As often seems to happen, World Spa is the result of an unexpected change in plans. A group of developers, hoping to purchase an existing 10,000sq ft spa in the bustling New York borough of Brooklyn, spent a few years travelling and researching spas around the world. When the opportunity for the sale didn’t materialise, the group decided to create their own facility on a nearby piece of land for which they already owned the leasehold – it just so happened to be a disused car park.
Nearly a decade on and World Spa, a 50,000sq ft, three-storey urban bathhouse, is providing much-needed relaxation in the city that never sleeps.
Lisa Starr talks to the MD about how business is going since opening in December and teams up with fellow Spa Business editor Jane Kitchen to try out the facility.
Thermal fantasy land
At the heart of World Spa is one of the largest co-ed hydrothermal bathing facilities in the area, offering experiences from across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Managing director Lenny Vays says the vision was to create a “fantasy land”, an escape from the commercial craziness of the local environment. “We weren’t totally sure what we wanted until we saw it,” he explains, adding that Design for Leisure worked with the team on the original conceptual and planning designs.
The wide range of thermotherapy experiences, accessed via dynamically-priced passes ranging from US$89-188 (€81-170, £71-151), include a Moroccan hammam, a Turkish hammam, two Russian banyas, an event sauna, a clay and hay sauna, an infrared sauna and an aroma sauna. Guests can also cool off in a snow room and visit a Himalayan salt room, private cabanas, or hydrotherapy, vitality and onsen pools.
The big difference from other spas, says Vays, is that “our approach allows people to socialise with each other”. Treatment areas are intended for quiet, but public areas allow for conversation and togetherness.
This type of facility is quite new in the US, but Vays says the response has been excellent – thanks in part to a lot of press coverage, but also much buzz created via word-of-mouth. Hundreds of people visit daily and 55 per cent of the clientele is 25-35 years old and 75 per cent are women.
ROI within a year
Vays heads up a staff of 200 and a management team overseen by spa veteran Sandra Sadowski. The seven treatment rooms, for therapies by Hydropeptide, HydraFacial and Charme d’Orient, are manned by 45 employees and are already booked solid, so Sadowski has resourcefully turned some of the pool-level cabanas into additional treatment areas.
Aside from treatments and day passes, revenue is also generated by a private membership costing US$1,700 (€1,540, £1,364), US$3,000 (€2,718, £2,406) or US$5,000 (€4,732, £4,071) for three, six or 12 months respectively.
Another differentiator of World Spa, says Vays, is its food offering. The site features three restaurants seating more than 330 people, including Ren, which is helmed by Michelin-starred chef Shaun Hergatt. “Our menu is a very intentional amenity, offering guests good food, selections that they probably don’t eat every day, from different corners of the world,” he says.
Once the tweaking and training is complete, and they’re able to fully evaluate what is working well, Vays expects that World Spa will start to see ROI as soon as this year. With such a positive start, it’s hardly surprising to hear that the ownership group has plans to take the model to more cities across America.
