto and Shinjuku), South Korea (Apgujeong and Starfield), Spain (Madrid), USA (New York)
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Spa people: Tim Fu
Leading a wellness architecture project in Slovenia that’s one of the first in the world to use AI in all stages of design
Spa people: Kayley Thomas
Lush is famous for its bath bombs and retail empire, but the co-founder of its day spa concept reveals why its 19 global spa facilities are so essential
Spa people: Colin Mcilheney
We find out more about Colin Mcilheney, the man who created the ISPA US Spa Industry Study and has been analysing the sector’s performance ever since
News report: Map of luxury
New research by WATG shows emerging wealth hubs in India, the Gulf, Southeast Asia and Africa are reshaping luxury travel demand
Interview: Chris Norton
The CEO of Equinox Hotels tells Katie Barnes how the uber-cool brand is scaling its bold fusion of fitness, spa and luxury
Ask an expert...: Recovery
From cryo to compression to contrast bathing, Julie Cramer investigates why and how spas and resorts are integrating recovery packages
Research: Behind the boom
What are the hidden messages in the latest US study by ISPA? Colin Mcilheney digs beneath the surface
Research: Bigger picture
Rising salaries and shifting consumer expectations – two new surveys by the UKSA and GSG reveal the trends impacting UK spa operators
Sponsored: Lemi - Good sensations
Lemi’s Venice Head Spa combines the beauty of Italian design with fine-tuned technology to provide the ultimate top-to-toe treatment station for spas
Sponsored: G.M. COLLIN – Smooth operator
The new toner from G.M. Collin represents a ‘gold standard’ in leave-on liquid exfoliation for smooth and radiant results, without the irritation of a scrub
Sponsored: TechnoAlpin – Snow for all seasons
TechnoAlpin’s magical Snowroom installation at the Alpenrose resort brings the Austrian landscape and feel-good nature factor to its wellbeing experience
First person: Costa Blanca cure
Jane Kitchen visits Spain to compare and contrast two world-class medi-wellness clinics: well-established SHA and ambitious newcomer ZEM
Sponsored: Gharieni Group – Tech-powered recovery
The new brand in the Gharieni Group portfolio – Metawell – is delivering what today’s wellness clients are seeking most – deep recovery and mind-body renewal
Sponsored: BC Softwear – Human touch
While touchless therapies are a positive addition to spas, nothing can replace the healing power of human touch, says Barbara Cooke
Sponsored: Yon-ka – A potent blend
Yon-Ka’s new Serum Omega is a potent blend of Omega 3, 6 and 9 to target
dry, stressed-out skin and deliver a calm and nourishing client experience
Menu engineering: At your service
Self-playing gongs in Sweden, surfing therapy in Morocco and Ananda launches holistic diabetes management programme in India
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
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Thomas teases Lush hotel plans amid spa news / photo: LUSH
Lush may be best known for its fizzing bath bombs and cosmetics retail outlets in more than 50 countries, but behind the scenes, it’s been quietly building an equally distinctive day spa empire. With 19 facilities worldwide – from New York to Kyoto and Dubai to London and Vancouver – the brand has developed an immersive, multisensory approach that sets it apart.
Most recently, it teased plans to extend its philosophy into hospitality to bring its ethos of rest, reconnection and nature-led design into overnight stays. In this interview, Lush Spa co-founder Kayley Thomas reveals more about the company’s hotel plans and how the brand prides itself on reshaping spa experiences.
Tell us about your spas The Lush Spa concept was envisioned by our CEO, Mark Constantine, as the ultimate demo of our products. It’s central to the business, embodying our core value of service and leaving the world ‘lusher’ than we found it.
We have 19 day spas around the world. Our first opened in Poole on the UK’s south coast in 2009 and now 10 per cent of our UK and Ireland shops offer treatments.
What’s the concept behind the spas? Spectacular design is paramount, as is delivering a memorable experience and showcasing iconic Lush products and exclusive formulations that are only available in the spa.
We also focus on creating transformative immersive experiences for all the senses, with each treatment carefully crafted to take guests on a journey that promotes deep rest and connection to nature.
