Spa at Peninsula Beijing, G&L technology magazine

Having experienced spas through Asia to the Americas, it’s with great honor to have the opportunity to profile The Peninsula Spa by ESPA in Beijing.   This is part of the prestigious Peninsula Hotels group, with world renowned locations such as Beijing, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Beverley Hills, New York and others.   We’re very pleased to have time with Victor Rinaldi, Director of Spa at The Peninsula Beijing.

[AH]  Victor, you’ve become a highly recognized name in both the Asian and global spa industry.  Can you give us a bit of background on your industry experience?

I joined the spa industry in the year 2000 after relocating from London to Singapore. This was the time that spas were expanding throughout Singapore and I was able to spend five years to learn the management of high quality spa operations. In 2005 I was able to move to China, where I have lived ever since, specializing in opening and managements of spas. I joined The Peninsula Beijing in December 2007, through opening and into the establishment of the premier spa in China.

[AH]  Many markets have seen difficult times since the global economic crisis hit in late 2008.   How has that impacted the China spa market?   How has that impacted the market for The Spa at The Peninsula Beijing?

The Peninsula Hotels have very loyal, luxury – oriented clientele who value our philosophy and principles, and we strive to exceed the expectations of our guests.

It is said that luxury will always be in demand in any economic milieu and The Peninsula Spas by ESPA are no exception, with a continuous strong demand for their spa experiences.

[AH]  What makes The Spa at The Peninsula Beijing unique?  Or what makes it a draw to clients?

The Peninsula Spa by ESPA is the exclusive brand of spa found only in The Peninsula Hotels throughout Asia and the USA. The Peninsula Hotels opened the first spa in Hong Kong in 2006, and hence expanded to Bangkok, Chicago, Tokyo and New York, as well as Beijing. Our spas work diligently on standards, and partnering with the prestigious ESPA organization has proved to be a very successful combination.

[AH]  You’ve had your share of experiences in using technology for managing spas.  How have your IT solutions been able to help your Reservation staff effectively manage reservations for revenue enhancement?

I have been fortunate enough to work with spa management systems over the last nine years and have seen their evolution through this time. A system that is well set up for the end-user can have a great effect on reservation efficiency. In my view, the set-up of the system is paramount, for ease of use and to be assistance rather than a hindrance to the end user.

Two specific benefits are to ensure the elimination of inaccurate reservations, and to maximize revenues. Computer systems can be set up to ensure that only the right reservations are made in the right treatment rooms, for the right therapists with the right guests, to ensure that there is no overbooking of resources and therefore no guest is disappointed. It helps the staff to prepare for treatments and allows for a smoother operation. For revenue maximization, by knowing what your resources are, and scheduling correctly, the amount of ‘blank space’ in a spa can be reduced through intelligent scheduling by the receptionists. Everybody benefits because the therapists can work the optimum amount of hours, more guests can be accommodated, and the spa can maximize its revenue generation.

I believe that a well maintained computer system can assist with regular clients. At a spa, the guest needs to feel at home. If there is a strong bond with the receptionist or the therapist, and all the guest preferences and guest history are known, they will feel like a welcome guest in your home, rather than a stranger.

Conversely, if a guest visits a spa on two or three occasions, and has to repeat their entire preferences each time, they will not feel as welcome, and are much more unlikely to return. Spa software helps to ensure that all information can be viewed immediately, assisting in providing excellent guest care.

[AH]  Use of technology by your Reservation staff can assist in how The Spa works with clients.  Have you noticed benefits in the use for back-office functions?

Yes, the ease of retrieving useful management information is an added benefit, allowing for future marketing efforts to be based on actual client preferences that have been seen in the spa.

Spa Directors need to trust their staff, and at the same time be confident that the systems are not being abused. In a sense, all systems have weaknesses, and the use of a well configured spa software system helps to minimize this risk.

Software will help to ensure that the correct transactions are made, and appropriate accounting procedures are in place, and will allow the spa management to extract relevant information to allow them to analyze the business and report to stakeholders.

[AH]  The Peninsula Beijing currently uses Opera for it’s Property Management System, and Concept Software for Spa Operations.  How important is the interface between the Spa & Hotel?

It is essential to have an efficient interface to ensure guest’s bills are accurately recorded at all times. By seamlessly interfacing with, for example, a hotel’s Opera system, the correct spa treatment and product charges can be posted to guest rooms and appear on their room bill immediately. Financial controllers can also look through the records from the spa software should any auditors raise questions.

[AH]  Each Peninsula Hotel is a high end, 5 star property.  Do you see that the use of technology can assist other spas in China?   And how prevalent is the use of technology at China spas?

In China, the spa business is currently at various stages of development, depending on the city, the property and the scope of business. Five star properties in the major cities in China generally have the understanding of the benefits of spa software, from both operational and financial angles, which is very much in line with an international client’s expectations. In a five star operation, proportionately more reservations will be made in advance, and the organization abilities provided by computer systems are very apparent.

As we look through the industry and at traditional Chinese massage centers, bathhouses and the like, we see more of a manual system of operation, paper based, which provide an insight into the culture of Chinese business. I have visited several very large bath houses, which are popular and efficient, on a much larger scale than any five star hotel spa, which have organized paper based systems. In these kind of environments, it is very rare to receive many advanced reservations for treatments, but rather that most treatment reservations are made on the spur of the moment.

We appreciate the generous contribution by Victor Rinaldi, Director of Spa at The Peninsula Beijing.  

written by Aubrey Healey

for Gaming & Leisure Magazine

www.gamingandleisuremagazine.com

Fall 2009 issue