Massage-on-demand company Zeel has officially launched its Zeel Spa programme, a business line designed to create a staffing solution for spas.

Using the Zeel Spa platform, spas, salons and hotels can book a licensed, vetted Zeel massage therapist to fill vacant appointments due to last-minute staff absences, or to augment existing staff during periods of peak demand.

Zeel has been offering this service since November 2015 in a soft-launch mode, and has more than 70 spas and hotels in 20 US cities using the programme.

After signing up, spas can schedule Zeel therapists for start times as little as an hour in advance, and spa directors also have the option of booking therapists for a period of up to eight hours, called a Block Project.

Founded in 2010, Zeel now has more than 7,000 massage therapists in the US.

“Zeel Spa creates more opportunities for those massage therapists and also helps make the overall spa massage industry stronger, more flexible, and more efficient,” said Samer Hamadeh, founder and CEO of Zeel. “Spas no longer need to turn away business or disappoint customers because of last-minute staff absences, or spikes in customer demand. They can even expand their hours of operation and increase revenue by adding more appointment slots.”

Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa in New York has been using the programme for the past year, and assistant spa director Sofi Venezuela said the partnership has been “game-changing.”

“Zeel Spa helps us to be more flexible, allowing us to offer more massage services at busier times," Venezuela explained.

Zeel Spa is part of the larger Zeel Professional platform, which also includes Zeel Corporate Wellness, which delivers Zeel massage therapists to events or workplaces, and Zeel Concierge, which allows hotels without dedicated spas to book zeel therapists for in-room massages.