Bespoke soundscapes meticulously developed by carefully-selected musicians are a key element. These incorporate birdsong recordings to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. We would be mortified to play plinky plonky spa music. Instead, we set aside a budget to create our own unique soundscapes.
How big are Lush spas? They range from two to six treatment rooms and newer spas have large kitchens or communal areas where customers can take time to relax before or after their treatments. These are also used to host our Spa Parties, yoga classes and local events. Mirdif in Dubai is the smallest spa at 79sq m, while Glasgow City spa, one of our newest locations, is the largest at 336sq m.
Tell us more about the bathing options As inventors of the bath bomb, we couldn’t not offer baths to our spa customers! Many of the spas have bathrooms where we offer 30-minute Book a Bath experiences. They enable customers to try either Lush product ranges, or one-off collaboration baths such as Shrek’s Book a Swamp or the Wicked theatrical soak. They’re also a popular add-on to some of our longer treatments.
Who designs your spas? They’re designed in-house by our shop and space planning teams, led by Jo Evans, who was the first employee of Lush, starting with the business fresh from art college 30 years ago.
We have strict buying policies in place to ensure all our equipment and towels are organic and fully traceable.
What have been the greatest challenges? Gearing the business up to work for the spas and recognising that spas are a different industry, requiring investment in things such as booking systems, which haven’t historically been needed when running a predominantly retail business.
How do you train your therapists? We have around 70 therapists working across our UK spas and 50 across our global spas.
We employ externally qualified therapists, as well as offering an in-house VTCT-accredited training programme to loyal and passionate staff who are already in the business. We’re very proud of this. It’s been running for 13 years and has seen us upskill 210 retail, support and manufacturing employees.
It’s increasingly hard to find external therapists capable of delivering the five-star experience we expect, so in-house training remains vital.
What’s the process for creating treatments? Treatments are core to Lush’s existence, having been in our mission statement from the very start.
Birthing new treatments can take a year and they’re inspired by what customers need. Given increasing levels of stress and mental health challenges, for example, our therapies explore the relationship between the mind and body to provide a sense of escape.
We cover all styles of massage, including deep tissue, hot stones, facials and reflexology, as well as trying more unusual therapeutic techniques. Sound therapy is incorporated into all treatments, for example, cold therapy in our Rewilding facial and rune readings in our Highlands hot stone massage.
Which are the most popular? Last year, The Good Hour made up 16 per cent of sales and had a growth of 18 per cent compared to the previous year. This firm, full-body and trigger point massage is inspired by Lush’s hometown of Poole and features a coastal soundscape. It lasts 70 minutes and costs £140 (US$189, €160).
Synaesthesia, our 80-minute multisensory, signature treatment made up 14 per cent of sales. We worked with a psychologist to create this £160 (US$218, €185) treatment, which uses massage techniques and scents to transition clients to a certain feeling based on one of 11 intentions.
Our third most popular treatment, accounting for 12 per cent of sales, was The Comforter, a hot chocolate full-body scrub and rose serum massage. It’s priced at £110 (US$149, €126) for 60 minutes. See the full menu at www.spabusiness.com/LUSH.
What are your key business metrics? UK spas have grown more than 13 per cent in the last year on a like-for-like basis and we find that one in every three clients a month are repeat customers.
Our top performing spas in the UK, for revenue and number of treatments, are in London’s Covent Garden and Birmingham. The average number of treatments performed each month in all our UK spas combined is 2,345, while our monthly average globally currently stands at 3,245.
What makes Lush Spa unique? You won’t experience a spa treatment that resembles ours anywhere else in the world, especially given our unique soundscapes.
We have a team of developers working in R&D, meaning we don’t follow trends, we create them. We pride ourselves on making our clients’ days, paying attention to small details, putting smiles on faces and making people feel overwhelmingly special.
We’re also proud to offer selected treatments for younger clients, aged 12 and up.
What are your plans for hotels? For years, Lush has held an ambition to extend the transformative power of the Lush Spa into an overnight experience, with a hotel being the natural next step in offering clients a deeper opportunity for rest and reconnection.
Our vision has been for a hotel that’s immersed in nature and connected to our conservation projects (www.spabusiness.com/LUSHconserve).
Various partnership opportunities have been explored and while a large hotel chain approached us two years ago, we ultimately determined it wasn’t the right fit. More recently, we’ve been exploring a local boutique hotel renovation project, though it is still in the early stages. We’re also considering franchising, but this requires finding the right partner.
Will you open more spas? Yes, absolutely – I want to widen our audience and make Lush a recognisable destination for experiences on the high street. We’re exploring a third spa store in London and wish to open more spas in markets we’re already in, including Dubai, Canada and New York. We’re also waiting to land some new global markets and franchising options.
In addition, we’re looking to create a sports massage, but we’re not ready to give away any secrets about that just yet!
The spa business has grown year-on-year since the pandemic and we’re proud to be leading trends and innovating in the wellbeing space.
• Turn to p78 to read our review of Lush’s Synaesthesia spa treatment
Lush Spa portfolio
UK: Bath, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London (Covent Garden and Oxford Street), Poole
Global: Canada (Vancouver), Dubai (Mirdif), Japan (Jiyugaoka, Kyoto and Shinjuku), South Korea (Apgujeong and Starfield), Spain (Madrid), USA (New York)
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Spa people: Tim Fu
Leading a wellness architecture project in Slovenia that’s one of the first in the world to use AI in all stages of design
Spa people: Kayley Thomas
Lush is famous for its bath bombs and retail empire, but the co-founder of its day spa concept reveals why its 19 global spa facilities are so essential
Spa people: Colin Mcilheney
We find out more about Colin Mcilheney, the man who created the ISPA US Spa Industry Study and has been analysing the sector’s performance ever since
News report: Map of luxury
New research by WATG shows emerging wealth hubs in India, the Gulf, Southeast Asia and Africa are reshaping luxury travel demand
Interview: Chris Norton
The CEO of Equinox Hotels tells Katie Barnes how the uber-cool brand is scaling its bold fusion of fitness, spa and luxury
Ask an expert...: Recovery
From cryo to compression to contrast bathing, Julie Cramer investigates why and how spas and resorts are integrating recovery packages
Research: Behind the boom
What are the hidden messages in the latest US study by ISPA? Colin Mcilheney digs beneath the surface
Research: Bigger picture
Rising salaries and shifting consumer expectations – two new surveys by the UKSA and GSG reveal the trends impacting UK spa operators
Sponsored: Lemi - Good sensations
Lemi’s Venice Head Spa combines the beauty of Italian design with fine-tuned technology to provide the ultimate top-to-toe treatment station for spas
Sponsored: G.M. COLLIN – Smooth operator
The new toner from G.M. Collin represents a ‘gold standard’ in leave-on liquid exfoliation for smooth and radiant results, without the irritation of a scrub
Sponsored: TechnoAlpin – Snow for all seasons
TechnoAlpin’s magical Snowroom installation at the Alpenrose resort brings the Austrian landscape and feel-good nature factor to its wellbeing experience
First person: Costa Blanca cure
Jane Kitchen visits Spain to compare and contrast two world-class medi-wellness clinics: well-established SHA and ambitious newcomer ZEM
Sponsored: Gharieni Group – Tech-powered recovery
The new brand in the Gharieni Group portfolio – Metawell – is delivering what today’s wellness clients are seeking most – deep recovery and mind-body renewal
Sponsored: BC Softwear – Human touch
While touchless therapies are a positive addition to spas, nothing can replace the healing power of human touch, says Barbara Cooke
Sponsored: Yon-ka – A potent blend
Yon-Ka’s new Serum Omega is a potent blend of Omega 3, 6 and 9 to target
dry, stressed-out skin and deliver a calm and nourishing client experience
Menu engineering: At your service
Self-playing gongs in Sweden, surfing therapy in Morocco and Ananda launches holistic diabetes management programme in India
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.
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Comfort Zone Comfort Zone’s comprehensive face and body professional and retail range allows clients
to experien [more...]
